Bianca

• Year built: 1959
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 10m/32′6″
• Beam: 3.4m/11′1″
• Draft: 0.66m/2’2”
• Engine: Twin OMC 350
• Designer: Don Mortrude
• Built by: Chris-Craft Corp
• Gross tonnage: 5 tonnes
• Home Port: Richmond, BC

Bianca is a 1959 Chris Craft 32ft Express; one of 17 built between 1957 and 1959. The low production number is quite unusual for a Chris Craft, as most models were built by the hundreds or even thousands. She was sold at Bryant Marine in Seattle and launched February 16th 1959, delivered by rail from Holland, Michigan. She was originally and still is a true high speed cruiser as she was delivered with two Hemi 392s. The original owner had the propellers replaced to get her some 35 miles per hour top speed when new. She was repowered in 2003 by John Flaherty in Bellingham with two Chevy 350s, and with some propeller changes she’s now almost back at original top speed at 34 miles per hour WOT and 20 knots cruising speed at 3000 rpm. She is as era correct as possible with most appliances from 1959, including a 1959 magazine stand. The owners have cruised about 2000 nautical miles every year in the past 8 years with Bianca.

Delta Lifeboat

• Year Built: 1944
• Flag: Canada
• LOA: 15.9m/52’
• Beam: 3.9m/12’ 8”
• Draft: 1.5m/5’
• Engine: Detroit G.M.
• Engine (hp): 157
• Builder: U.S. Navy
• Gross Tonnage: 30 tonnes
• Home Port: Ladner, BC

The Delta Lifeboat was built in Pearl Harbour in 1944. She operates out of Ladner under the flag of the Canadian Lifeboat Institution (CLI) and the City of Delta. The CLI is a volunteer Search and Rescue organization whose main objective is to patrol during certain fisheries and other events and to prevent accidents at sea. They are a search and rescue partner working together with professionals and other volunteers to save lives at sea.

The CLI dedicates much of its service conducting safety patrols especially during herring and salmon fisheries to ensure assistance is always close at hand. The all-volunteer crew continue to provide search and rescue services in the Gulf of Georgia and Fraser Estuary. As of today, over 890 marine incidents have been handled by the “Delta Lifeboat.”

Gikumi

• Year Built: 1954
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 18.3m/60’
• Beam: 5.2m/17’
• Draft: 1.9m/6’ 2”
• Engine: Caterpillar Diesel 3406C
• Designer: Robert Allan Sr.
• Builder: Bisset & Gilstein, North Vancouver
• Gross Tonnage: 42 tonnes
• Home Port: Richmond, BC

From her launch on Labour Day 1954 to the early eighties, Gikumi worked delivering freight and towed logs and scows out of her home port of Telegraph Cove. She even did some ship docking and worked as a pilot boat over her long career. When the mill closed in Telegraph Cove, Gikumi became BC’s first whale watching vessel and remained in Telegraph Cove providing tours to the spectacular Broughton Archipelago until 2017.

The renowned Naval Architect Robert Allan Sr. designed this famous west coast work boat to service the Broughton Lumber and Trading Company saw mill in Telegraph Harbour. She was built by Bisset and Gilstein boatyard in North Vancouver. The name “Gikumi” means “Chief” in the tongue of the Namgis First Nation (Alert Bay) in the dialect know as Kwakwala.

Island Provider

• Year built: 1977
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 16.46m/54’
• Beam: 4.72m/15’6”
• Draft: 1.83m/6’
• Engine: 871 Detroit Diesel (Jimmy)
• Designed and built by: Federick Peterson
• Gross tonnage: 34.51 tonnes
• Home Port: Ladner, BC

Island Provider was originally built as a west coast freezer troller named the Briny Mist. One herring season, while acting as a packer, she suffered a fire in the cabin — all the crew made it off safely and the fire was put out. Only the cabin was burned, but her insurers at Mutual Marine funded the building of a new cabin. The work was done by Tom-Mac Shipyards on the North Arm of the Fraser River in Richmond.

