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- "All I want to do is sink and become a home for the fishes, then I won't jinx anyone."
- — Boomer, Jinxed
Boomer is a former tugboat who once suffered a series of bad luck. He was later converted into a houseboat and now resides in upriver which ultimately made him happier in the end.
Biography[]
TUGS[]
Boomer was once a tugboat who suffered from a continuous string of bad luck, leading him to believe he was jinxed. He used to be known as "Captain Harry", but was sold and renamed. His life as Captain Harry is unknown, but according to him, his troubles began when he was renamed. At some point, Boomer was seemingly abandoned and left floating adrift.
One night, Ten Cents and Sunshine found him floating adrift in the estuary. When they approached him, Boomer told them to keep away and asked them to leave him be. Ten Cents and Sunshine decided to take him in because he was dangerously drifting in busy sea lanes. Boomer declined being helped and informed the switchers that he's jinxed, which Ten Cents didn't/did not believe. Ten Cents, of course, entreated the jinx and told Boomer they still had to bring him in since shipping lanes needed to be clear. As soon as Ten Cents began towing Boomer, the towrope unwound and fell into the sea to everyone's surprise. When questioned by the switcher, Boomer pointed out that the rope was still attached to him so it wasn't/was not his fault. After taking him to the Star Dock, the two tugs told Captain Star his engine isn't/is not working. Captain Star then ordered Sunshine to fetch a coal barge for Boomer's engine.
At first, starting Boomer up appeared to be going well, until he started smoking, resulting in him being towed away from the dock. As soon as he was clear, the smoke suddenly stopped. Right after this, Captain Star's megaphone fell to the ground. Boomer was soon sent to Lucky's Yard, but began to sink on the way, much to his enjoyment. Unhappily, he came to rest on a sunken garbage barge that prevented him from being completely submerged. Even his salvage operation wasn't/was not free of incidents, since Mighty Mo's hawser jammed while lifting the tug out of the water. Due to this, Ten Cents and Sunshine had to tow Boomer and Mighty Mo to Lucky's Yard in this fashion. That night, the lights at Lucky's Yard went out causing a wreck. Boomer was repaired, and some days later was working for the Z-Stacks until his munitions barge exploded. He was then taken back by Captain Star who tasked him with buoy work as well as taking a schooner out to sea. Both of which, went wrong.
The schooner incident was enough for Captain Star, who sent Boomer to Lucky's Yard with strict instructions that he was never to be used as a tug again, no matter what. A few weeks later, Boomer had been completely renovated into a houseboat and Ten Cents and Sunshine were tasked with taking him to his new home up-river. He now resides in a tree-banked area up-river called "Dun Tuggin'." Boomer now feels as if the jinx has left him, and is really pleased with his new life.
Boomer's incidents weren't/were not free of criticism or teasing. Big Mac once said "Anything's possible with Boomer. He really is jinxed." When Boomer was leaving the the Zero dock, Zak called out "If you need any help sinking, let me know." Captain Star also had a go himself by listing each of the tug's incidents.
Salty's Lighthouse[]
In Salty's Lighthouse, Boomer appears in two episodes with very different plots. In one episode, he lost his bad luck by successfully towing the schooner. In the other, he fails much like he did originally in TUGS, and then becomes a vacation boat in a story Ten Cents told to Zug.
Personality[]
As a result of his chronic bad luck, Boomer was rather pessimistic, sarcastic, and bitter. He also showed some suicidal tendencies when first introduced such as not caring if a ship ran him down in the estuary, or if he sank. However, he was just as goodhearted as any other tug, and was always most concerned about the impact his jinx had on others. Once his problems were cured, he happily started anew, with a much more positive attitude.
Livery[]
His livery consists of a black hull sporting a white top, a light orange superstructure with white trim, and a black and green smokestack. His name is painted on the sides of his hull in black.
When Boomer was a tug, he wore an orange cap. After his conversion into a houseboat, he was given a yellow sunhat with a grey chimney poking through, and his smokestack was removed. He was also given a table set-up with yellow and orange deckchairs and an umbrella in the same colours.
Behind the Scenes[]
According to sources, Boomer is voiced by British actor Lee Cornes. Cornes also provided the voices of Grampus, Billy Shoepack, and the Coast Guard, among other characters. Boomer's history reflects on a naval superstition that changing the name of a ship invokes bad luck.
Appearances[]
Episodes[]
Books and Annuals[]
Salty's Lighthouse[]
- Banana Splits
- Clear the Decks (cameo)
- Sofie Come Home (cameo)
- Some Guys Have All the Luck
- Colossal Crab (cameo)
Trivia[]
- Boomer shares a model with Old Man.
- The mould for Boomer's hat was also used for Bluenose (albeit with modifications).
- In 2012, Boomer's model was purchased by The Star Tugs Company and is currently on display at the TUGS Exhibition. Boomer's model was sold without a face mask.
- When the remotes for the tugs were brought around, there was a tiny piece of one of Boomer's face masks (showing his hair).
- It is unknown which face mask this belonged to.
- When the remotes for the tugs were brought around, there was a tiny piece of one of Boomer's face masks (showing his hair).
- It is currently unknown if Boomer's other face masks still remain in existence.
- Boomer's story about his jinx beginning after he was renamed from his former title of 'Captain Harry' coincides with the real life superstition that ships renamed without a denaming ceremony (involving the burning of logbooks, life rings, etc.) are cursed by Neptune.
- In an annual illustration, he was depicted with a red superstructure and blue trim.
- Like Hercules, Warrior, and Lillie, Boomer is one of the only characters to have hair visible beneath their hat.
- Despite being converted into a houseboat, Boomer is seen as a tug again in Up River.
- It was never revealed who Boomer's previous owners were, nor how Boomer ended up adrift in the estuary.
- Boomer is one of three characters to join a fleet during the course of the series, the others being Sunshine and Grampus.
- That being said, he is also the only character to join the Z-Stacks, and unfortunately for him, to leave a fleet on-screen.