MV Skookum, also known as Tut Tut, was a ferry that operated on Okanagan Lake in British Columbia, Canada starting on April 2, 1906.[1] She was the first official, government-subsidized ferry on the lake to connect the communities of Kelowna and Westbank.[2]
| History | |
|---|---|
| Canada | |
| Operator |
|
| Builder | H. B. D. Lysons |
| In service | 2 April 1906 |
| Nickname(s) | Tut Tut |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Ferry |
| Length | 30 ft (9.1 m) |
| Beam | 6 ft (1.8 m) |
| Draught | 2 ft (0.61 m) |
| Installed power | Turscott one-cylinder, 7 hp (5.2 kW) engine |
| Speed | 8–10 mph (13–16 km/h; 7.0–8.7 kn) |
| Capacity | 20 passengers |
Skookum was built by the H. B. D. Lysons and measured 30 feet (9.1 m) by 6 feet (1.8 m) by 2 feet (0.61 m), with a Turscott one-cylinder, seven horsepower engine that gave her a speed of eight to ten miles per hour.[3] She had a capacity of 20 passengers and would charge 25 cents per passenger or one dollar per horse.[4] In addition, Skookum had a scow that was 40 feet (12 m) by 16 feet (4.9 m) by 4 feet (1.2 m) to handle livestock or one vehicle. If the scow was needed, the customer would build two fires on the West side of the lake as a signal.[5] Skookum was granted a CAD$1000 per year subsidy to run two round trips daily, except Sundays, for three years.[6]
In 1907, the ferry charter was bought by Captain Len A. Hayman, who continued the service until 1911, when the Okanagan Lake Boat Company, owned by Peter Roe, took her over.[7] Roe and his brothers, Fred and Gerald, then operated Skookum and another ship, MV Trepanier, for many years.[8]
References
edit- ^ Fortin, Ayla (1999). "Early Ferry Transportation and the Okanagan Lake Floating Bridge". Okanagan history: Sixty-third report of the Okanagan Historical Society. pp. 122–125. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Hatfield, Harley R. (1992). "Commercial Boats of the Okanagan". Okanagan history. Fifty-sixth report of the Okanagan Historical Society. pp. 20–33. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Upton, Primrose (1 Nov 1973). "Okanagan Lake Bridge". Thirty-seventh annual report of the Okanagan Historical Society. p. 70. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Hayman, L. A. (1971) [1937]. "The Kelowna-Westbank Ferry". Reprint of report numbers 7, 8, 9, 10 of the Okanagan Historical Society. Vol. 10. pp. 39–44. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Pooley, Ian (30 September 2013). "Getting across the Lake: Sinking Scows and Panicked Passengers". Daily Courier.
- ^ Clement, J. Percy (1960). "Early Days in Kelowna". The twenty-fourth report of the Okanagan Historical Society. pp. 165–166. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ Goett, R. Lakeboats of the Okanagan (PDF). Retrieved 19 August 2015 – via Lake Country Museum.
- ^ Andrew, W. F. (1955). "Peachland, Summerland and Naramata". The nineteenth report of the Okanagan Historical Society. pp. 62–72. Retrieved 19 August 2015.