Why the Notch Exists

An articulated tug barge is a genuinely clever piece of engineering, and it exists because of a manning rule. A Jones Act tanker carries 22 to 32 crew. An ATB moving comparable cargo can run with seven. This episode is about what happens when a vessel class is defined by what it legally isn't — including why Washington had to name these things explicitly in 2019 to close a gap that had been open for 45 years, and why California fought the same fight over air quality.

Go look at: The joint. Tug buried in a notch with no wire between the hulls is an articulated unit. A long cable sagging into the water is a conventional tow, and it's worth noticing how much more sea room that operator wants.