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M.R. Cliff

by Robert Stitt 2016

I’m actually an airplane guy but became curious when I found these images while helping close down a book store in Duncan in April 2016. I subsequently tracked down former owner Jack Bruce via an inscription on the back of one of the photos and Jack eventually came to our house where he was reunited with the photos and the book in which they were stored in a manila envelope.

Annacis

Annacis (Photo from the Jack Bruce collection. )

According to Jack Bruce she remains at the bottom of Cowichan Bay having sunk at the dock in adjoining Genoa Bay.

In 1910 she was built at New Westminster BC by Joseph William Pike. She was named for Murray Robertson Cliff.

She was originally powered by a 16hp steam engine. She was later repowered by a 951hp engine (1944); a 350bhp engine (1951); and by a 457hp engine.

M.R. Cliff

M.R. Cliff (Photo from the Jack Bruce collection. )

In 1910–1921 she was owned by Joseph William Pike, New Westminster BC. In 1921 she was owned by William Wilson and Allan D. Clampitt, Vancouver BC. In 1926–1944 she was owned by the Annacis Towing Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1946–1956 she was owned by M.R. Cliff & B.C. Mills Towing Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1957–1972 she was owned by M.R. Cliff Tugboat Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1973 she was owned by Michael W. Kent, Duncan BC. In 1976 she was owned by Paul A. Reeves (MO), North Vancouver BC. In 1977–1979 she was owned by Transpac Charters Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1980–2007 she was owned by John R. (Jack) Bruce, Tofino BC.

M.R. Cliff

M.R. Cliff (Photo from the Jack Bruce collection. )

In 1951 she was rebuilt to 63.4’ x 17.5’ x 6.9’ (20.1m x 5.3m x 2.1m) In the Spring of 1995 she sank at the floats in Genoa Bay BC.

M.R. Cliff

M.R. Cliff (Photo from the Jack Bruce collection. )

M.R. Cliff

M.R. Cliff (Photo from the Jack Bruce collection. )

Here are some images from the John MacFarlane collection.

M.R. Cliff

M.R. Cliff alongside (Photo from the John MacFarlane collection. )

M.R. Cliff

Detail of hatch cover. (Photo from the John MacFarlane collection. )

M.R. Cliff

Detail of houseworks (Photo from the John MacFarlane collection. )

M.R. Cliff

Funnel livery (Photo from the John MacFarlane collection. )

M.R. Cliff

M.R. Cliff alongside (Photo from the John MacFarlane collection. )

Editor’s Note: Robert Stitt is an aviation historian and author based in Cowichan Bay,BC.


To quote from this article please cite:

Stitt, Robert (2016) M.R. Cliff. Nauticapedia.ca 2016. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Cliff.php

Nauticapedia

Site News: November 20, 2024

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 94,591 vessel histories (with 16,203 images and 13,900 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters).

Vessel records are currently being reviewed and updated with more than 40,000 processed so far this year.

The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3996 images).

Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he has contributed 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.

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