Fish Boat Sinking - Raising The Western Crusader Part Four

This film documents the sinking and raising of the Western Crusader fishing vessel.

[@georgerenton965]

For those of you not knowledgeable about marine activities on the west coast, this vessel probably had a very productive life in its prime. Times no doubt caught up to it, and either the fishing license was sold in the “ buy back “, or it couldn’t pass a five year inspection without a ton of money going into it, and no fish to catch. If your not aware of how the fishery works, it’s complicated, but let’s just keep it simple, and know that you don’t get to feel lucky, and go down to the boat , cast off and go fishing because it’s a nice day. A vessel of that size with no profitable opportunities soon goes down market. With the valuable fishing gear removed, and other related equipment, it would pass through many hands along the way as it devalues. Judging by the personal effects that the owner salvaged, and threw on the dock, I notice three, maybe four pairs of caulk ( cork ) boots that he wanted to save. Seeing that, tells me this guy is a logger. I suspect that the boat was used as a floating camp for a gypo logging /booming operation. Those are special boots with spikes ( think golf shoes from hell that you wear when running around on log booms, when sorting, and making up a tow. If you fall in the water, the current Will was you under the boom, and your a goner. That’s why you never go swimming off log booms, the tide turns, and your finished. The boat wouldn’t have to move under its own power, and all it had to do was provide living, cooking, and sleeping accommodation for a bunch of the toughest hombres you wouldn’t want to hint “ I think the captain ran this boat into the ground (pun ) “ to his face. Note : tough dude in the blue flying around like a pissed of hornet. They will live for weeks at a time up the multitude of bays, and inlets that make up the B.C. coast. As for the future of the boat ? Landfill. Even if the boat sailed into the slings under its own power, if you could find it, you couldn’t afford the wood to repair the boat. Not to mention the shipwright who knows the old ways, to frame up timbers, steam planks, and caulk ( cork it) There’s that word again. Look up oakum, beetle bar, steam box, tree nails ( trunnels ) knees, keelsons, sistering frames, stuffing boxes packed with chicken tallow. There’s a whole other dictionary you’ll need when the get your bill from the Shipyard. In closing. Who doesn’t like dogs ? Owners I get that, but if you want to really succeed in living on the west coast you need a boat load of tolerance. ..... maybe not the WESTERN CRUSADER. NOTE: a dumb truck driver from Ontario wrote this.

[@fluffnose3386]

Apparently you ain’t dumb

[@MukYJ]

George Renton well said.

[@komitadjie]

Likely was a good boat in her prime, just far, far past her sell-by date. Really should likely have been scrapped many years prior with that degree of damage and rot to her hull, I don't think you'd be able in any practical way to get her sound again. At that point, it'd be basically "put the name on a new hull." Good work from all the guys involved, though!

[@davidbarnsley8486]

George Renton look up the western flyer foundation They are rebuilding what I think is a sister ship to this one And I suspect they have spent many hundreds of thousands of dollars rebuilding that boat

[@armandhammer7642]

@@davidbarnsley8486 the western flyer brought me here. I clicked because they are almost twins

[@FranklinNewhart]

Really love the professonal supervision the Brown dog has done to get this job completed properly.

[@Realroyrogers]

Charley apparently keeps the lines tight,

[@thecolonel4037]

Charly is a good pupper.@@Realroyrogers

[@deuteronimus750]

I'm digging the super mini tugboat.

[@jamesdillard3583]

I used to have a 30 foot Jensen tugboat and I was pulling a new bottom on her and I was running low on money and I ask my mom to help me and she was okay with until the next morning she told me no and now I wish I could find someone to help me finish it.

[@R2robot]

It's so cute! I want it!

[@jamesdillard3583]

@@R2robot were are you at. What you're location

[@jpb1231000]

BAF!~!!Im trying to curt me language a little butt... That Lil Tug is BAF!!!

[@georgerenton965]

Thank you for taking the time to video doc this. Though I’ve always lived in Ontario, I worked out of Annisis Island for over 15 years. I was up and down that river many many times. Star Shipyards at the top of the island, Queensborough Shipyards, Saither Marine, and Ron Francis Marine who was like a father to me. I remember the friendly staff at Shelter Island well. Thanks for the memories.

