Julie Anne

Julie Anne is a tugboat that was built to serve as a yard tug in 1937 in Bay City, Michigan, the Julie Anne measures only 36' long with a 10' beam. Her first job was as a barge tug in Sault Sainte Marie. Her small size made her ideally suited for moving barges in restricted areas. Unfortunately, the Julie Anne later fell into poor repair and was bought in a private sale to be used for pile driving in sea wall construction work.

In 1976, the Julie Anne went to work for the Michigan Maritime Salvage Company, but not before being extensively re-outfitted. Her new owner repaired the bottom of her damaged hull, installed a new engine, and added a new wheelhouse, running gear and power. Now, the Julie Anne, sporting a new look and the Theodore Tugboat Floating Friend Flag, patrols the waters of the Detroit River and Lake Michigan, moving barges and participating in salvage work.

The Julie Anne may be small, but she has completed some very big jobs. In the line of duty, she pulled a barge transporting a giant crane to the site of a flipped offshore vessel and helped the crane raise the sunken ship. She rescued a 275' barge caught in a storm at sea, and brought it back to safety, and has also freed many yachts run aground.