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Draft:North Star of Herschel Island

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  • Comment: Are there other sources covering it. The only ones I see are primary sources (the ship's site) and FriesenPress, which is a self-published department of Friesen. (self-published sources aren't necessarily reliable) If not, it doesn't seem like this is notable. Tavantius (talk) 20:54, 2 October 2024 (UTC)


North Star of Herschel Island moored
Class overview
NameNorth Star of Herschel Island
BuildersGeo. W. Kneass
Cost23.000$
History
OwnerFred Carpenter & Jim Volki (1935 - 1967)

Sven Johansson (1967 - 1996) Bruce and Sheila Macdonald (1996 - 2023)

Anonymous (2023 - Present)
Launched1935

North Star of Herschel Island is the last of the arctic fur trading ships made to serve in the American and Canadian Arctic.[1][2][3] Built in 1935 to be used for transporting fur and other goods between Herschel Island, Banks Island, Aklavik, Arctic Red River, Inuvik, and Tuktoyaktuk in the Canadian Yukon and Northwest Territories.[4]

Construction

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North Star sitting on the ice

North Star of Herschel Island was built at Geo. W. Kneass boatyard in San Fransisco California[5] Like all similar ships of that era was built out of wood. Three and a half inch square ribs steamed and bent into place every 12 inches, with a layer of 3 and a half inch Douglas fir planking on top.[5] What made her special was the extreme environment she was built to serve in. The Canadian Yukon and Northwest territories is known for its severe ice conditions and harsh winters and thus the vessel needed extra reinforcements to keep her from getting crushed in the ice.[6] A layer of Stockholm tar was coated on the hull planking, on top of this a layer of Irish ship felt was laid, and a second layer of Stockholm tar layered on top of that. Finally a second layer of planking made out of extremely durable ironbark was laid on top of this.[5] The vessel also had a unique keel and hull design to prevent her from getting frozen stuck in the ice and crushed. A shallow draft and an egg shaped hull made her able to get squeezed out of the ice when the ocean would freeze each winter. [7]

The vessel was originally powered by an Atlas 3 cylinder gasoline engine, a two ton 35 horse power engine and the last of its kind.[8]

The vessel was brought to the arctic onboard the USC&GS Carlile P. Patterson by Captain Christian Theodore Pedersen one of the early arctic explorers.[9]

Role in Canadian Sovereignty

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At the height of the cold war both Russia and the US showed interest in the Canadian Northwest Passage, rich with newly discovered reserves of oil and minerals. With multiple instances of US flags being planted on Canadian islands, interest grew from the Canadian Government to assert its borders in the north. Former Prime Minister John F. Diefenbaker visited the Arctic in 1950 and was disgusted by the fact that some Canadians living in the Arctic had to use US stamps and Alaskan Air to send and receive mail. He also noted that there was a lack of health and basic services in the area and thus the North Star of Herschel Island and its first owners were commissioned to move and settle on Banks Island at the entrance of the Northwest Passage in order to assert Canadian ownership over the island.[10][11]

First Ownership

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North Star was originally commissioned by two Inuit fur trappers, Fred Carpenter and Jim Wolkie.[12][13][2]Commissioned as a cargo ship to transport their large yearly hauls of primarily arctic fox pelts, the vessel was used from 1935 to 1961 to transport the winter’s catch to market in early August and for transportation of supplies from Aklavik and Tuktoyaktuk to Sachs Harbour on Banks Island in late August and early September when ice conditions permitted sea navigation.

Second Ownership

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In 1967 the vessel was bought by her second owner Sven Johansson. Sven had arrived in Inuvik from Sweden in 1962, hired by the Canadian Government to reorganize the Canadian reindeer herding industry applying methods he'd learned working the the Sami Laplanders in Northern Sweden.[14] Sven refitted the vessel for navigation in the Beufort Sea and from 1968 until 1973 she was used for scientific investigations in the Arctic Ocean. Subsequent voyages included a charter by the Canadian government under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau to survey the British Columbia Alaska boundary. Other trips included ecological adventures, sail training and a Cambridge University scientific voyage to search for mermaids.[15]

North Star with square rig

Sven Changed the original rig of one mast, mainly used for loading and unloading cargo to a scale version of a fully rigged ship.[16]

Third Ownership

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In 1996 North Star was acquired by Bruce and Sheila Macdonald who lived aboard with their children, sailing up and down the US and Canadian West coast using the vessel to teach visitors about the Canadian arctic and its history.[17]

Fourth Ownership

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North Star in slings

In the autumn of 2023 North Star was acquired by a new owner, keen on preserving the vessel and its history the owner had it hauled out for a full refit and restoration at Favourite Boatworks in Richmond British Columbia.[18][19][20]

References

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  1. ^ Oarlock and Sail Wooden Boat Club (2022-11-19). "North Star of Herschel Island". Oarlock and Sail Wooden Boat Club. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  2. ^ a b CBC NEWS. "Fabled 1930s Arctic fur-trading ship, built for Inuvialuit trappers, needs a new home".
  3. ^ "NORTH STAR of Herschel Island: Last of the Canadian Arctic Fur-Trading Ships | WoodenBoat". www.woodenboat.com. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  4. ^ "FAQ". home. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  5. ^ a b c Macdonald, Bruce (September 2012). North Star of Herschel Island. Victoria, BC: FriesenPress. pp. 59–60. ISBN 978-1-4602-0557-0.
  6. ^ "Arctic Vessels: Anti–fouling and Other Traditional Ship Bottom Covering Concepts". nauticapedia.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  7. ^ Macdonald, Bruce (2012). North Star of Herschel Island. Victoria: FriesenPress. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-4602-0557-0.
  8. ^ Macdonald, Bruce (2012). North Star of Herschel Island (in E glish). Victoria, BC: FriesenPress. p. 62. ISBN 978-1-4602-0557-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
  9. ^ "Christian Theodore Pedersen".
  10. ^ Macdonald, Bruce (October 2012). North Star of Herschel Island. FriesenPress. p. 296. ISBN 978-1-4602-0557-0.
  11. ^ Duran, Michel (24 January 2023). "Episode 8 - BC/Alaska Canadian sovereignty. North Star Series - Stories with Bruce Macdonald". YouTube.
  12. ^ MacFarlane, John M. "The North Star of Herschel Island". Nauticapedia.ca.
  13. ^ "Civilization.ca - Canadian Arctic Expedition - Ships". www.historymuseum.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  14. ^ "Sven Börje Johansson". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  15. ^ "home". home. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  16. ^ "Captain Sven Johansson". www.nauticapedia.ca. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  17. ^ lindacollison (2014-01-27). "History lives aboard the North Star of Herschel Island". linda collison Sea of Words. Retrieved 2024-10-02.
  18. ^ Linklater, Leonard. "New owner of North Star of Herschel Island continues restoration work". CBC Listen.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  19. ^ "Wooden Boat Magazine Number 298". Woodenboat Magazine. pp. 13–14.
  20. ^ "Favourite Boatworks". Western Mariner. p. 41.
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