Agawam III (YTB-809)
1971-1999
A small river in eastern Massachusetts which empties into the Atlantic at the northwestern end of Buzzards Bay; and a town in Hampden County, Mass. Agawam is a Native American word meaning lowland, marsh, or meadow.
III
(YTB-809: displacement 344 (full load); length 109'; beam 31'; draft 14'; speed 12 knots (trial); complement 16; class Natick)
The third Agawam (YTB-809) was laid down on 24 August 1970 at Sturgeon Bay, Wis., by Peterson Builders, Inc.; launched on 10 April 1971; completed on 28 July 1971; and placed in service that same day.
Agawam. was assigned to the Fifth Naval District and based at Norfolk, Va. The tug spent almost her entire Navy career providing support for the Navy's ships at the complex of facilities located in and around the Norfolk-Hampton Roads area. Agawam's final deployment was to U.S. Naval Station, Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico.
Ultimately taken out of service, Agawam was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 November 1999, and disposed-of by being sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service for reuse or conversion on 13 November 2002.
Raymond A. Mann
Updated, Robert J. Cressman
6 January 2022
