Kos 51

In 1996 the Pacific Challenge was towing the liner Prince George and an ex-US tanker to Japan for scrapping when the Prince George sank off Kodiak Alaska. On June 27, 2013, the Canadian Coast Guard informed the Administrator that the ex-tug Pacific Challenge was in danger of sinking at its anchorage off Pender Harbour, British Columbia. The owner reported that hull deterioration was the cause for the slow ingress of water, but that he was unable to respond to the incident. The Coast Guard Environmental Response personnel investigated and found that the derelict vessel contained approximately 25,000 litres of a mixture of diesel oil and sea water in its fuel tanks. There was also some 400 litres of hydraulic oil onboard, and a quantity of oily waste in the bilges. The tug owner was unable or unwilling to respond appropriately. Therefore, at the time of the report, the Coast Guard was in the process of trying to ensure that in the event the tug sank there would be no oil pollution damage to the marine environment. As of the end of the fiscal year no claim has been filed with the fund; meanwhile, the file remains open. John Dolmage (British Columbia Nautical History Facebook Group 30/06/2019) stated "this vessel was in BC Packers as the West Whale 7 then refitted by Pacific Towing at McKenzie Barge in 1969 into a tug. Her after house was cut off and sent to Boundry Bay to be used at the fire fighting training centre there. The Pacific Towing partnership between Ron Wilson and Lance Higgs dissolved - Ron continued with Pacific Towing and Lance took the Pacific Challenge into his Knight Towing. This vessel was steam powered and rated at 2,200 hp. At about 120rpm. Lance got a contract towing a flat deck barge with containers between SanJuan, Puerto Rico and Rio Hina, Dominican Republic. I crewed-on as an 18 year old deckhand in November ‘71 and headed south! Great experience and good times with Don MacKenzie as skipper , Rick Bloom and Jim Malella as the other deckhands. Roy Roberts was our mate to Panama when Lance rejoined is. This vessel operated until March but the old steam pot had chronic problems and even Dons dad Norm MacKenzie a renowned steam engineer was able to keep her going. Lance broken up out the engineroom in Rio Hina and had her towed to Panama.

He hired his brother Ken with the Island Commander to tow her from Panama to Vancouver where Lance had Burrard Drydock install a 20 cylinder EMD - 3600 hp. as well as installing a Lott nozzle. Lance first went to work for Seaspan Towing their log barges, the towed the Frank H Brown on the Skagway run for several years after which he began towing the big paper barges for M&B from Alberni and Powell River to California. Lance ran into financial troubles and Ron Wilson stepped back in and took over, renaming her Jacqline W.

They operated her for years finally selling her to a couple of guys who towed the Prince George and I think the Langdale Queen (which had been called the Lady Grace after Grace MacCarthy).

They lost the Prince George in the Gulf of Alaska and went on to work the boat in the Far East until bringing her back for a refit at Allied Shipbuilders.

They ran into financial troubles and the boat was payed up there for years with all her machinery removed. Finally someone on Nelson Island bought her and this vesselpayed at the mouth of Hidden Basin for years. Now there this vesselsits in Pender Harbour. This vessel was built in 1952 in Norway. 173’ long with a 17’ draft and I think about 30’ beam.

They were remarkable seaboats and fast. With the diesel this vessel could make 18 knots until they hung the auxiliary drive up forward which dropped her to 15 knots. With a huge prop in the nozzle down deep and a very fine hull no similar powered tugs could touch her for pulling. There was a great tow this vessel did with the Rivtow Captain Bob - they both left with loaded sister paper barges for California at the same time and returned with the empties. The Challenge, with 2,000 less horse power made the trip in something like 5 days less time than the Bob! It blew strong westerly the whole trip and the Bob couldn’t pull. When Packers operated her, this vessel was rammed by a female sperm whale after they had shot her calf and it punched the plates in badly enough on the port side they had to list her over and run to the shipyard. This vessel was all riveted hull and house. And built for ice."