MV Skookum (1906)

MV Skookum, also known as the Tut Tut, was a passenger ferry boat that operated on Okanagan Lake in British Columbia. The ferry was put into service on April 2, 1906 and was the first official government-subsidized ferry between the communities of Kelowna and Westbank, now West Kelowna.

MV Skookum
History
Canada
Operator
  • Len A. Hayman (1907–1911)
  • Okanagan Lake Boat Company (1911–)
RouteKelowna-Westbank
BuilderH. B. D. Lysons
In service2 April 1906
Nickname(s)Tut Tut
StatusRegistry closed
General characteristics
TypeFerry
Length30 ft (9.1 m)
Beam6 ft (1.8 m)
Draught2 ft (0.61 m)
Installed powerTurscott one-cylinder, 7 hp (5.2 kW) engine
Speed8–10 mph (13–16 km/h; 7.0–8.7 kn)
Capacity20 passengers

Skookum was built by H. B. D. Lysons and measured 30 feet (9.1 m) by 6 feet (1.8 m) by 2 feet (0.61 m). The small ferry was equipped with a Turscott single-cylinder seven horsepower engine, allowing her to reach speeds between 8 and 10 miles per hour (12.8 - 16 km/h).

The Skookum had a passenger capacity of 20 and costed 25 cents per person and one dollar per horse. 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. Since there was no two-way radio for communications onboard, two fires would be lit beside the ferry dock as a signal to the captain that a scow was needed for the next run. Skookum was granted a CAD$1000 per year subsidy to run two round trips daily, except Sundays, for three years.

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. Roe and his brothers, Fred and Gerald, then operated Skookum and another ship, MV Trepanier, for many years.

References

  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ Hatfield, Harley R. (1992). "Commercial Boats of the Okanagan". Okanagan history. Fifty-sixth report of the Okanagan Historical Society. pp. 20–33.
  3. ↑ Upton, Primrose (1 Nov 1973). "Okanagan Lake Bridge". Thirty-seventh annual report of the Okanagan Historical Society. p. 70.
  4. ↑ 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.
  5. ↑ Pooley, Ian (30 September 2013). "Getting across the Lake: Sinking Scows and Panicked Passengers". Daily Courier.
  6. ↑ Clement, J. Percy (1960). "Early Days in Kelowna". The twenty-fourth report of the Okanagan Historical Society. pp. 165–166.
  7. ↑ Goett, R. Lakeboats of the Okanagan (PDF). Retrieved 19 August 2015 – via Lake Country Museum.
  8. ↑ Andrew, W. F. (1955). "Peachland, Summerland and Naramata". The nineteenth report of the Okanagan Historical Society. pp. 62–72. Retrieved 19 August 2015.