Vancouver Island, BC. Logging at its Best!

[jackd]

I was reading several months ago about the tug boat industry economic downturn and subsequent retirement of several notable coastal tugs. The Straits Logger and the Haida Brave are also casualties of this situation. It sounded like it was a bit of a blood bath and as a result companies were not investing in much needed new equipment - sounds very similar to the forest industry in the past few decades. Many job losses as well.

 

[SPMiller]

I take it these are the final shots of the Straits Logger, Haida Brave and several other vessels as they head off to some foreign scrapyard? There is actually a second ship in behind the Straits Logger. Anyone know the destination?

off to China, eventually. 2 ships and 5 tugs. They are slated for scrap, although I was told by someone that after being to china a few times, it would not surprise him if some of them sailed again

In the mean time

The Development Way will not be sailing anytime soon, vessel is a toatal nightmare Transport Canada is all over them.

DNV, NK, Class etc. wiil not let the vessel sail until the welds securing the log ships to the deck of the ship are redone.

Turns out chinese farmers dont make very good welders.

I would not want to be in any serious weather with that deck load.....hope they make it to China.

 

[Choker man]

I would wonder how the ship Development would handle a rough crossing! The Province newspaper posted a photo of "Development" and not much of an article about why the ships were being sent to the scrap yard. Were the tugs and barge [ship] so worn out that they couldn't be used any longer?
Also in the Province was an article stating the old rant about sending logs off-shore cheaply and buying back with the value added. I wonder what Mr. H. R. MacMillan and some of the old timber harvesters would say about sending all this wood overseas.
In the U S A a while ago the I W A and longshoremen were quite vocal about sending the raw logs overseas. Now that B C is sending raw logs overseas where is the cry from the Companies [in my opinion are American ] and unions appear to now be quiet.

 

[jackd]

Not at all - there is quite the vocal objection to the shipping of raw logs overseas by both Business and Unions over on Vancouver Island. You just won't see much mention of it in any of rags covering the news out of Vancouver.

 

[hoglogg]

vancouver island is in the most part private land. not crown , if private land owners want to ship logs off to wherever, instead of the high cost of utilizing our labour , thats there deal .... look into the percentage of crown timber milled here and the small percentage of raw logs going to asia (off crown land ) .... those big companies doing this are renamed old school companys m and b is island timberlands bc forest products now timberwest etc ... i would rather see all of us working , cutting locally but its free enterprise ,, these big corporations dont care about people at all , just there bottom line ..... look at how many mills are being built in asia versus here ..

 

[KevWeb81]

I would not want to be in any serious weather with that deck load.....hope they make it to China.

That's all I keep thinking, I'm not the type of person who likes to spend a lot of time in the water, I prefer to be on land, so I can't help but think that that load looks awfully precarious.

 

[TD-5]

Here are a few more pictures of the scrap load for china, All this equipment belongs to Seaspan International, most of it aquired through aquistion of other companies. There are actual 8 tugboats loaded on the Straits Logger, From the back of the barge going Fwd, outside to inside, "Harmac Fir" ex Macmillian Blodel (Kingcome Navigation), "Seaspan Master" ex Island Tug & Slavage, "Texada Crown" ex Crown Zellerbach(Canadian Tug boat co), "Mercer Straits" ex Rivtow, "Bering Straits" ex Rivtow, "Seaspan Charger" & on the bow of the logger, "Storm Coaster" ex Rivtow, ex..??? "Rivtow Princess ex Rivtow ex..???.
The log Ship "Haida Brave" ex Mac Blo(Kingcome Navigation) is loaded aft of the logger

 

[SPMiller]

A few of the boats are single screw vessels and are pretty old, so spending any money on them is a little pointless. Twin screws have more versatility and are a safer more reliable vessel.

The Haida Brave had her cranes removed and installed on the Haida Monarch. The log ships were costly to run, so they have been phased out. Haida Monarch is now a barge and is no longer self-propelled.

The Logger is likely rotten beyond reasonable repair.

The Princess was parted out....


I think the Rivtow Princess came from back east, so thats why you're not likely finding any info.

Smit Princess brings up some info and an awesome boat name to boot. Federal Beaver. Gonna set sail on the Beaver.

http://stevebriggs.netfirms.com/osmrm/xfederalbeaver.htmll

 

[GoldRiverHD]

2216 from WFP Gold River takin last summer.

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d...740050540104_737965103_20059352_4997664_n.jpg

 

[rayb]

Not really Vancouver Island, But Nootka Island has the same terrain and loggers. This was Doman's camp at McBride Bay. I was a young forest engineer here in the early 80's. My focus was more on the cutblocks than the equipment, but some of it was really eye catching.

 

[Hayesno1]

Pics from Sarita dump/drysort summer 2012

 

[Hayesno1]

More from Sarita...

 

[Hayesno1]

More pics form Sarita. Much to look at - lot of activities - I could stay there for a hole day!

 

[furpo]

I didnt realise you guys are still putting logs in the water. We would get shot down here if we did that.

 

[Born2clearcut]

Almost every west coast operation uses water to get logs to the mills

 

[log big]

ware is sarita at?

 

[hoglogg]

west coast, vancouver island, british columbia, canada ................

 

[log big]

i would love to see how logging is in BC Montana is different nothing big we did have a big mill but its been torn down but we float the logs to the mill on a big river

 

[Hayesno1]

Some pics of Woss Camp A reload(trucks to train) now a WFP operation - summer 2012

 

[Hayesno1]

More pics from Camp A near Woss