Workers at Canadian Maritime Engineeringsa国际传媒檚 shipyard in Nanaimo are dealing with the unenviable task of scrapping B.C.sa国际传媒檚 oldest wooden tugboat.
The MV Sea Lion was built in 1905 by Charles E. Robertson in Vancouver and, with a length of 130 feet and a 22-foot beam, was at one time the largest tug operating in B.C. waters, according to the Nauticapedia, an online maritime museum. The Sea Lion was originally powered by an oil-burning, 600-brake-horsepower steam engine that gave the boat a speed of 10 knots, and was refitted with an 800hp Enterprise diesel engine in 1952.
Scrapping the 116-year-old tug is a sad experience for the workers at the shipyard on Stewart Avenue, said Jim Drummond, project manager.
sa国际传媒淚t feels horrible,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淚 grew up on an old wooden tugboat that was built in 1917 sa国际传媒� The Sea Lion showed up regularly in my life. Itsa国际传媒檚 a big old majestic tug that you just couldnsa国际传媒檛 help but look at when you went by.sa国际传媒�
The tug had numerous owners over the years. It was bought and sold as a yacht and was briefly a live-aboard in the mid 1980s. The tug was owned by a Calgary-based company until 2013 before it was sold again and was finally berthed at Maple Bay.
The MV Sea Lion was part of history in 1914 when 376 people from South Asia arrived in English Bay aboard the cargo ship the SS Komagata Maru to challenge Canadasa国际传媒檚 immigration policies. The Sea Lion carried a complement of 25 immigration officers and 125 police officers armed with rifles in an attempt to board the Komagata Maru, which resulted in violence between the passengers and officers attempting to board.
The passengers repelled the boarding attempt by throwing chunks of coal and bricks onto the Sea Lion below, breaking windows aboard the tug and causing a number of injuries among the officers, according to the Vancouver Sun. The Komagata Maru was later escorted out of Canadian waters by the HMCS Rainbow and Sea Lion.
READ ALSO:
The Komagata Maru Heritage Foundation briefly owned the Sea Lion in the mid 2000s. The foundation says the tugboat was the first in B.C. to have ship-to-shore radio and a searchlight, made the first tow of Davis Raft type log boom and its whistle had a sliding scale its crew could play songs on.
Drummond said a former deckhand and second mate of the MV Sea Lion in the 1950s came by the shipyard this fall and shared stories with two dozen staff members about his time on the tugboat and what it was like to work on tugs on B.C.sa国际传媒檚 coast in those years.
sa国际传媒淲e presented him with [a piece of the tug] on behalf of the crew, because historically thatsa国际传媒檚 where it needed to go, and then he took 15 or 20 minutes and graciously shared some stories. So the people that were here that day got to see a little bit of the heart and soul that went into that boat sa国际传媒� one of the coolest things that Isa国际传媒檝e been able to do during the job was that,sa国际传媒� Drummond said.
He said the Sea Lion had become a vessel of concern for the government during the time it was moored at Maple Bay. Rainwater was leaking into the ship and it had a five-degree list. Its condition caused worries it could sink, release pollutants and create expensive recovery costs.
The ship could have been restored, Drummond said.
sa国际传媒淣ow, heresa国际传媒檚 the caveat. It was going to have to be a new owner with deep pockets and somebody who didnsa国际传媒檛 care about throwing money away, because it is a 116-year-old wood boat,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淲as it salvageable realistically? Sure. Practically? No.sa国际传媒�
Drummond said he is heartbroken to see the boat be scrapped, but some parts of the tugboat will be preserved. The wheelhouse will go to a private owner on the Lower Mainland who will preserve that portion of the tug.
sa国际传媒淓very time I look at it and go, I donsa国际传媒檛 want to be doing this, Isa国际传媒檓 also thankful that Isa国际传媒檓 doing it instead of somebody else,sa国际传媒� he said.
READ ALSO:
photos@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow us on
