Mary Kay
Ship stats
Depth: 40 feet
Coordinates: 43° 27.673'N / 76° 33.184'W
Vessel Type: Steel Tugboat, Diesel
Length: 51.6 feet
Breadth: 17 feet
Gross Tonnage: 35
Cargo: None
Built: 1957 at Franklin, Louisiana
Date Lost: September 21, 1988
Cause of Loss: Foundered in Storm
Loss of Life: None of 2
Historical Background
The steel, diesel tug Mary Kay (U.S. Official Number 275121) was built in Franklin, Louisiana, in 1957. In 1988, the tug was sold to new owners, being renamed Mary Kay. The tug was 51.6 feet long with a 17 foot beam and a 7.6 foot depth of hold, measuring 35 tons. Originally named Pay Day II, the tug was first owned by St. Petersburg Towing & Marine Company of St. Petersburg, Florida.
In 1971, the tug was sold to Benton & Company of Clearwater, Florida before being acquired by International Barge Line of Rochester, New York and being transferred to the Great Lakes in 1987. Under its new owners the tug was renamed Capt. G. H. Swift. It had held this name for only one year when it was again sold, this time to Salvage & Demolition, Inc. of West Weymouth, Massachusetts, being renamed Mary Kay.
On September 21, 1988, Mary Kay departed Charlotte for Oswego, intending to take the canals from Oswego to New York before continuing to its new owners in Massachusetts. The tugboat was caught in a storm, running with high following seas. As Mary Kay neared Oswego Harbor around 5:50 p.m., two 9-foot tall waves broke over the tug’s fantail, flooding into the engine room through the open hatchways. The swamped tugboat capsized and foundered. The crew of two escaped aboard a life raft and were rescued by a crew from USCG Station Oswego.
Wreck Site
The diesel tug Mary Kay lies in 40 feet of water and is broken apart with several large sections of the hull remaining intact. The stern remains upright and intact with its towing bitts, fantail, and twin propellers. Though only the bottom of the hull remains of the engine room, Mary Kay’s twin diesel engines remain in place. Much of the hull is broken apart and scattered off the east side of the wreck. A section of the bow remains intact but lies on its starboard side, disarticulated from the other hull remains.
