Fish Tugs of the Greatest Lake

LELOND LaFOND

Above: the LELOND LaFOND at Fayette, Mich.. Photo by Robert Casey.

LELOND LaFOND 246802 Built by Kewaunee Shipbuilding Engineering Corp, in 1944, for Lelond LaFond, Milwaukee, Wis., the 52 ft. x 14 ft. all steel vessel was equipped with a Model ME Murphy diesel engine, rated 150 hp. at 1200 r.p.m. The engine has a 6 bore and 6 stroke and through a 3;1 reduction gear, swings a 46 x 40 three blade propeller. The boat was passed on to Andy LaFond of Algoma, Wis., who used it for fishing until 2006, when he sold it to a fisherman working out of Fairport, Mich. The boat is still powered with the original diesel engine.

Above: LELOND LaFOND shortly after construction. Below: photo courtesy Steve Ceskowski, who noted, "The LELOND LaFOND has some of the best lines I've seen on a fish tug. She is seen here in the late 70's on Jones Island in Milwaukee Wisconsin."