Tuff-E-Nuff (tugboat)

"Tuff-E-Nuff", originally known as "Thomas Cunningham Sr.", is a late 19th-century tugboat which has had a remarkable 112-year commercial career. It was still operating as a working tugboat as recently as May 2007. [http://www.coltoncompany.com/newsandcomment/news/2007/05.htm Anyone got a home for an old tugboat?] - Colton Company website.]

History

"Thomas Cunningham Sr.", was built in 1895 by Neafie & Levy of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the Army Corps of Engineers. It was operated by the Harbour Board of the Port of Richmond, Virginia for more than eighty years. In 1977 the vessel was sold into private hands, and reportedly became a salvage tug in Florida. [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/tugboats/message/27379 "Yahoo" Tugboats newsgroup] .] In May 2007, the tug was placed on the market by its owners, a salvage company, who were hoping to sell it to restorers. As of 2008, it was registered as a recreational vessel according to the U.S. Coast Guard's Port State Information eXchange. [ [http://psix.uscg.mil/PSIX/PSIXDetails.aspx?VesselID=55485 "Tuff E Nuff"] , United States Coast Guard Martime Information eXchange website.]

Mariners Museum collection

In 1948, "Thomas Cunningham Sr."'s wooden deckhouse was replaced with a steel one, and a diesel motor fitted to replace the original steam engine at the same time. The following year, the ship's original engine was acquired by the Mariners' Museum at Newport News, Virginia. The engine has since been restored to working order—albeit powered by electricity rather than steam—and is on display at the Museum. [http://www.mariner.org/collections/default.asp?IDCFile=DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=33553 Neafie & Levy compound engine] , Mariners Museum.]

The engine is a two-cylinder compound type with an convert|18|in|cm|adj=on stroke, and convert|206|ihp|lk=on. The high-pressure cylinder is 12½ inches (32 cm) in diameter and the low-pressure cylinder is convert|24|in|cm. The engine weighs approximately 14 tons and stands 10-feet-1½-inches (3.09 m) high.

In addition to the engine, the Museum also has on display a handcrafted 1:24 scale cutaway model of the "Thomas Cunningham Sr.", [http://www.mariner.org/collections/default.asp?IDCFile=DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=102593 "Thomas Cunningham Sr." cutaway ship model exhibition] , Mariners Museum.] as well as the original builder's plate. [http://www.mariner.org/collections/default.asp?IDCFile=DETAILS.IDC,SPECIFIC=102778 "Thomas Cunningham" builder's plate description] , Mariners Museum.]

Footnotes and references