Sturgeon Bay: Shipbuilding (Images of America: Wisconsin)

Rating:
Summary: A Proud and Practical History
Review: This book really filled a need when it came to documenting the long tradition of ship building in Sturgeon Bay. This isn't some dry-as-dust scholarly monograph, but is instead practical, concise, and filled with photographs that are extremely hard to find elsewhere. The photos aren't just of finished ships, either; you have photos of the men actually building the vessels at all stages of construction from keel laying to launching. There is an especially good section on the step-by-step construction of a modern trawler.

The history of the local yards is covered from before the Civil War right up to the present day. The section on the WWII years is especially interesting (hundreds of vessels were built: sub chasers, frigates, rescue boats, landing craft, mine sweepers, cargo ships, work boats, etc.) This tradition of building fighting ships continued through the rest of the century with gunboats, aluminum patrol craft, mine warfare ships, LST's, amphibious landing craft, even exotic assault craft for the Navy Seals.

Of course, it is the working ships that have been the meat and potatoes of the yards and the maritime economy. Everything is covered from schooners and wood burning tugs to the great 1000-foot ore carriers. Over the years the various yards have produced everything from the finest ocean-going luxury yachts, oceanographic research ships, passenger vessels, ore carriers, heavy lift vessels, salvage ships, fire boats, dredges, ferries, tugs, fishing trawlers and tugs, barges, pushers, etc. Anything that could fit through the St. Lawrence Seaway (and some who could not) has been built here in this community- and still are.