A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, such as in crowded harbors or narrow canals, or cannot move at all, such as barges, disabled ships, log rafts, or oil platforms. Some are ocean-going, and some are icebreakers or salvage tugs. Early models were powered by steam engines, which were later superseded by diesel engines. Many have deluge gun water jets, which help in firefighting, especially in harbours.
USNS Apache (T-ATF-172) was a U.S. Navy Powhatan-class fleet ocean tugboat that was operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) from 1981 to 2022. She spent the bulk of her career in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
Atlantic Salvor is a US-flagged ocean-going tugboat owned and operated by Donjon Marine of Hillside, New Jersey. Sailing under her original name Mister Darby until 1998, the boat was built by Halter Marine Inc. and launched on 1 February 1977. She was involved in the salvage operation following the wreck of New Carissa.
USS Nokomis (YT-142/YTB-142/YTM-142) was a Woban-class harbor tug built in Bremerton, Wash, and assigned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in 1940. Nokomis was present during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941. She was the first vessel on scene at the USS Arizona, and was called off by the officers on deck because of the imminent explosion of the battery below deck. It then left and helped beach the USS Nevada, with Hoga (YT-146), and YT-153. The beaching of the Nevada saved Pearl Harbor's mouth from being blocked. After that the USS Nokomis fought fires and dewatered the battleship USS California, for 3 days. This effort made the California salvageable, to be recommissioned again later in the war. Nokomis was also the last vessel to move the surviving YC-699 barge prior to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Post-war she continued serving Pearl Harbor ships until she was decommissioned in May 1973, and eventually sold for "scrap" to Crowley, in San Francisco. She was renamed Sea Serpent and served many years in the San Francisco Bay as a tug and fire boat. In 1989, after the Loma Prieta earthquake in the SF Bay area, Nokomis and Hoga fought fires alongside each other again.
Washtucna (YTB-826) was a United States Navy Natick-class large harbor tug named for Chief Washtucna of the Palus tribe.
USNS Narragansett (T-ATF-167) is a Powhatan-class fleet ocean tugboat of the US Navy. She was launched in 1979 and inactivated in 1999, but has since been employed in a number of roles. She is still in service as of 2023 as a training support vessel for Carrier Strike Group 4.
USNS Navajo (T-ATF-169) was a United States Navy Powhatan-class tugboat operated by the Military Sealift Command which was in service from 1980 to 2016. She spent the bulk of her career in the Pacific and is currently moored in Pearl Harbor, awaiting disposal.
Manhattan (YTB‑779/YT-800) is a United States Navy Natick-class large harbor tug named for Manhattan, New York.
The Powhatan class of fleet ocean tugs consists of seven ships built for the United States Navy, and operated by the Military Sealift Command (MSC). The lead ship of the class was launched in 1978 and the last ship in MSC service will be deactivated in 2023. During their service life, the Powhatan's were the most powerful tugs owned by the Navy.
The Natick class is a class of harbor tugboats that have been active since the 1960s. Members of the class are named for Native American peoples and their members, USS Redwing excepted. As of 1 April 2015, five to eight Natick-class tugs remain in active service. Members of this class were designed under project SCB 147A.
Defiant (YT‑804) is a United States Navy Valiant-class harbor tug.
Valiant (YT‑802) is a United States Navy Valiant-class harbor tug.
Seminole (YT‑805) is a United States Navy Valiant-class harbor tug.
Puyallup (YT‑806) is a United States Navy Valiant-class harbor tug. The tugboat is named for the people of the Puyallup tribe.
Menominee (YT‑807) is a United States Navy Valiant-class harbor tug. The tugboat is named for the people of the Menominee tribe.
The Type V ship is a United States Maritime Commission (MARCOM) designation for World War II tugboats. Type V was used in World War II, Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Type V ships were used to move ships and barges. Type V tugboats were made of either steel or wood hulls. There were four types of tugboats ordered for World War II. The largest type V design was the sea worthy 186-foot (57 m) long steel hull, V4-M-A1. The V4-M-A1 design was used by a number of manufacturers; a total of 49 were built. A smaller steel hull tugboat was the 94-foot (29 m) V2-ME-A1; 26 were built. The largest wooden hull was the 148-foot (45 m) V3-S-AH2, of which 14 were built. The smaller wooden hull was the 58-foot (18 m) V2-M-AL1, which 35 were built. Most V2-M-AL1 tugboats were sent to the United Kingdom for the war efforts under the lend-lease act. The Type V tugs served across the globe during World War II including: Pacific War, European theatre, and in the United States. SS Farallon, and other Type V tugs, were used to help built Normandy ports, including Mulberry harbour, on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and made nine round trips to Normandy to deliver Phoenix breakwaters.
Anderson & Cristofani was a wooden shipbuilding company in San Francisco, California. To support the World War 2 demand for ships Anderson & Cristofani shipyard switched over to military construction and built: US Navy APC coastal transports, tugboats, Patrol Boats and Minesweepers.
The Rainier class is a class of tug boats built for the United States Navy. They are harbor tugs, whose missions include assisting ships in mooring and navigating in narrow waterways, towing ships and barges, and firefighting. They are designed to work with all Navy ships from carriers to barges to submarines. The class includes six tugs, all of which were launched in 2020 and 2021. Five of the tugs are assigned to Navy Region Northwest and one, YT-809 Agamenticus, to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.
The YT-86-class harbor tugboat was a wood-hulled tugboat design ordered by the U.S. Navy during World War I. 15 ships of the type were launched and completed, 12 as harbor tugs and three as ambulance boats. All were launched at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California except for one at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii. In 1920, after the Navy's adoption of alpha-numeric hull designations, the ships were classified as yard tugs YT-86 though YT-90 and YT-92 through YT-99 and ambulance boats YH-1, YH-2, and YH-3.
The Naval Large Tugboat is a class of naval tugboat operated by the Royal Canadian Navy. Four Naval Large Tugboats (NLT) are being built by Ocean Industries Inc. of L'Isle-aux-Coudres under the National Shipbuilding Strategy. The first two tugboats will be based at CFB Esquimalt, and last two will be based at CFB Halifax. The steel cutting for the first NLT commenced in September 2020 and the lead ship, CFAV Haro, was launched on 15 July 2022.
United States Navy 
