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‘ graphic terms, a Sealander

The Northumberland Protector tekes a test cruise around Vancouver, Harbor before sailing to |

work at the MacMifian Bisedel! installation at Harmac.:

ay

_ by Shane McCune

‘With a. boxlike cabin.
plunked squarely at the stern
of a flat deck, perched atop a
hull made of hollow fibre-
glass sections, it looks like an

unlikely erose

onsen wa wen

turn of mind, and once they
see the utility of it, it doesn’t
take too much convincing.”’

craft to easy dockside loading
and unloading, and where
arc no docks, iis
shallow draught (16 inches
- unladen, with the propellor
‘It’s called a Sealander, and_ tilted. up) aliows landing
it really is a cross between a almost anywhere.
barge and a pickup truck. It -
is also possibly the most In production ‘for two
versatile low-cost commer- years, the Sealander now has
cial vessel made in North a larger sister vessel, var-
America, and’it was born in iocusly called a tanker barge
Vancouver. ora pollution control vessel.

hatweoes, a
wh TT wwe a

barge and a pickup truck.

thoaan
per iere o

Designed by a local eng- a The first one, the North-
ineer named Dave: Roberts umberland -Protector, has

‘and manufactured. by John already been sold to Mac-

Dunn and Co., the Sealander Millan.Bloedel for use at the
can carry a load of four tons | firm’s Harmac location, as a
at a cruising speed of 18” transport | vessel. ‘and ‘Poll-
knots (about.21.m.p.h.). _ution fighter.

“H's really. intended. as a
first attack on an oil spill,’’
can catry a fully loaded stresses designer Roberts.
station wagon from the foot
of Lonsdale to the foot of
Burrard in 10 or 18 minutes.

To put that into more-

Like its, little sister, the
Northumberland has 2@ holl-
‘ow hull—in this ‘case four

Very impressive. But three-foot diameter pipes,
there’s no getting around the | with a sort of gate at the bow
fact that the Sealander is an to open the inner two when
odd-looking boat—and it an oil spill must be mopped
takes a bit of. convincing to up. On the starboard side of
sell it toa customer. the deck is a crane. used to

send a barrier around the

“It’s only their image of spill, which is then herded
what a boat should look like into the hull.
that prevents people from
considering the Sealander,”’ “The capacity of the hull is
admits Bob Thatcer, general 2,300 gallons,”’ says Roberts.
manager at Dunn. “‘But most “We use only the two middle °

of our buyers | have a Practical pipes, but if you filled all four

Tae ni

ager Bob tohor ‘takes the whwel of the
General manaaoe of a a station wagon at 20 knots. |

ti brn eR tt .

Its square shape lends the ©

with sea water and sailed

into fresh water, it: would still
float.

‘But I’m not going to let
anyone try that if I can help
it,”’ he adds hastily.

The ship is powered by
twin 165-horsepower engines
and costs in the neighbour- _
hood of $40, 000. .

_ Presently located in Coal
Harbor, with offices on
Georgia ‘Street, John Dunn
and Co. are moving in

‘February to 1550 Bay in.
North - Vancouver, -

where
their -operations will be
expanded. ;

To" eliminate -any ‘skept-.
~ icism:-that might be lingering |

after Bob Thatcer’s well-

‘practiced sales pitch, he and

_ News

“Roberts e
.swing into

Roberts took North Shore
photographer. Al
Dickson and myself for a spin

‘ around the harbor i in the two

vessels. :

Both of the barges (if Dave

- Roberts wili forgive the term)

have incredibly smooth
rides, but when it comes to
speed,” the little Sealander
can literally run . circles

around the pollution control |

vessel—as Roberts happily .
demonstrated.

.

‘Thatcher admits that sales

‘ haven’t been overwhelming

so

far, as it takes time for such a
radical design to catch on.
But. several ‘government —
agencies . have © expressed
interest in‘ the . ‘Sealander,
and both Thatcher and
sect the firm to.
ull production in
their new location.

+, The: Sealander isn’t des-

igned as a pleasure craft, but
for nautical types who want

something a trifle more

practical. than a luxury '
yacht—and . have about
» $15,000' | to: spend—the

speedy little” ‘aquatic van

might well be a tempting

- means of getting around the

coast.

Y

- After all, it-can carry the
family cor,, without the
bother of ferry lineups, is

. easy to park—and you don't:

have to! nsure it with ICRC.

4

o

4

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