The Log Ships

Gordon Turner is the author of Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific’s
Greatest Ship and the editor of SeaFare, a quarterly newsletter on sea
travel.

For many decades British Columbia's logging industry has been a mainstay of the province's economy. Ships and barges have carried huge quantities of logs from remote coastal regions to locations farther south, where they are either processed at sawmills for export or domestic use, or are shipped overseas as raw logs. More than 30 barges and only a couple of ships have been employed in this essential service over the last 60 years. These severely functional and rather ungainly vessels have long toiled unsung, but their stories are told in great detail in these two books. Since much of the books' contents are common to both the barges and the ships, it is surprising that the author did not combine his research into one single volume.

Each book consists of about 50 per cent text and 50 per cent illustrations. The text describes the purpose, planning, and construction of the vessels. In the barge book, Heal also gives a detailed account of the corporate origins and later mergers of the tug companies whose tugs towed the barges in the often inhospitable waters of British Columbia. There is no doubt that the author is a diligent researcher and that he has a thorough understanding of the subject matter. At times, though, it seems that he is writing for insiders rather than for a general audience. For instance, he devotes four pages to explain the intricacies of insurance on the barges and ships. Still, he also describes highlights of their existence and has obtained firsthand accounts of crew members. At times barges ran aground, losing parts of their loads and receiving severe damage that required expensive repairs. Heavy weather also accounted for logs being washed overboard.

The illustrations are an essential component of the books, and some of the photos are quite striking. Reproductions of the vessels' deck plans are less satisfactory. The places named in the text may be familiar to the people of coastal British Columbia, but a map of the region would have been useful to non-residents. The text would have profited from a more careful proofreading. While the books may have a limited general appeal, to those who care about log ships and log barges they will be seen as essential reading.