Jimmy Ng

• Year Built: 2004
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 8.5m/28’
• Beam: 3m/10′
• Draft: 0.9m/3′
• Home Port: Steveston, BC

This boat is named after fallen RCMP officer Jimmy Ng, who volunteered with the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) in his hometown of Richmond. With a top speed of 39 knots, RCMSAR volunteers crew this vessel when responding to distress situations in the Fraser River and the Strait of Georgia. Members go through extensive training before they qualify as Search and Rescue (SAR) crew. In addition, the volunteer organization contributes hundreds of hours annually in support of boating safety in the community. RCMSAR Richmond Station 10 leverages two Dedicated Response Vessels (DRV) that are considered Fast Response Craft (FRC). Both are Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIB) designed to taken on the environment, keep volunteers safe and bring those in trouble home.

Midnight Sun

• Year built: 1938
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 80′
• Beam: 20′
• Draft: 12′
• Designed for: Nootka Packing Company
• Built by: North Van Ship Repair
• Home Port: Vancouver, BC

The Midnight Sun was constructed in 1938 for the Nootka Packing Company at North Van Ship Repair Ltd., which later became part of Burrard Drydock. Initially built as a table seiner, she packed herring and pilchards in her early years. By the late 1940s, she transitioned to operating as a herring and salmon seiner, fishing from the Bering Sea in Alaska to the West Coast of the United States.

Peterborough Meander

• Year built: 1959
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 14′
• Built by: Peterborough Cane Company
• Home Port: Vancouver, BC

1959 Peterborough 14’ Meander was built by the Peterborough Cane company in Ontario. She is quite unique in her construction with 5 ply cross-diagonal laid 5” cedar strips, uses the seats and foredeck as lateral support, and does not have ribs. Based on the amount of labour involved, this construction style soon gave way to fibreglass.

Saffron

• Year built: 1955
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 34′
• Designer: Ed Monk Sr.
• Built by: Vernon Benson
• Gross tonnage: 7
• Home Port: Vancouver, BC.

MV Saffron is a 34’ motor cruiser, designed by renowned naval architect Ed Monk Sr based in Seattle and was built in 1955 by Vernon Benson in Lynden Washington. Vernon’s brother owned the cedar mill in town and thus provided premium lumber which reflects in the very original condition of the boat. She is built of Alaskan yellow cedar on oak frames. Her running gear was supplied by Chris Craft and helm wheel was made in Steveston.

Sandra Jean II

• Year built: 1957
• Flag: United States
• LOA: 38′
• Beam: 11′
• Built by: Richardson Boat Co.
• Engine: Hercules
• Home Port: Friday Harbor, Washington

The Sandra Jean II is a troller, commissioned in 1965 by father and son, Robert and Gary Russell of Gibsons, BC. Built by the Sather Boat Works, New Westminster. She fished the West Coast until 1997, when she was purchased by Brian Patterson, also of Gibsons, who used the boat for recreation and as a licensed packer. Since 2000 she has been in the care of present owners, Peter & Nancy Hardy, who have been gradually reconditioning the boat, taking care to maintain her lines and appearance as a BC Troller.

Saravan

• Year built: 1938
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 10m/33’
• Beam: 3.12m/10’3”
• Draft: 1.5m/5’
• Engine:  106 bhp 4-cylinder engine
• Designer:  Stanley Park Shipyards Ltd.
• Built by:  Stanley Park Shipyards Ltd.
• Gross tonnage:  7.07
• Home Port: Ladysmith, BC

Saravan was built for Harry Van Froome and was named for his wife, Sara in 1938. She was put into service as a harbour tug in Victoria Harbour. Between 1940 and 1942 she was owned by the Royal Canadian Navy as a harbour auxiliary and as a boom defense tug stationed at HMCS Naden in Comox, BC.

She was donated to the Ladysmith Heritage Society in 1988 by Ken Mulholland and was refurbished by volunteers. The work was finished in 1991, after which she was used as a passenger vessel for harbour tours. Saravan retired from active duty in 2009 and underwent further restoration to restore her to her original glory.

