Islay

History

By the summer of 1892, Alexander McDougall's Superior, Wisconsin shipyard was well established on the site now occupied by Fraser Shipyards. At that time, over two thousand men worked at the yard, then known as the American Steel Barge Company, which produced the distinctive "Whaleback" ships. Despite their unusual appearance, the ships built to McDougall's innovative design had proven successful. With Rockafeller backing, business in the yard was booming and the future never looked brighter. It was under these circumstances that, on the 25th of June of that year, an unprecedented event took place. Some twenty thousand people gathered around the yard on that day to witness the first triple launching ever on the Great Lakes.

First down the ways was the small tug Islay, named for the captain's five-year-old daughter who, in turn, was named for the Scottish island of his birth. During the side-launch the tug caught her propeller guard, which probably made for an ungainly, if not hazardous, splash. The monster whalebacks Pillsbury and Washburn followed to the satisfaction of all.

The new steel tug had a beautiful wood cabin sporting herringbone-patterned panels, with large windows all around. In addition to her duties as a yard tug, the Islay also served as McDougall's yacht, aboard which it was rumored liquor and beer flowed quite freely. Those halcyon days ended abruptly in the economic panic of '93, when the captain lost his share in the yard. Tragically, young Islay McDougall died that same year. She is buried on a hill in Duluth, and her namesake tug was destined to a mundane working life.

By 1911 Islay went over to Duluth Marine Supply, moving groceries for Tomlinson and Clark, sporting a new steel cabin. Deep into the Depression the Christiansens and Marine Iron and Shipbuilding Company took over, and the cabin was rebuilt to its current form. Shortly after the second World War the tug went to the Millers of Bayfield, a diesel engine replaced her original steam plant, and Islay was renamed Bayfield. Towing lumber barges occupied some of her time. She also worked in the construction of the new harbor at Silver Bay, Minnesota.

Going from hand-to-hand, a good part of those years were spent further east along the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers. With Keith Malcolm in 1962 she was caught in heavy weather near Alpena, Michigan. Swamped and floundering, the tug nearly sank, only to be saved by the crew of the cement carrier J.B. Ford, another vessel that would survive to reach that elusive century mark. The 1904-vintage Ford can be seen today moored at the LaFarge Cement terminal in Superior, little more than a stone's throw from the Islay's birthplace.

In spite of her increasing age the tug continued working the occasional construction jobs. She towed barges hauling the steel for the Highway 2 bridge spanning the mouth of Sandusky Bay. Her end came close several times, including a near-collision at the Straits of Mackinac, being dragged ashore at Kewaunee, and finally an offshore pipeline job near Milwaukee that did not end well. In 1974 her hull was sister-plated which helped to extend her useful life but is by no means a permanent solution.

Preservation

In 1982, a young Milwaukee tugman named Greg Stamatelakys found the tug lying alone and abandoned in Milwaukee. Realizing her pedigree, Greg set out to restore the boat, an ambitious project to which he would devote the better part of the next two-and-a-half decades. A search for a suitable engine took Greg around the lakes, and with luck a 1937-vintage Kahlenberg model B-3 was salvaged, installed and brought to running condition. On June 25, 1992, the 100th anniversary of her launching, Greg fired up the three-cylinder engine and the Islay set sail for a commemorative spin around the harbor. Under Greg's care, the Islay's restoration has continued to this day. Several drydockings with extensive welding have prolonged a lengthy dockside existence, with a few outings over the years.

Her Future

In April of 2005, after 23 years of dedicated restoration work, Greg sold the tug for one dollar to the Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation. The tug was towed up river to a marina where work is in progress to secure the tug for the long tow back “home” to the Twin Ports, where Islay was built and spent her first 56 years. Despite being in need of some serious repair work, including hull, engine and superstructure repairs, the Islay is quite solid for a 113-year-old tug.

It may be said that Islay is a patient tugboat. The world around her has vastly changed from that June day so long ago, just as she too has seen many changes over the years. Today her value is in the memories and stories she carries of our Great Lakes.

The Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation would like to give special thanks to Greg Stamatelakys for his hard work and dedication to this tug, which, if not for him, would have been cut up for scrap decades ago. We are honored that Greg has chosen us to continue his work in preserving this remarkable vessel. If you would like to support the restoration of the Islay, please visit our Donations page, or contact us for more information.

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