ffiThe OSWEGO MARTTIME FOIINITATION is a non-profit corporation devoted to public service. The basic pur-poses of the Foundation are to:

Foster maritime recreation. research andeducation.Encourage, sponsor and coordinate a vari-ery of maritime-related programs and ac-tivities.Promote increased knowledge of and re-spect for skills regarding appropriate utili-zation of mafitime fesources.\flork with other established,arganiaationsdevoted to meaningful maritime activities

For more information call (375) 342-57 53, or write: OswegoMaritime Foundation,4l Lake St., Oswego, NY 13126.

The Osutego Maritime Foundation, supporting sponsors,and aduertisers do not assurne or accept any liability

for tbe conxpleteness or correctness of tbe informationin tbis broclture orfor any property damage orpersonalinj uri e s tb at m ay r e s ult from diu ing actiu iti e s or u i s itingtbe site.

Related Points of InterestH. Lee White Marine Museum (31r 342-O48OFort ontar io. . ' . . ' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (315) 343-47trRichardson-Bates Museum (315) 343-L342

County of Oswego Department of Promotion and TourismCounty Office Building . 46 East Bridge Street

Oswego, New York 13126(315) 34e-8322

General Information 1 -800-248-4FUN

A Maritime HeritageGuide to theWreck of the

]}TARY I<AY

6xploreNewYork State's

Maritime Heritage

Photo by Philip church

Oswegor Nl"Y

Tugboats... All Guts, No Glory

Glistening ocean liners, proud warships, and graceful tall ships oftencatch the eye of the public and the hearts of maritime historians. Thecommon tugboat is usually ovedooked and under-appreciated. Yet,the larger, celebrated vessels would seldom even be able to leavedock, if it weren't for this small, powerful workhorse. Few othervessels have had such a large impact on the economic developmentofthe Great Lakes region as the tugboat.

Tugboats are the oldest specialized type of steamship. When thesteam €ngine was first employed in ships, it was thought that its onlypractical applieation would be in towing larger vessels in and out ofport. On August 28, 1816, the Majestic became the first steamship totow anothervessel. She towed the sailing vesselHope fuomDeptfordto Woolrich on the Thames Rjver in England.

The 102-foot Rufus King was the first steam vessel built specifi-cally for towing in the United States. Built by Smith & Dimon for theNewYorkDry Dock Companyin 1825, the Rufus KingtowedYesselsto and from railway loading areas in New York Harbor.

With th€ opening of the Erie Canal in t825 , the usage of inlandwaterways for commerce and trade increased dramatically. TheGreat Lakes became apnmary route forAmerica's westward expan-sion.

Unable to accommodate the heavy demand for goods andsupplies, many owners of small passenger vessels adapted by con-verting their ships for towing. Soon tugboats could be found operat-ing in neady every major port and canal system.

In the 1830s, American sailing packets of up to 600 tons werearriving from Europe and needed tugboat assistance to dock. ByL840, large clipper ships came on the scene, and with them, the largeside-wheel tugs.

The largest and the last side-wheel tug was the William H.V(/ebb,built by William H. Vebb forJames Chambers and Henry A.Heiser in 1 856. She was 1 90-feet long with two 44" x I 0 stroke, beamengines. Her side-wheels were 3O-feet in diameter.

Although tugboats with screw propellers were in service at thesame time as the large side-wheelers, they were not as powerful ornumerous. The first was the Sampson, built by William Cramp in1850.

The screw prop tug came into its own after the compoundengine was developed and adapted for ships. The compound enginehad greater fuel economy. As the engine was improved, the powerof screw tugs gr€w rapidly and doomed the side-wheel tugs.

Steam-powered screw prop tugboats dominated the towingindustry well into the 20th century until the development of thediesel engine. Tugboats powered by diesel engines, lke the Mary

Kay, offet many advantages over steam engines. The engines turn ata higher rate, require a smaller engine crew, and have better fueleconomy. Most importantly, the diesel tugboats can be ready forinstant action: their engines don't have to "work up a head of steam"before the vessel can be moved.

Today, tugboats have a variety of uses, including harbor andcanal towing, rescue duty, fire fighting, and commercial salvage.Curiously, tugboats in Europe almost always pull vessels, but inAmerica tugboats push by placing their stem against the vessel theyare maneuvering.

Tugboats have evolved a basic design.'lhey are generally highforward and low aft, with the pilot house near midships. The hullsare full in form and have a pronounced line of sheer. Built forpowerfulwork, a tug's machinery takes up an average of 60 percent ofthe hull space.

Visit an historic tug...

After exploring the wreck of the Mary Kay, visit the H. Lee \White

Marine Museum in Oswego Harbor and see the historic tugboatMajor Elisba K. Henson. This vessel is designated as a NationalHistoric Landmark. It is the last remaining tug used during the D-Dayinvasion of Normandy onJune 6, t944.TheMajor Elisha K. Hensonis beautifully restored to its W'odd War II appeafance and operatingcondition and is maintained byvolunteers. If you are in town on theright day, you may be lucky enough to see this proud vessel out fora run on the lake. Tours of the tug arc available during the museum'soperating hours. Located at the foot of \West First Street, th€ museumis open daity, 1 to 5 p.m. during May, June, and September, and 10a.m. to 5 p.m. duringJuly and August. Other times by appointment.

