Hughes Marine Firms

03/12/2026

“These ARE the barges you’re looking for.”
When the job calls for a dependable deck barge in New York Harbor, sometimes a little Jedi persuasion helps. Luckily, at Hughes Bros. we don’t need mind tricks—just 6 generations of experience, solid equipment, and a crew that knows how to get the job done.
Need a barge? Trust your instincts… and the Force.

03/10/2026

Every tug has a story… and this one, like many others, changed names almost as often as the tide.
Built in 1961 at Equitable Marine in Louisiana for the Bronx Towing Line, she first sailed under the name Bronx for the Bronx Towing Line. By 1979 she had changed handset the Hudson River Towing Company, where she was renamed Melanie B.
Not long after, she appeared back on the market again in 1980—this time carrying the name DC-6, as seen in these photos. Eventually she landed with Cianbro and was home-ported in Boston, where she worked under her final name Priscilla J.
She was a solid harbor workhorse:
Twin screw
1,300 HP from two Caterpillar engines with Model 397 reduction gears
75.5’ long | 24’ beam | 8.6’ draft
From the Gulf Coast to New York Harbor and up to Boston, this tug wore many names but did what harbor tugs do best—quietly getting the hard jobs done.
Do you remember seeing her under any of her names?

03/07/2026

☘️ A little Irish luck on Stone Street… and a lot of maritime camaraderie.
Thursday night, Brian, Jeff, and Rob from Hughes Bros. made their way to Manhattan’s historic Stone Street for a great evening hosted by the Propeller Club of the Port of New York and New Jersey at Ulysses.
Hughes Bros. was proud to be one of the sponsors of the event, which brought together so many friends and colleagues from the local maritime community. There was live Irish music, plenty of laughs, and a packed room of people who help keep the harbor moving every day.
As a company descended from Irish immigrants who founded Hughes Bros. in New York 174 years ago, celebrating a little Irish heritage with the harbor community felt especially fitting.
Rob from Hughes Bros. may have taken the evening’s theme a bit too seriously… showing up head-to-toe dressed as a leprechaun. We’re still not sure if he found the pot of gold, but he definitely found the bar.
A big thank you to Danielle Centano for throwing an amazing party as always and Bayonne Drydock and Ship Repair for serving as the primary sponsor and helping put together such a great night for the industry. Always good to step off the dock for an evening and catch up with fellow maritime professionals.

03/05/2026

November 1944. Brooklyn, NY.

On the waterfront, the heavy lifting never stopped. Here, the derrick barge Los Angeles of Merritt-Chapman & Scott Corporation is hard at work, hoisting massive semi-constructed ship sections from the Brooklyn shore and carefully swinging them over to the Hughes Victory 24.

Once secured and lashed down, these sections would head south to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for final assembly—another step in delivering vessels desperately needed for the war effort during World War II.

No computers. No GPS. Just skilled riggers, precise signaling, and sheer determination.
Brooklyn wasn’t just watching history in 1944 — it was building it.

03/04/2026

Last month, a passenger aboard the Statue of Liberty Ferry snapped this great shot of our Hughes 2012 (180’ x 60’ deck barge) as they were departing Jersey City.
Loaded with a large crane supporting a local waterfront construction project, the 2012 was putting in the work while ferry passengers got front-row seats to the action. From up close at the job site to skyline views from the harbor, these platforms are built to be seen — and built to perform.

We love when sharp-eyed New Yorkers catch our equipment out in the wild. Keep the photos coming.

03/03/2026

Summer throwback from the Kill Van Kull — when the neighborhood playground included a rowboat, a strong swim stroke, and a couple of hard-working barges.
With the Bayonne Bridge standing tall in the background, this photo is a reminder that on the waterfront, industry and everyday life have always shared the same shoreline.
Those barges weren’t just passing scenery — they were (and still are) the backbone of how our harbor moves fuel, materials, and opportunity.
From kids splashing along the bank to tugs and barges pushing through the channel, the harbor has always been alive.

03/01/2026

All Hughes barges start with a HUG.

If you look closely, you’ll see it’s official — the “H,” “U,” and “G” are already painted on. Around here, we believe every job starts the same way… with a Hug(hes) barge ready to get to work.
6th generation, family-owned, and still sending hugs down the water one tow at a time.

02/28/2026

Love seeing our steel getting a little southern sunshine! Proud to see “James” on the move down in Louisiana — safe travels to the crew.

M/V General in bound Houma, La with a 260’ x 80’ offshore deck barge. Thanks for the picture Captain Chad Bourg!

02/26/2026

In this edition of Tugs From the Past, we’re tipping our hard hats to the Thomas J. Brown — a true New York Harbor workhorse.
Launched in 1963 by Gladding-Hearn Shipbuilding Corp. (Builder’s Hull #75) in Somerset, Massachusetts, she measured 63 feet in length, 18.75 feet in beam, and carried a depth of 8 feet 4 inches — compact, capable, and built for the grind with a 3/8” hull.
Powered by a D-398A turbocharged and after-cooled marine diesel engine producing 1,034 HPand backed by a 5,600-gallon fuel tank, the Thomas J. Brown had the endurance and muscle to handle the daily demands of New York Harbor. Owned and operated by Thomas J. Brown and Sons, she served the harbor faithfully for decades before her sale in 2022.
Boats like this are a reminder that horsepower and harbor knowledge never go out of style.
Do you remember seeing her out on the job? Drop your stories or photos below — we’d love to hear them.

02/25/2026

You don't need to be a wizard to find the right barge of your job. Just choose a Hughes barge.

02/22/2026

Big shoutout to the USA Men’s Hockey Team — and especially to the other Hughes brothers lighting it up on the ice: Jack Hughes and Quinn Hughes!

We’ve always said Hughes Bros knows a thing or two about teamwork, grit, and performing under pressure… whether it’s on frozen water or floating steel.

Those Hughes brothers may control the blue line —
but our Hughes Bros controls the waterline.
Pride in the name on the jersey (or the side of the barge )

From the shipyard to the scoreboard, Hughes Bros is always rooting for Team USA. Keep skating, boys — we’ll keep the barges moving.