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The Launch of the Manitoba Ferry Charlie Sinclair

by John MacFarlane (with Garry Leach) 2021

Charlie Sinclair Launch

The ferry Charlie Sinclair on launch day. (Photo from the Garry Leach collection.)

I have always been fascinated by the freshwater nautical heritage of western Canada. Recently I received some photographs of the Manitoba car and passenger ferry Charlie Sincliar From Garry Leach. The province of Manitoba has operated a small fleet of river and lake ferries for many years but I had not previously seen any images of them.

Garry Leach wrote "My company (United Towing Services Inc.) assisted the vessel builders in the launch of the vessel in Selkirk Manitoba in 1977 when the photos were captured. The vessel was essentially complete at the facility that built it. They hired our firm to move it to the launch ramp."

Charlie Sinclair Launch

The truck provided by United Towing Serices Inc. (Photo from the Garry Leach collection.)

The passenger car ferry Charlie Sinclair was constructed at Selkirk Manitoba by the Purvis Navcon Shipyard Ltd. (ON 331329 IMO 8623315) She was 34.1m (112’) x 12.8m (42’) x 4.7m (7’) steel hulled 168.1 gt/rt. She was later renamed as the Charles Robert. She is apparently still in operation at the Southern Indian Lake Access Road Ferry Crossing.

Charlie Sinclair Launch

Preparing to launch the Charlie Sinclair. (Photo from the Garry Leach collection.)

She cost $535,466 to construct. In 1978–1979 she was in service North Whiskey Jack to Cross Lake MB. In 1980 she was in service North Whiskey Jack to Pipestone MB. In 1981–1982 she was in service at Pipestone and in 1983–1984 in storage at Pipestone MB. In 1985–2003 she was in service at South Indian Lake (bay and community) MB carrying 16 cars / 96 passengers and operated by a crew of 4.

Charlie Sinclair Launch

Preparing to launch the Charlie Sinclair. (Photo from the Garry Leach collection.)

Charlie Sinclair Launch

The ferry Charlie Sinclair on the ways and ready to launch. (Photo from the Garry Leach collection.)

In 1977–1985 she was owned by Department of Renewable Resources & Transportation Services, Winnipeg MB. In 2003–2004 she was owned by the Manitoba Transportation & Government Services Department, Winnipeg MB. In 2012–2022 she was owned by the Minister of Infrastructure & Transportation, Winiipeg MB.

Charlie Sinclair Launch

The the ferry Charlie Sinclair on the ways and ready to ‘let go’. (Photo from the Garry Leach collection.)


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John (with Garry Leach) (2021) The Launch of the Manitoba Ferry Charlie Sinclair. Nauticapedia.ca 2021. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Charlie_Sinclair.php

Nauticapedia

Site News: January 26, 2025

MILESTONE REACHED

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 95,024 vessel histories (with 16,386 images and 13,983 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters).

The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3999 images).

My thanks to Ray Warren who is beginning a long process of filling gaps in the photo record of the vessel histories in the vessel database. Ray has been documenting the ships of Vancouver Harbour for more than 60 years.

Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he continues to contribute to illustrate British Columbia’s floating heritage.

My very special thanks to our volunteer IT adviser, John Eyre, who (since 2021) has modernized, simplified and improved the update process for the databases into semi–automated processes. His participation has been vital to keeping the Nauticapedia available to our netizens.

Thanks to John Spivey who is beginning his 4th year of fact checking all of the entries in the vessel database.

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