Classic Craft

Fishtug Gloria Burger Fish Tug.

The Fishtug Gloria is not your typical house boat. For that matter, it’s not your typical fi shing vessel, either. In fact, it’s a little bit of both. This 40-foot long, 13-foot wide traditional fi shing tugboat was built just after WWII in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. From 1945 to 2001, the boat was used for commercial fi shing. When Captain John Andries and his wife Bridget found the boat in Manistique, Michigan however, they had other ideas in mind and purchased the boat.

Based out of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, Andries spent the next six and a half years giving the fi sh tug a complete, top-to-bottom makeover. He kept hints of the original work boat aesthetic and transformed the inside into a comfortable home. He added a lounge with a double sleeper and a big-screen TV, a large galley, a skylight, a bedroom in the bow, a small electric fi replace, traditional heat and A/C, and hot water.

Once the Gloria was complete, Andries and his wife shipped off on a six-year cruise around the Great Lakes that included a tour of the Great Lakes Loop. The Gloria has gone to the Door County Maritime Museum’s boat show a few times, where it won the People’s Choice award in 2006 and 2007, as well as the Best of Power award.

—New owners Bruce and Chery Bishop, Sturgeon Bay, WI

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