Mary Kay
Ship stats
Depth: 40 feet
Coordinates: 43° 27.673'N / 76° 33.184'W
Vessel Type: Steel Tugboat, Diesel
Length: 55 feet Breadth: Unknown
Gross Tonnage: 35 Cargo: None
Built: Reportedly 1957 at Franklin, Louisiana
Date Lost: September 21, 1988
Cause of Loss: Foundered in Storm Loss of Life: None of 2
Wreck Site
The diesel tug Mary Kay lies in 40 feet of water 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 within the hull. Amidships, 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.
Historical Background
The steel, diesel tug Mary Kay was built in Franklin, Louisiana, in 1957. In 1988, the tug was sold to new owners, 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 Boston. 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 high waves broke over the tug’s fantail, flooding into the engine room through open hatchways. The waterlogged tug rapidly capsized and foundered. The crew of two escaped aboard a life raft and were rescued by a crew from USCG Station Oswego.