Pretty Awesome OLD Boat!

[Trever1t]

Granted I know little about river boats having spent my entire life on the ocean, but I am a USCG licensed ship's master (ret) and I've never seen anything like that used for pleasure.

 

[tirediron]

Granted I know little about river boats having spent my entire life on the ocean, but I am a USCG licensed ship's master (ret) and I've never seen anything like that used for pleasure.

Nor I. It looks vaguely like the sort of thing they use for putting log booms together here on the coast; maybe a net-tender for a commercial drift-netter?

 

[pgriz]

It was the prototype for what became the "Yellow Submarine".

But if form follows function... there was probably a lot more we can't see on top which was removed. That little chimney looks like a retrofit, not original equipment. And of course, seeing the stern would or "should" give us a better clue what this boat did for a living.

 

[mrs.hankIII]

I don't know. It's a little boat, not very big at all. Unless barges were A LOT smaller back then?

 

[paigew]

Pretty cool. Did you go inside? [emoji12]

 

[Designer]

I think the boat is a lifeboat. The owner probably bought it for scrap and just never cut it up.

 

[Wizard1500]

I think the boat is a lifeboat. The owner probably bought it for scrap and just never cut it up.

Too much superstructure to be a lifeboat....that would really cut down on the number of people it could carry. I'm no expert, but I think it's a small tug or towing vessel, but is missing another level of the superstructure......would really like to see fantail.....

 

[mrs.hankIII]

I'll be heading out that way tomorrow at some point and will try to get more pictures. All I got was the other side of it.

Owner rarely cut up or scrapped anything. He liked keeping massive amounts of old equipment where the town board could easily see it, since there wasn't anything they could do about it. He liked ticking people off. He died maybe 5 years ago or so. His wife took everything of value, and put it out on this lot and dubbed it the "Henderson Museum" or as we like to call it, the "Equipment Graveyard." She scrapped everything else that wasn't worth anything. She had someone come appraise everything so if this is still there? It's worth something, I would imagine.

Nope, didn't go in it. I stepped up onto the deck, but didn't go down into it. Floor is kind of scary in there!

 

[mrs.hankIII]

Not that it helps any, but here's the other side. You can see the shape of the deck, sort of.

 

[tirediron]

Okay, so we know there's no missing superstructure since we can see the nav light placement. The ventilator doesn't really seem to fit, nor does the stove stack. There's also provision for what must have been a very small anchor. I wonder if this might not be a home-built super-structure on a re-purposed hull? We definitely need more pictures, and if you can get a few interior shots, bonus!!

 

[petrochemist]

That poor little yellow man junk shaped thing. I really can't figure out what it is, either. I didn't even notice it until I pulled it up on my laptop then thought "WTF are you?" It wasn't something on my lens, because it only appeared in the truck pictures. It's clearly not something concrete that you could touch, because I would have noticed it in person and it just doesn't...appear...right. So if someone could tell me how that happened, or what it is? Would appreciate it.

The yellow bit is 'a distraction' bye-bye is the best place for it.
Could it be it was a yellow flower blowing arount a bit? I know you said man made, but if you only saw it on the laptop...
I guess a bit of yellow plastic barrier tape is another possibility, in which case you could have managed to snap it as it went past on the wind.

 

[mrs.hankIII]

No idea what it was, and yes I suppose it could have been a buttercup since the place was littered with them.

Man made? Very well could be! I'll do my best to get more shots here soon. Today is a no go, tomorrow I have to go that way to drop my son off before my 2nd job interview (with a HUGE company, fingers crossed!!) so I'll try to swing by either before or after!

One thing I have to ask, because it's sparked a mighty discussion on another forum. My horizon isn't straight. Horizon isn't straight because there's a massive gully behind this boat. One can see that's true if they follow the shadow line on the corn on the left hand side. That being said, is there something I could have done to make it more straight than the way I took it?

 

[mrs.hankIII]

And if I fall through that floor, get trapped, and miss my interview, you guys are in TROOUUBBLLEE! That would be a hard one to explain. "Well, we were discussing this boat that I took photos of, and they asked for more shots, so I climbed inside it..."

 

[tirediron]

And if I fall through that floor, get trapped, and miss my interview, you guys are in TROOUUBBLLEE! That would be a hard one to explain. "Well, we were discussing this boat that I took photos of, and they asked for more shots, so I climbed inside it..."

One does have to suffer and sacrifice for one's art, doesn't one? I mean really, let's prioritize here shall we? What's more important some silly job that will allow you to do nothing more than pay bills, feed your family and take vacations, OR possibly determine purpose a rusty, old, boat in a scrapyard that you photographed may have served.

 

[Wizard1500]

And please do get a shot of the fantail (back of the boat).....that could explain a lot concerning it's use.....

Looking at the last picture, notice has the fantail extends pretty far....maybe 40 or 50% of overall length.....if there is a capstan or a stout set of cleats, that would almost certainly be for towing.....or....maybe a shrimp boat.....