A salvage effort is underway on the Erie bayfront to lift a Great Lakes tugboat that sank in the slip at the foot of Holland Street last December 31, alongside Don Jon Shipbuilding and Repair.
It stayed underwater all winter.
Our Erie News Now cameras captured the scene last December, when the G-Tug Hawaii went under the water in icy cold conditions. It was a day with 9-inches of lake effect snow and 25 mph wind gusts.
Experts thought it best to keep the tug submerged until Spring.
Now that it’s May, we see the same bits of the 81-foot-long tug protruding from the water. But now there is a huge work barge, massive crane and another vessel all in the port to assist with the lift and salvage process.
What you can’t see below the surface is a diver surveying the condition of the tug and determining what underwater repairs need to be made to stop any leaks. That way when the vessel is lifted, and the lake water is pumped out, G-Tug Hawaii will be able to stay afloat on her own.
People are stopping to watch the operation, because you can’t miss that tall crane. But if they expected to see the tug lifted today — they were disappointed. There’s a lot of work and it may not be lifted until the end of the week.
According to online sources, G-Tug is the industry slang for tugs owned by Great Lakes Towing Company based in Cleveland, Ohio. We reached out to them for more details on what will be next for this tug once it’s raised. We’re still waiting for answers.
What we do know, is that the G-Tug Hawaii is no spring chicken. Built in 1911 she’s been at work on the Great Lakes for years. She used to be called the Indiana, but was renamed about 5 years ago. It’s unclear how much repair work it may take to get the tug back to work.