Versatile Pacific Shipyards: Ship Repairs


Ship Repairs:   27-3081, 27-3083, 27-2779, 27-2782, 27-2793, 
27-2914, 27-2936, 27-2943, 27-2950, 27-3018, 27-3020, 27-3022, 27-3058,
27-3063, 27-3067, 27-3087, 27-3090, 27-2092, 27-3139, 27-3140, 27-3144, 
27-3146, 27-3147, 27-3152, 27-3154, 27-3208, 27-3209, 27-3210, 27-3215, 
27-3224.

Especially in slow economic times, ship repairs and renovations helped keep the shipyards afloat financially. As the following photographs indicate, the results of some of the collisions were spectacular, and no doubt getting the ships back in service tested the ingenuity of the shipyard's personnel. The photographs are mostly arranged alphabetically by the name of the ship repaired, although some of the similar repairs and rennovations have been grouped for convenience.

During the war a number of vessels were converted to wartime capability.

27-3081 and 27-3083 show the "Prince David", which was converted to a merchant cruiser and then reconverted to an L.S.I. carrier.

27-2779 shows an aircraft carrier conversion from an American Liberty ship that took place at Lapointe Pier in 1943.

27-2782 shows the "Alaska", which carried box cars from Westminster to Whittier, Alaska. It struck an island in the fog four miles out of its terminus in Alaska in 1965.

27-2393 shows repair work in progress.

27-2914 shows the M.V. "Granville" in collision with Lapointe Pier, which caused $30,000 worth of damage in 1962.

27-2936 and 27-2943 show the conversion of the "Island Princess" in 1971,

and the end result in 27-2950.

27-3058 shows the twin screw Werkspoor engines built for the motor tanker "Nordinger" in 1936.

27-3063 shows the damage sustained by North Vancouver Ferry No. 2 (originally built by Burrard) in a collision with the Norwegian vessel "Brynjell in 1935.

The first Second Narrows Bridge, completed in 1925, was the site of a number of spectacular collisions.

27-3067 shows the "Norwich City" at Burrard Dry Dock after a losing battle with the bridge in 1928.

27-3018, 27-3020, and 27-3022 show the results of the failure of "Losmar" to navigate the bridge successfully in 1930.

In 1954 the "Prince George" grounded on the north bluff of Quadra Island, Seymour Narrows. 27-3087, 27-3090, and 27-3092 show the damage and the process of repairs.

In more recent years, ferry conversions, both lengthening and adding in another deck, were often called for. The B.C. Government Ferry "Queen of Esquimalt" was lengthened in 1969. 27-3139. 27-3140, 27-3144, 27-3146, 27-3147, 27-3152, and 27-3154 show how the orginal ferry was actually cut in half and then a new section constructed and inserted in the middle. In the last photograph the completed vessel steams proudly out for service past the Lions Gate Bridge.

In 1970 the Queen of Victoria collided with a Soviet freighter.