Dalai Lama was built at the Matsumoto Shipyard in North Vancouver BC in 1953. Sam Matsumoto built boats in Prince Rupert long before World War II. After the war, he established Matsumoto Shipyards in the Dollarton section of North Vancouver and became a leader in aluminum boat construction. The yard closed in 1989, but Sam left his mark on the industry. Using a one-off Ed Monk design, he crafted this beautiful 46′ sedan with white oak frames and planked with 1 ½ Philippine Mahogany.
She was completely re-fitted from 1999 to 2002 by George McNeilly, repowered in 2009, and re-planked over 80% in 2019 by her current owner, using the same 1 ½ Philippine Mahogany. No expense has been spared as she has been lovingly cared for her whole life.