There's quite a bit of history of a little tug boat that is docked on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
In 1924, the Tobermory II was built to be used as a family boat. It was considered a classic yacht of the day due to it being built entirely of galvanized Armco iron sheeting which was an innovation in shipbuilding.
Commodore Ted Wakefield made sure the Tobermory was built to last. And it has done just that.
It was powered with a prototype of future diesel engines, a 2½ ton Mianus marine engine.
Wakefield enjoyed using the boat to travel all over.
He first took his wife and six kids to Georgian Bay then on a three-month trip to Ft. Lauderdale where the boat remained until he died in 1934.
The Tobermory II sat idle for a bit before Champion Coal Co. bought it the following year and renamed it "Champion". It was used as a tug/ferry boat between Lime Island and Raber on the St. Marys River.
Dennis Dougherty's grandfather, Capt. Gerald D. Neville, took over the Champion in the early 1940s until it was sold in 1952 to a contractor in Sault Ste. Marie. Eventually, with the Champion not being used, it was abandoned and sank at Neville's brother's property on Riverside Drive in the early 1960s.
In 1978, the Champion was designated as being shipwrecked. But Dougherty had plans to keep the tug's legacy alive.
"After being partly submerged in shallow water for around a decade and a half, I bought it in 1977 and was able to tell 'Gramps', before he died in 1979, I would rename the Champion after him. When visiting my grandparents on Lime Island as a kid, Capt. Neville taught me and my brother, Pat, how to steer and tie up the tug which is something his grandsons never forgot," Dougherty said.
Dougherty worked and made improvements on the, now, Gerald D. Neville.
"I bought a Riverside Drive lot near the sunken ship to “dry dock” it and then bought a 1924 wooden fish boat, named the W.R. Busch, mainly for the D4600 Cat diesel, but also for lights, radios, anchor, and other items," Dougherty said.
After revamping and bringing the tugboat back to life, it was time to get it back in the water.
"It was relaunched in 1982 for chartering and also for family camping trips back to Lime Island. Today it is used for family and friend outings in the area with trips on the St Marys River and Whitefish Bay," Dougherty continued.
Several weeks ago, Dougherty's family and some friends took the Neville on a historic and memorable cruise around the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie.
It ran as good as ever.
"The boat is around today because of how well it was built. The galvanization process worked! My wife, daughter, my brother, his wife, his daughter with her two children, and a few friends joined us on the “birthday” cruise. A short while later the granddaughter of the builder was here for a centennial cruise. During the summer we hope to get many of those our for a ride who had a past connection with the 'Good Ship,'" Dougherty said.
With the updates Dougherty did to the tugboat and the way it was initially built, he has no doubt the Gerald D. Neville has plenty more life in it.
"With the recently installed diesel and transmission, we hope it gives us many years of sailing on the area waters. We’re still enjoying getting out on cruises with family and friends, especially our grandchildren! Hope to pass on an appreciation for enjoying adventure on the water, whether on this boat or in our kayaks. We’re planning a trip to Lime Island this summer," Dougherty stated.
The Gerald D. Neville is even recognized in a local museum.
"The Museum Ship Valley Camp has an exhibit titled 'Three Lives Of The Good Ship.' Among other items, it displays two former diesels, propeller, pump, some ship’s former hardware, and more," Dougherty said.
