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| C.P.R. BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST STEAMSHIPS |
S.S. PRINCESS MAQUINNA
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RINCESS MAQUINNA:was built in Esquimalt, B.C. by British Columbia Marine Railway Co. in 1912. At the time it was more expensive to have her built in a British yard. (most of her equipment was brought from Britain). She was launched Dec. 24 1912, and christened by Mrs. Fitzherbert Bullen. She was designed and built rugged for the west coast of Vancouver Island, and without the fancy super structure of the other vessels,she was named after the daughter of Chief Maquinna, of Nootka Sound. |
| Her length was 233ft. and width 38ft. gross tonnage 1777. On her trials she did 13.5 knots, but in service,a little over 12 knots, driven by a triple expansion steam engine, single crew. She had 50 staterooms with 100 berths. |
| Princess Maquinna: Sailed on her maiden voyage up the west coast of Vancouver Island on July 20, 1913, under command of captain Edward Gillam,who stayed with her as skipper for about the next 15 years. She proved to be a great ship for the open waters of the west coast, stoping in to every small port ( fishing villages, canneries, mills etc.) there was at the time. She also spent some time on the Alaska run to Skagway. She served the C.P.R. from 1913 till 1952 on the coast, when she was taken out of service. Sold in 1953 and converted to an ore barge, was renamed "Taku", and 9 years later in 1962 she was broken up. |
| Before the the Princess Mary, there was The ISLAND PRINCESS (originally named the DAILY) she was built at Tacoma Washington in 1913 to run up to Seattle and return. Her length was 116 feet, and gt. 339. She was bought by the C.P.R. for the Gulf Island run. |  |
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| PRINCESS MARY was built by Bow,
McLachlan & Company of Paisley, Scotland in 1910, her length was 210
feet, and gt. 1697, and was 40 feet wide, powered with twin triple-expansion
steam engines, with trial speed of 15 knots, her service speed was 12 knots.
She had 59 first class cabins, and 30 second class berths. She sailed from
Greenock on Nov. 22, 1910, and after a rough 85 day passage she arrived
in Victoria on Feb. 15, 1911. She took over the Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox
run, but she was soon put on the Gulf Island run, where she stayed for
most of her life, and for which she was best remembered. In 1914 at Esquimalt,
she was lengthened to an overall 260 feet, and this increased her gt. to
2155. At this time she was also converted to an oil burner from her original
coal.
After over 40 years of coastal service she was sold in 1952, and made into a covered deck barge, and renamed "Carrier #2" - Under tow of the tug CHELAN she and the tug and 14 lives were lost on April 15, 1954 near Cape Decision, Alaska. She will always be remembered, as part of her still remains. Her superstructure was taken ashore in Victoria, and made into the Princess Mary Resturant, and remains there today as one of the favorite dining places in Victoria. |
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PRINCESS VICTORIA was built at the Wallsend, Newcastle on Tyne yards of C.S.Swan and Hunter Company, England, and on Nov. 18 1902. She was christened by Mrs. Archie Baker, wife of the European traffic manager. |
| She was 1943gt. and 300 ft. long, 40.5 ft.
wide, and had 5800hp. with two triple expansion steam engines that drove
her at between 18 to 20 knots, at her trials on Jan 26, 1903, at that time
she was a coal burner. When she sailed for Victoria 3 days later, she had
an unfinished wooden superstructer, that was completed on he arrival
in Victoria, B.C.
The new ship was built for the Victoria to Vancouver route, and she sailed from Newcastle on January 29, 1903, after two months at sea, she arrived in Victoria on March 28, 1903, and went immediately to Robertson & Hackett, in Vancouver, and then on to British Columbia Marine Railway at Esquimalt, B.C. for the completion of her superstructure, and passenger accomodation. Which included a large observation room an lounge forward on the promenade deck, and a smoking room aft on the same deck. The deck below that was mostly cabins and social halls, there were 152 berths in 78 staterooms, and she could carry 1000 day passengers. One deck lower was a 90 seat dining salon at the after end of the ship. Pr.Victoria was rebuilt at Esquimalt in 1930 her width increased by being sponsored out on both port and starboard sides to 57.6 ft. and gt. to 3167, She was one of the fastest ships on the Victoria, Vancouver day run, she could make the trip in about 3hr. and 20 min. so they put her on the Victoria to Seattle return night run as well for awhile, for that short time she was operational 16 hours a day. The reason for her speed, was that Hawthorn, Leslie & Company had designed an engine for a warship, and to save money they used those designs and duplicates were made for the Pr. Victoria, which turned out to be very sucessful. She finally went on the triangle route and stayed there for about forty years. She began her run on April 4, 1912, as an oil burner after a conversion from coal. She was sold in November 1951, and converted to a hog fuel carrier, named Tahsis No. 3. She struck a rock and foundered in welcome pass on March 10, 1953. |
| Here is a picture of the PrinsessVictoria
after her rebuild at Esquimalt in 1930. |
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The Island Princess was originaly named the "Daily" she was a wooden hulled steam ship with a triple expansion engine, built in Tacoma Wasington in 1913 for servive between Tacoma and Seattle. She was sold to the C.P.R on June 1, 1918 and renamed Island Princess She was sold again in 1930 toGulf Island Ferry Company at that time she was rebuilt and converted to a Motor Vessel with a diesel engine, and renamed "Cy Peck". In 1956 she was changed to be able to carry cars. |
| British Columbia Ferry Authority bought her in 1961 for the run between Swartz Bay and Fulford Harbor. She was laid up in 1965 and in 1966 sold to J.H.Todd and Sons for a floating sales and purchasing shop for fishermen. In 1975 I believe she was taken over by J.W. Russel, Ganges, B.C. In 1978 the pictures below show she sank while anchored off Fanny Bay, B.C. Near Nanaimo. I believe that some of her superstructure has been salavaged |
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