MV Princess of Vancouver (1955)

MV Princess of Vancouver was a passenger vessel in the Pacific coastal service fleet of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).

History
Name
  • MV Princess of Vancouver (1955-1985)
  • Princess of Vancouver Island (1985-1993)
  • Nan Hai Ming Zhu (1993-2001)
  • Pearl of South China Sea (2001-present)
Owner
Operator1955-1981: Canadian Pacific Railway
Port of registryCanada
BuilderAlexander Stephen & Sons
Yard number646
Launched7 March 1955
IdentificationIMO number: 5284998
General characteristics
Tonnage5,554 GT
Length416 ft (127 m)
Beam66 ft (20 m)
Draught15 ft (4.6 m)

The ship was part of the CPR Princess fleet, which was composed of ships having names which began with the title "Princess".[1]

History

In 1955, Princess of Vancouver was added to the CPR fleet;[2][3] and she would become the last remnant of the once famous coastal fleet in service.[4] In 1981, sold to the BC Ministry of Transportation & Highways saltwater ferries. She was subsequently converted to a RORO ferry by Burrard Yarrows for $8,995,000[5] and in 1982 she was placed in service between Little River (Comox) and Powell River.

On 10 October 1985 she was registered as Princess of Vancouver Island for the British Columbia Ferry Corporation and operated between Comox, British Columbia and Powell River, British Columbia, and from 1987 between Seattle and Victoria as "Vancouver Island Princess". In 1989 she was added to the British Columbia Stena Line and used along on the Victoria to Seattle route along with the SS Princess Marguerite.

In 1993 she was sold to China and renamed Nan Hai Ming Zhu. In 2001 she was sold to Haveton Shipping, Hong Kong and renamed Pearl of South China Sea. In 2007 she was listed as in active service.[6]

Princess of Vancouver pioneered a series of diesel engine innovations that made possible the use of heavy fuel oil in medium speed trunk piston engines.[7]

Notes
  1. Turner, Robert D. (1987). West of the Great Divide: an Illustrated History of the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia, 1880-1986, p. 65.
  2. Miramar Ship Index, MV Princess of Vancouver, ID#5284998
  3. New Canadian Pacific Railway Ferry Railway Gazette 10 June 1955 page 656
  4. Jackman, Sydney Wayne. (1972). Vancouver Island, p. 80.
  5. Ministry of Transportation and Highways (1983). Ministry of Transportation and Highways Annual Report for the Year 1981/82. Victoria: Ministry of Transportation and Highways. p. 145.
  6. Evergreen Fleet. Retrieved 2013-01-10
  7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 March 2015. Retrieved 4 May 2015.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

References
  • Jackman, Sydney Wayne. (1972). Vancouver Island. Newton Abbot, UK: David & Charles. ISBN 9780811718486; OCLC 348243


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