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The Yacht Scud

by Robert Lawson 2017 and updated by John MacFarlane 2021

Scud

The Charuja (the ex–Scud) while owned by the Page Family. (Photo from the Bruce Page collection.)

In 2021 we received three old photographs of the Scud from Bruce Page in San Diego California. They fill an important gap in the history of this vessel as it was originally believed that there were no original images still in existence.

The Scud first appears in the registry in 1915 (#669) although she was built in 1907. This is a photo of the Scud near Brentwood Bay in the late 1990s. About 1932 she was renamed as the Charuja.

Scud

The Scud dry berthed near Brentwood Bay BC. (Photo from the Robert Lawson collection. )

She was an open deck design 26’ 8": x 7.0’ x 3’ 6". Harold Page believed that she was originally built in either Oak Bay or Trial Island. Robert Lawson has since discovered that she was probably built at the foot of Montreal street where T.C. Jones and his son T.D. Jones had their boat building facility. Tom Denny, in a letter to the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, stated that, as a youth, he operated the vessel between Foul Bay and Trial Island delivering mail.

Scud

The Scud (Photo from the Robert Lawson collection. )

Robert Lawson believes that the Charula (the ex–Scud) was originally owned by David Jones. In 1920 she was transferred to William Grant (a printing pressman) and in 1932 to Charles G. Banner (credit manager at the Hudson’s Bay store). It is thought that it was he who added the cabin work. Her name was changed to Charuja. Banner was transferred to Vancouver in 1938 and as a result he sold the boat to Harold Page’s father, John E. Page. For the next 23 years (1938–1961) it remained in the Page family possession. They used it extensively around Saanich Inlet, Cowichan Bay, and the Gulf Islands. The Pages sold the boat to Jean Paul Destrube. In 1967 the vessel had passed to the ownership of Herb Winfield. The last owner, at least up to about 2003, was Julius Treigys who lived near Brentwood Bay BC.

Scud

The Scud (Photo from the Robert Lawson collection. )

Scud

The Scud (Photo from the Robert Lawson collection. )

Scud

The identification carved into the hull. (Photo from the Robert Lawson collection. )

Harold J. Page stated "The engine was originally a Union single cylinder make and break spark engine. This equipment was inclined to fail at awkward times so my father converted this engine to jump spark operation using a roller–type Cuno timer, a vibrator coil from a 1912 Cadillac and a regular 1/2 inch taper threaded spark plug. This conversion served satisfactorily ever since. The engine also was fitted with a governor ... and among the spare parts was a Union vaporizer. This was truly an amazing piece of machinery."

"Simple and rugged in design it provided reliable service for close to 60 years. During the 23 years of our ownership the engine never once failed to get us home. It was very undiscriminating in its taste, running quite acceptably on various mixtures of gasoline, kerosene and benzine, even kerosene mothballs! On one occasion the cylinder–head gasket blew, and although salt water was running down the piston skirt, the engine kept running. Conservatively rated at 5hp by the manufacturer, the nameplate indicated 6.08bhp, presumably by actual test. At 400rpm it drove the Charuja at 8 knots with gasoline consumption of 3 quarts per hour. At trolling speed two gallons was sufficient for a whole day’s outing."

The engine was a Union (#5616) and was sold as a 5hp (6.08bhp) at 400rpm to the Hinton Electric Company, Victoria BC (they were the Union Diesel engine dealers in Victoria BC at the time). It was shipped up to Victoria on the freighter City of Pueblo in 1907. A 10" three–bladed propeller was sent with the engine. The engine was equipped with a governor and controller.

> Scud

An open base Union engine from the internet. It has a later Schebler style carburetor which wasn’t as fussy as the Union vaporizer but lost the fuel versatility. (Photo from the internet.)

In 1967 Harold J. Page approached the Maritime Museum of British Columbia about acquiring the Union engine from the Scud. His family had, he explained, owned the vessel for many years. He felt that it was a significant artifact and that it should be preserved. Apparently the Museum acquired the engine as an artifact, part of their collection.

The Union engine from the Scud was an open base single cylinder with make and break ignition. It ended up in the storeroom of the Maritime Museum in Victoria. Robert Lawson sent a request to have it de–accessioned in 2001 as he had organized some interest in bringing Scud back to life but his request was refused and the interest evaporated as it was predicated on the boat having its original engine.

Scud

My mother, Barbara Page, Bruce Page (in her arms), and my brother Brian playing with his sailboat.(Photo from the Bruce Page collection.)

Bruce Page states "My father was Geoffrey Page, the eldest son of John Page. Because he was the eldest (by 13 years), our family was the primary user of this vessel from 1940 to 1961. She was 27’ long, and I remember it being oh so very slow. But it gave us grand adventures. It took 6 hours to make it from Brentwood Bay where she was kept to Galiano Island, (8 hours to Gabriola). My great grandparents settled on Galiano Island and Gossip Island in the late 1890s, so the Gulf Islands became annual destinations for us in the summers."

Scud

The fishing bounty we typically caught in a day from the Charula (the ex–Scud) at Active Pass near Galiano Island. (Photo from the Bruce Page collection.)


To quote from this article please cite:

Lawson, Robert (2017)The Yacht Scud. Nauticapedia.ca 2017. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Scud.php

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