Thanks to all mystery solved. I remember a tug live aboard tug at Willoughby Bay Marina that someone lived aboard, but I was never close to it.
I don't think those outboards have the same push as her original engine.

BAY QUEEN

The "tow" is a small white dingy only.
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2505204

It appears to be towing something so itis tug days are not over yet.
I would not want to rely on that bow anchor.

The JAVA SEA was a big steam powered inland river prop towboat.

I knew it was not the Crow because I read it was already scrapped.
I did found the number "692" in the picture but I think it can also be 602. There was a DPC 602 named "Java Sea" in 1944, sold in 1947 and renamed "Joe Pickering" (a dredge). I did some research but did not find anything else. This information was found at http://www.shipbuildinghistory.com/history/smallships/armydpc.htm

Dan,
On the Wheelhouse aft bulkhead, Starboard side. Window frame blocking the rest of the number.

Butch, where are you seeing the 692 numbers in the photo?

Daniel B.- Yes she is kind of ugly, but she is of someone's desire to have a tug that they modified for a houseboat/cruising whatever you want to call it.

Rarcand - No she is not the Crow, the Crow is much larger.

davidships - If the documentation plaque is permanently attached (cannot be removed with a screwdriver) her documentation No. could be in that location. That is with me is still a questionable as I do Vessel Safety Checks some fiberglass larger boat manufactures use vinyl tape type letters on a frame in the engine room area or in the forward cabin area for documentation purposes. I question this practice as not so permanent. On my boat which is wood I had to engrave 3" numbers and letters into a main frame of the vessel.

I'm not saying this vessel was the DIXIE, it is not. The design is very similar and I believe the time period similar. Another tug I compared it too was the C&P Towing Co. tug COLUMBIA which is very similar, but not quite.

Yes, I did mean the Curtis Bay tug, DIXIE.

The DIXIE has square doors and COLUMBIA had round hatch doors.

The Lock Tenders no longer document the names of privately owned vessels, only commercial.

I do have several pictures of the Curtis Bay tug Dixie and some others that were given to me by Robert Lewis who has countless maritime photos. The Curtis Bay photos I have and other tug pictures, I am 99% sure came from David Boone a very avid tug enthusiast and former Dispatcher for Curtis Bay Towing in the Baltimore, MD area.

http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=2505204
The wheelhouse plaque clearly ending 692 must be significant - though whether the end of official number I have no idea - could be end of call-sign? Are these a standard plaque.

I do not think that this one is the CROW. There are too many differences in what are likely to be original features on the mystery tug - eg the differently-shaped wheelhouse windows, the visor, shape of foc'sl and the hull rubbing bars. it is easier to compare with:
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1911585

I suppose that you mean this DIXIE: http://www.tugboatinformation.com/tug.cfm?id=6081
She was broken up in 1978 as SAMANTHA. Where did you find the photo as DIXIE. Did she have round-topped doors? Certainly some Lawley-built DPC tugs had square tops: http://www.tugboatinformation.com/tug.cfm?id=731

Do the lock tenders keep a log of passing vessels?

It looks like the "Crow" or a sister ship. Take a look at http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=588961
Remove the funnel (and the engine), add a deck, and you get a static tug. Need to move it? Add two outboard motors.

The word is:UGLY.
Do not call this thing a tug! And quick remove the photo.
Please have a look at OCEAN TUNDRA,now this is a tug...

I added two additional photos of this tug on this site tonight 7-31-2016. I also was looking at some old tug pictures from the 1950's, one in particular the DIXIE a former Curtis Bay Tug. The mystery Tug is very similar to the DIXIE, the hatches/doors arrangement is exact, ports same configuration on the DIXIE minus two. Stanchions on the railing the same count. Differences, the wheelhouse on the Mystery tug is round, the DIXIE was not. Also noted on the Mystery Tug was a build out on part of the lower superstructure aft on the Portside, believed to be part of her original build. The DIXIE I believe was built in 1946(?) for the US ARMY(?) and was around 86 feet in length. The mystery I believe comes from the same era and is very similar in size.

Marc, yes the add on could have been much better without lousing her lines. Where are the doors/hatches on the lower superstructure?

Dan, There were probably many tugs built like this and would be hard to identify her. In the picture added might be part of her documentation that ends in 692, I cannot see the beginning numbers. Is it a safe vessel, well I would not being putting a VSC sticker on it. The lock tender at Great Bridge said they had a hard time with her trying to get tied up in the locks.

Patagualino, Yes I believe there could be some question with her and the Coast Guard in the harbors.

Captain Ted, well lets see how you these two additional photos.

Definitely one of the most interesting postings on this site !!! Thanks for posting !!!!!!!

I don't think the Coast Guard would be too happy about the barrels of gasoline, feeding the outboards on the aft-end either. (Note the chain blocks for heaving the barrels aboard.)
It appears, on fill screen, that she is towing something too.....? Not surprised it was only doing 3/4kts!

Appears to be one of the hundreds of tugs built in Louisiana that all look alike. The addition of the cabin behind the pilothouse throws off its profile and makes it difficult to identify this tug. If somebody happens to see this tug, probably in a marina, and can get somebody on the boat to pass along the Official Number which is welded to the forward engineroom bulkhead, we can identify the boat. I hope nobody from the U.S. Coast Guard sees the boat because I don't see an orange life ring anywhere on the outside of the boat.

Must have been converted to a private yatch. Added superstructure and outboard motors.