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Judy Blu provides live entertainment for the Tug Boat Roundup. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
Toto owner Jonathan Hall talks to Roundup attendees about his boat. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
A crowd watches a demonstration of remote-controlled tug boat models. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
Tug boats of all shapes and sizes line the docks. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
Inside the cabin of the Toto. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
Alli Boyle and her son Harry, 3, enjoying the Tug Boat Roundup. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
Toto, owned by Jonathan Hall, sits anchored at the dock. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
Tug boats of all shapes and sizes line the waterfront. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
A speaker gives a Tug Boat Talk in the Harbor Center. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
A woman tries the tug boat line throw. (Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
(Melissa Schuman - MediaNews Group)
WATERFORD, N.Y. — The annual Tugboat Roundup at the Waterford Harbor provided a weekend of family fun for the community, drawing participants and attendees alike from near and far.
The Roundup kicked off on Friday with a parade launching from Albany and ending in Waterford. The J. Arnold Witte, built in 2020, was named “Tug of the Year” and Waterford Town Historian Russ VanDervoort served as Grand Marshall for the parade. On Saturday and Sunday, the tugs floated in the harbor alongside a variety of family-friendly activities.
Weekend highlights included live music, the Waterford Farmers Market, “Tug Talks” by guest speakers, and fireworks on Saturday night.
“We’re having a great time,” said Alli Boyle, who was at the Roundup with her family. “We came here from Long Island. My little guy and my husband love tug boats!”
During the weekend Roundup, tug boats of all shapes, sizes, and purposes lined the docks of the Hurst Harbor Center while vendors lined the walkways. Roundup guests could walk down to the docks and see many of the tug boats up close, including boarding some for tours and rides. Boat owners were happy to talk to guests and answer questions about cost and history.
“We’re here today celebrating Waterford’s great history with the canal. It’s been a big canal town for 200-plus years,” Roundup spokesperson Chris Callaghan explained. “We’ve got about 29 vessels docked, and six or seven of them are working tugs that took a day off from their jobs to be here. We’ve got many models and boats that are owned by hobbyists, and there’s even a set of remote-controlled tugs that are on display from Canada.”
The Waterford Tugboat Roundup began in 1999, with the purpose of having a small-scale gathering of tug boat owners with a public component. Large-scale roundups held in places like New York City are often closed to the public, but it was important to the town of Waterford that the public be able to participate.
“That first year, it just blew everyone away and it’s grown ever since,” said Callaghan.
On the docks, Jonathan Hall and his longtime friend JP Kennedy, who both hail from western MA, welcomed guests aboard their 21-foot long ranger tug Toto. Built in 2014 and acquired by Hall in 2017, the Toto is a pleasure boat built with the dimensions of a tug boat, used for short trips and exhibitions. This was Hall and Kennedy’s third year at the Waterford Tugboat Roundup, and the pair were having fun talking to people and showing off their boat.
“It’s a nice little boat, perfect for traveling,” Hall said. “We trailer it for storage and travel, so it’s affordable. You don’t have to pay for a marina, and on this whole trip we’ll use maybe ten gallons of diesel. We love the Roundup, it’s awesome. They do such a good job putting it on.”
The Toto got its name after a tornado hit Hall’s town in 2011. During cleanup, a kitten was discovered and rescued from the debris. Hall, who works as a paramedic and firefighter, named the kitten Toto and wrote a book about his experience called “Toto the Tornado Kitten.” Sales from that book and a few others Hall penned have raised over $70,000 for animal rescue.
These days, Hall and Kennedy take the Toto to shows around the Eerie and Champlain canals, and try to go on a daytrip together once a month and a longer trip once a year. The little boat has a surprisingly long list of amenities including a sink, stove, sleeping area, and head that enable full days on the water.
“It’s a fun thing to get out and do,” Kennedy said. “I like being on the water. You can unplug and enjoy being outside. Rain or shine, it’s a good time. It’s not a fast boat, but sometimes you see more when you’re only going six or eight MPH. It’s about the trip, not the destination.”
The Whalen family, husband and wife Matt and Devin and their sons Liam, 2 1/2, and Patrick, 9 months, enjoyed exploring the Toto and taking pictures together during their day at the Roundup.
“We’re loving it, we’ve been coming here for years,” said Matt. “It’s a good way to bring the community together.”
“We love the boats, there’s so much for the kids to do, it’s interactive, and it’s a good end to the summer,” added Devin.
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