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Captain Rolf Leben – a long path to command

by John MacFarlane 2019

Rolf Leben

Captain Rolf Leben on the bridge where he is most at home. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

Captain Rolf Leben did not follow a traditional path into his marine career. Born in Sweden he emigrated at the age of 13 with his family to Quatsino BC. For him this was completely unlike his native country and he was entranced. Some First Nations people let him use a dugout canoe and he used this to explore the coast while developing a lifelong love of boats.

Gravel Truck

A quick learner, Rolf was soon driving his father’s gravel truck. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

In 1958 Rolf‘s dad, who was a faller, moved his family to Port Hardy from Quatsino. His dad also ran a waste disposal business and Rolf drove a gravel truck to help out. It was here that he acquired his first boat he called the Mad Mouse (driven by a 10hp Wisconsin engine). In 1958 he went to sea for the summer on the troller Hilvergrace She was built by an old Swede who introduced him to life at sea. He recalls this experience with some amusement as the owner had few basic naviagtional skills which forced Rolf to learn quickly how to dead–reckon during voyages through seasonal summer fog. Using common sense he wrote down a detailed log of course settings, times, speed etc. This kept them off the beach and prevented accidental voyages out into the Pacific.

Hilvergrace

The troller Hilvergrace in 1958. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

Fish

Fishing and hunting were Rolf’s contribution to the family economy. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

In 1960 Rolf dropped out of school so he also started falling working with his Dad and in 1960–62 they cleared the road right–of–way to Holberg. In 1962 Rolf moved back to Sweden with his family, and at an age eligible for military service he decided to fulfill his obligation, but as a conscientious objector he was able to do alternative service with the fire service at Stockholm Airport. Curiously this led him into a short career 1964–1969 travelling around Europe demonstrating industrial control equipment. It was his proficiency with the English language that convinced the company to give him this job serving industrial manufacturers.

Rolf Leben falling

Falling big trees formed the start of Rolf Leben’s career. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

The lure of Vancouver Island was still strong and in 1967 he returned to work as a faller in a ‘gypo’ logging outfit. They had a little tug, so he was given the responsibility of running it in addition to his falling duties. Two years later he again returned to Sweden moving on to Argentina to work in a children’s orphanage. He and his wife then moved on to Bolivia to relieve missionaries who had established a village with an electrical system, a generator, a sawmill and several other industrial enterprises. He had to quickly learn how to operate and maintain all of these operations giving him deep and broad skill sets.

He returned to Sweden on an East German freighter from Brazil which was a memorable voyage. As the only passengers he was allowed lots of time on the bridge where he observed the life at sea and the navigation of the ship. The lure of the west coast was still powerful, and he returned to Port Hardy for a third and final time. It was while falling for David O‘Connor while working on his tug as a deckhand/mate that Leben purchased the Vivian as a beachcomber boat for the Queen Charlotte Islands. Soon afterward he moved to Nanaimo where he continued falling around the Nanaimo Lakes.

Granby

The Granby was Rolf Leben’s home for many years. It gave him the flexibility to move from posting to posting. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

Granby ashore

When shipyards aren’t accessible nearby you have to improvise when its time to undertake annual maintenance. She had 1600 square feet of wetted surface, a lot to maintain. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

In 1982 he purchased the Granby as a liveaboard and moved to Telegraph Cove to continue working as a faller. In 1984 he retired from the logging business and used the Granby for charter work. In 1985 he met Captain Norm Craddock who hired him as a ticket agent and ramp operator and then as a deckhand night watchman. This work suited him, and he made sure he was always available for call-out and worked up to being on the ‘regular’ list of employees. He moved to Alert Bay with his boat for BC Ferries as well as fishing from a troller in the summer.

Advancement depended on getting training and qualifications. He attended the Watch–Keeping Mate course at Camosun College in Victoria. Having dropped out of high school this proved to be a huge challenge for him – he was unused to many subjects and had little knowledge of mathematics. He says he had to work three times as hard as everyone else to learn the skills needed to get the marine knowledge required.

Stalvick

Always eager to explore new fields of work he owned and operated the troller troller Stalvick. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

Trolling

Leben found that entering fishing on his own was big step. He lacked the intimate knowledge of the gear that is needed to have success in catching fish. He recalls that his solution was to try every possible colour of hootchie lure until he eventually discovered the colours that were most attractive to the fish. From then on he experienced success. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

Since he was a teenager, Leben interspersed all of his major jobs with periods of trolling for salmon. In 1946 the Stalvick was built in Quathiaski Cove BC by Richard Gill. She is still afloat. In 1946–1988 she was owned by Richard W. Gill, Quathiaski Cove BC. In 1989 she was owned by Ocean Fisheries Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1989–1995 she was owned by Rolf Leben, Campbell River BC. In 1996–2001 she was owned by Paul E. Noyce, Nanaimo BC. In 2003–2019 she was owned by Susan E. Hatfield, Saskatoon SK.

Leben moved around following the job vacancies. He found this relatively easy having a floating home which he moved constantly from one job to the next. He gained the required sea time in as short a time as possible and seven and a half years later he had his Master’s ticket for commanding large BC Ferries vessels. His first command was the Kwuna up in the Queen Charlotte Islands. This, he recalls, was his favorite posting. He had very large tides to contend with and lots of bad weather on his Skidegate to Aliford Bay route.

Over the years Rolf Leben served in or commanded 16 major vessels:

  • Tachek
  • Tenaka
  • Nimpkish
  • Kwuna
  • Kahloke
  • Klitsa
  • Quadra Queen II
  • Vesuvius Queen
  • Howe Sound Queen
  • Bowen Queen
  • Mayne Queen
  • Skeena Queen
  • Queen of Chilliwack
  • Queen of Prince Rupert
  • Queen of the North
  • Queen of Nanaimo

    • V-King

    For pleasure the schooner V–King gave Rolf off–duty time at sea. (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)

    He served in the Queen of Prince Rupert and the Queen of Nanaimo as Chief Officer. Over the years he served in 16 vessels before retiring in the summer of 2005. He had sold the Granby in 2000 and sadly notes that she is now on the bottom of the Columbia River near Portland Oregon. He had a 40’ sailing schooner, the V-King, for twelve years but now keeps a 22’ Bayliner on a trailer.

    The highlights of his life have been many but the top ones for him are navigating the troller when he was a young teenager out of Port Hardy, his first big ship the Queen of the North when he joined as Third Officer, commanding the Kwuna and commanding the Skeena Queen and the Queen of Nanaimo (his last big ship until retirement).

    Helen and Rolf Leben

    Captain Rolf and Mrs. Helen Leben (Photo from the Rolf Leben collection.)


    To quote from this article please cite:

    MacFarlane, John (2019) Captain Rolf Leben – a long path to command. Nauticapedia.ca 2019. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Leben_Rolf.php

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