MV International - on Waterton Lake

[Flugel Horn]

A new thread for a 1927 wooden passenger ship that is part of Mr. Hill's "Empire Builder" legacy.

She was built to entertain and move passengers who were tourists visiting Mr. Hill's Prince of Wales Hotel at Waterton Alberta. It connected the hotel, by water, to Mr. Hill's holdings in Montana.

I enjoyed ship-spotting her from shore at Waterton townsite, and bought a small book on her history.

Here she is at her Waterton townsite dock.


Her 2.5 hour cruise includes a 30-minute stop-over at Goat Haunt, Montana.

The company that operates her also has 3 launches that they use for overflow crowds.

www.watertoncruise.com/

[Flugel Horn]

MV International outbound for Goat Haunt, Montana, on July 14, 2012.
















A Mrs. Horn photo

[Flugel Horn]

MV International inbound to Waterton townsite, on July 14, 2012.










A couple of 1927 Waterton icons

[Flugel Horn]

MV Waterton coming into Emerald Bay in the Waterton townsite to dock after an afternoon cruise.
- July 14, 2012








Bow close-up. The upper deck passengers embark/disembark by taking a ladder on the starboard side of the wheel-house, down to the main deck.







At dock with the launch Ms. Waterton arriving.

[cobblehillian]

Thanks, Mr. Horn for a wonderful photo essay on what I think was probably the most obscure railway marine operation in North America. I think some of the CPR BC interior lake operations came close but couldn't top the Great Northern at Waterton.

Too bad the INTERNATIONAL isn't running on steam power.

[piglet]

Lovely pics that show her classic lines Flugel Horn. Thank you

[Flugel Horn]

Thanks for the kind words. Here are some early morning views at the Waterton townsite.

- with Mt. Vimy in the background



The International and the Ms. Waterton in early morning.



The 2 icons of 1927 at Waterton.




I love the funnel livery, and that the mast is painted red & black too.



With Crandell Mountain in background-right,

[Kahloke]

Neat little ferry - thanks for posting photos of your Rocky Mountain travels!

[Flugel Horn]

Some pano-stitches from mid July 2012 of the MV International and Waterton Lakes scenery.

The ship at Goat Haunt, Montana.
- the border station is in the background.



Views from the Bosporus area near Middle Waterton Lake

[Flugel Horn]

Certificates displayed on the MV International ship.
- seen by me on July 15, 2012.

Full form: (see close-ups, shown below)




top part:




bottom part:


===============

The Canadian form, done annually.




from the 1940s

Jul 30, 2012 16:19:27 GMT -8 Flugel Horn said:

from the 1940s

You just don't see nice cursive like that anymore... kind of a shame...

[Flugel Horn]

Some more views of the MV International, on July 14, 2012, at Upper Waterton Lake in Alberta.

The mountain (Mt. Vimy) is large, the ship is small
















Such tall masts she has, and to crop a close shot means that I need to cut the masts...



The view "up" the lake, looking south to Montana.










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A poor shot, but the only one I have of her end-on.

[Flugel Horn]

Some more views of MV International at Waterton townsite in Alberta
- July 14, 2012.

Approaching the townsite from the south.



Crossing in front of the Waterton Bosporus, the narrow channel between Upper and Middle Waterton Lakes.



Into Emerald Bay (the little harbour in the townsite), in the shadow of Crandell Mountain.



The end of another full and successful round-trip between Waterton townsite and Goat Haunt, Montana.







As close to a bow-on angle as I could get, in the marina.


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And one of the company's launches, used to shuttle hikers from the townsite to various stepping-off points along the lake.

[Flugel Horn]

MV International in the early morning light, at Waterton townsite
- July 15, 2012.







----------------------

Later that morning, on board her round-trip to Goat Haunt, Montana.





- starting the trip:


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Goat Haunt, Montana. Rainy when we were there for our 30 minute stop-over.







- The USA border station (for hikers) is in the background, across the bay.






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The winter shed (with a set of ways) where the MV International is pulled out and stored for the long off-season.

[Flugel Horn]

On board tour of the ship:


What they call the Fantail Deck, the covered aft deck.
- that's where we sat.




The main passenger cabin, looking forward to the lifejacket locker which is at the funnel pipes central core.




Forward end of the cabin




Nice wood and brass:

[Flugel Horn]

No glimpses of the MV International in these photos, but this is the view from near the ship's dock at the Waterton townsite.
- early morning on July 15, 2012.

[Flugel Horn]

VIDEO of MV International, starting her trip.
www.facebook.com/v/10151092742123647

- you can hear part of the safety message.
View is of the Waterton Townsite, as we speed by. July 15, 2012.
====================


And while we're in the neighbourhood:
- a tour of the lobby of the Prince of Wales Hotel at Waterton.

VIDEO here;
www.facebook.com/v/10151092757273647

[Flugel Horn]

Video of Upper Waterton Lake area, seen from outside the Prince of Wales Hotel.
- the look up the lake shows the route that the MV International ship plies, each summer.

www.facebook.com/v/10151097238693647

[Flugel Horn]

Mr. Phil Spaulding, of west coast ferry design fame, also had a hand in some of the design of the MV International.

- Spaulding didn't design the Waterton Lakes ship itself, but he did work on renovation designs done in 1937 (10 years after launch) in order to bring the ship up-to-code at that time.

According to the book "M.V. International" by Chris Morrison & Ray Djuff, Carl Nordstrom of Seattle was contracted to "bring the International up to standard" and it was Mr. Spaulding who prepared the plans for the work on the International and who then enjoyed a 3-week stay at Goathaunt Montana to supervise the work.
- Most of the 1937 work was on the stern and the bulkheads.

Mr. Spaulding was 25 years of age, at that time.

[Flugel Horn]

On board tour of the MV International.
- from July 2012