Luna (ship)
 The ship in 2015
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The Luna is a historic tug that is now a museum ship in the port of Chelsea in Massachusetts . The ship, built in 1930, is in operational condition and was the shipyard's flagship ship when it was commissioned. It was inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and recognized as a National Historic Landmark in 1989 .
description
The luna was built entirely from oak and swamp pine and fastened with wooden dowels . However, some components were replaced by steel elements during World War II . The shape of the hull is typical for tugs built between 1880 and 1940.
Luna was one of the first ships to allow engine power to be controlled directly from the helm. A special feature of the ship is a glass cover over the propeller so that the crew could visually inspect it at any time.
The Luna was the flagship of the owner company and was therefore particularly well maintained. Its current color scheme corresponds again to the original paint scheme, after it was painted in navy camouflage colors during the Second World War and in the black and red scheme of the Boston Towing Co. from 1946 to 1981 .
The ship has a diesel-electric propulsion system , with two six-cylinder diesel engines from Winton driving generators from Westinghouse . These generate the energy for the propeller's drive motor. This system allowed the diesel engines and the propeller to operate with maximum efficiency so that the ship could accelerate quickly and, if necessary, switch between forward and reverse travel without delay.
Historical meaning
The Luna is one of only a few roadworthy wooden tugs left and was the first ship of this type in the world with a diesel-electric drive that was built for a private company. Their successful operation had a major impact on the design of tractor drives in the United States. The Luna was used in the port of Boston , but also received numerous special orders in other ports on the American east coast.
The first steam-powered tug was the Charlotte Dundas , which was in service in Great Britain as early as 1802 and was powered by side paddle wheels. Steam propulsion was in use around the world by 1830 and allowed sailing ships to enter and leave the port regardless of the prevailing conditions such as wind direction and tidal range .
Mid-1840s, the drive means started propeller enforce, and that of Rudolf Diesel developed the diesel engine led to the early 20th century to further innovations in shipbuilding. Above all, the smaller space requirement compared to the previously common steam boilers, the lower fuel consumption and the faster readiness for use were aspects that helped the diesel drive to make a breakthrough.
For tugs, however, the diesel engine was not so well suited, because this drive only works efficiently at higher speeds, but the large propellers of the tugs are only most efficient at low speeds. The technical solution to this problem is the diesel-electric drive , which was first used in tractors in the United States in 1926.
The Luna , launched on July 29, 1930, was the first privately owned tugboat to have this innovative propulsion system. It was in use for 41 years and became the prototype for further developments of diesel-electric tractors. Although steel was already a common material for ship hulls, the shipyard decided to use wood as a building material for traditional reasons. The Luna , together with her sister ship Venus, was one of the last wooden tugs.
During her service time in the port of Boston, the Luna not only assisted with mooring and casting off of merchant ships, but also supplied companies in the port with electricity in emergencies, helped extinguish several fires and also participated in rescue missions. It also represented the city of Boston on the arrival of Normandy on its maiden voyage on June 2, 1935, and the RMS Queen Mary , also on its maiden voyage on June 1, 1936. The United States Navy always requested diesel-electric tugs to help with port maneuvers to support fragile USS Constitution .
The Luna was decommissioned on March 30, 1971 and initially used by several owners as a houseboat or office. In 1979 she was restored and still serves as a museum ship today .
See also
- List of entries on the National Register of Historic Places in Suffolk County
- List of National Historic Landmarks in Massachusetts
literature
- Kevin Foster: NRHP Nomination Form. (PDF) United States Department of the Interior , National Park Service , August 5, 1988, accessed June 18, 2020 .
