Month: March 2021

Spring has come, and we’ll keep having even more sailing days! Not that winter has slowed us down too much – it’s been a good season, with decent weather coming very regularly! Here are a few videos – our club boats Ragna and Enke on Saturday, and a couple of our members on Anja today. Our club boats are always available for OSBUG members – please be sure to book the boats on our Google calendar.

I hope you got to see the presentation on Thursday, about the SS Master tugboat – it was fascinating! In case you didn’t see it, or if you want to see it again, you can get a bit of the story here. I would encourage you all to support the SS Master Society in preserving this important part of BC maritime history, the last known wooden steam-powered tugboat in the world!

We were absolutely shocked this week to receive word from our wharfinger Bruce:

I am writing to you with the very sad news that my wife and partner of 38 years, Sheila Macdonald, died suddenly yesterday evening aboard ship. Her death does not appear to be Covid related.

Sheila devoted her life to helping others. She worked at such places as the CNIB, March of Dimes, Group Homes for people with severe mental and physical disabilities, as well as our bookstore.

She was a caring and loving mother to our two daughters and two foster children.

We sailed thousands of miles together using the sails that she sewed. She was also very skilled at woodworking and her passion for cooking and baking was always appreciated. She was 62 years old.

As per her request there will be no service.

She will be sorely missed.

Bruce

We , their Oarlock & Sail family, extend our condolences to Bruce at this time of painful loss. Many of our members have asked to pass along their thoughts, and want him to know that we care deeply.

Sheila was such a kind and caring presence at Heritage Harbour, and we will all miss her so terribly much.

Our friends at the Vancouver Maritime Museum have just announced a fascinating presentation about the SS Master, the wonderful wooden steam-powered tugboat, built in False Creek in 1922. If you’ve ever been aboard, and visited that awesome engine-room, you’ll want to hear more about it, and enjoy the virtual tour. Tickets are $25, or spend an extra $5 to join the SS Master Society, and support their efforts to preserve and restore this treasure.

Read more about the presentation and how to get your ticket here: https://vanmaritime.com/2021/02/23/ss-master-the-first-100-years/