Ship Details
Nitinat Chief Photo Credit: John MacFarlane

 

Registry #1	173474 (Canada)	Registry #2		Registry #3
IMO#		MMSI#		VRN#

 

Name 1	1941	Nitinat Chief	Name 6
Name 2			Name 7
Name 3			Name 8
Name 4			Name 9
Name 5			Name 10

 

Year Built	1941	Place	Vancouver	Area	BC	Country	Canada

 

Designer	Lee, Brinton and Wayland Naval Architects	Measurement (imp)	72' x 16.2' x 7.4'
Builder	West Coast Salvage & Contracting Co. Ltd.	Measurement (metric)	19.63m x 4.94m x 2.35m
Hull	Wood	Displacement
Gross Tonnage	50.17	Type 1	Tug
Registered Tonnage	27.96	Type 2	Yacht, power-cruiser
Engine	160bhp 4-cylinder diesel engine (1941)	Engine Manufacture	Washington Ironworks, Seattle WA USA
Repower	Repowered with a 260hp Washington Estep diesel engine (1951); Repowered with a 400bhp Deutz engine (1964); Repowered with a 600hp Deutz diesel engine (1972);	Propulsion	Screw
Rebuilds	In 1995 she was rebuilt from the deck up and a new Aluminum deckhouse at Bella Bella BC.	Call Sign
Pendant  #	V127A	Masters	Captain George A. MacFarlane (1941); Captain Bill Sorenson (1942-1963); Captain Fred Vosper (1972-1985); Captain Brad Widstein (1985-2005);

 

Owner(s)

In 1941 she was owned by Nitinat Lake Logging Co. (Ken Baird and Charles Sorenson) and registered at Port Renfrew BC. In 1941 she was utilized for towing peeler logs over the Nitinat River bar at Clo-oose BC. In 1942-1962 she was owned by Nitinat Towing Co. Ltd. (Bill Sorenson), Victoria BC. (Nitinat Lake (logs) and then Northwest Bay (coal and chip scows) operations). In 1962-1972 she was owned by Island Tug & Barge Ltd., Victoria BC. In 1972-1985 she was owned by Menzies Bay Marine Services, Victoria BC (Vern Vosper, Fred Vosper, Don Sherwood). She towed for booms to Esquimalt Harbour for Victoria Plywood. In 1980 she was registered at Cortes Island BC and she was involved in handlogging with a donkey engine. In 1985-1987 she was owned by Nitinat Towing Ltd., Salt Spring Island BC. In 1987-2005 she was owned by Seafair Towing Ltd. (Brad Widstein), Courtenay BC (operations at Bella Coola). In 2011-2024 she was owned by Nitinat Towing Ltd., Campbell River BC.

 

Fate	Afloat in 2024	Date	0000-00-00

 

Named Features
Significance of Name

 

Anecdotes

This vessel was powered by a 160bhp 4-cylinder Washington diesel salvaged from the sunken American cannery tender Varsity at Port San Juan BC raised by C.S. Sorenson. Her engine was re-built in the Hempill diesel school under the direction of Dick Smith of Vancouver Machinery Depot Ltd. It was rated at 160hp at 360rpm turning a 54 x 35 inch wheel. Her first skipper was Captain George Alexander MacFarlane. On Friday December 27, 1957 this vesselran aground on a reef off Oak Bay BC. This vessel had been outbound and travelling north when after rounding up a stray boat from Oak Bay this vesselran aground. This vessel had to wait a full tidal cycle before this vessel was able to float off.

 

References
Baird, P.D. (1949); Canada List of Shipping; Vancouver Sun Saturday December 28, 1957 Page 7;
Last update

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