Princess Maquinna 1913

The veteran steamer Tees was replaced in 1913 by the Princess Maquinna, a single-screw vessel. Her scantlings: length of 232’, a beam of 38′, a draft of 14.5′ with a tonnage: 1,777

Princess Maquinna was named after the great chief of the Nuu-chah-nulth people of Nootka Sound. She had been under construction by Victoria’s  B.C. Marine Railway Co at their Esquimalt yard when the firm was purchased by Sir Alfred Yarrow of the great Glasgow shipbuilding firm. She was the first vessel launched by Yarrows and was christened by Mrs. W. Fitzherbert Bullen, a granddaughter of Sir James Doulgas, founder of Victoria and father of British Columbia, and wife of the head of the B.C. Marine Railway. Upon completion, Captain Edward Gillam transferred to Princess Maquinna from Tees, remaining in charge for twenty years.

With a service speed of 13 knots, she had accommodations for 400 day passengers and stateroom facilities for 100.

The veteran “good ship Princess Maquinna’ established a warm place for herself in the hearts of Vancouver Island residents during her four decades of service to the logging camps and canneries on the arduous west coast of Vancouver Island route.

The Main Photograph

Ivan Watson discovered the photo above in an old book at the 2016 Victoria Times Colonist Book Sale and kindly posted it to facebook. For a broad and interesting view of old Victoria you can click on the Old Victoria link in the Webliography

Princess Maquinna was dismantled at Vancouver, her hull being converted to a towed cargo barge renamed Taku.