Paddle Tug Eppleton Hall

Eppleton Hall was a paddle tug typical of those used in the coal ports of Northern England to tow barges and shipping, and similar paddle tugs were also used in San Francisco during the 1850s and 1860s. Captain John Gibson of Sunderland, England, called Eppleton Hall's type of tug "the handiest type of tug that was ever built." Powered by two single cylinder "grasshopper" type steam engines, a design dating from the mid-19th century, the vessel's independent engine controls gave it great maneuverability. Eppleton Hall worked in England on the River Wear until retiring in 1968, and after extensive restoration it steamed to San Francisco under its own power in 1970. Built in 1914 at South Shields, England, by William Hepple and Company, it measured 100 feet overall, with a 33-foot beam over guards, a draft of 7 feet, 4 inches, and gross tonnage of 166.

San Francisco, California · United States