Safe Boating Promotion

A recent discussion regarding interactions between pleasure craft and inland towing vessels prompted this column. The majority of those who enjoy the navigable waters of the country in their recreational vessels are responsible operators and safely share the waterways with commercial traffic. Those who act irresponsibly can give towboat pilots near heart failure.

This has been a perennial problem that increases exponentially during the warm weather seasons. According to the U.S. Coast Guard Recreational Boating Statistics report for 2024 (latest year available) there were 31 documented accidents specifically involving collisions between recreational boats and commercial vessels. These resulted in eight deaths and 39 injuries. Comparable reports from previous years show similar totals, and the overall total rec boat accidents show some 4,000 incidents annually.

Much effort has been extended over the years toward educating recreational boaters about the dangers of being too close to or cutting across the path of approaching commercial vessels. The Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxilliary have offered informational classes at yacht clubs throughout the river system, and the inland towing industry has supported this by sending working crew members at times to speak in person and answer questions.

The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) was founded in 1958, and its mission statement indicates that it “serves as a national catalyst for developing a safe boating culture by providing educational resources, outreach programming and training opportunities for industry partners and the boating community to influence safe, secure and responsible boating.”

The NSBC has a campaign called National Safe Boating Week that occurs just before Memorial Day annually. In the 1960s and 1970s, it was common to see towboats of the major barge lines and oil companies sporting banners during this event. These banners stated, “Observe Safe Boating Week.” These banners may have been a joint initiative of NSBC and The American Waterways Operators.

I have included photos of two of my personal favorite towboats of the past displaying these banners. The first is the Frances Anne (The Waterways Journal September 1, 2025), built by Alexander Shipyard, New Orleans in 1948. It was originally owned by the builder and named Alexander but was bareboat chartered to Upper Mississippi Towing Corporation (UMTC), Minneapolis. In 1950, it was purchased by UMTC and renamed Frances Anne. The boat was built somewhat short at 116 feet long to lock in a single lockage with certain tank barge tows. It was 40 feet wide and had 3,200 hp. provided by a pair of Fairbanks-Morse opposed piston diesels.

In 1970, it was sold to G&C Towing, Point Pleasant, W.Va. Under this ownership it was most often towing for Ashland Oil out of my hometown of Catlettsburg, Ky., and Capt. Tom Herdman, master of the boat, was kind to this inquisitive teenager and invited me on several trips aboard. In 1979, it was sold to Martrans Services, Dyersburg, Tenn., and the following year it was sold to Arrow Transportation, Co., Sheffield, Ala. The 1982 issue of the Inland River Record (IRR) had it in the Off The Record section as having the machinery removed and sold to Robert Myer, St. Louis. The hull was later seen at Mike’s, Inc., Wood River in use as a work flat.

The second photo shows the original Valvoline of Ashland Oil & Refining Company (AOR) with the banner behind the boat name. This boat was built by St. Louis Ship in 1949 as the Sohio Cleveland (WJ August 4, 2025) for Sohio Petroleum Corporation, St. Louis. It featured a cabin that was very streamlined, sitting on a hull that was 150 by 35 feet. It had 3,200 hp. from a pair of GM 16-278A diesels and pushed a three-piece tank barge unit that had also been built by St. Louis Ship.

While still quite new in September 1950, it was sold to AOR, which operated it briefly as the Cleveland, with the “Sohio” painted over on the name before renaming it Valvoline in October of that year. The accompanying photo, though undated, shows the boat at some point prior to AOR becoming simply Ashland Oil, Inc., in 1966. The tall radar mast was removed at some point, and, in 1974, it was repowered to 3,720 hp. with a pair of Alco 12-251F diesels.

From 1985 to 1987, I had the pleasure of serving aboard the boat several times as pilot and can attest to the handling, shoving and backing ability of the St. Louis-designed vessel.

In May 1987, a new 4,200 hp. Valvoline joined the Ashland fleet, and, in July 1988, the original was sold to Mon River Towing, Belle Vernon, Pa. It was renamed Howard S. Guttman and was last listed in the Off The Record section of the 1998 IRR, with the notation that it was “out of service.” The boat was eventually scrapped.