Ship details

Ship Details
Fort James If you have images associated with this Vessel, please contact us at admin@nauticapedia.ca

Registry #1	150805 (Canada)	Registry #2		Registry #3
IMO#		MMSI#		VRN#

Name 1	1923	Jean Revillon	Name 6
Name 2	1931c	Fort James	Name 7
Name 3			Name 8
Name 4			Name 9
Name 5			Name 10

Year Built	1923	Place	Shelburne	Area	NS	Country	Canada

Designer	(nk)	Measurement (imp)	100.25' x 23.6' x 8.75'
Builder	Weingart, J.A.	Measurement (metric)	?m x ?m x ?m
Hull	Wood	Displacement
Gross Tonnage	116.8	Type 1	Freighter
Registered Tonnage	95.92	Type 2
Engine	2-26nhp 2-cylinder oil engines	Engine Manufacture	Densil Motor Works, Abg.
Repower	Repowered in 1927 with a 120bhp diesel engine by Fairbanks-Morse	Propulsion	Screw
Rebuilds		Call Sign
Pendant #		Masters	Captain Jean Berthé (1925); Captain A. W. Bush (1928-1930);

Owner(s)
In 1923-1926 she was owned by Revillon Freres Trading Co. Ltd., Montreal QC. In 1926-1931 she was owned by The Hudson's Bay Co., London UK.

Fate	Registry closed	Date	1937-00-00

Named Features
Significance of Name

Anecdotes
In 1923 this vesseloperated in Ungava Bay, Hudson Straits and Hudson Bay. In 1927 this vesselleft Newfoundland to transit the Northwest Passage under Captain Fred Bush. This vessel wintered at Arctic Bay, passed through Bellot Strait and turned back at Victoria Island. In 1928 the Fort James under her master Fred Bush made a Partial Transit, East to West Newfoundland through Lancaster Sound to Gjoa Haven, to meet the HBC Fort Macpherson coming from Vancouver BC) First commercial transit of the Passage by sea. In 1929 water contact made with HBC Baychimo via the Fort McPherson at Cambridge Bay NWT. In 1934 this vesselmade a passage from St. John's NF to Cambridge Bay NWT via the Panama Canal. On August 5, 1937 this vessel was crushed in the ice and sank. Late in the evening we saw the Fort James make a tremendous heave and with a mighty shiver, as if in pain, her keel was shorn right off, leaving the bottom wide open. This vessel filled almost instantly. For a moment it looked as if the top of her masts were going to hit us, but then the ship returned to an upright position. In a flash, we rushed over the ice, took off an Eskimo woman and five children and brought them back to our own ship. The captain and crew of the Fort James had no time to save any of their belongings. Even Captain Summer's dentures had to be left behind in a glass of water in his little cabin below.

Anecdotes

In 1923 this vesseloperated in Ungava Bay, Hudson Straits and Hudson Bay. In 1927 this vesselleft Newfoundland to transit the Northwest Passage under Captain Fred Bush. This vessel wintered at Arctic Bay, passed through Bellot Strait and turned back at Victoria Island. In 1928 the Fort James under her master Fred Bush made a Partial Transit, East to West Newfoundland through Lancaster Sound to Gjoa Haven, to meet the HBC Fort Macpherson coming from Vancouver BC) First commercial transit of the Passage by sea. In 1929 water contact made with HBC Baychimo via the Fort McPherson at Cambridge Bay NWT. In 1934 this vesselmade a passage from St. John's NF to Cambridge Bay NWT via the Panama Canal. On August 5, 1937 this vessel was crushed in the ice and sank. Late in the evening we saw the Fort James make a tremendous heave and with a mighty shiver, as if in pain, her keel was shorn right off, leaving the bottom wide open. This vessel filled almost instantly. For a moment it looked as if the top of her masts were going to hit us, but then the ship returned to an upright position. In a flash, we rushed over the ice, took off an Eskimo woman and five children and brought them back to our own ship. The captain and crew of the Fort James had no time to save any of their belongings. Even Captain Summer's dentures had to be left behind in a glass of water in his little cabin below.

References
Larsen, Henry, Frank Sheer & Edward Omholt-Jensen (1967); Interview by John MacFarlane with Jack Wood and Sven Johansson, at Victoria BC on 27/08/1991; MacFarlane, J.M. (1992) Northwest Passage Challengers. In Resolution. Spring Issue. Maritime Museum of British Columbia; Canada List of Shipping; https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/hbca/ships_histories/pdf/fort-james.pdf ;
Last update
2019-11-21 00:00:00
Record Creator
John M. MacFarlane
Record Updater
John M. MacFarlane (2019);

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Ship Details

Fort James