Astelle

The Canadian Register was closed 2005-04-05. Marcus Fisher (British Columb Nautical History Facebook Group 10/05/2018) states that "The boat was named after the builder Joseph James Astell.

He built the Double J by himself in an old horse barn by False Creek. The barn was used for horses which pulled public transport. JJ Astell was a pattern maker by trade and the attention to detail in building the is evident where ever you look. The name came after he was heading home from working on the boat.

He still didn't have a name that he liked. On the car radio heading home he heard of a horse winning some race. The horse was from a ranch called Double J. I always thought that keeping the name was a real tribute to the builder. I had JJ's son onboard once and he told lots of stories about when the family owned the boat." Caroline Astelle (Email to Nauticapedia 17/03/2023) stated "When my Dad had the boat the decks were a 'seafoam" green and all the canvas was medium green colour. Otherwise the boat looks the same as when by dad owned it. The boat was launched from Arrow Boat works on Granville Island in September 1949. The third pic was taken as the boat was maneuvered out of the shed on Pacific Avenue where it and the Faranda were built.(Faranda was built by Stan Hope). It was then pulled over the Burrard Street Bridge to Granville Island and lowered into the water at the Arrow Boat Works and towed around Stanley Park to the Burrard Yacht Club when it was located in Coal Harbour. Arrow Boat works was eventually Bridges Restaurant a few years ago was sold and turned into the "Tap and Barrel" restaurant. An inside wall of the pub still has the" Arrow Boat Works" paint on the wood when I was there about 4 years ago. My father used to like telling people the boat went over and under the Burrard street bridge all in one day! One other correction is my father was not a "pattern maker".

He was a Lithographer."