Under Tow: A History of Tugs and Towing

Gordon Turner is the author of Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific’s
Greatest Ship and the editor of SeaFare, a quarterly newsletter on sea
travel.

For 175 years, tugboats in Canada have performed a variety of essential
tasks, such as assisting ships in and out of ports, towing log rafts,
pulling barges, and taking oil rigs out to their deep-sea locations.
Often their work is carried out far from land, so they tend to labour
anonymously unless a maritime disaster occurs and tugs must race to the
rescue. Under Tow provides a wide-ranging survey of Canadian tugs, a
major undertaking in view of the thousands of tugs, many undocumented,
that have plied this country’s waters. Although the book concentrates
on Canadian tugs, the early chapters describe the origins of tugs,
mostly British, in the 19th century and their development in subsequent
decades. Baird has done a commendable job in writing of such aspects as
long-distance ocean towing and the role of tugs in wartime. He devotes
separate chapters to various regions of Canada, highlighting the
principal details of tugboating past and present in each area, with
occasional anecdotes sprinkled throughout the text.

About half of the book consists of text, and the rest is photographs.
Forty pages are in colour, but many photos lack sharpness. The
black-and-white pictures have fared better. Technical terms are not
always explained for the layperson. Though well researched, the book
cries out for better editing (inconsistencies in spelling abound, and
there are occasional factual errors). However, the author knows his
subject. He describes the transition from paddle-driven to
propeller-driven tugs, and tells why some are suitable for one
particular function, while others are adaptable multipurpose vessels. In
sum, Under Tow provides a comprehensive view of the part tugboats have
played and continue to play in our nation’s story.