Tug Jupiter

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from all of us at Tug Jupiter!

01/19/2025

The tug was enjoying a nice therapeutic ice bath today, along with Battleship New Jersey and Barkentine Gazela The interior was getting a little pampering as well, which for an old tug means rust busting, vacuuming, and repacking the through hull valve stems!

09/29/2024

Tis the season for Jupiter's skeleton crew to arrive!

If you would like to sponsor additional "crew" and/or lights (this guy has a red strobe), skeletons are $30, lights are $13. You can donate directly at philashipguild.org, and let us know on facebook that you did for faster application of spookiness!

08/11/2024

Getting through the official dog days of summer, we're looking forward to the promise of cooler weather coming and bigger projects on Jupiter! One of our followers staying at Penns Landing currently shared this pic of Jupiter from the Hilton hotel. Very nice shot from an angle we don't often see! Thanks for this, you know who you are!

Thinking about volunteering? Let us know! Next work day is August 17th, and generally every other Saturday. Hours during these hot days are roughly 10-3, but we start doing more as it cools down again. We've gotten a tremendous amount of cleaning and organizing done on these slower days, and a bit of prepping, painting, a little mechanical work.

06/24/2024

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06/24/2024

A wonderful way to spend an evening watching fireworks! For our favorite tug boat fans out there, message us to arrange for a complimentary tour of Jupiter before the event on Gazela!

Immerse yourself in a magical night as you witness a dazzling fireworks display from the decks of a historic wooden ship.

Tickets are now on sale and are just $20 for adults and $10 for kids.

Grab this rare opportunity to create unforgettable memories by clicking here, https://buff.ly/3VDoeCb

06/21/2024

Just before the Battleship New Jersey returned, some volunteers came by on Wednesday and Thursday got the deck looking spiffy again, and some decorations hung up. Jupiter truly has her dignity back again! Much more is planned, and we are excited to see the next phase of repairs while we continue to sort out the insurance as well.

06/21/2024

Come on down for the best seats on the river aboard our PSPG sister, Barkentine Gazela! June 29th!

Prepare for an evening of color and light Saturday, June 29th, with our exclusive Dockside Fireworks Reception aboard historic tall ship, GAZELA!

Adults tickets are $20 and children 14 and under are $10. Click the link below to secure your tickets for an awe-inspiring night!

https://buff.ly/3zeCoCb

06/19/2024

As we prepare to welcome Battleship New Jersey back home across the river from us, the moment is bittersweet. Regrettably, we will not be able to get underway to meet and es**rt the Battleship home. This is because we were unable to secure navigation insurance. After so many years out of operating condition, our carrier needs to see a favorable survey in order to issue a quote, and we need to ensure there is money to pay for both the survey and the insurance. We are confident the tug will do well on the survey, but by the time we got this information, it simply proved too high a hurdle to clear.

While missing this opportunity is unfortunate, it does not change the fact that thousands of dollars in donations and many hundreds of volunteer hours have turned the tug back into a vessel that is capable of being operational, and indeed, we believe WILL be underway this year! Not only that, but she stands proud again against the Philadelphia backdrop, and looks like a proper and loved tugboat, and that she is. Make no mistake, there is PLENTY of work to tend to yet, but we are extremely proud of the work done so far, and can't wait to see Jupiter out on the river once again!

06/11/2024

Last weekend we managed to button up the temporary deck repairs on the new steel work around the ladder, and get it waterproofed using elastomeric roof coat and canvas. Very similar to the tried and true painted canvas method, but with a rubberized coating. This will do well to keep the water out while we make plans for the full refurbishment of the boat deck, which are expecting to get started on in the fall, following the construction of a marine shrink wrap shelter over the upper portion of the tug to keep her dry while the deck is deconstructed down to the original stuff, and then refurbished correctly. This will involve much wood replacement, including the wood deck beams that rest atop the steel beams, and most likely additional steel work as well, and refurbishment of the entire overhang and handrails. The boat deck will be about 2" lower than it is now when completed, as all the extra layers of plywood and waterproofing get removed for good! That will be the time to tighten up her curves on the overhang as well, removing many pieces of flat wood that were used for patching over the years with properly cut and beaded quality lumber.

We also managed to snag a ~260sf lot of slightly imperfect tongue and groove beadboard that was being culled by a local lumber yard (thank you Rider's Lumber of Philadelphia!) Which will go a long way towards repairing our lifejacket boxes, wheelhouse roof, focsle bulkhead, and overhead trim in the head.

06/02/2024

Refrigeration Tech and Equipment needed! We are trying to get Jupiter's built in refrigeration running again. We have a volunteer with automotive AC experience, but not refrigeration that is open to learning if we can't find a specialist willing to help. The condensing unit is gone completely, the line set was left open years ago, and the evap unit is questionable. As we understand, the system had a leak that prevented it from holding a charge for long. At this point, we probably want to replace everything, but we don't know where to start. The condensing unit location is changing, so the line set will be shorter, and it's also going to run on AC instead of DC as it had previously.

Someone who is willing to volunteer and take over would be preferred. We are also looking for an equipment donation or deal if possible. Used equipment would be fine!

The fridge comprises only the 2 middle doors in the built in unit. The other 2 are storage only.

05/31/2024

Have you been considering volunteering on Tug Jupiter? Tomorrow, Saturday June 1st is shaping up to be a great day to come check us out! First time's free with the old try before you buy offer, after which we ask you to join the Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild, which opens up Barkentine Gazela to you as well, both at the same location!

Lunch is served aboard Gazela, $4 suggested donation, or you may feel free to bring your own. Refrigeration and a microwave are available on both vessels, as well as potable water. Restroom facilities are on Gazela only at this time.

Last weekend we got all the holes drilled in the steel and got the wood deck beams bolted in. This weekend, we need to get the new deck sheathing cut and installed, the weatherproofing in (elastomeric roof coating and canvas), and hopefully get the new fascia boards installed and start thinking about the handrail renewal. There is also lots of scraping, painting, cleaning, rust busting, plumbing and mechanical work, and other similar jobs, so something for every skill level from zero to pro!

Work day starts ~9am, and goes til ~5pm. People sometimes hang out after the work day to socialize, so feel free to join if it suits you! Parking can be found at the Penns Landing lots, and is $20 per car. As a paid guild member, there is a discount so that parking is $5 *most* of the time. Either parking lot location at Market St or Lombard Circle will get you there following a walk by the river. Any questions, direct message us at any time, and you can also get a direct phone/text number to the volunteer restoration coordinator, Christopher Simmons who will be on site.