Among the casualties of the wind storm that hit the Cowichan Valley and much of the rest of the area around the Salish Sea in December was a historic boat that once spent decades plying the waters of British Columbia.
The wooden 64-foot Atrevida was built in 1931 and served as a ferry on several routes, mostly among the Gulf Islands, before spending its last years in Maple Bay. During the Dec. 20 wind storm, it broke free from its moorings and ended up grounded on the north shore of the bay near Arbutus Point.
According to Coast Guard spokesperson Kiri Westnedge, the Atrevida was one of more than 75 vessels and structures that were reported to be drifting, sunk or beached in the waters of southern B.C. When the Coast Guard responded to the situation, the Atrevida was determined to be beyond help.
“Coast Guard assessed the vessel and found that the hull and structure were in poor condition,” Westnedge reported. “An attempt to raise the vessel was halted due to the lack of structural integrity and safety risk to the crew.
“Deconstruction of the vessel was also ruled out as an option due to a potential collapse of the hull during the salvage.”
Salvage operations began on Jan. 14 and ran until Jan. 17. The boat was removed from the beach, 800L of fuel was recovered from the vessel’s tanks, and all of the debris was removed from the water.
“The removal of the vessel went well and we are pleased that potential impacts to the environment were avoided,” Westnedge said.
According to information at The Nauticapedia and the West Coast Ferries Forum the Atrevida got its start running between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island in 1931. It later served between Powell River, Lund and Texada Island with a capacity of five cars and 40 passengers.
After retirement, it went through several different owners, and in the 2000s operated during the summer as a bakery boat in Montague Harbour on Galiano Island, best known for its cinnamon buns.
Spanish for “audacious” or “bold,” Atrevida was also the name of the ship commanded by José de Bustamante y Guerra when he explored the Pacific Northwest as part of Alessandro Malaspina’s expedition in the 1790s. The ferry Atrevida also appears in E.J. Hughes’s 1970 painting “Harbour Scene, Nanaimo, B.C.”
Information about who owned the vessel since 2014 was unavailable, and the Coast Guard was unable to contact the owners.
“It is difficult to see some of these historic vessels fall into in poor condition and become a safety hazard to people and the environment,” Westnedge said. “In this instance the owner did not respond and we were required to step in and address the situation before the hydrocarbons on the vessel leaked and created a hazard to people, wildlife and to the surrounding beach and shorelines.
“Under the Marine Liability Act vessel owners are liable for the costs incurred by the Coast Guard as well as any bills involving cleaning up pollution damages and prevention measures. In an instance where the owner has not been identified, costs may be covered by the Ship-source Oil Pollution Fund.
“Vessel owners can take actions to prevent issues — some the likes of which we saw as a result of the recent windstorms in southern British Columbia — by monitoring weather conditions, checking their moorings before and after a storm, ensuring their vessel’s scuppers are free, checking electrical and bilge pumping arrangements, and ensuring they have insurance coverage in the event of an incident.”
