Mister Joe, also on the move

1. The pilot boat returns to base as Mister Joe tows Harold M inbound, with Gulf Spray attending (it delivered a deck crew to the scow) November 3.

2. Mister Joe tucked in at pier 9 with Beaver Delta II alongside. November 6.

3. Mister Joe, still with Beaver Marine insignia (file photo)

McNally Construction's Mister Joe is hustling to move marine equipment to Halifax. The powerful small tug has been in and out of Halifax several times in the past few weeks and sailed again this morning. Her latest arrival was November 3 with the dredge/scow Harold M. from Yarmouth.

She is now bound for Sorel to pick up a scow for Halifax and will apparently make one more trip to Halifax before the Canso Canal closes on December 1. The tug spent the summer working on a major pier extension in Belledune, NB, but will be in Halifax this winter to work on the Halterm extension project and the pier 9 piling project.

Built by Russel-Hipwell in Owen Sound in 1964 as Churchill River for Rupertsland Trading Co (Hudson's Bay Co), she worked in James Bay and Hudson's Bay until the mid-1990s. She was then sold to Churchill River Tug Co of Manuel's, NL, and worked on the Hibernia gravity base project (including construction of the building dock and harbour, at Bay Bulls.) She arrived in Halifax for the first time on June 7, 1997 when she was purchased by Beaver Marine. Beaver was a McNally subsdiary, but all vessels were integrated into McNally ownership in 2009. The tug was renamed Mister Joe in 2001 after the late founder of the company. A twin screw tug, she was built with 685 bhp Cummins engines and in 2002 she was re-engined with GMs totalling 750 bhp.

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