Converted Military Vessels
by George Duddy (2016) (prior efforts acknowledged by the late John Henderson with updates by John M. MacFarlane 2015)
The Virtual Maritime Museum of British Columbia
Nauticapedia preserves and shares the stories of vessels that shaped British Columbia's coast — from towering sailing ships to humble working tugs. Our collection spans over 200 years of maritime history, drawn from government registries, archival photographs, and first-hand accounts.
Search & Discover
Search through our database of over 103,821 vessels by name, builder, type, or year. Find detailed profiles with historical narratives, photographs, and technical specifications.
Read the Stories
Each vessel page tells its story — from construction to final fate. Read about capsizings, rescues, name changes, and the people who sailed these ships along the BC coast.
Research & Citation
Access registry data, builder records, ownership histories, and archival sources. Every vessel record is backed by references from Library and Archives Canada and official shipping lists.
Canada's Largest Heritage Vessel Database
Over 103,821 vessels documented with photographs, technical specifications, ownership histories, and detailed narratives. From 19th-century schooners to modern tugboats — every ship has a story.
18,367+ vessels with photographs
Advanced search by type, builder, hull, fate
People and Companies
Discover the captains, naval architects, aviators, and politicians who shaped British Columbia's maritime history. Each biography includes service records, photographs, and links to the vessels they commanded or designed.
58,648 maritime biographies
Military records Navy, Army, Air Force
Ship-to-person links who commanded what
Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway
Morrison, John R.
Biron, Yvon
Davies, Matthew P.
Villeneuve, Hughes
Milsom, William
Musty, George Henry
Reed, Archibald Heurtley
Jones, Fred
Hinton, Peter Robert
Fred Olsen & Company
Wolever, Frank Day
Hartle, John Bertrand
Morisette, Denis
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Powell, William Glyndwr
Hinton, A.R.
Thomas, Charles Morris Winton
Percy, Arthur Montague
Where the Fleet Was Built
Every vessel in the Nauticapedia catalogue began at a shipyard. This interactive map pins each ship to the place it was built — from nineteenth-century schooners launched at Victoria to post-war tugboats assembled in North Vancouver. Zoom into any coastline, filter by year or builder, and trace the history of a yard, a region, or a single hull.
British Columbia's fleet mapped by place of construction
Filter and search by name, builder, or year built
Live & Interactive
Stories & Articles
View all →In-depth narratives, essays, and research on British Columbia's maritime heritage.
Featured Vessels
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Browse by Category
Curated Collections
Famous BC Shipwrecks
Explore the dramatic stories of vessels lost along British Columbia's rugged coastline — from collisions in fog-bound straits to storms off Cape Flattery.
Explore the Collection →Vessels Built Before 1900
Step back to the age of sail and early steam. Browse wooden schooners, iron barks, and the pioneering steamships that opened the Pacific coast to trade.
Explore the Collection →Largest Ships
The biggest vessels to sail BC waters — ocean liners, bulk carriers, and deep-sea freighters measured by gross tonnage and overall length.
Explore the Collection →
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