Bringing a Lord Nelson Victory Tug Back to Life: Lucy’s Story

New York City’s maritime heritage is easy to miss, even though four of its five boroughs are surrounded by water. The city’s density and nonstop activity often obscure the quieter draw of its waterways — the Hudson, the East River and countless harbors that have supported generations of boaters.

Fitzhugh Karol and Lyndsay Caleo Karol, Brooklyn residents and founders of The Brooklyn Home Company, reconnected with that heritage after spending time on friends’ boats. Fitzhugh remembers sailing with his grandfather off Cape Cod and paddling on the Connecticut River near his New Hampshire childhood. Lyndsay grew up on Canandaigua Lake in the Finger Lakes region and sailed with her grandfather on Lake Ontario. Those early experiences planted a love of the water that resurfaced years later in the city.

By 2015 they had been in New York for about a decade and, tired of day trips to the Catskills or Long Island beaches, began to consider other options for escaping the urban grind. They toyed with the idea of a vacation home, but remembered how quickly a boat could get them out of the city. At first they imagined a classic Cape lobster boat for entertaining, but that idea was more of a fantasy than a plan.

The turning point came when Lyndsay and her father saw a 37-foot Lord Nelson Victory tug on Canandaigua Lake — a rare and striking sight on that inland water. That sighting sent Lyndsay searching online, where she found another Lord Nelson in Stonington, Maine, sitting on the hard at Billings Diesel and Marine. Encouraged by her father, the couple drove up to see the boat.

The vessel, built in 1987 in Taiwan and Hull No. 8 of the builder’s 49-foot line, had been neglected for a couple of years. The previous owner, a DIY enthusiast, had fallen behind on maintenance. Still, the tug had solid fundamentals: a sound hull and a dependable 300-hp Cat 3116 engine. Fitzhugh recalls that the most difficult and expensive components—the engine and core structure—were in good condition.

Despite the strong bones, the boat needed extensive work. Diesel fumes, likely from fouled fuel lines, had permeated the interior. Navigation gear and electrical systems were outdated. In October 2015 the couple purchased the boat and renamed her Lucy in honor of a beloved family dog.

Coming from a background of renovating homes of many scales, the Karols initially underestimated how different a boat refit would be. “It’s a boat — how different can it be?” Fitzhugh remembers thinking. Quickly they learned that working within a curved, compact envelope required solutions unlike those used in house renovations. To tackle the technical overhaul they turned to Derecktor Shipyards in Mamaroneck, New York, while applying their own design expertise to the interior.

Derecktor conducted a thorough mechanical and electrical refit; Fitzhugh recalls removing a 55-gallon drum filled with old wiring. The Karols focused on improving livability without sacrificing the boat’s character. They opened up the galley by removing cabinets hung from the headliner, added a bookshelf and a bar with an ice maker, and reconfigured spaces to make the boat more family-friendly and suitable for extended stays with friends.

Sleeping accommodations were expanded by redesigning the area just abaft the helm. The pilothouse now features a queen berth with storage underneath, replacing a single berth and chart table. The area retains a sitting section in the pilothouse and provides a private sleeping space for guests or the captain. The salon settee converts to a double berth, and the amidships master plus forward VIP stateroom already accommodated four, so these changes increased overall guest capacity and comfort.

Work on the exterior and finishing touches included new teak on the side decks and cockpit, refinishing teak-and-holly soles, and restoring the teak double doors to the salon and pilothouse doors. The extensive teak interior, though beautiful, had a reddish tone on the tongue-and-groove headliner and walls that felt heavy, so the couple painted most of it bright white. That decision highlights brass fixtures and marble countertops used in the heads, creating a fresh, nautical aesthetic.

The refit took about a year. After a shakedown cruise in Florida and the Bahamas, Lucy returned to New York City as One°15 Brooklyn Marina opened, and it became her home berth. In the early years the Karols used Lucy three to four times a week. Although based in the city, she spends summers cruising Long Island’s east end and Nantucket, and she often visits Maine — one of the couple’s favorite destinations.

The couple enjoys anchoring in quiet coves, swimming from the boat, and hosting dinner cruises for friends. At the time of our conversation in early February, Lucy was in Savannah, Georgia, receiving a gyrostabilizer to complement her Wesmac active fin stabilizers along with routine maintenance. Fitzhugh sums up the boat simply: “She’s a great all-around boat. People say, ‘Oh, it’s slow.’ Yes, but when this is your boating program, you’re not trying to go fast. That relaxed pace is part of the pleasure and why she’s so welcoming.”

Lucy has become central to the couple’s life. They were married on board in 2017 and have since welcomed two children. Fitzhugh recalls taking their newborn daughter out on the East River just four days after her birth — a memorable moment when a splash of water felt like an impromptu christening.

This article was originally published in the April 2023 issue of Passagemaker magazine and in the January 2024 issue of Soundings.