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The End of Life for the Samson IV and the Pender Lady
by Jody Goffic and John MacFarlane 2022
The Samson IV while still operating as the Quillayute (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
It is difficult to accept that, like people. ships have a lifespan and an inevitable end of life. All too often the final owners do not have the wherewithal to organize and pay for the demolition. By waiting to the bitter end they risk creating an environmental disaster from contaminants contained in the vessel. The Canadian Coast Guard is determined to minimize these impacts, particularly when the owners step back from their responsibilities.
Jody Goffic recalls "In 2003 the Samson IV and the Pender Lady were both moored in Naden Harbour. Together they were the base of operations for the Samson Fishing Lodge. The Samson IV was a vessel of concern to us at the Coast Guard for a few seasons at this point. We were surprised when we heard that the Pender Lady was a casualty first."
The Nauticapedia states that the Samson IV " was built in 1927 as the passenger/car ferry Quillayute at Winslow WA USA by the Winslow Marine Railway & Shipbuilding Co. She was 151.5’ x 52’ x 13.2’ (46.2m x 15.8m x 4.0m) She was powered by 2–750hp engines built by Washington Ironworks, Seattle WA USA. She had a wooden hull and twin screws. In 1963 she was rebuilt as a non–powered float 1646.65 gt/rt. In 1927 she was owned by Sound Ferry Line, Puget Sound USA. In 1951–1954 she was owned by Victoria Dock Co. Ltd., Victoria BC. In 1954 she was owned by Black Ball Line Ltd., Horseshoe Bay BC. In 1954–1961 she was owned by Black Ball Ferries Ltd., Horseshoe Bay BC. In 1961–1963 she was owned by the British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority, Victoria BC. In 1963–1972 she was owned by Nelson Brothers Fisheries Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1973–1985 she was owned by British Columbia Packers Ltd., Richmond BC. In 1986–1987 she was owned by Samson IV Enterprises Ltd., Delta BC. In 1988–2008 she was owned by Samson Marine Resources Inc., Vancouver BC.
The Motor Princess (later Pender Queen and Pender Lady) (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
The Nauticapedia states that the Pender Lady " was built as a passenger/car ferry in 1923 as the Motor Princess by Yarrows Ltd. at Esquimalt BC. (She was later renamed as the Pender Queen and Pender Lady.) She was 165’ x 43’ x 9’ (46.6m x 13.3m x 2.9m) She had a wooden hull and twin screws. She was pwoered by 2–525bhp diesel engines manufactured by McIntosh & Seymour Corp., Auburn NY. In 1961 she was rebuilt and re–engined to 153' 428gt 291rt. In 1923 she was owned by Canadian Pacific Railway Co., Montreal QC. In 1955–1961 she was owned by Gulf Islands Ferry Company (1951) Ltd., Ganges BC. In 1961–1962 she was owned by BC Toll Highways Authority, Victoria BC. In 1963 she was owned by BC Toll Highways and Bridges Authority, Victoria BC. In 1964–1968 she was owned by BC Ferry Authority, Victoria BC. In 1969–1975 she was owned by Minister of Highways (Ferries Division – B.C. Ferries), Victoria BC. In 1976–1977 she was owned by the Minister of Transport and Communication, Victoria BC. In 1978–1982 she was owned by the British Columbia Ferry Corporation, Victoria BC. In 1980 she was laid up. In 1983–1985 she was owned by Alfdon Enterprises Ltd., Ganges BC. In 1986–1990 she was owned by Slavko Tobako, Burnaby BC. In 1991–1992 she was owned by Helga Virkutis, Burnaby BC. In 1993–2001 she was owned by Robert W. Meneice, Richmond BC. In 2003–2006 she was owned by Samson Marine Resources Inc., Richmond BC.
In 1923 she was launched by Mrs. Troop. She had a 40 car 250 passenger capacity. In 1923 she was the first purpose–built diesel-powered auto ferry, approximate cost $.24 million. In 1923 she was on Bellingham WA to Sidney service. In 1925 she was transferred to Vancouver to Nanaimo run. In transferred to Sidney to Steveston service. In the 1930s she made Sunday evening calls in the Gulf Islands to carry weekenders and their cars back to Vancouver BC. In 1953 withdrawn from service. Side-loading doors, fore and aft openings 45 car capacity on two decks. 370 passengers capacity. She was forced to retire by new fire regulations in May 1950 – her Sunday run taken over by the Princess Mary.
The Samson IV looking the worse for wear. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
The Pender Lady (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
The Samson IV on the beach wearing years of sea growth on her hull. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
Excavator breaking up the Pender Lady with the Samson IV to the right. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
The two hulks were pulled up on the beach. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
It takes heavy equipment to break up those old hulls. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
By this stage there is very little left to salvage. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
At the end of the operation the heavy equipment was loaded onto the barges to be towed on to the next job. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
The stripped out hulls were burned. (Photo from the Jody Goffic (CCG) collection.)
To quote from this article please cite:
Goffic, Jody and John MacFarlane (2022) The End of Life for the Samson IV and Pender Lady. Nauticapedia.ca 2021. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Samson_IV_Pender_Lady.php
Site News: May 07, 2024
The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 92,798 vessel histories (with 15,646 images and 13,431 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters). The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,616 entries (with 4,013 images).
In 2023 the Nauticapedia celebrated the 50th Anniversary of it’s original inception in 1973 (initially it was on 3" x 5" file cards). It has developed, expanded, digitized and enlarged in those ensuing years to what it is now online. If it was printed out it would fill more than 300,000 pages!
My special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into a semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.
Also my special thanks to my volunteer content accuracy checker, John Spivey of Irvine CA USA, who has proofread thousands of Nauticapedia vessel histories and provided input to improve more than 11,000 entries. His attention to detail has been a huge unexpected bonus in improving and updating the vessel detail content.