On Febrary 19, 2025 most eyes in Philadelphia were focused on the veteran ocean liner SS United States as it was towed from layup en route to Florida where it will be reefed. I have no pictures of my own of that operation, but there were many views and videos on line.
Tug watchers however might be excused for focusing more on the lead tug - a veteran in its own right, dating back to 1970.
Now named Vinik No.6 it is owned by Vinik Marine Services Inc of Keyport, NJ. Its history dates back to 1970 when it was built by Southern Shipbuilding Inc of Slidell, LA as Robert Alario for Nolty J. Theriot Inc of Golden Meadow, LA. In 1992 it moved to Morania Oil Tanker Corp of New York and was renamed Morania No.6. Under that name it pushed asphalt barges from Saint John, NB where I was able to squeeze in a photo on April 14, 1996. Morania equipped the tug with the elevated pilot house, which enabled it to work in the notch of unladen tanker barges.
In 2000 Morania merged with Penn Maritime Inc of Philadelphia and the tug was renamed Penn No.6.
In May 2000 the tug arrived in Halifax with the barge Penn No.460 and both were drydocked at Halifax Shipyard.
The tug was back again in October 2011with the barge Penn No. 120.
The tug detached from the barge while it unloaded at Imperial Oil, and tied up at the tug dock, allowing for a closeup look at some of the heavy towing gear. The tug worked the barge from the notch with "old school" facewires, and no articulation gear.
In 2012 Kirby Offshore Marine Operating LLC took over Penn Maritime,but did not change the tug's name. It was laid up in 2017.
Vinik Marine Services acquired the tug in 2018 and renamed it Vinik No.6 and it is appparently still in fine working order. Its two V-16 EMDs give it 5700 bhp for its twin screws which is enough juice to tow the sleek United States at 7.3 knots to Mobile, AL. The ship will be prepped there for a year before it is sunk as an artificial reef off Destin, FL. The ship's funnels will be removed and preserved ashore as part of an interpretive centre.
There is still speculation on the top speed of the SS United States. Since 1952 it has been the Hales Trophy holder of the Blue Riband for fastest transatlantic crossing of a passenger liner. It did not need all its 420,000 shp to set the recors for the eastbound crossing of 3d/10h/40m at 35.59 kts and 3d/12h/12m westbound averaging 34.51 kts. It did reach 38 knots on original trials but may well have been able to exceed that on emergency demand. Numbers as high as 42 knots are credible.
.
