The steam tugboat “Shawnigan” was built at the Shawnigan Lake Lumber Co. sawmill to replace the old and leaky tugboat “Lady of the Lake”.
The engine and boiler from the Lady of the Lake were installed in the new hull and the launching took place in late 1923. Her main job was to tow log booms to the mill from the log dump on the west side of the lake. This vessel operated on the lake until the sawmill and planing mill were destroyed by fire in August 1934. The tug’s berth was adjacent to the planing mill so as the mill burned the boat caught on fire, burned to the water line, and sank.
The boat was registered as having a gross tonnage of 8.00 tons, registered tonnage of 3.63 tons, overall length of 37.4 feet, breadth of 9.5 feet and depth of 4.85 feet.
The boiler was a Roberts type, built by B.C. Marine Engineers and Shipbuilders of Vancouver, B.C. The engine, a single cylinder of 51/2 inch bore by 7 ½ inch stroke, was built by Marine Iron Works in Victoria. The engine operated non-condensing as the exhaust was directed to a nozzle in the smoke stack to provide draught and the boiler feed was by injector directly from the lake.
The fuel used was wood, mainly kiln dried ends from the planing mill, and was carried on the side decks.
Originally, a crew of two was provided: the operator who fired the boiler operated the engine and steered the vessel, and a deckhand who handled the lines, etc. During the depression years, the Company found it necessary to operate with one man only. The late William Cotsford of Shawnigan operated the boat from 1930 until the end.
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