As a tugboater, I can tell you that tugboat and towboat are interchangeable and useage depends on region. Southerners like the term towboat for some reason. They must use the term "tow knee" too cause around here they are called "Push Knees". Seems to me that these guys WISH they were on boats that actually towed, instead of getting paid 1/2 wages and working double time on the river
