| Dorothy Mandeville (Email to Nauticapedia 04/06/2024) stated "I live in Hay River.NWT. I was a grade 11 student at St.Pats High School in 1971. Our Teacher announced a contest for a Ship that was going to travel the Mackenzie River, they wanted a name for this Ship ? So I raised my hand and submitted the name NorWeTe they changed the E for a A to spell NorWeTa for her Magisty Queen Elizabeth. So it was me who submitted that name on that day. I won the contest, but what I did not know was I competed against all the High Schools in the North West Territories. So I was able to bring one person so I brought my Mother. It was for one week long. We flew from Yellowknife NT to Inuvik on the 8 of July 1971 and went to Tuktoyuktuk, NT then back down to Hay River crossing the Hay River was very rough and I slept through it. My mom helped mop up water. She woke me up and we flew home to Yellowknife that evening." This vessel was the first passenger cruise ship on the Mackenzie River from Hay River NWT. This vessel was a little disaster prone, regularly running up on mud bars in the river. This vessel would take one cruise from Hay River down the river to Tukyoyaktuk and then pick up another complement of passengers who had arrived there by air to return to Hay River. When the big oil play started this vessel was diverted to as transportation for the oil exploration, about 1982. Greg Whitlock (Email to Nauticapedia 08/11/2019) stated "I first worked on refit of her as 17 year old in 1978 when it was fitted out for Home Trade 3 certification from minor waters. Windows replaced with portholes, exhaust stacks, water tight deck doors and hatches etc. In 1979 when I turned 18 I was hired as deckhand when repurposed for Rig Standby vessel (Dome Petroleum/CanMar drilling) in Beaufort Sea. I worked for Arctic Offshore from 1979 – 1984. Offshore this vesselbobbed like a cork, on river a little under powered for fast water sections but this vesselstill handled great and steered well. My parents (George/Margaret Whitlock) and I bought vessel from bank in 1990 when former company went into receivership with intent to return her to passenger service accommodating 20 berthed passengers. We refurbished the vessel, completing gutting and rebuilding interior, extending lounge and other improvements. It returned to passenger vessel in 1991 operating cruises out of Yellowknife NWT on Mackenzie River and East Arm of Great Slave Lake until 2008 when George and Margaret retired from operating her. It has been laid up in Hay River Hbr since. This fall this vessel was hauled from water and this coming year in 2020 it will again be refurbished with additional modifications with enclosing entire boat deck behind existing lounge and relocated to Yellowknife and serve the remainder of her days as floating Airbnb and restaurant. For the naming of vessel; it was contest with school children who suggested Norweta (short for Northwest Territories). In 191 –1976 it operated as passenger vessel on Mackenzie River. In 1977 – 198 it was used in Beaufort Sea as rig standby and survey vessel. In 1986 – 198 this vessel was laid up in Tuk Hbr and then relocated to Hay River." Captain Chris Holloway stated "Worked as Captain and sometimes first mate from time to time on the Norweta from 1992 to 2004 approx. It is still owned by Capt Greg Whitlock who's family owned and operated it when I worked on it." |
