Ship details

Ship Details
L. Pacifica Photo Credit: Neil McDaniel photo

Ship Details

L. Pacifica

Photo Credit: Neil McDaniel photo

Registry #1	347141 (Canada)	Registry #2		Registry #3
IMO#		MMSI#		VRN#

Name 1	1973	L. Pacifica	Name 6
Name 2			Name 7
Name 3			Name 8
Name 4			Name 9
Name 5			Name 10

Year Built	1973	Place	Vancouver	Area	BC	Country	Canada

Designer	(nk)	Measurement (imp)	87.0' x 29.0' x 7.2'
Builder	Vancouver Shipyards Ltd.	Measurement (metric)	?m x ?m x ?m
Hull	Steel	Displacement
Gross Tonnage	324.38	Type 1	Barge, research
Registered Tonnage	324.38	Type 2
Engine		Engine Manufacture	(nk)
Repower		Propulsion	Non-powered
Rebuilds		Call Sign
Pendant #		Masters

Owner(s)
In 1973-1981 she was owned by the Minster of Environment, Ottawa ON Canada. In 1981-1984 she was owned by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Ottawa ON Canada.

Fate	Registry closed	Date	0000-00-00

Named Features
Significance of Name	Dr. Colin Levings stated "This barge derives from the scientific name of a fish whose common name is the blackbelly eelpout which had the scientific name Lycodopsis pacifica at the time."

Anecdotes
Dr. Colin Levings (Email to Nauticapedia 24/09/2025) stated "The name of this barge derives from the scientific name of a fish whose common name is the blackbelly eelpout which had the scientific name Lycodopsis pacifica at the time. The vessel was built for scientific research at the DFO laboratory in West Vancouver, known at the time as Pacific Environment Institute. A contest was held among staff to name the barge. Colin Levings, one of the scientists from the Institute, suggested the name as it matched the lab name and he was familiar with the eelpout as he had studied it for his M Sc thesis at UBC. It is a very common bottom fish in the waters near the lab.The barge had a black hull which matched the name as well. The generic name Lycodopsis was abbreviated to L as per scientific nomenclature. Dr. John Davis, a water pollution scientist working at the lab, designed the pumping system for the barge, which included a respirometer for measuring oxygen consumption by salmon when exposed to pulp mill effluent. The barge was deployed at pulp mills at various locations on the coast including Port Mellon and Port Alice. It was also used as a base for marsh transplant studies on the Fraser River estuary."

Anecdotes

Dr. Colin Levings (Email to Nauticapedia 24/09/2025) stated "The name of this barge derives from the scientific name of a fish whose common name is the blackbelly eelpout which had the scientific name Lycodopsis pacifica at the time. The vessel was built for scientific research at the DFO laboratory in West Vancouver, known at the time as Pacific Environment Institute. A contest was held among staff to name the barge. Colin Levings, one of the scientists from the Institute, suggested the name as it matched the lab name and he was familiar with the eelpout as he had studied it for his M Sc thesis at UBC. It is a very common bottom fish in the waters near the lab.The barge had a black hull which matched the name as well. The generic name Lycodopsis was abbreviated to L as per scientific nomenclature. Dr. John Davis, a water pollution scientist working at the lab, designed the pumping system for the barge, which included a respirometer for measuring oxygen consumption by salmon when exposed to pulp mill effluent. The barge was deployed at pulp mills at various locations on the coast including Port Mellon and Port Alice. It was also used as a base for marsh transplant studies on the Fraser River estuary."

References
Canada List of Shipping; http://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_t11868/2422?r=0&s=5; https://recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/Home/Record?app=fonandcol&IdNumber=6413308&q_type_1=q&q_1=ship%20registration%20347141&ecopy=e011490222 (website viewed 24/09/2025);
Last update

The Nauticapedia

The Virtual Maritime Museum of British Columbia

Ship Details

L. Pacifica