When I arrived in New York back in the mid-70s, a vast fleet of tugs swarmed across the harbor like so many water beetles. Most kept busy assisting ships in docking. Now there are fewer but larger ships, many with bow thrusters, so fewer tugs are needed to get them to their berths.
Here are two videos about New York harbor tugs, separated in time by more than a half-century. The first “Workhorses of the Harbor!” is about Dalzell Towing in 1954. The second, from the PBS program “New York On the Clock” — “Chris Baker, Tugboat Captain” follows a McAllister tug captain in assisting ships to their berths in 2009. In more than one respect, the two videos are related. Dalzell Towing, which specialized in ship docking, was purchased by McAllister Towing in 1965.
Dalzell Towing — New York harbor tugs 1954