 

Sea Dragon

• Year built: 1982
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 8.2m/27′
• Beam: 2.8m/9’2″
• Draft: 1.6m/5’2″
• Designer: C&C Design
• Built by: Capitol City Yachts, California, USA
• Gross tonnage: 3 tonnes
• Home Port: Richmond, BC

The “Sea Dragon” is a Newport 27 sailing vessel used by the Sea Dragon Sea Scouts Group for deep-sea expeditions. It is a training sailboat for scouts and venturers to learn seamanship and navigation which fulfill requirements for the Chief Scout Award, Queen’s Venturer Award, and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

 

Silver Ann

• Year Built: 1969
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 11.3m/37’
• Beam: 2.9m/9’ 6”
• Draft: 1.3m/4′ 3″”
• Engine: Ford I-6 Series 240 gas engine
• Builder: Sadajiro Asari
• Gross Tonnage: 8.84 tonnes
• Home Port: Steveston, BC

Built in 1969, the Silver Ann was one of the last wooden gillnetters to be fabricated in Steveston on the banks of the Fraser River. It was built at the Richmond Boat Builders building located now at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site. This wooden gillnetter was commissioned by George Osaka and named the Silver Ann to commemorate his silver wedding anniversary. It was built by Sadajiro Asari who built boats on Sea Island. He was one of more than 20 Japanese boat builders in township of Richmond during the early development of the fishing industry. Each fishing cannery had its own boat builders on site.

George Osaka fished with the Silver Ann for fifteen years from 1969 to 1984 until his retirement when he sold it to David Hoffman. In November 2001, the Silver Ann was acquired by the City of Richmond to undergo a complete restoration in the Richmond Boat Builders.

Small Fry

• Year Built: 1941
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 4.9m/16″

Mr. Harry Thomas, of Nelson Island, requested construction of this carve-planked boat by a notable local shipwright. It was launched in Pender Harbour in August of 1941. Her home port over the ensuing years was Ballet Bay. The Thomas family utilized the vessel in many capacities over the next four decades; including salmon fishing, and contacting supply boats to pick up goods as well as Nelson Island mail. It was restored by boat builder Robert R. Lalley, of Duncan, BC. In 1981. Since 1982, Small Fry has been moored at the Pedder Bay Marina in Metchosin, Vancouver Island. The boat is totally operational. It is one of the few, if not the only, small craft with a working Easthope 4-6 engine.

Spirit of Hastings

• Year Built: 2013
• Flag: Canadian
• LOA: 11m/33′
• Draft: 0.6m/2′
• Home Port: Steveston, BC

The Spirit of Hastings is named after 35-year RCMSAR and retired CCG member, Barry R. Hastings. Barry’s life was dedicated to boating safety and helping those in need. The vessel is unique, with its twin water-jet propulsion system. This means there are no propellers below the hull line reducing exposure to river debris. The vessel is capable of 37kts speed and rated to sustained 50kt wind speed. As well, the vessel is capable to automatically re-right itself. Based out of Steveston Harbour, the Spirit of Hastings responds to more than 30 calls for assistance each year and is crewed 24/7/365 by the members of Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue – Richmond – Station 10.

SS Master

• Year Built: 1922
• Flag: Canada
• LOA: 26m/85’
• Beam: 6m/19’5”
• Draft: 2.8m/9’ 2”
• Engine: Triple Expansion Steam Engine
• Builder: Arthur Moscrop
• Gross Tonnage: 225 tonnes
• Home Port: Steveston, BC

One of only a few remaining steam-powered tugboats, the SS Master was built in 1922 at Beach Avenue Shipyard in False Creek. Designed and built by renowned tugboat builder Arthur Moscrop, the SS Master still operates with her original WW1 surplus steam engine. Throughout her life, the SS Master worked the waters of the Pacific Northwest towing logs and barges throughout the region. Retired and left for scrap in 1962, the SS Master was purchased by the SS Master Society for $500 and has since undergone extensive restorations.