Mar-Sue / USS See W. See SP 740

On 3-22-2026 a hour and 15 min trip turned into three and half hours. The lock was operating on a two hour schedule and we arrived an hour early. The wind was blowing as I came into the lock and the lock tender had me pull all the way forward which is normal, however taking the bow line first was a mistake and the stern was moving away from the lock wall, should have a midships line. Tried to get the midships line to him, but he said "I do not catch lines", so I carried the line forward so he could use his boat hook. He used it and said "I do not pull boats in" and I said no problem we will, then he just dropped the line and walked off. He was telling me to get the boat in, She would not come in because of the line forward and the MAR-SUE is single screw with no cheaters. By this time we were 90 degrees to the lock wall about to get against the gate. I did what I did not want to do by noising her into the lock wall and giving her a hard port rudder which in the process I broke one of my anchor retainers that has been there for 97 years. This guy would make a perfect ICE agent. Anyway the rest of the trip was uneventful and the MAR-SUE making it into the back waters of AYB where she has not been since 1959 went she berthed there from 1944.

The wheel picture is what I am making for the St Michaels trip in June which I will hang from the side of the boat, not finished yet. It will also serve as a table top.

Attached picture is a peak at MAR-SUE's past. I am currently repairing the Portside gunnel and hull where water intrusion has caused much decay. Cutting planking away in the engine room area shows what she looked when built in 1915. Some of the deck was cut away years ago and what is left is now used as a self. The deck toe board is also seen here and shows what hull would have looked like in 1915-1928. On this deck is where US Navy sailor Dennis Shehan died in route to a hospital in Babylon, NY in 1918 after a boiler incident on another USN patrol craft.