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Harbor Tug No. 71 (YT-71).

Harbor Tug No. 71 (YT-71).
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Class:        HARBOR TUG NO. 46 (YT-46)
Design:        Navy YT-46 (wood construction)
Displacement (tons):        125 gross, 215 displ. normal, 300 at load draft
Dimensions (feet):        88.0' oa, 82.2' pp x 21.5' oa x 8.5' mean and max, 3.2' freeboard
Armament:        One 1-pdr. (carried by at least Nos. 56, 58, 61, 64, 67, and 70-73)
Complement:        11 (2 officers, 1 CPO, 8 men)
Speed (kts.):        10 max, 9 cruising
Propulsion (HP):        --
Machinery:        One vertical single-cylinder non-condensing engine, cylinder 18" diameter and 22" stroke, 125 rpm, one water tube boiler, 150 psi, piping fitted for salt water service.

Construction:
YTNameOrdBuilderKeelLaunchCommiss.
46Harbor Tug No. 4622 May 18Charleston NYd17 Oct 1824 Apr 195 Jan 20
47Harbor Tug No. 4722 May 18Charleston NYd17 Oct 1819 Jun 195 Jan 20
48Harbor Tug No. 4822 May 18NavSta. New Orleans19 Jul 1821 Nov 1815 May 20
49Harbor Tug No. 4922 May 18NavSta. New Orleans26 Aug 1819 Jan 1923 Jul 20
50Harbor Tug No. 5022 May 18NavSta. New Orleans21 Nov 1816 Aug 1925 Aug 20
51Harbor Tug No. 51Unk.Chance Marine Constr., Annapolis15 Jun 187 Jan 1915 Jul 19
52Harbor Tug No. 52Unk.Chance Marine Constr., Annapolis18 Jun 186 Mar 1915 Jul 19
53Harbor Tug No. 535 Jun 18Clayton S&BB, Clayton, NY9 Jul 1819 Dec 1810 Sep 19
54Harbor Tug No. 545 Jun 18Clayton S&BB, Clayton, NY9 Jul 1811 Dec 1825 Sep 19
55Harbor Tug No. 555 Jun 18Clayton S&BB, Clayton, NY9 Jul 1814 Dec 1825 Sep 19
56Harbor Tug No. 565 Jun 18Eastern SY, Greenport, NY5 Aug 1817 Mar 1915 Sep 19
57Harbor Tug No. 575 Jun 18Eastern Shore SB, Sharptown, MD1 Jul 1812 Jan 198 Dec 19
58Harbor Tug No. 585 Jun 18Eastern Shore SB, Sharptown, MD1 Jul 1818 Jan 1910 Dec 19
59Harbor Tug No. 59Unk.Great Lakes BB, Milwaukee, WI17 Jun 1813 Oct 1819 Sep 19
60Harbor Tug No. 60Unk.Great Lakes BB, Milwaukee, WI17 Jun 182 Nov 1825 Sep 19
61Harbor Tug No. 615 Jun 18Greenport B&C, Greenport, NY15 Jul 188 Feb 1919 Sep 19
62Harbor Tug No. 625 Jun 18Hiltebrant DD, Kingston, NY18 Jul 1829 Jan 196 Jul 19
63Harbor Tug No. 635 Jun 18Hiltebrant DD, Kingston, NY30 Jul 1818 Mar 1921 Jul 19
64Harbor Tug No. 645 Jun 18Hiltebrant DD, Kingston, NY17 Aug 1821 Mar 1911 Aug 19
65Harbor Tug No. 655 Jun 18Hiltebrant DD, Kingston, NY19 Aug 185 Apr 1930 Aug 19
66Harbor Tug No. 665 Jun 18Robert Jacobs, City Island, NY2 Jul 1823 Dec 1830 Jun 19
67Harbor Tug No. 675 Jun 18Robert Jacobs, City Island, NY2 Jul 1831 Jan 1918 Jul 19
68Harbor Tug No. 685 Jun 18Robert Jacobs, City Island, NY2 Jul 1820 Feb 1915 Aug 19
69Harbor Tug No. 695 Jun 18Robert Jacobs, City Island, NY3 Jul 1813 Mar 198 Sep 19
70Harbor Tug No. 705 Jun 18Robert Jacobs, City Island, NY5 Jul 184 Apr 1929 Sep 19
71Harbor Tug No. 715 Jun 18Luders Marine Const., Stamford, CT1 Jul 1831 Dec 1831 Mar 19
72Harbor Tug No. 725 Jun 18Luders Marine Const., Stamford, CT2 Jul 18191914 May 19
73Harbor Tug No. 735 Jun 18Luders Marine Const., Stamford, CT28 Aug 18191918 Apr 19
74Harbor Tug No. 745 Jun 18Luders Marine Const., Stamford, CT30 Sep 183 Mar 191 May 19
75Harbor Tug No. 755 Jun 18Mathis Yacht Bldg., Camden, NJ31 Jul 1818 Feb 1912 Jun 19
76Harbor Tug No. 765 Jun 18Mathis Yacht Bldg., Camden, NJ31 Jul 1827 Feb 1924 Jul 19
77Harbor Tug No. 775 Jun 18N.Y. Yacht, L&E, Morris Hts., NY27 Jul 18191911 Feb 19
78Harbor Tug No. 785 Jun 18N.Y. Yacht, L&E, Morris Hts., NY27 Jul 18191926 Feb 19
79Harbor Tug No. 795 Jun 18N.Y. Yacht, L&E, Morris Hts., NY5 Aug 1818 Jan 198 Mar 19
80Harbor Tug No. 805 Jun 18N.Y. Yacht, L&E, Morris Hts., NY14 Aug 1821 Feb 1924 Mar 19
81Harbor Tug No. 815 Jun 18N.Y. Yacht, L&E, Morris Hts., NY21 Aug 181 Mar 1931 Mar 19
82Harbor Tug No. 825 Jun 18Vinyard SB, Milford, DE5 Jun 1819 Dec 1824 Apr 19
83Harbor Tug No. 835 Jun 18Vinyard SB, Milford, DE10 Jul 1816 Jan 1920 Jun 19
84Harbor Tug No. 845 Jun 18Howard E. Wheeler, Brooklyn, NY15 Jun 1822 Oct 185 Apr 19
85Harbor Tug No. 855 Jun 18Howard E. Wheeler, Brooklyn, NY17 Jun 1829 Dec 1814 Jul 19

