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Then, the 111-foot tug was called the Helen McAllister. It was owned by McAllister Brothers Inc. of New York City, not Eklof Marine Corp., the current owner of the Scandia and the disabled barge North Cape.

The Helen McAllister was towing a barge carrying 78,000 gallons of diesel fuel into Portland Harbor when it went down. At the time, the Coast Guard and the tug's owner, Brian A. McAllister, blamed the sinking on the only crew member who died in the accident, 52-year-old George F. Dixon, who was in charge in the pilothouse at the time.

Dixon came into the harbor with too much speed and with a towline that was too short, the Coast Guard said. As a result, the barge overran the tug, causing it to sink.

"Jesus God, that tug has disappeared," a witness said, according to the Portland Press Herald.

Dixon's widow sued McAllister Brothers, alleging that the tug wasn't seaworthy. The outcome of the lawsuit could not be determined yesterday.

Five crewmen survived the accident. The tug's captain and three other crewmen were rescued by the crew of a lobster boat. The fifth crew member was picked up by the Coast Guard.

The Helen McAllister was pulled from the floor of Portland Harbor about a week after the accident.

A Coast Guard captain said all of the tug's electronics, including its radios, radar and steering, were soaked with salt, and "salt water is pretty damaging."

A sister ship of the Scandia, now also owned by Eklof and known as the Thor, was under water for much longer than the Scandia was, after sinking off the North Carolina coast in 1969 during a violent storm. Six crew members died. The ship was then owned by McAllister Brothers and called the Marjorie McAllister.

Despite a Coast Guard search, the tug remained lost and under water for three years before it was salvaged.

It could not be determined yesterday when Eklof bought the Scandia, the Thor and the barge North Cape. Eklof spokesman Jesse Lewis said he did not have enough time to research the question.

Lewis, who has a public relations firm in Stamford, Conn., was hired by Eklof to field press questions after the oil spill. Eklof officials have not been available for comment.

An investigative report in the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office describes a fire on the Scandia on March 5, 1995, when it was berthed in New Haven, Conn. The fire appears to have been serious -- the tug's boiler was destroyed -- but it did not result in any injuries or pollution, the report states.

The fire was caused when a fuel hose failed from "normal wear and sprayed fuel on a hot surface," the report says. The tug's crew and local firefighters put it out, and the Scandia was towed to a local shipyard for repairs.