 Thomas Willett, celebrating July 4th, 1908. | |
| History | |
|---|---|
 New York City Fire Department | |
| Name | Thomas Willett |
| Namesake | Thomas Willett |
| Port of registry | New York City, United States |
| Builder | T. S. Marvel Shipbuilding, Newburgh, NY[1] |
| Yard number | 185 |
| Completed | 1908 |
| Out of service | 1959 |
| Renamed |
|
| Fate | Sold, converted to passenger vessel by Circle Line |
 United States | |
| Name | Circle Line XIV |
| Owner | Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises |
| Acquired | 1959 |
| Identification | USCG Doc #: 204989 |
| Status | Floating office in Morris Canal Basin, Jersey City |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Fireboat |
| Displacement | 580 net tons |
| Length | 123 ft (37 m) |
| Beam | 27 ft (8.2 m) |
| Draught | 14 ft (4.3 m) |
| Speed | 14 knots |
| Capacity | 9000 gpm |
The Thomas Willett was a fireboat operated by the FDNY.[2] She was launched in 1908 and retired in 1959. She was built as a steam-engine powered vessel with coal-fired boilers. She was converted to oil-fired boilers in 1926.
Operational history
On August 14, 1927, a tugboat of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad, towing two barges of railway rolling stock, collided with a train of rock barges towed by the Henry F. Wills.[3] The Thomas Willett responded, when one barge was sunk and others damaged, saving their crew.
The FDNY retired Thomas Willett in 1959 and put her up for public sale.[2] She was acquired by Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, who converted here into a tour boat and renamed her Circle Line XIV. As of 2021 she is extant in Morris Canal Basin, Jersey City, used as a floating office by Statue Cruises.[4]
References
- ↑ "T. S. Marvel Shipbuilding, Newburgh NY". Shipbuilding History. Retrieved 22 April 2021.
- 1 2 "Fireboat on block". New York Times. 1959-11-14. p. B42. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
- ↑
"20 SAVED AS BARGES ARE RAMMED IN DARK; Nine Craft Cut Adrift by Collision in Bay, One Sinks -- Fireboat Rescues the Crews". New York Times. 1927-08-15. Retrieved 2017-03-24.
The crew of the fireboat Thomas F. Willett rescued Captain John Webber, 50 years old, and his wife, Dorothy, from the sinking rock barge Moonstone, which was rammed off the Statue of Liberty early yesterday morning, and eighteen men and women, captains and their wives from eight other barges which were cut adrift but were undamaged.
- ↑ "CIRCLE LINE XIV". ShipSpotting. Retrieved 22 April 2021.