Disposition:
YTNameDecommStrikeDisposalFateMA Sale
46Harbor Tug No. 4614 Mar 22--25 Sep 22Sold--
47Harbor Tug No. 47ca. Dec 21--6 Jun 22Sold--
48Harbor Tug No. 48--31 Oct 2131 Oct 21Lost--
49Harbor Tug No. 4915 Aug 2210 Dec 2417 Sep 25Sold--
50Harbor Tug No. 5022 May 2210 Dec 2417 Sep 25Sold--
51Harbor Tug No. 5121 Nov 19--21 Nov 19Trf.--
52Harbor Tug No. 5221 Nov 19--21 Nov 19Trf.--
53Harbor Tug No. 5316 Mar 22--25 Jul 22Sold--
54Harbor Tug No. 54--9 Jun 2529 Sep 32Sold--
55Harbor Tug No. 55--19 Nov 3527 Feb 36Sold--
56Harbor Tug No. 5611 Jun 3117 Dec 3530 Jun 36Sold--
57Harbor Tug No. 57----25 Jul 22Sold--
58Harbor Tug No. 58----11 Dec 19Trf.--
59Harbor Tug No. 59----27 Nov 19Trf.--
60Harbor Tug No. 60----27 Nov 19Trf.--
61Harbor Tug No. 6110 Feb 23--May 34Sold--
62Harbor Tug No. 62--8 Jan 20Trf.--
63Harbor Tug No. 6312 Apr 22--25 Jul 22Sold--
64Harbor Tug No. 64----30 Sep 21Sold--
65Harbor Tug No. 65----3 Dec 19Trf.--
66Harbor Tug No. 66----12 Jan 20Trf.--
67Harbor Tug No. 6719 May 25--29 Sep 32Sold--
68Harbor Tug No. 68--6 Dec 2210 Feb 23Trf.--
69Harbor Tug No. 69--22 Jan 2530 Apr 25Sold--
70Harbor Tug No. 70--20 Feb 3710 Feb 38Sold--
71Harbor Tug No. 71--27 Mar 2925 Jun 29Sold--
72Harbor Tug No. 72--22 Jul 3622 Dec 36Sold--
73Harbor Tug No. 73--17 Jan 3622 Dec 36Sold--
74Harbor Tug No. 7412 Apr 22--25 Jul 22Sold--
75Harbor Tug No. 75----14 Nov 19Trf.--
76Harbor Tug No. 76----6 Jun 22Sold--
77Harbor Tug No. 774 Mar 2227 Nov 263 May 27Sold--
78Harbor Tug No. 784 Mar 22--4 Dec 22Sold--
79Harbor Tug No. 7914 Mar 22--23 Oct 22Sold--
80Harbor Tug No. 8014 Mar 22--22 Jul 22Sold--
81Harbor Tug No. 8127 Apr 255 Jun 2528 Oct 25Sold--
82Harbor Tug No. 8210 May 22--25 Sep 22Sold--
83Harbor Tug No. 8314 Mar 22--25 Sep 22Sold--
84Harbor Tug No. 8430 Mar 22--25 Jul 22Sold--
85Harbor Tug No. 85----9 Jan 20Trf.--