History of the Mary KaY

Constructed in 1957, the Mary Kay was a 55-foot,35-ton tugboatpowered by twin Murphy diesel engines. In l. 988, the M ary Kay w aspurchased and re-fit by Salvage and Demolition Inc. of North'Weymouth, Massachusetts. On September 2l,1988,the Mary Kayleft Rochester, NY to begin her long journey to her new home inBoston.

Just west of Oswego harbor, two 9-foot waves crashed over herstern and filled the engine room. She sank quickly. Aboard were thecaptain and engineer. Responding to a short radio call for help andphone calls from witnesses on land, the US Coast Guard cutter fromOswego headed out into the storm and rescued the two men. TheCity of Oswego Police Department awarded the USCG crew certifi-cates of recognition for bravery.

Printed by the Oswego Printing Company, Inc.

412'W. First St., Oswego, NY 13126 315/343-0580

Printed onrecycled paper12/95

@copyright oMF 1995

Site of the lllary l{aySite survey and research conducted by trained volunteers.

LI

Debris Field

Directions to Boat LarrnchThe City of Oswego is located on the shores of Lake Ontario at thejunction of State Routes lO4and481. Public launching is availableat'Wright's Landing Marina on Lake St. on the city's west side. Formore information phone (315) 343-8430 or 342-8172.

This project is sponsored by:

Oswego Maritime FoundationSubmerged Cultural Resources Program

with the assistance of

New York Sea GrantFunding for this guide was provided in part by the

Great Lakers Diver Association, Fulton NY andthe New York State Council on the Arts Decentralization Program

through the Oswego County Legislature

IJ CPS Coordinates

I Lat i tude . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . N 43" 27.7O5J Longi tude.. . . . . . . . . . . . .Nf76'33.198

Loran rrcrr TI)15094.7728669.81,

ItII1t

Lake OntarioNOAA Cbart14803, 24th Ed.

NOT FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES

Dive Site InformationLOCATION: One and one-half miles west of Oswego Har-

bor Lighthouse.

ACCESS: Boat only. DEPTH: 42 feet.

VISIBILITY: Average 3O-4O feet.

TEIIIPERATURE: 50 to 70 degrees F.

SKILL LEVEL: Basic open water diver.

BOTTOM: Flat and rock,v.

HAZARITS: Lake Ontario weather is unpredictableand can change very rapidly from good to severe. 'W eathe rconditions and unexpected weather changes should be aconstant consideration when planning dive s. Boats shouldbe anchored so that dives begin into the wind. One personshould be left aboard when the boat is anchored. Strongcuffents may be present if the seas are flffining 3 feet orhigher.Zebta mussels arre very sharp and can cau$einiury. Protect against injury by wearing gloves and anexposure suit and by carefully controlling buoyancy.Promptly clean and treatalT injuries to prevent infection.

Recreational boating traffic can be heavy inthis area.

DESCRIPTION: The stern and midships of tlre Mary Ka?sit upright on the rocky bottom. The bow section lays onits port side. The superstructure has crumbled and lays ina debris field immediately south of the wreck. A one totwo-inch layer of zebra mussels coats the wreck and thesurrounding geology. The two propellers, bollard posts,and twin diesel engines are exposed for inspection. Bassoften school around the stern and eels can be observed

during night dives.

. Shallow depths and the absence of penetration areas make thisa popular dive for newly certified divers. Experienced diversfind the wreck very relaxing, allowing for detailed observationof vessel construction and site exploration.

. Photographers and videographers appreciate the bright natu-ral light, and the vessel's machinery make good photo props.There are avaiety of fish that inhabit the area.

. Diving is possible May through October. May to eadyJune andlate summer are the best times to dive.

Can I Talre Sorrvenirs Home?Abandoned submerged items resting within the jurisdic-

tion of New York State are the properry of the State. NewYork State Education Law Article 5, Section 233, states"...no person shall appropriate, excavate, injure or de-stroy any object of archaeological and paleontological

interest, situated on of under lands owned by the state of

New York, without written permission of the commis-sioner or education. Violation of this provision shall con-

stitute a misdemeanof ."

PLEASB PROTECT THE SPORT OF SCIJBA DTVING.

HDLP US PRESERVE THIS SITE

FOR FUTI]RE DTIrERS TO ENJOY.

Dive Flag LawsOnce a boat is anchored and diving is about to begin, thevessel must fly a red and white "divefs down" flag.By law, the boat must also fly the blue and white*AJphaD flag. Divers must stay within L00 feet of thedive flags. Surface vessels must stay a minimum of 100 feetaway from the flags. All standard, safe diving proceduresrelating to towing dive flags must be followed. Reference:Section 35-8, NYS Navigation Law and Rule 27, U.S. Coast

Guard Navigation Rules.

Emergency InformationIn case of emergencyimmediatelycontact Coast GuardStation Oswego.

Marine Band Radio: channel 16Telephone: (315) 54r-l5rl

Other emergency telephone numbers:Oswego Fire Department Ambulance (315) 343-8571Oswego Hospital (315) 349-5511Divers Alert Network (DAN) (9I9) 684-8lll

The nearest fecompression chamber is located at theSUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse. Referrals shouldbe made through Oswego Hospital.