Getting Under Way - Hastings Mill.
1890

Watercolor 14" x 21"


Until well into the twentieth century, lumber was shipped from British Columbia in mostly square rigged, engineless sailing vessels. As production increased and the mills in Burrard Inlet began exporting lumber to the Pacific Rim, there was an early and obvious need for tugs to tow the ships out to sea. The BEAVER was sometimes available, and she continued to make the occasional tow, but there was an increasing need for tugs built for the trade. The first built in British Columbia was ordered by Captain Stamp, a huge side wheel steamer named ISABEL. She went into service in 1866. One of the first propeller driven tugs, The ETTA WHITE, was purchased in 1876 by the Moodyville mill. These two handled most of the towing during the 1870’s.

The early tugs built for towing ships were long and narrow, with deep draft, large propellers and with steam engines of over one thousand horsepower. One of these was the PILOT. She was built in Portland Oregon in 1871, was 121 feet long with a 22 foot beam. She worked the British Columbia coast until 1895 when she was converted into a scow. She is pictured picking up her tow at sunrise from Hastings Mill, timed to catch the morning ebb.