Fish Tugs of the Greatest Lake

GOTHAM

GOTHAM 240182 Built at Saugatuck, Mich., in 1940, by Lewis Gotham and his sons, Sam and Fred. 64 ft. x 15 ft., the all-steel tug was equipped with a 100-120 hp. Kahlenberg oil engine. On Dec. 11, 1943 the boat was overcome by huge seas just off the piers at Saugatuck. All on board drowned: Lewis Gotham, 63; Fred Gotham, 37, and Sam Gotham, 35, sons of Lewis; Harley Jones, 42, engineer; and William Jones, 15 years of age, son of Harley Jones. The boat was located 1000 feet off the pier, and raised the following spring. The most widely held opinion was that she had hit a sand bar, and the wooden stern doors were smashed in by a following sea. The boat was recovered and converted to a towing tug.