CP's Princess Patricia I (The first one)

[Low Light Mike]

Have you ever wondered where the bell of the Princess Patricia ended up? I found it today, at the Nanaimo museum.





I'm awaiting an answer from the Museum about why a Nanaimo bastion figure was added to the top of the bell. I suspect it has something to do with CP gifting the bell to the City of Nanaimo.

[FNS]

Neat find!

Was this off that delicate and slender first PRINCESS PATRICIA, or the second that had made Alaska her home since the early 1960s (one of the twin sisters that opened her staterooms up in Nanaimo overnight and allowed you to wake in Vancouver in the morning)?

[WettCoast]

This might not be the bell from the Princess Patricia of 'relatively' recent fame, but rather, the first Princess Patricia, which IIRC, was the mainstay of service on the Vancouver - Nanaimo route prior to the Princess Elaine joining the fleet in 1928.

Late addition:
I was about to post this when I was interrupted by the phone. My brother, Mr. DOT, was calling to talk about this very item. He confirms that that is the bell from the original Patricia. According to Robert Turner, she was scrapped in 1937. My brother says she was scrapped on Vancouver Island, most likely at Capital Iron in Victoria. At that time her bell was presented to the city of Nanaimo, just as more recently the QPR's bell was presented to the Museum of Northern BC in Prince Rupert.

My brother also informed me that this first Patricia was the first steam turbine powered vessel in the CPR's fleet. She was, according to Robert Turner (The Pacific Princesses) only the second steam turbine powered passenger vessel to operate anywhere in the world. The CPR bought her second hand in 1912. Prior to that she had operated for ten years as the Queen Alexandra in Britain. For more take a look in Mr. Turner's book.

[Low Light Mike]

Apr 12, 2010 20:11:15 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

I was about to post this when I was interrupted by the phone. My brother, Mr. DOT, was calling to talk about this very item. He confirms that that is the bell from the original Patricia. According to Robert Turner, she was scrapped in 1937. My brother says she was scrapped on Vancouver Island, most likely at Capital Iron in Victoria. At that time her bell was presented to the city of Nanaimo, just as more recently the QPR's bell was presented to the Museum of Northern BC in Prince Rupert.

Thanks for that clarification, much appreciated. I made a charitable donation to the museum and they were kind enough to attach my donation to this particular artifact (one of those "adopt an item" donation programs). So I'm pleased to know more about this artifact.

Thanks David & Jim Thorne for the comments, and thanks FerryNutSeattle for thinking the same thing.

[Low Light Mike]

Here's what the museum curator sent me, regarding the Princess Patricia ship bell:

The bell was donated to the City of Nanaimo by the BC Coast Steamship Service, the CPR’s coastal service, by Captain R.W. Murray. This was done at a well-attended community ceremony on August 23, 1937. The ship was very popular with Nanaimoites and many were very sad to see her go. More information about the ship can be found in Robert D. Turner’s book on the Princess fleet.

The stand was probably fashioned in the CPR’s Vancouver shop for the donation. We do not have any information on when the bastion was added, but it may have been done at the time to celebrate the link between the ship and the city.

[FNS]

Here's a really vintage post card I have just recently collected of the first PRINCESS PATRICIA.

We are very fortunate that previous generations of people, who had the same interest we have today, had the presence of mind in taking photos of ships. Studying history is even more enjoyable and fun with vintage photos.

[WettCoast]

There is more on the first P. Pat on page 4 of the BC Coast Service General thread.  Perhaps they should be consolidated here by a moderator who has that kind of 'power'.

ferriesbc.proboards.com/thread/8324/cps-coast-service-general-thread?page=4

[northwesterner]

Aug 3, 2015 10:14:42 GMT -8 FNS said:

Here's a really vintage post card I have just recently collected of the first PRINCESS PATRICIA.

We are very fortunate that previous generations of people, who had the same interest we have today, had the presence of mind in taking photos of ships. Studying history is even more enjoyable and fun with vintage photos.

Question I've had for years:

Did the Princess Patricia have an enclosed wheelhouse?

Every shot I've seen had people up on the open bridge, with the canvas stretched as a wind block. Because of the coloring of the vessel it is hard to tell if there is a small enclosed bridge one level down (behind where the passenger-types are milling around in this postcard).

[FNS]

Aug 3, 2015 17:43:51 GMT -8 northwesterner said:

Aug 3, 2015 10:14:42 GMT -8 FNS said:

Here's a really vintage post card I have just recently collected of the first PRINCESS PATRICIA.

We are very fortunate that previous generations of people, who had the same interest we have today, had the presence of mind in taking photos of ships. Studying history is even more enjoyable and fun with vintage photos.

Question I've had for years:

Did the Princess Patricia have an enclosed wheelhouse?

