A century of floating history will be on view and open to the public this weekend as a fleet of heritage vessels formerly used by forest rangers sails into the Inner Harbour to mark the centennial celebrations of the B.C. Forest Service.
The flotilla at Ship Point consists of 11 restored, mostly wooden, vessels formerly used by provincial forest rangers to access logging operations in B.C.'s early days. The boats, the oldest built in 1921, were used for administration, fire suppression, transportation and accommodation.
The boats on display belong to members of the Ex-Forest Service Vessel Squadron. There are 26 more vessels known to exist.
"These boats represent B.C. coastal heritage," said spokesman Doug Mitchell. "They are like a living museum."
While these retired vessels have been modified for private ownership, owners are usually sympathetic to their work history, Mitchell said.
"All the owners feel a sense they are stewards to the history in these boats," he said.
The B.C. Forest Service started with a small facility in Heriot Bay in 1912. Initially, the vessels were acquired privately and converted for Forest Service duty. Over the years, the service built its own boats.
The last boat built by the Forest Service Marine Depot was the Coast Ranger, one of the boats on display, in 1966. Most of the vessels were sold off in 1985. The Coast Ranger was the last to be decommissioned, in 2010.
The public is welcome to tour the boats and meet their owners. There will be displays set up on shore in the B.C. Forest Service tent.
Admission is free. The vessels will be available for viewing between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Friday to Sunday. For more information, go to westcoastwood.word press.com.