[@williamthompson7162]

Love the crowd control. Old white-haired geezer snapping photos walking right up to a travel lift at its max capacity that could have let go and cut him to ribbons. Dog roaming about. Guy on rooftop crazy enough to try and hand push the 70-ton plus boat into the lift dock. The whole thing was a disaster that didn't quite happen, except for the eventual scrapping of the boat. It's worth the video for training on what never to allow. Nice of you to show it all on video. Thanks for the good work behind the lens.

[@rond2265]

The old guy is probably Insurance adjuster.

[@ckm-mkc]

@@rond2265 Probably not - AFAIK the adjuster is the guy in black with the hard hat & high viz.... No adjuster on a job like this would be without a hard hat....

[@nethanelmasters5170]

The brown dog is his.

[@CheersWarren]

Apparently from press reports the boat was in insured. If the Gov. will not mandate these old derelict boats are insured the marinas and docking facilities should insist on insurance before allowing boats in. If not sooner or later everyone will have to pay for these boats recovery. I feel bad for the boat owner he worked very hard during the recovery. Thanks for posting this video. Cheers Warren

[@johnlaccohee-joslin4477]

What kind of idiot a.lows his dog to get in the way and do nothing about it. It was clear that the dog was not going to stay with him so put him on a lead or better still put him in the car till you have finished making the video.

[@ehaden6597]

Everywhere I've berthed my boat required insurance.

[@carl4043]

Seriously you feel bad for the boat owner? The guy that let this boat deteriorate in into such bad condition that even multiple pumps would not keep it afloat? A leaking hazard that endangered lives and environment alike? Really?

[@Phillv8]

@@carl4043 this is a forced salvage operation! There is no owner there, salvage crew and a moron who can"t edit a 4 hour video into 15 mins....

[@carl4043]

@phil b I'm just going by the narration, he says multiple times that the guy running around in the blue tank top is the owner. There are other comments about him in this thread

[@volvowagon70]

Boy that boat must have one heck of a story to tell, and now it is an obituary.

[@duncancremin1708]

I'll never understand why the "recovery experts" start pumping when the gunwale is still a foot under water. These guys didn't even try to close off obvious places where water could come in, like the enormous scuppers. Its a simple concept. If you can pump out more water than can come in, you'll win the race and up she'll come. So the first thing to do, after getting her level, is to block entry points and get the gunwale above the surface ALL the way around, using sandbags, if necessary. Then start pumping. If you've done it right, even a relatively small pump will do the job. These guys spent ages just circulating water with loads of pumps running and they were seemingly surprised that it wasn't working. I wonder who paid for all the manpower and equipment tied up for days, to get this done. She looked badly weathered, above the waterline, so there's a good chance the insurance could be one of the jobs that didn't get done on time, like the painting. I'm actually annoyed I watched this, because it could/should have been averted. All it takes to spot this kind of thing is a cursory glance, a couple of times a month. This doesn't happen overnight. She would have been sitting progressively lower in the water for months, until reaching the critical point where an open skin fitting, or a cracked plank went below the water and things accelerated. Then the incompetence continued and its just so depressing that this kind of thing is allowed to go on. I was really hoping it would be a genuine accident, competently handled, with a happy ending, but sadly, not this time.

[@asArsenic]

Closing the scuppers would provide very little buoyancy. It's much more efficient to pump out compartments, which is exactly what they did. Also, sandbags represent dead weight, which is exactly something you don't want when raising a boat.

[@CJA150179]

That won't see the water again (not without a lot of work) it's rotten...that recovery job has probably cost more than the boat is worth...

[@Lucianrider]

For sure!! The vessel was probably one worth 10K...

[@DeathbyDusk]

@@Lucianrider It was probably abandoned, happens a lot when owners of boats think the upkeep is too much, they just leave them at moorings until they sink and become someone else's problem.

[@greego5952]

it aint worth anything at all

[@brustar5152]

Water logged to the point frames are softened so where slings have been placed the planks have sprung. That thing has reached it's cost vs death ratio long ago. Not worth a full reframing & re-planking as the cost to do that while the boat is not making money puts it into the category of looking for the cheapest way to scrap it.

