Focus on Fish Gallery Guide Focus on Fish Final | Page 49

The Katherine V
One of the last known wooden commercial fishings vessels
Did you know that an important
piece of Michigan's commercial
fishing history lives on and tells
its story here at the Besser
Museum? The Katherinie V is
one of the few remaining
examples of the large, wooden,
gill net fish tugs of the Great
Lakes Region. This boat features
the original 11,000-pound engine
that was built into the boat in
1928. The Katherine V served the
Great Lakes for nearly 42 years
before the fishing industry
ceased due to strict DNR
regulations tergeting gill net
fishing.
The Katherine V is currently being restored by a dedicated
and skilled group of volunteers. She will remain at the
museum in a new role, serving and paying homage to the
incredibly-important fishing industry of Michigan's history.