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The Old Tug Sea Lion

by John MacFarlane and Mike Rydqvist McCammon 2019

Sea Lion

The Sea Lion in earlier days (Photo from the Nauticapedia collection.)

The Sea Lion was built in 1905 by Charles E. Robertson in Vancouver BC. 130.0’ x 22.0’ x 19.5’ (37.8m x 6.8m x 3.4m) wooden–hull She was originally powered by a 600bhp steam oil burner triple expansion 10kts (1905) In 1952 she was rebuilt with a very distinctive whistle which could play a full scale. In 1957 the second mast was removed? and re–engined with a 800hp Enterprise Diesel. In 1952 she was re–engined with 800hp Enterprise diesel from the tug Active. About 2004 she was renamed as Sea Lion IV.

Sea Lion

The Sea Lion VI at Maple Bay BC. (Photo from the Mike McCammon collection.)

In 1905–1910 she was owned by G. H. French, Vancouver BC. In 1910 she was owned by H.A. Young & Lloyd B. Gore, Vancouver BC. In 1915 she was owned by British Canadian Lumber Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1916–1963 she was owned by Young & Gore Tugboat Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1963 she was owned by Island Tug & Barge Co. Ltd., Victoria BC. In 1970 she was owned by Harold Elworthy, Victoria BC as a yacht. In 1972 she was owned by Sealion Charters Ltd., Victoria BC. In 1975–1985 she was owned by Seatech Charters Ltd., Victoria BC. In 1985 she was owned by Murray Boy as a live aboard. In 1986 she was sold to Ernie Kansler of Friday Harbour WA as a yacht. In 2004–2013 she was owned by Living Planet Experiences Un–limited, Calgary AB. (Her current ownership is not known.)

Sea Lion

The Sea Lion VI at Maple Bay BC. (Photo from the Mike McCammon collection.)

On June 2, 1945 she collided with the Coast Quarries Jr. off Sechelt BC. In 2017–2018 she was berthed at Saanichton BC and was later moved to Maple Bay BC where, in 2019, she is currently berthed.

Sea Lion

The Sea Lion VI at Maple Bay BC. (Photo from the Mike McCammon collection.)

Sea Lion

The Sea Lion VI at Maple Bay BC. (Photo from the Mike McCammon collection.)

Sea Lion

A postal cover mailed from the Sea Lion to the co–author. (Photo from the John MacFarlane collection.)

Sea Lion

The Sea Lion. (Photo from the collection of the City of Vancouver Archives.)


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John and Mike Rydqvist McCammon (2019) The Old Tug Sea Lion. Nauticapedia.ca 2019. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/Sea_Lion.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.

Also my special thanks to my volunteer content accuracy checker, John Spivey of Irvine CA USA, who continues (almost every day for the last couple of years) to proof read thousands of Nauticapedia vessel histories and provided input to improve more than 14,000 entries. His attention to detail has been a huge unexpected bonus in improving and updating the vessel detail content.

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