William J. Stewart (D.G.S.)

As the years wore on her designation changed from D.G.S. (Dominion Government Ship) to C.S.S. (Canadian Survey Ship. In July 1944 currents carried her onto Ripple Rock BC and her hull was damaged. This vessel was permanently moored as a hotel ship. In October 2016 this vessel was stripped and towed to Surrey BC to be broken up by Amix Metals Ltd. Mike Ball (Email to Nauticapedia 01/11/2016) states "The ship was usually laid up each winter and reactivated in April or May, as the surveying was done during the summer months when good weather could be expected.

In 1971 the ship was reactivated early (March I think it was) and sailed in March or April as a training ship for some new Hydrographers, working off the west coast of Vancouver Island and in Barkley Sound. Up until that year I believe the custom was for the new Hydrographers to do their training on the east coast, in the Caribbean or around Bermuda I believe. I don’t know if the West Coast training was repeated the following year or not as I went to the UK, but I suspect it was a one-time arrangement. For the 1973 season I sailed as Fireman, operating the ship’s boilers. The next year, 1974, I sailed as an oiler in the engine room. For 1975 I sailed as the Junior Engineer, responsible for both the boiler and engine rooms. Most of the survey work was done from survey launches, the Hydrographer in each launch working from day marks temporarily erected on shore in each survey area. I don’t recall the sequence of the areas that we surveyed in 1973 and 1974, but during those seasons we surveyed in Howe Sound, along the Sunshine Coast (around Powell River), Jarvis Inlet, and the mouth of the Skeena River.

In 1975 we did ship soundings off the west coast of Vancouver Island and then launch surveying in Barkley Sound." Bryon Taylor (27/11/2017) states that"Reference RG 24 Volume 5593 File 20-101 Pt2 Ships Requisitioned - (Generally 1939) - contains a proposal to arm this ship. It was proposed to fit her with a 4 inch gun, and Type 123 Asdic Gear and it was suggested that fitting her out as an A/S vessel would not disturb her hydrological equipment. No further action was taken."