M/V Charleston, 1 of 4

AmherstMadison had the towboat Charleston open for public tours at the Point Pleasant Tribute to the River this weekend. We got lots of pictures of the boat -- so many, I'm splitting them into four entries in order to avoid an overly long one.

This first entry will have some closeup exterior shots. I have lots of photos of the Charleston that I've taken from a distance. This is the closest I've been able to get to it.

Here goes:

The Charleston was built in 1947 by Hillman Barge & Construction Co. of Brownsville, Pa. It's 145 feet long and 28 feet wide. Its two engines generate about 2,400 horsepower. It's crew said it's the largest boat AmherstMadison operates mainly on the Kanawaha, and from a living environment, it's the quietest and most vibration-free.

Its original name was the Onward. Over the years, it has also been known as the Robert W. Lea, the Flagship and the Mike J. AmherstMadison, also known as Madison Coal & Supply, bought the boat in May 1971 and renamed it the Charleston.

The Charleston runs mostly on the Kanawha River and on the Ohio from about Parkersburg to Cincinnati. Its crew members said AmherstMadison plans to do some major overhaul and upgrades to the boat and its engines in the next two years.

For what it's worth, later entries will include interior shots and other exterior shots, too.