The Marine Gallery

LAKE MICHIGAN FISHING TUGS- 
Watercolor Series
Two Rivers Wisconsin had the largest commercial fishing fleet of fishing tugs on Lake Michigan. Many families in the area had relatives owning and operating fishing tugs (including myself).  Various natural and technical reasons have reduced the number to a dozen or so tugs still operating.  It’s possible that even the masses buying frozen fish from China was another reason... but once you tasted fresh fish, who can forget the great smoked chubs from Lake Michigan?

The vessels with their intriguing names and home ports painted on the hulls always interested me.  The fishing tugs I was most attracted to were representing a truly unique type of naval architecture, conceived and built by men who lived to fish the lake and whose experience lead to the boat's designs that were both a product of form and function as well as showing the unique personalities of their captains and owners.  These vessels represent an often times overlooked aspect of Great Lakes maritime history, and in small measure, perhaps this series of watercolors will help keep that memory of such an interesting aspect alive.

The Lake Michigan fishing industry also spawned a major presence in the manufacture of marine engines when the Kahlenberg brothers firm of Two Rivers, Wisconsin united Rudolf Diesel's theories with the best contemporary practice of internal combustion engine design to produce inexpensive, small but durable marine engines for the fishing and workboat trades nationwide.  Engines that in many cases far outlived the boats in which they were initially installed.

All paintings available for sale are listed with title/medium/price. We can also provide you with reproductions of most any art you see in this gallery website. 

(The Lake Michigan Tugs Series has a limited number of 14 x 11" Lithographs  with information specific to the tug illustrated. Contact the Gallery for more information.)

Please contact us if you are interested in any work by mentioning the title in your message.  All artwork sold comes with a provenance and gallery appraisal sheet. 

 All work is guaranteed to be as described or your full price will be refunded after art is returned to the gallery. 

For more information regarding sales, please see our section “Gallery Policies”.

Please use the contact page here to drop us a note regarding  your subject thoughts and to get pricing... at our email: gallery@leighbohne.com