South Street Seaport Museum announces that the 1930 tugboat W.O. Decker received the "Tugboat of the Year" Award from the Steamship Historical Society of America on October 1, 2021 on Pier 16. The brief award ceremony recognized the Museum's work in restoring the last surviving New York-built wooden tugboat and turning her into an impactful educational and public-sail platform.

The Museum continues to provide public cruises aboard W.O. Decker every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through October 31. The ship will run two tours each Friday, departing at 1:15pm and 2:45pm; three tours each Saturday, departing at 1:15pm, 2:45pm, and 4:15pm; and three tours each Sunday, departing at 1:15pm, 2:45pm, and 4:15pm through October 31, 2021. Tickets to ride are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors/students, and $15 for kids and are available for purchase at seaportmuseum.org/decker.

Take an exciting 75-minute ride on the last surviving New York-built wooden tugboat W.O. Decker. Cruises will explore the New York Harbor, and views may include the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Battery, and Governors Island, as you set out on an adventure unlike any you've had before!

Advance reservations are recommended, and guests must check in 15 minutes before the scheduled tour. Please note that in accordance with NYC Emergency Executive Order 225, proof of at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose will be required to board W.O. Decker for all guests age 12 and older, and children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a vaccinated adult. Proof of vaccination can be provided in the form of a physical immunization card, NY Excelsior Pass app, or the NYC COVID Safe app when you check in at the red welcome tent on Pier 16. Additionally, due to current Federal and New York State COVID-19 guidance for public transportation, masks are required onboard W.O. Decker at all times. Access to W.O. Decker requires climbing angled gangways and a step over her side from a floating deck. Participants must be age 10 or older.

Seaport Museum Members receive discounted price points on Museum activities such as W.O. Decker rides. Memberships start at $50 and help support Museum's exhibitions, preserve the ships and the collections, grow public programs, and serve over 12,000 students through education initiatives. To join the Museum as a Member, visit seaportmuseum.org/membership. The South Street Seaport Museum's indoor spaces are currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

About W.O. Decker The last surviving New York-built, wooden tugboat W.O. Decker was built in 1930 by the Newtown Creek Towing Company and originally named Russell I, after the towing company's owners. She was renamed W.O. Decker in 1946 after being sold to the Decker family's Staten Island tugboat firm. The tugboat was initially steam-powered and later refit with a diesel engine. She was donated to the Seaport Museum in 1986 and was refit with a diesel engine. W.O. Decker is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is an exemplary model of the types of steam tugs that were once an abundant sight in New York Harbor. This unique vessel is a true testament to New York City's maritime heritage, which is a direct factor in the city's global prominence today.

About Steamship Historical Society of America The mission of the Steamship Historical Society of America is to record, preserve, and share the history of engine-powered vessels. In 1935 a group of historians and collectors passionate about steamships formed the Steamship Historical Society of America as a means of bringing together amateur and professional historians interested in the history and development of steam navigation, past and present. Their knowledge, as well as photographs, research and writings, formed the nucleus of the society's collections. Today the collections comprise hundreds of thousands of images, artifacts, ephemera, memorabilia, and artwork, as well as a maritime reference library. At the Ship History Center in Warwick, RI, visitors and members alike can peruse ship models, view collections or conduct research. The diverse membership includes maritime collectors and artists, navy and merchant mariners, historians, students, genealogists, ship engineers and architects, and maritime history enthusiasts. The quarterly magazine PowerShipsreflects this broad range of topics, with articles on the history of ships and shipping, as well as current news in the industry.

About the South Street Seaport Museum The South Street Seaport Museum, located in the heart of the South Street Seaport Historic District in New York City, preserves and interprets the history of New York as a great port city. Founded in 1967, the Museum houses an extensive collection of works of art and artifacts, a maritime reference library, exhibition galleries and education spaces, working nineteenth century print shops, and an active fleet of historic vessels that all work to tell the story of "Where New York Begins." www.southstreetseaportmuseum.org

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