Mary L (II)

Kyle Stubbs (Email to Nauticapedia 29/11/2022) stated "I also took the opportunity to start observing the various workboats and barges moored at Mare Island, which usually includes a wide variety of commercial and surplus craft. Lind Marine operates a significant portion of the accumulated vessels, and their tug fleet is quite the mixed bag of vessels. SHELLY LIND (275311) was one I wasn't familiar with, and at first glance I assumed this vessel was a small, Gulf-built tug. However, my gut feeling was also that I might be wrong in that regard, probably due to the stepped-down fidley. Once I got around to looking up her history, I wasn't surprised that my gut was right, and she's actually a west coast product built by Nichols Brothers' Hood River yard in 1957 as the MARY L for Knappton Towboat. My next assumption was that the deckhouse may have been rebuilt to more of a "modern" aesthetic, but early photos from "The Brix Maritime Story" show a tug that is remarkably unchanged apart from the bulwarks being rebuilt. An interesting sidenote from that book is an excerpt suggesting Knappton's John Brix considered the MARY L his pet project, and largely oversaw a significant portion of her design and construction. Probably a bit to the chagrin of Nichols, but it probably explains why this vessel differs in design from the typical products of that yard."