EXCALIBER
Tuesday, March 10, 2009 10:24
Captain Andrea, Tugfest member since 2008, has a great tugboat called “Excaliber”.
Andrea has been kind enough to share some history about this impressive vessel:
Excaliber is a classic wooden Tug , 93 feet long and 220 Tons. She was built at Wallace shipyard in Vancouver B.C. in 1908. She hails from the Port Orchard Marina in Wa. Andrea McDonald is her owner ( slave) and Captain. She has had a few names in 100 years. She started out as the OSPREY VII in 1908 as a Steam powered Tug for B.C. Packers. She was bought by Vancouver Tug and Tow ( now Seaspan) and renamed LE MARS and was converted to Diesel in 1935. Her biggest claim to fame was when in 1969 she was bought by one of the few black Captains Paul Bellesen Sr. and named the S.S. LANGSTON HUGHES training ship for boys 9-14. Paul was a godsend to these kids and took them under his wing. Taught them the skills of a mariner and showed them another way of life and joined together many for a lifelong friendship. In 1973 she was the Ellen E for only a few months then in 1974 she became EXCALIBER. She towed log booms as Le Mars from Vancouver to Alaska. She towed salt barges from Mexico to California I believe as Excaliber and somehow ended up a ferry for the El Salvadorian government. So im told by the Vancouver Maritime Museum anyway. We know she got busted for running drugs ( Grandma was a bad, bad Tug !!!) and was seized by the U.S. Feds.
It’s a long story how she became mine but you can read the Seattle Times article at the link below. Excaliber and the famous Arthur Foss have a great history together as well and were runited at the Centre for Wood Boats show in Seattle July 2008. More about Excaliber.
Thanks Andrea!
