These early builders chose only the finest materials
for these seagoing workhorses as they didn't want
to take any chances with wear and down time so
everything was increased in size and strength
just for good measure. The long, tight grain of
the west coast woods made them ideal for ships
masts and spars for the sailing age, but there
was plenty of good lumber available for the local
fleets of ferries, fish boats and, of course,
tugs. Tugboats were considered essential to every
industry and, as the population and seaports grew,
tugboat owners were the first to insist on the
most reliable engines and the best boat builders
for their fleets.
The shipyards on the west coast were conveniently
located right next to the sawmills which produced
the finest lumber for boat building, spars, bridges
and air planes. The highest grade seasoned materials
with no knots, tight grain, no sap was used for
aircraft and boats. Sitka Spruce was the wood
of choice for air planes and Douglas Fir, Port
Oxford Cedar were the choices for boats. The fabulous
strength and size of Douglas Fir made it a natural
for decking and large beams required for work
boats and tugs while Yellow Cedar was also sought
for some structural applications because of its
natural rot resistance due to oil content.
The UNION JACK was constructed in 1941 from 3
huge cedar trees cut from the Nimpkish Valley
on Vancouver Island for its frames and hull planks.
The frames are sawn and bolted into 7 inch x 14
inch dimensions with a 7 inch space between each
frame. The planks are 3 inch and the distance
from the inside hull to the outside is 14 inch
thick. Most of the hull is planked with 40 foot
lengths so that only one butt seam is necessary
on the hull. The deck consists of 3 inch fir and
it again is in mostly 40 ft. lengths. These materials
are not available today and when replacing planking
the owners had to substitute with shorter planks
and search carefully for clear wood.
The PARRY was built for the Canadian Navy as a
patrol and towing vessel during World War II.
It was sold to the Hydrographic Service where
she worked year round charting the B.C. coast
until being sold privately in 1968. The UNION
JACK was also built in 1941 for Union Towing Company
of Vancouver and used mainly for towing log booms
to the sawmills. Her duties later changed to towing
barges for fuel or regular runs between Vancouver
and Nanaimo.
Both vessels had almost no down time and were
operated year round in all types of weather and
at least one hurricane. Now that the vessels have
been "retired" from active duty they
are back in top shape as they perform in their
new roles of cruising on the Inside Passage and
offering a comfortable home to passengers while
sight-seeing, whale watching or fishing. With
their antique engines and old fashioned wheelhouses,
they bring back a nostalgic glimpse of an era
on the Northwest coast and the people who worked
on these many boats that plied the Inside Passage."
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