Seaworker

A modern design this vessel had loading doors in the bow which could be opened to allow a roll-on roll-off operation. There were no wharves in most of the communities in the Western Arctic which dictated the design of the ship. Even now there are only wharves at Tuktoyaktuk and Cambridge Bay. The newer design allowed for the use of forklifts and other specialized cargo-handling equipment and the cargo was then palletized. The cargo transport market was such that the James Broderick was already too small. The cargo service continued to evolve rapidly through this period and the introduction of containerized cargo services continued rapidly. Large handling machinery such as huge forklifts which could lift a 40 ton container were introduced. This became the standard approach which is continued to the current day in the north. The James Broderick, even after her rebuilding, could not efficiently handle the 40 ton containers so this vessel was eclipsed by the barge traffic and laid up at anchor for several years. The vessel was originally built as a landing craft in 1965 by Yarrows Ltd. and converted during 1980 to an Arctic class survey vessel. Vessel had been nicknamed "the Cadillac of the Arctic" by many who sailed on her.