Missing tug in Conneaut

[Mr Link]

Thanks for following up Jared.

[Jared]

I finally heard back from my friend on the south shore. The tug was not lost according to him, it was thrown up on a bank and it was not the Seaway Maid. It was local outfit with a numbered (not named) towboat. Everything was recovered as far as he was aware.

[William Lafferty]

If the vessel was "lost" in December 2022 and remained so its documentation would not have been renewed 21 April 2025, as it was. Seaway Maid is featured currently on the "Equipment" tab online for Seaway Marine Group.

[Guest]

It's hard to believe in this day and age of advanced technology nobody seems to know exactly what happened to this tug or it's whereabouts?

[Guest]

For what it’s worth, Seaway Maid hasn’t shown up in any of the promotional materials her owners have released this year.

[Mr Link]

Not to cast any doubts in the missing tug's identity, but according to Merchant Vessels of the United States data, the Seaway Maid has had its certificate of documentation renewed in both 2024 and 2025. (I didn't look at any additional years.) Which hints that it might have been a different vessel, or that it was recovered.

I have a commercial diving/ salvager friend that works on Erie's south shore. I'll ask him if he had anything to do with it or knows anyone who was. If something sinks, typically I hear about it.

Thanks!

[Jared]

Not to cast any doubts in the missing tug's identity, but according to Merchant Vessels of the United States data, the Seaway Maid has had its certificate of documentation renewed in both 2024 and 2025. (I didn't look at any additional years.) Which hints that it might have been a different vessel, or that it was recovered.

I have a commercial diving/ salvager friend that works on Erie's south shore. I'll ask him if he had anything to do with it or knows anyone who was. If something sinks, typically I hear about it.

[Mr Link]

Not to cast any doubts in the missing tug's identity, but according to Merchant Vessels of the United States data, the Seaway Maid has had its certificate of documentation renewed in both 2024 and 2025. (I didn't look at any additional years.) Which hints that it might have been a different vessel, or that it was recovered.

[Mr Link]

I have dug into this, and I think the tug is still lost. It could be the tiny 25 foot pusher called the Seaway Maid registered out of Clayton NY. It was doing work in the Conneaut River in that time span so I assume this is the tug that was lost. I can't post a picture for some reason.

Thanks Jared. I assumed it was probably a work boat or truck-able tug of some sort based on the initial report that it was being carried on the barge.

https://gltugs.wordpress.com/seaway-maid/

[Jared]

I have dug into this, and I think the tug is still lost. It could be the tiny 25 foot pusher called the Seaway Maid registered out of Clayton NY. It was doing work in the Conneaut River in that time span so I assume this is the tug that was lost. I can't post a picture for some reason.

[Mr Link]

Anyone have any information about this incident back in December 2022? Was the tug ever found?

Original news item from January 7, 2023 Boatnerd News:

Investigation ongoing into capsized barge in Conneaut harbor

CONNEAUT, Oh. – An investigation is ongoing into the barge that capsized in Conneaut harbor on Dec. 23.

Coast Guard spokesperson William Kelley said the Coast Guard was notified at 2:07 p.m. on Dec. 23 that a barge carrying an excavator and tug boat and had broken loose from its mooring at the Pittsburgh and Conneaut dock. The barge capsized and floated down Conneaut Creek, he said.

“The barge was recovered, the tug has not yet been recovered,” Kelley said. “They’re still trying to find it, whether it’s sunken, or free-floating somewhere in Lake Erie.” Both the tug and the barge had fuel onboard, but no spills have been reported as of yet, he said.

The owner of the barge is responsible for taking ownership of the barge and the tug, once the tug has been found, Kelley said.

“The Marine Safety Unit, Cleveland, they would investigate this as a reportable marine casualty, and perform a causal analysis and determine exactly what happened,” Kelley said. Investigations typically take a few weeks to a month, depending on the case, he said. The results of those investigations are typically not released to the public.

Any boater who sees the tug is encouraged to inform the Coast Guard immediately.

Kelley said the Coast Guard cannot say one way or the other whether the tug sank or has floated out into Lake Erie. That investigation is in process.

Canadian National, parent company of the Pittsburgh and Conneaut Dock company, declined to comment for this story.

Ashtabula Star Beacon

[Mr Link]

Jan 7th Boatnerd news mentioned an incident in Conneaut where a tugboat is still missing after a barge capsized in Conneaut in late December. Does anyone know the identity of the tug and/or barge?