Mount McKay

History

The iron tug Mount McKay was built by Benjamin Cowles in 1908 at Buffalo, New York. She measures 80' in length, 22'6" in beam and about an 8' draft. She was built with a fore & aft compound steam engine from the H.G. Trout Company of Buffalo. The cylinders were 15" and 28" with a 24" stroke. This engine was salvaged out of an unknown vessel, originally built in 1880. It produced 300 IHP. The tug was owned by her builder and Walter Mattick, of whom the tug was originally named for, Walter F. Mattick. In 1919, it went out to the Merchants Steamboat Company in Philly and was renamed Merchant. In 1921 it was sold (or perhaps repossessed) by Cowles. In 1924 it was sold to the Corps of Engineers, removed from documentation (US.205063) and renamed Marinette. She was sold Canadian (C.179138) in 1947 to Great Lakes Paper at Fort William and renamed Esther S. The J.P. Porter company bought it in 1966 and gave her the name Mount McKay, after the geographical location near Thunder Bay. Jack Purvis bought the tug in 1979 for use at the Soo. In 1985 it was sold to Columbus Marine and made the news when she made the scrap tow of two old Amoco tankers. Purvis took the tug back in 1987 and laid her up. In 1989 she was sold to four partners in Michigan City, Indiana for private use, under no registry. John M. Carpenter, Dr. Windham Bremer, John P. Edris and John Harbeck began restoration on the old girl. They used her off and on until 2001 when it was put up for sale and in September she was purchased by Dr. David G. Garrick of Salt Lake City, Utah. The tug was delivered to Duluth, Minnesota by Dr. Garrick, Capt. Franz VonRiedel, Lt. David Stout and Brian Elfving as engineer. More restoration took place on her over the next year and in December of 2002 the tug was holed out while breaking ice and began to sink. Emergency repairs were made and in the Spring the tug was placed into the Dry-dock at Fraser Shipyard for extensive hull repairs. The week after the job was completed, her owner passed away. In September of 2003, Joseph Zajac donated the tug to the Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation.

Engine

The Mount McKay is powered by a very rare C-6 model Kahlenberg, the largest of a famous style of engines. She is a 6-cylinder, each having a 12.5" diameter and a 14" stroke. The engine had replaced her original steam plant c.1947. Kahlenberg engines were built by the Kahlenberg family in Two Rivers, Wisconsin and were once a very common site in fish tugs and workboats all around the Great Lakes. Today there are only five known to be in operation on the Lakes. They have no crankcase per se and all bearings are lubricated by hand or through drip cups. It is a direct reverse engine, meaning the only control in the pilothouse is a telegraph. The skipper rings a command such as "Half Ahead" and the engineer down below answers by adjusting the appropriate levers and knobs to make the engine do just that. There is no automation and the engineer is a busy man while maneuvering in port or during towing operations.

Her Future

The tug has gone to a good home and is in the hands of a very capable group who will continue restoration of this historic piece of marine iron so she can be enjoyed by all for many years to come. The tug is available to charter for special events. The group is in search of old photographs of the tug, stories from her past life, engine parts and other mechanical items. Donations are tax-deductible. Inquiries can be directed via email to: contact@northeasternmaritime.org

Click Here to take a virtual tour of the Mount McKay.