Every shot I've seen had people up on the open bridge, with the canvas stretched as a wind block. Because of the coloring of the vessel it is hard to tell if there is a small enclosed bridge one level down (behind where the passenger-types are milling around in this postcard).

I've lightened the image.  There might be a small wheelhouse below the flying bridge.

[WettCoast]

A search of the BC Archives site for photos of the first Princess Patricia yields about a dozen photos two of which show her with no wheelhouse & the remainder with such.

When it was new (1911) to the CPR BC Coast Service, no wheelhouse...  (Contrast that with 21st century wheelhouses.)
By the time of the Great War she had been fitted with a small wooden wheelhouse. 



The first 'Queen of Nanaimo'



A copy of this one dating from the First WW appears on page 106 of Robert Turner's The Pacific Princesses





Two photos from when she was scrapped, 1937.









The real live Princess (now actually dead) after whom the Princess Pat was named.  She lived in Canada back c1910.  Her father was the Governor General, the Duke of Connaught.  Her paternal grand mother was none other than Queen Victoria.

[northwesterner]

Aug 3, 2015 19:54:53 GMT -8 WettCoast said:

A search of the BC Archives site for photos of the first Princess Patricia yields about a dozen photos two of which show her with no wheelhouse & the remainder with such.

When it was new (1911) to the CPR BC Coast Service, no wheelhouse...  (Contrast that with 21st century wheelhouses.)
By the time of the Great War she had been fitted with a small wooden wheelhouse. 

Thanks for the research. I don't have my copy of Pacific Princesses with me in Houston.

Every time I look at the Princess Patricia I'm reminded of this great exchange from the movie Fargo:

Hooker No. 1: Well, the little guy was kinda funny-lookin'.
Marge Gunderson: In what way?
Hooker No. 1: I dunno... just funny-lookin'.
Marge Gunderson: Can you be any more specific?
Hooker No. 1: I couldn't really say...

The Princess Patricia was funny looking, both with, and without a wheelhouse.

Can you imagine crossing Georgia Strait in December standing on the flying bridge? Ferryman had it easy in the telephone booth on the bow of the Queen of Nanaimo in comparison.

[aj]

So, if I understand correctly there was more than one SS Princess Patricia. How many? The SS Princess Margurite apparently had three. From what I have found one of the PPs was finally scrapped in Hong Kong in 1995. Does anyone know / can find out who the last owners were and where the bell from that ship now resides???

[Low Light Mike]

Dec 4, 2015 15:13:02 GMT -8 aj said:

So, if I understand correctly there was more than one SS Princess Patricia. How many?

2

Dec 4, 2015 15:13:02 GMT -8 aj said:

The SS Princess Margurite apparently had three.

Yes, although the 3rd one was a short lived renaming of the ship we better know as "Queen of Burnaby"

[WettCoast]

Dec 4, 2015 15:13:02 GMT -8 aj said:

So, if I understand correctly there was more than one SS Princess Patricia. How many? The SS Princess Margurite apparently had three. From what I have found one of the PPs was finally scrapped in Hong Kong in 1995. Does anyone know / can find out who the last owners were and where the bell from that ship now resides???

The first Princess Patricia was the 'SS', whereas the second one was the 'TEV'.  The second Marguerite was also 'TEV' and the first one, I presume, was 'SS'.  The third Marguerite was the 'M/V', me thinks.

Your best source for information on CP's BC Coast Princess fleet is two books by Robert D. Turner: The Pacific Princesses & Those Beautiful Coastal Liners.

[Starsteward]

Dec 4, 2015 15:59:27 GMT -8 Low Light Mike said:

Dec 4, 2015 15:13:02 GMT -8 aj said:

So, if I understand correctly there was more than one SS Princess Patricia. How many?

2

Dec 4, 2015 15:13:02 GMT -8 aj said:

The SS Princess Margurite apparently had three.

Yes, although the 3rd one was a short lived renaming of the ship we better know as "Queen of Burnaby"

     On March 16th 1980, I, along with several mates of mine did the last trip south on the 'Queen of Prince Rupert' under the command of Captain Arnie Ryles.
     This trip was to be the forever ditching of the 'QPR' on Route 10, replaced by the refurbished ex-Queen of Surrey', renamed the 'Queen of the North'.
     I would politely request that the 'Queen of Burnaby' step aside as the "3rd one" and allow the 'Victoria Princess' to claim the title of 3rd 'Princess Maggie'.
     Interestingly, although two renamed Queens could never provide the allure and traffic volume generated by the last of the real 'Princesses', the two 'Queens'
     would re-emerge as major contributors  to the B.C. Ferry fleet and the travelling public of B.C. for another 29 years, 'QPR' and bless her heart the 'Burnaby' is
     hanging on for dear life, but scheduled to be retired in 2016. ( by an non-royal import).