From the Boathouse: The William B will be missed

Ahoy, and Newport Harbor is awakened as tragedy engulfs the tugboat William B.

In my most recent column published on Halloween, I shared some of the superstitions that boaters have carried on for centuries, such as bad luck can strike a boat simply by someone bringing aboard a banana.

Little did anyone know that tragedy would engulf Newport Harbor’s iconic tugboat, the William B, on Halloween while she was safely secured to her mooring floating off the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

In the wee hours of the morning as the harbor slept, a fire began aboard the William B and soon the flames fully engulfed the wooden vessel.

As firefighting crews tried to battle the blaze from an unknown source, she finally sank to settle on the shallow seafloor of the harbor. Her graceful and mighty superstructure, while listing slightly to starboard, remained about the waterline as if she was insinuating, “I am not gone yet to Davy Jones’ Locker — remember my past.”

I wrote an in-depth magazine article about the William B in 2010, and I have included a piece from the article about this tug and her owner.

“But alongside the magnificent yachts, there are a handful of working tugboats in the harbor. Tugboats are known as the workhorse of the water — mighty boats that muscle large ships in and out of ports or tow a string of barges. Yet there is a softer side to tugs, as they continue to come alive in children’s books and television shows since the release of “Steamboat Willie” in 1928.

Locals and visitors alike will stop and watch as one local tug — the William B — passes by with her black and white hull, iconic of years past. Regularly docked at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, this tugboat is the most popular boat on display during the club’s annual opening day ceremonies, as people climb over the stern to be welcomed by the tug’s owner— lifelong Newport Beach resident and Newport Harbor High alumnus Gary Hill.

Gary acquired the tugboat in 1988 when it sat idle while damaged on the Columbia River in Oregon.

“She was on a tow to Alaska and while coming down the Columbia River, she ran aground and the barge came up and smashed her stern,” he explains. “So, I went up to Portland, Ore., with a well-known shipwright named Wayne Ettel and bought her without a survey.”

At first, the damage to the boat seemed like it might be the end of her: “What a wreck she was, now looking back, and she leaked so bad coming down the Oregon coast we thought we might lose her,” Gary recalls. “Then she just swelled up and stopped leaking.”

The William B was refloated and towed out of Newport Harbor on Nov. 8, with some saying it will be her last time. However, she was once before left wrecked and aground in 1988 when Gary came to her rescue, so we will just have to wait and see if she comes back once again.

You can read my complete article, with photos, and William B’s specifications at newportbeachmagazine.com/a-different-kind-of-luxury.

Tip of the week: Fire is not unusual aboard boats, and unfortunately, it can strike at any time.

BoatU.S. insurance reported that the No. 1 cause of fire on recreational boats between 2009 to 2013 was DC electrical related — 32% of all causes of fire. Other electrical causes of fire include off-boat source (26%), AC electrical (9%), engine (7%), and other sources.

All boaters need to inspect not only the vessel’s fire protection equipment, but also the electrical systems and wiring as well. Be safe and think about hiring a marine surveyor or a mechanic to give your boat an inspection before next season.

As always, just keep an eye to the weather for any changes. Please be boat smart and boat safe. Lastly, please boat responsibly and look behind you before you turn the wheel at the helm.

The original boating program, “Boathouse TV & Radio Shows,” has stretched from coast to coast for more than two decades. See the details at boathousetv.com, facebook.com/boathouseradio and twitter.com/boathouseradio.

Safe Voyages!

MIKE WHITEHEAD is a boating columnist for the Daily Pilot. Send marine-related thoughts and story suggestions to [email protected] or go to boathousetv.com.