Tugboats in Winter

Cornell Steamboat Company tug Hercules attempting to keep a channel open in the Hudson in a severe winter, ca. 1906.

Tugboats are, and long have been, the workhorses of the Hudson River moving needed cargoes up and down the river in large quantities more cheaply than by other means.  Today the tugs move bulk cargo like fuel oil, cement, crushed rock, and scrap metal.  In earlier times the cargoes were somewhat different, but tugs have been needed going back well into the 19th century.  Since demand for many products is year round, the tugs must work all year including during the winter when ice can freeze the river entirely. 

​Since about the 1940s, the U.S. Coast Guard has kept a channel open on the Hudson during winters of heavy ice.  However, before that time, heavier commercial tugs from companies like Cornell were used as icebreakers in their home areas.  As the accompanying photo shows, in severe winters in the early 20th century, even the best icebreaker tugs were not able to keep a channel open in the Hudson.