Shipyard, 2003-2005

There was some doubt as to whether the Tug Pegasus could withstand another winter without hull repair. We were able to start the hull restoration when the Tug Pegasus Preservation Project received a matching grant from Clean Air/Clean Water Bond Act funds administered by New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. They were extremely helpful throughout, especially in the administration of the grant. The scope of the grant was the hull and its connecting parts, inside and out. New York Landmarks Conservancy (http://www.nylandmarks.org/) matched our grant with a low-interest loan.

Charles Deroko of Charles Deroko, Inc. (http://www.charlescderokoinc.com) was on hand as a consultant. Charlie was basically in residence throughout the shipyard work through the generous donation of the Lu Esther Mertz Fund of the New York Community Trust. He stayed closely involved throughout the shipyard work.

We selected Garpo Marine Services, formerly Tottenville Shipyard, because of their ability to lift us in the travel lift and block us up on land, instead of using a drydock. The latter was not an option, as the time we needed would have tied up an expensive piece of equipment for too long. John Garner, principal of the shipyard, generously let us get hauled before we had arranged our Landmarks matching grant.

The communication of all involved was great and the level of skill at the yard was excellent. Many of the welders were certified by the American Bureau of Shipping. Garpo Marine is the kind of place where the senior workers will help the younger people along.

24 December 2003

This was a huge day for the Tug Pegasus Preservation Project, the beginning of a full-on restoration project, fixing the hull of a nearly 100-year-old tugboat. This would hopefully insure her future as a soon-to-be-saved old style New York Harbor tugboat.

The weather was pretty foul to work in but at least the Tug Pegasus was safe from sinking, nightmares of her falling off her blocks not withstanding.

This was probably the most wasted area of the tug. Hull plating, frames, and gussets all had to be added to or reconstructed, as well as cement chipped out of the bottom.

Here much of the bulkhead at frame no. 11 has been removed. Forward on the other side of the bulkhead, where Scotty and Ron are working, is the forward ballast tank and the foremost part of the tug.

On the lower left, you can see where the keelson was replaced. It was for years buried by paving block used as ballast. This area, aft of the bulkhead, is under the fo'c's'le.

The long horizontal piece continues behind the riveted fuel oil tank in the foreground. This pattern of deterioration was caused by moisture that was held in the plank ends of the wooden deck at this elevation forward of the bulkhead in the fo'c's'le.

See the hatching in the drawing above.

The Ballast:

When the tug was dieselized in 1953, ballast was added, 15 tons under the fo'c's'le and 20 tons in the bottom of the engine room. The modern 1944 main engine (GM 12-567A) was no match for the very heavy original steam engine and the weight of the 12-foot-diameter boiler. The ballast added in 1953 was an estimated 35 tons of paving block.

The rudder post has a pintel that sits in a bearing on the rudder shoe. The top of the rudder shaft goes through the lazarette (aftermost compartment in the hull) above the deck. It also goes through a flange and a bearing, and is clamped with the quadrant.

The old design, in the drawing, of the rudder had a pintel and gudgeon arrangement in the middle of the length of the rudder post. These were called "floating" rudders and were made of pine and clad with steel. The newer design builds in a "leading edge," adding to the rudder power of the tug. The leading, or forward, edge of the rudder gets a lot of wear and tear.

Drawing above left courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of Industry.

Joe is installing the new water manifold.

The manifold, installed.

The piece of steel is selected by Neil and Ron. It will get sandblasted and coated with primer and cut to fit into the cropped-out area. Below left, the steel sits on "dogs" that enable it to sit right in its new position. The dogs hold wedges that will then be driven in to bring the piece home.

Below, on the inside, chain falls are used to pull the piece into shape. The inside of the piece is coated with primer. The outside gets sandblasted and painted with the rest of the hull.

It is then welded solid inside. That completed it is gouged out with a burning rod so that the three edges--the inside weld surface, the cropped out plate and the inserted plate--are cleansed of impurities. Then the final weld all around the inserted plate on the outside is done, eliminating flaws that could later be the source of leaks.