
Hercules, a 1907 tugboat, is heading to dry dock for preservation work/NPS
Hercules is heading to dry dock.
The 116-year-old tugboat is leaving San Francisco Maritime Historical Park for a dry dock for much needed preservation work. The steel components of the main deck, pilot house, smokestack, and mast of Hercules, will be sand-blasted, inspected, re-welded if necessary, and freshly painted.
Compartments and working spaces including the fo’c’sle, boiler room, and engine room, as well as the floors and other structural elements, will be repaired due to impacts from aging and weathering. Some equipment and machinery will be removed and reinstalled to access and repair the damages.
While away from Hyde Street Pier, Hercules can be experienced virtually. The park offers a virtual tour to explore the ship from any location. Visitors can tour the ship and take a closer look inside the pilot house, crew quarters, and engineering spaces. To experience this virtual tour, visit the App Store or Google Play and search, “Hercules Steam Tug” or “San Francisco Maritime.”
Hercules will return to the park at a future date to be announced.