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Captain George Alexander MacFarlane

George A. MacFarlane in Solander

Captain George Alexander MacFarlane while Master of the tugboat Solander. (Photo from MacFarlane collection.)

He was born in Donover House, Maynalty Co. Meath Ireland on 24/02/1897. He was the youngest son of Major James Francis Lennox MacFarlane, an Irish cavalry officer. He landed with his family at Quebec City on 26/06/1898 in the S.S. Californian. They moved to Millet (then in the Northwest Territories but now in Alberta) where they operated a farm. George grew up in a dysfunctional household, the youngest of five. He did not attend school but was taught, sporadically, by his well-educated father. He spent much of his youth as a field hand on his father's farm. This was not a success and Major MacFarlane moved the family to Mill Bay BC where he found the residents to be more socially acceptable than the farmers of Alberta.

He first went to sea with his older brothers Fred and Arthur, in the tugboat Victory towing logs from Mill Bay to mills in Victoria BC. Major MacFarlane purchased the Victory for his elder sons who operated from the wharf at Mill Bay BC until the outbreak of the First World War. Fred was commissioned into the RNVR and Arthur (who had Militia service at Fort Rodd Hill) went into the army. As soon as he was able he learned nautical skills from his two older brothers, Fred and Arthur. George much preferred the life of a deckhand to that of field hand for his father. The Victory was too small and under-powered to be successful and the brothers purchased the tug Wabash. At the outbreak of war the Wabash was laid up in Wheelbarrow cove (now filled in) and left at anchor with HMCS Naden which had also been laid up there.

George served as a Private in the Canadian Army in World War One as the Driver of a mule-train carrying artillery shells in the 62nd Battalion 1915-1919. He transferred to the 54th Battalion 3rd Division Artillery. He was was severely wounded and was demobilized in Canada in 1919. At the start of the Second World War he attempted to join the RCNR and the RCAF but his army experiences were so horrendous that he declined to apply for the army. Both services declined his offer due to the after affects of his wounds in the First World War.

After his army service he spent time in the tugs operated by his older brothers as Deckhand and Mate.

Certificate 1

He was qualified as a Master Mariner on 30/05/1928.


Certificate 2

He married Doris Gwendoline Flint on 10/07/1921. He was the father of George Richard MacFarlane, Madeline Sluggett and Charles Lewis MacFarlane.

On August 25, 1930, while towing three pilchard scows, she caught fire five miles off of Ucluelet BC. The fire was discovered by the Chinese cook who reported it to the Master, Captain George A. MacFarlane. The order was given to abandon ship. The crew was trying to launch the work boat but was beaten back by the flames. Captain MacFarlane put the helm over to come around onto a new course and they were able to launch the lifeboat. The lifeboat's painter, however, was not made fast and it drifted away. The tug came about and the crew was finally able to launch the work boat, but as it drifted aft it was crushed between the tug and the leading scow. Things were truly looking bleak for the crew at this point.

Captain George A. MacFarlane dived into the sea and swan underwater under one of the scows to retrieve the lifeboat. Fortunately the oars were still on board and the plug was in place so he was able to return to the blazing tug and rescue the rest of the crew. When assistance arrived he transferred the crew but stayed with the scows to prevent any salvage claims until a company vessel the Amlac could pick up the tow. The company rewarded him with a cheque for $75 and the plant manager gave him a pair of binoculars as a reward.

Victoria Pilot Boat

George MacFarlane up the mast of the Victoria Pilot Cutter

MacFarlane studied to become a Marine Pilot. He was the skipper of the Victoria Pilot Cutter for a time. But when the time came to take the examination he dropped out of the process. He certainly knew the coast and had respect as a Master Mariner but he showed signs of insecurity about his abilities unusually showed a fear of failure. He had been educated at home by his idiosyncratic father and as a result his education was uneven at best. His father taught his children skills that would be needed as a cavalry officer but not necessarily a well-rounded education. This put all the younger ones at a disadvantage later in life, forcing them to live on their wits. He never did sit for the exam in spite of being privately urged by the examiners to do so.

Working life was fraught with difficulties of another sort. He had been given a minor share in the tugboat business by his two older brothers. They fought with each other constantly and could not agree on major business decisions. Each of them thought that by bringing the younger brother into the business that they would gain a voting advantage over the other. Of course on each issue George had to "choose" between the brothers causing huge stress. This could not, and did not, last for long. He went out on his own.

Captain MacFarlane was a prodigious swimmer. His nephew John Henderson stated that he had never met anyone before or since that could swim under water like him. When he and his cousin George Jr. were paddling a boat or a canoe and saw Captain MacFarlane in the water they would immediately head for shore. He would disappear under water and before they knew it their boat would be overturned and they would have an unplanned swim, a great joke by the Captain on the children.

In the early 1930s Captain MacFarlane left the MacFarlane Brothers Ltd. and went to work as the Master of the tug Storm King for her owner, Captain Mathias Mathieson in Victoria BC. In 1935 he chartered the Ispaco No. 2 (#156446 ex-fish packer, 60’ 65bhp powered by a diesel engine). In June 1936 he purchased (with John Harry Kirby as joint owner) the tug M.C.M. (#134119 69 16nhp steam engine) originally built in 1914 for Mercer and Meyers. In 1938 he was appointed as the Master of the Solander (#155250 49’ powered by a 5bhp diesel engine) owned by Nitinat Lake Logging Co. (Sorenson & Baird) towing Davis Rafts from Nitinat Lake on the west coast of Vancouver Island to Victoria BC.

In 1941 he was appointed as Master of the tug Nitinat Chief (#173474 64’ powered by a 160bhp diesel engine). He participated in the design of the tug and enjoyed a reputation for his ability to tow large booms of logs out over extremely treacherous Nitinat Bar. This was his last command as he died of cancer in View Royal BC at the young age of 47 on 11 May 1944.

Vessels Owned:

  • M.C.M. - 1936-1938 (1/6 share with George H. Kirby 5/6 share)

Vessels Served

References:

  • Baird, P.D. (1949)
  • John D.S. Henderson (Personal Communication 14/10/1999)
  • Personal Communication (Conversation John MacFarlane - George R. MacFarlane) 1992

To quote from this article please cite:

MacFarlane, John M. (2012) Captain George Alexander MacFarlane. Nauticapedia.ca 2012. http://nauticapedia.ca/Articles/MacFarlane_GeorgeA1.php

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