Portsmouth Tugs #3 is a photograph by Joann Vitali which was uploaded on April 15th, 2014.
Portsmouth Tugs #3
Moran Towing maintains at least three and often four tugs in Portsmouth to assist with river traffic that brings several million tons of cargo a year... more
by Joann Vitali
Title
Portsmouth Tugs #3
Artist
Joann Vitali
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Moran Towing maintains at least three and often four tugs in Portsmouth to assist with river traffic that brings several million tons of cargo a year - coal, natural gas, road salt, and products for a Foreign Trade Zone - up the the Piscataqua River and through Portsmouth Harbor.
It can be a challenging job. While deep and ice-free, the Piscataqua is also the third-fastest tidal river in North America and extremely narrow by shipping standards.
As a result, the tugs operate only at "slack tide," periods of about an hour twice a day when the incoming tide temporarily balances the outgoing current of the river.
Uploaded
April 15th, 2014