Class Notes:
One of the early proposals of the Navy Department when war was declared in April 1917 was for an immense emergency fund for building destroyers to cope with the submarine peril. By 1918 this fund was beiong used for other urgent purposes as well, including a program for three types of tugs: seagoing tugs (AT 19-45), harbor tugs (YT 46-85), and small motor tugs (YT 86-101). 40 wooden harbor tugs of standard design were included in this program to deal with increasing congestion in the principal ports. They were built by a number of small-boatbuilders, some of whom had built submarine chasers, and by the navy yards at Charleston, S. C, and New Orleans, La.

The 1911-1925 Spring Styles Book contains a draft preliminary design plan dated 20 March 1918 for a harbor tug prepared by the Bureau of Construction & Repair's Preliminary Design staff. It provided for a wooden vessel that, according to Preliminary Design Book No.196 at the National Archives, was derived from plans and specifications for a merchant tug of the same length obtained from the commercial yacht design firm of Gielow and Orr. (At the same time Preliminary Design prepared a plan for a larger wooden seagoing tug, but none of these were built.) The plan shows a tug with a normal displacement of 215 tons and dimensions of 86 length overall and 20 feet 6 inches extreme beam on the waterline. The final design had the same displacement, a length of 88 feet overall, a beam of 21 feet 6 inches, and a combined engine and boiler room instead of the separate rooms for each shown in the preliminary design. The tugs were equipped with a single-cylinder non-condensing steam engine in which exhaust steam was vented to the atmosphere instead of being recycled through a condenser and reused. The preliminary design shows two large fresh water tanks, probably for feed water, and the tugs were also fitted with piping for salt water service.

The Navy's verdict on this class was negative. The SecNav letter of 10 December 1924 that struck YT-49 from the navy list and directed her sale stated that "This type of wooden harbor tug has been found to be unsuitable for Navy use." Pearl Harbor, where YT-49 and YT-50 had been sent in 1921, stated in a message dated 22 September 1925 that they were "useless for Government service at this station as steaming radius is very small, engines are noncondensing type, and hand-reversing gear makes operations dangerous due to engines sticking on centers. Hulls and fresh water tanks are wood of war-time construction and estimated cost to place tugs in serviceable condition $30,000 each ... is two and one half times statutory limit...." Other observers said that the problem with the reversing gear was due to insufficient training, and some of these tugs lasted a long time in commercial service.

