Tug Alley Too Sold

More than a year and a half after Bob Hassold made his final voyage as Captain of the Tug Alley Too, he and his wife, Natalie Hassold, sold the tourist tugboat that now be used as a work boat along the New England coast.

On Wednesday afternoon, Natalie Hassold, who co-owns the Tugboat Alley store with Bob Hassold, said the couple was on a proverbial roller coaster for the last 18 months as one prospective buyer after another made offers, came close to purchasing the vessel and then changed their minds.

Then a few weeks ago, the Tug Alley Too's new owner told the Portsmouth couple he had seen the boat out by Wentworth Marina in New Castle and for sale on eBay. After he saw it stored at Great Bay Marine in Newington, she said he offered to buy it. She would not reveal the new owner's identity when asked.

"He wants to use it as a work boat," she said. The Tug Alley Too's first assignment will be somewhere near Martha's Vineyard off of Cape Cod, Mass., she said.

"He said he always wanted a work boat that looked like a tugboat," she said. "He seems very passionate about it."

Now instead of transporting thousands of tourists up and down the Piscataqua River as the tugboat had done for 10 years, Natalie Hassold said the vessel will move barges and do marine construction work. Before the Hassold's purchased the boat, it was used as work boat by Hartley Marine Services, which named it "Manticus." When it was first built in 1966, the boat was named "Seasmoke" and used to transport lobsters to several islands off the coast of Maine.

On Wednesday, Natalie Hassold would not give out the final sale price, but she said it had dropped over the last 18 months. Selling the Tug Alley Too which brought so much joy and created so many good memories for so many visitors was bittersweet for the couple.

"We had 10 years of fabulous experiences. We would never have changed a thing. We're glad we did it," she said.

She said the Bow Street store still receives lots of calls and e-mails from people inquiring about the Tug Alley Too.

As glad as she is that the Tug Alley Too will be well maintained and used as a work boat, Natalie Hassold said the couple wanted a buyer who would have wanted to continue to use as a tourist boat in Portsmouth.

"We were disappointed that nobody stepped forward to keep it running here," she said.

Natalie Hassold said her husband loved being the captain of the Tug Alley Too for 10 years. "It was a great addition to his resume as an entrepreneur," she said.

But now that the Tug Alley Too has been sold, she said, "It's a great sense of relief for us."