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Chancellor (tugboat) facts for kids

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Chancellor (tugboat)
Chancellor (tugboat) is located in New York
Chancellor (tugboat)
Location in New York
Chancellor (tugboat) is located in the United States
Chancellor (tugboat)
Location in the United States
Location Lock 3, Erie Canal, Waterford, New York
Area 0.9 acre (0.4 ha)
Built 1938
Architect Bushey, Ira S., & Sons, Brooklyn NY
Architectural style Canal Tugboat
NRHP reference No. 00000050
Added to NRHP February 18, 2000

The Chancellor is a special old tugboat that used to work on the New York State Barge Canal. It was built a long time ago, in 1938, in Brooklyn, New York. Today, you can find this historic boat in Waterford, New York.

Meet the Tugboat Chancellor

The Chancellor is a type of boat called a tugboat. Tugboats are strong boats that push or pull other boats, like barges, along waterways. This particular tugboat was made especially for the New York State Barge Canal.

It was built by a company called Ira S. Bushey & Sons Shipyard. This shipyard was located in Brooklyn, New York. The Chancellor is about 76.7 feet (23.4 meters) long. It is also 21 feet (6.4 meters) wide.

Built for Canal Life

The Chancellor was designed to fit perfectly in the canals. Its size allowed it to travel through the locks and narrow parts of the canal system. It helped move goods and materials across New York State.

Tugboats like the Chancellor were very important for trade. They made it possible to transport heavy loads by water. This was often cheaper and easier than moving them by road or rail.

A National Treasure

Because of its history and design, the Chancellor was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. This is a special list of places, buildings, and objects in the United States that are important to history. Being on this list helps protect them.

It means the Chancellor is recognized as a valuable part of American history. It shows how important the canals were for transportation. It also shows the skill of the people who built these boats.

What Happened to Chancellor?

The Tug Chancellor is currently owned and cared for by the Waterford Maritime Historical Society. This group is based in Waterford, New York. They work to preserve the history of boats and waterways.

In 2017, the Chancellor had a problem. It took on water and sank partly. Only its wheelhouse, which is like the control room, stayed above water. The historical society is working to figure out how to save and restore this important tugboat.

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