This weekend of July 18-19, Jupiter will join the festivities in celebration of the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship, the N.S. Savannah. This historic ship was built in Camden, NJ and when launched in 1959, Jupiter was one of the tugboats that assisted. Savannah is berthed in Baltimore at Pier 13, the Canton Marine Terminal. Jupiter will be there to help celebrate the 50th Anniversary of N.S. Savannah’s launching. 
Jupiter is a historic tugboat that docks at Penn’s Landing, and is sailed and operated by the all-volunteer Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild.
The 101 ft and 147 ton tug was built in 1902 at the Philadelphia shipyard of Neafie & Levy. Jupiter was built as a steel harbor tug and originally commissioned by Standard Oil Co. she worked in the New York City area hauling fuel ships and barges. Her original name was Socony 14.
In
1939, Philadelphia’s Independent Pier Co. purchased the tug and renamed her Jupiter. The company’s tugboats were all named for Greek gods, and its other tugs were named Saturn, Triton, Venus, Mercury and Trojan.
Her last big commercial job was towing tunnel sections for the Baltimore Harbor and Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnels in the 1980’s.
Today Jupiter takes part in educational programs, festivals and boat parades-reminding people of Philadelphia’s deep maritime history. Although a historic ship, she is still a functioning tug, still capable of doing a good day’s work, guided by the Guild volunteers who maintain and operate her. The guild also sails and operates the 1883 historic tall ship Gazela.
Friday morning at 3:00 am Jupiter will be leaving Penn’s Landing as the tide goes out.
Stay tuned to life on a tug,
Abby Fazio
For more information about Jupiter, Gazela or the Guild visit http://www.gazela.org/
To see my blog about Gazela's trip to Alexandria, VA, visit http://thegazelaalexandriatrip.blogspot.com/
Fun Jupiter Facts:
Following World War II, Jupiter’s original steam engine was replaced with a war-surplus diesel engine from a decommissioned Landing Ship Tank (LST).
The large “M” on Jupiter’s stack commemorates the Meyle family, whose several generations operated the Independent Pier Co.
Hi, Found your blog while doing family research. My uncle (Richard J. Conner) was Captain of the Jupiter for 40 years. He passed away a few years ago but left his family with many happy memories of the tugboat Jupiter. Thanks for posting a great trip down memory lane, I'm going to forward to his sons Bill and Greg. His daughter Dianne doesn't have a computer so I'm going to try and print this out for her. Thanks again, Deb Wilson
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