DULUTH, Minn. – A retired Army Corps of Engineers tugboat, still wearing Corps colors, is sinking in Duluth harbor. Why? How? Nobody knows. What to do with it? Because boat’s slowly filling with water, which freezes solid at night, it’s way too heavy to hoist and place on a barge to haul away. the U.S. Coast Guard has asked its Marine Safety Unit to assess the situation for fuel leaks and other contaminants – and some ideas on what to do.
Inching deeper by the day. The 78-year-old tug is dropping dock-side into Davy Jones locker. Not inappropriately the tug’s current name is Lake Superior. Image: Paul Scinocca
Tug profile
The boat was built in 1943 for the Army and christened the Major Emil H. Block. It was transferred to the Corps of Engineers in 1950 and renamed Lake Superior. The Corps retired the tug from service in 1996. The Duluth Entertainment & Convention Center bought it as a floating museum . The next owner, Billington Contracting of Duluth, has left it inactive. The boat’s for sale: $55,000, including a fully furnished galley with seating for 16. Also a wench with 1,200 feet oft of towing cable.