Saravan was built in 1938 as a harbour tug, did wartime service in Victoria harbour during WWII.
The Saravan tug boat was built in 1938 for Harry Van Froome and named for his wife, Sara.
The wooden tug boat worked in local waters for fifty years. During wartime, the Saravan patrolled the waters to protect the naval base at Esquimalt, BC.
Upon completion of its wartime service in 1946 the Saravan was purchased for the towboat operations of Hemmingesen & Baillie located in Chemainus. Later, Saravan was owned and operated by J.D. Melon and the Ladysmith Log Sorting Company.
In 1988 the boat was donated to LMS by Ken Mulholland, and refurbishment by our volunteers and trainees continued until 1991. This work was made possible through government lottery funds used for training young people in restoration skills.
For many years, the Saravan was used by LMS as a passenger vessel for harbour tours, however was retired in 2009 due to Transport Canada regulations that would require a refit that would alter the vessel’s authenticity.
For the next two years, LMS volunteers again worked to restore the Saravan to her original glory, in time for the 2012 Ladysmith Maritime Festival (now known as the Heritage Boat Festival).
Great attention was paid to historical detail, for example, obtaining and using authentic old brass from a Vancouver foundry. The shipwright and caulker, along with many volunteers, worked steadily on Saravan. Some of the work included rewiring, building a new stern, replacing planks, making new deck planks, replacing caulking, removing varnish, installing the tow post, a new bronze propeller and a host of finishing work.
Come and see the Saravan’s beauty; traditional tug boat colours with her strong timbers stacked to make the stern match the power of ocean swells.