Ship Notes:
ATFNameNotes
46Harbor Tug No. 4698% complete on 1 Oct 19. Trials 24-26 Dec 19. Sold to Rochester Terminal & Canal Corp., Rochester, NY
47Harbor Tug No. 4798% complete on 1 Oct 19. Trials 15 Dec 19. Sold to Rochester Terminal & Canal Corp., Rochester, NY
48Harbor Tug No. 4886% complete on 1 Oct 19. Trials 15 (16) Apr 20. Foundered under tow of USS Owl from New Orleans to Key West
49Harbor Tug No. 4981% complete on 1 Oct 19. Arrived at Pearl Harbor 12 Oct 21. Sold to E. H. Duff, Washington, DC
50Harbor Tug No. 5070% complete on 1 Oct 19. Arrived at Pearl Harbor 12 Oct 21. Sold to E. H. Duff, Washington, DC
51Harbor Tug No. 51Trf. USCG as Choptank. Sold 20 Mar 25.
52Harbor Tug No. 52Trf. USCG as Chincoteague. Sold 20 Mar 25.
53Harbor Tug No. 53Sold to New York Marine Co., NYC
54Harbor Tug No. 54Reclas. as heating scow YHT-4, 7 Jul 25. Sold Albert C. Wescoat, Atlantic City, NJ, deliv. 16 Nov.
55Harbor Tug No. 55Retained 1922 for use at the Submarine Base, New London. Replaced 1935 by Otter, YFB-663.
56Harbor Tug No. 56Trf. USCG as Chenango.
57Harbor Tug No. 57Towed to Norfolk 16 May 19, cpl. Vinyard (85% 1 Oct 19). Sold to Hainesport Mining & Transportation Co., Phila.
58Harbor Tug No. 58Towed to Norfolk 16 May 19, cpl. Vinyard (84% 1 Oct 19). Trf. USCG as Chenango (ord. 21 Nov. Sold 17 Jul 24.
59Harbor Tug No. 59Towed from Oswego, NY to NY City 14 May 19. Trf. USCG as Chautauqua. Off CG register 1934, no further record 1937.
60Harbor Tug No. 60Towed from Oswego, NY to NY City 14 May 19. Trf. USCG as Chippewa. Sold 25 Jul 35.
61Harbor Tug No. 61Deliv. 8 Sep 19. Reclas. as heating scow YHT-5, 7 Jul 25. Sold May 34.
62Harbor Tug No. 62Trf. USCG as Chattahoochie. Sold 17 Jul 24
63Harbor Tug No. 63Sold to Moran Towing & Transportation Co., NYC
64Harbor Tug No. 64Partly burned at Melville Coal Depot 13 Feb 20. Sold to Edw. G. Murray Lighterage & Transportation Co., NY
65Harbor Tug No. 65Trf. USCG as Chicopee. Decom. 17 Apr 35.
66Harbor Tug No. 66Trf. USCG as Chulahoma. Sold 19 Sep 33.
67Harbor Tug No. 67Deliv. 15 Jul 19. Reclas. as heating scow YHT-6, 7 Jul 25. Sold to Albert C. Wescoat, Atlantic City, NJ, deliv. 16 Nov.
68Harbor Tug No. 68Deliv. 11 Aug 19. Loan to Dist. of Columbia 23 Aug 21, returned 4 Feb 22, trf. USSB 1923.
69Harbor Tug No. 69Completed trials 4 Sep 19. Towed to Norfolk & recomm. there 8 Oct 19. Sold to N. Block, Norfolk, VA
70Harbor Tug No. 70Completed trials 25 Sep 19. Sold to Margaret E. Hall, Newton, MA
71Harbor Tug No. 71Sold to Martin J. Gross, NYC
72Harbor Tug No. 72Sold to Metropolitan Sand & Gravel, NYC
73Harbor Tug No. 73Sold to Metropolitan Sand & Gravel, NYC
74Harbor Tug No. 74Sold to Moran Towing & Transportation Co., NYC
75Harbor Tug No. 75Trials 9 Jun 19. Trf. USCG as Chowan. Sold 22 Jul 24.
76Harbor Tug No. 76Loan, Maryland, ca. Dec 19. In commission in ordinary 21 Feb 20. Sold to John W. Sullivan, NYC
77Harbor Tug No. 77Loan, Dist. of Columbia, 10 May 22 to 2 Aug 26. Sold to Carroll Tow Co, Brooklyn, NY
78Harbor Tug No. 78Sold to C. E. Gremmels, NYC
79Harbor Tug No. 79Sold to the New York Marine Co., NYC
80Harbor Tug No. 80Delivered 21 Mar 19. Sold to American Dredging Co, Philadelphia
81Harbor Tug No. 81Sold to W. E. Gaffney, Brooklyn, NY
82Harbor Tug No. 82Trials 24 Apr 19. Sold to Rochester Terminal & Canal Co., Rochester, NY
83Harbor Tug No. 83Trials 20 Jun 19. In commission in ordinary 21 Feb 20. Sold to John W. Sullivan Co., NYC
84Harbor Tug No. 84Loan USCG 2 May 19 to 27 Nov 19. Sold to Moran Towing & Transportation Co., NYC
85Harbor Tug No. 85Trf. USCG as Chillicothe. Sold 1925

Page Notes:
YT        1918
Compiled:        25 Jan 2007 & 23 Nov 2025
© Stephen S. Roberts, 2002-2025
Special sources: Much of this information is from a set of original folders containing correspondence on these tugs, including for some a "Report of Survey of Merchant Vessel" which included photos. This material has been integrated into the tugs' source folders in the Ship Histories Branch at NHHC. The photos of the three tugs built at New Orleans are from the photo collection of the Office of Naval Records and Library (a predecessor to NHHC), which contained much photography of work in navy yards during World War I including at the Naval Station at New Orleans.