HARTVILLE

Ville Class Tugboat

In 1944 she was built as a Ville-class tug for the Royal Canadian Navy. In 1946-1953 she was owned by Straits Towing & Salvage Co. Ltd., Victoria BC. In 1953-1958 she was owned by Straits Towing Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1958-1960 she was owned by Deeks-McBride Ltd., Vancouver BC. In 1960-1967 she was owned by Simpson Brothers Logging Ltd., Stave Falls BC. In 1977 she was sold to Edward Carter, Britannia Beach, BC. In 1978-2007 she was owned by Robert B. Kerr, Squamish, BC. (source: Nauticapedia)

According to Russ Simpson a son of one of the Simpson Bros. while owned by Deeks McBride she was over run by the barge she was towing through the 2nd Narrows in Burrard Inlet Vancouver and sunk with loss of life. When raised no one would work on her and Johnson Bros. bought her. At some time she had been re-powered with a Cat. This engine threw a rod while on a trip on Stave Lake and was re-powered with a Volvo Penta which being an aluminum block was much lighter and boom chain was added for ballast. (Researched by Leigh Cossey)

The former Hartville is sitting abandoned for the past 11 years on the shore of Kinbasket Lake, near Golden BC.

Photos and Documents

The tug Navvy Jack (II) (former RCN Tug Hartville) sits abandoned on the shores of Kinbasket Lake near Golden, BC. Photographed on 08 Sep 2018

Photographer: Leigh Cossey

Courtesy of / © Leigh Cossey 2018