My first tugboat experience was in 1980 aboard the ex USCG buoy
tender BLUBERRY. I was living at Gouge Island BC at the time as
engineer aboard Motor Yacht PAULLU. My friends Pete and Flip Invited
Me ( or maybe I begged) to go along with them to a International
Retired Tugboat Association meet at Bedwell Harbor BC on there
"Yacht"; (for lack of a better term). The BLUEBERRY.
So we departed Gouge on a Thursday evening bound for Bedwell Harbor.
The gulf scenery in British Columbia is absolutely Fantastic!
We arrived at our destination at about 20:00 hours.  
Friday Morning the next boat came in It was The ISLAND CHAMPEON
a WW2 Vintage wooden US Army tug passenger vessel with a Fairbanks
Morse model 35 Power-Plant. They dropped there anchor and we rafted up
alongside. Then came in no particular order the NADINE, the IRENE
(both Atlas powered), the RACOON (Buda powered), The Queen (Cooper
Bessemer diesel), the TROJAN (Enterprise diesel), the UNION JACK
(Union diesel), the GILSPREY (Atlas?), The RAVIN (Cummins?), the
LORD JIM (all I remember about this boat is the smoke billowing
out the engine room fidley), The SOUND (Enterprise 200 hp), the
BREEZE (Cat), and the VIGOROUS (Atlas). I still have some photos
of this event that I can scan and put up if anyone is interested.
We were piped out of bed each morning with Bagpipes from the aft
deck of the ISLAND CHAMPEON. The party went on all night with
dancing singing and running amok. We departed Sunday afternoon
bound for Gouge Island. I had to get back to the Job at hand.
Restoring and rebuilding the M.Y. PAULLU. But we will save that
story for another day.