Steveston Lifeboat – Profile of a service boat – Whether it’s a fishing net clogging a propeller or a gale driving a boat on shore, fishermen’s lives and livelihoods are being saved by a dedicated group of volunteers in Steveston, (a part of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada). Steveston Lifeboat was made for service. Her 52 food long wood hull was built by the Naval shipyards in Pearl Harbor in 1944. She was carried as an Admiral’s Barge, or personal launch, aboard the aircraft carriers, USS Saratoga and USS Midway. Converted to a recreational launch in 1978 in Florida she reached the British Columbia coast in 1988.
Since 1988 the Steveston Lifeboat, owned by marine artist, John M. Horton, has voluntarily served with the Canadian Lifeboat Institution, participating in over 870 rescues in the Fraser River estuary and lower Gulf of Georgia. An increasing role for Steveston Lifeboat is guiding the safe passage of commercial traffic through the congested Fraser River fisheries where anchored nets, strong currents and unstoppable cargo carriers often make a dangerous mix. Responding to as many as half a dozen Mayday calls a day utilizes a range of skills from fire fighting to hypothermia treatment. Steveston Lifeboat carries sophisticated equipment for medical, underwater and vessel safety emergencies.
Over the past years Steveston Lifeboat and her volunteer crew have also participated in training exercises with army and navy reserve forces. Conducted by HMCS Discovery the Canadian Naval Reserve base in Vancouver and the Seaforth Highlanders Army Reserve Regiment their goal is to maintain preparedness for possible marine terrorism as well as special events. The weekends are complex operations that include troop landings at night, amphibious assaults and coordination with a number of vessels.
In the meantime John is always photographing and making note of the sea state, the waves, the cloud formations and how the water moves – research for his paintings. Steveston Lifeboat is his mobile research platform – and the best one possible.”