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The Mystery of Two Vessels Named Songhee Also Named Driftwood

by John MacFarlane 2022

There have been two tugs named Songhee that were also named Driftwood. To make it more confusing both tugs were built in 1944. The these two vessels seem to have overlapping histories and this creates the confusion over their identities. By carefully sifting through the records of the Transport Canada Register of Ships and the records in the National Archives of Canada we have sorted out the two histories.

Songhee

The Songhee as a floating bed and breakfast. (Photo from the Derek Poole collection.)

The first Songhee (176893 Canada M.468 (RCAF) YPT.1 (RCN)) was built in 1944 as the RCAF M.468 Songhee by Star Shipyards (Mercers) Ltd. at New Westminster BC. 27.06m x 7.65m x 4.08m (86.1’ x 24.4’ x 8.5’) wood hull 162gt 76rt. She was originally powered by a 400hp engine by the Atlas Gas Engine Co., San Francisco CA USA. She was later repowered with a Repowered with a 298bhp diesel engine. In 1944–1953 she was owned by the Minister of National Defence (Air), Ottawa ON and operated by the Royal Canadian Air Force. In 1946 she was renamed as C.N.A.V. Songhee. In 1953 she was transferred to the Royal Canadian Navy. In 1991 she was renamed as Songhee. In 1991–1992 she was owned by J. & J. Salvage Co., Duncan BC. In 1992–2004 she was owned by James N. Roome, Duncan BC. In c2011 she was renamed as Driftwood. In 2011–2022 she was owned by Queen Charlotte Lodge Ltd., Richmond BC. (In 1991 she was designated as a British Columbia Vintage Vessel by the Maritime Museum of British Columbia.)

Songhee

The Songhee while she was the Harrow Straits (Photo from the John Henderson collection.)

The second Songhee (250616 (US) 193772 (Canada) 8944551 (IMO)) was built in 1944 as the USATS TP–123 in 1944 at Newport Beach CA USA by The Peyton Co. 92.0’ x 24.7’ x 10.5’ wood hull 184.67gt 44.41rt. She was originally powered by a 450hp engine. She was repowered about 1964 with a 765bhp CAT diesel engine. She was repowered again c2011 with a 560kw diesel engine. In 1944–1946 she was owned by the United States Army Transportation Service. In 1947 she was renamed as Santrina. In 1947 as the Santrina she was owned Coos Bay Lumber Co., Coos Bay OR USA. In 1951–1953 she was owned by Pacific (Coyle) Navigation Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1957 she was renamed as Pacific Master. In 1961 she was renamed as Haro Straits. In 1957–1963 she was owned by Straits Towing Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1964 she was renamed as Haro. In 1964–1972 she was owned by Texada Towing Co. Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1972–1978 she was owned by Rivtow Marine Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1979–1980 she was owned by Surfline Timber Products Ltd., Campbell River BC. In 1982 she was renamed as Driftwood. In 1981–1997 she was owned by Driftwood Enterprises Ltd., Burnaby BC. In 1999–2012 she was owned by Queen Charlotte Lodge Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 2012c she was renamed as Songhee. In 2013–2022 she was owned by Daniel Savard, Lakefield ON. (In 2013 this vessel was berthed at Port Alberni BC and operated as the Swept Away Inn, (a B. & B. with 8 staterooms and 6 heads).)


To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John (2022) The Mystery of Two Vessels Named Songhee Also Named Driftwood. Nauticapedia.ca 2021. http://nauticapedia.ca/Gallery/FILE.php

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Site News: November 2, 2024

The vessel database has been updated and is now holding 94,538 vessel histories (with 16,140 images and 13,887 records of ship wrecks and marine disasters). The mariner and naval biography database has also been updated and now contains 58,599 entries (with 3989 images). Vessel records are currently being reviewed and updated with more than 35,000 processed so far this year.

Thanks to contributor Mike Rydqvist McCammon for the hundreds of photos he has contributed to illustrate British Columbia's floating heritage.

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