[@MukYJ]

Roger Balcer try nearly 80 years old. There is nothing like a good wood hull, and unfortunately this was nothing like a good wood hull. Hate to see it happen but that’s what happens when someone doesn’t have the time, money, or energy to keep up with the maintenance.

[@TBPollock]

The bald guy in the blue shirt was one hell of a bull worker. He never ever stopped moving and doing, through all the episodes.

[@irgski]

TBPollock Cap’n of the old girl.

[@MukYJ]

As she was coming out of the water and from a distance, I was thinking it didn’t look too bad under the water line, but then with the closeups at the end, I’m surprised she didn’t break her back when they lifted her partially full of water. So much rot, it was only a matter of time sadly. 😔

[@goodmoaningvietnam1439]

1st. Why didn't they keep the pumps running while moving her. 2nd The little pusher boat should have been used from the start of the move. 3rd. It would have been handy to have some lines ashore, to check the drift either way. Strange I didn't see any water leaking out of her when she was finally lifted. I'm sure they didn't pump her totally dry before the final lift. Sad to see a guys dream go that way, and I say that after owning a 1930 boat, that went to Dunkirk in 1940 and spent 3 days ferrying troops off the beaches to larger craft. She then sailed back across the England fully loaded and with bullet holes at the water line. Keeping her ship shape was a never ending labour of love and a strain on the bank balance.

[@kazoosc]

1. I think to keep Western Crusader from sinking again 2. or at least sooner. 2 tugs, no matter the size difference, are better than one

[@highwaystar8310]

Dude on deck in blue tshirt deserves a round of applause for working hard through the whole procedure.

[@ramseybarber8312]

Hi he is part owner !!!

[@jameseasterbrooks5363]

Sorry for him but that boat is not worth repairing. Old wooden boats need to go away.

[@TheTreegodfather]

Her captain should be keel hauled for letting her get that way. Straight up decades of neglect.

[@robertordewald8678]

Sadly what I see, is he's going to have to jack up the key in the Wheelhouse and put another trawler under it or he's just going to turn into another submarine. Wooden vessels are wonderful but when they get time like this there's just more to fix than there is to leave. Sadly this vessels likely been the man's whole life so it'll be hard to let go. Thanks for the videos, Bob from Virginia USA

[@dinacaldwell7522]

That boat hasn’t had proper maintenance in decades

[@mukwera9131]

Impressive boat lift - superb piece of kit.

[@por15canada48]

Excellent video, great work, adorable dog.

[@jimsquire9048]

Looks like she might need a few more popsicle sticks glued to her sides before she heads out again. ;)

[@johngillon6969]

It may be known to most of the viewers, that this ship is an historic vessel, it was chartered by John Steinbeck to cruise the sea of cortez. it is being completely rebuilt as i type this comment and you can easily find many fascinating videos on this beauty. but those don't know that may want to check it out.

[@MW-on1ft]

You're thinking of the Western Flyer

[@carl4043]

If anyone wants to see the scale and expense of reframing a boat very similar to this, look up the Western Flyer Restoration.

[@clintonbaxter7318]

Western flyer restoration

[@edwardmclaughlin6126]

The best future use for the Western Crusader, a stinky bonfire.

[@Uneedhelp91]

Or hardwood floors

[@glasslinger]

"Rottenwood floors?"

[@Uneedhelp91]

@@glasslinger hey , people pay for all the discoloration and rot. They say it " has character"

[@glasslinger]

I know all about that! I collect old radios and some of them have real "character!"

[@Uneedhelp91]

@@glasslinger I wouldn't use the wood after watching the final video.

[@krawlr]

The best boat is a friends boat...or a rental.

[@johnharrington2831]

Thank you for a sad but great video, them worms will eat a wood hull boat up in the warmer waters, and when they start it's a sad story, again thank you for this video ,Johnny b

[@youngdummy6817]

That worker saying "get the fuck outa here" at 19:45 caught me off guard lol

[@shortribslongbow5312]

Nice job on the video.

[@Twobeers1]

Looks like it would make a good movie prop.

[@scdevon]

The real star in this video is the travel lift. Most impressive one I've ever seen.

[@philmapockitz8216]

What that has cost in salvage fees & environmental damages is gonna be ungodly. They will start legal proceding & she'll be destined for destruction. Good job documenting but i really watched becuse Charlie Rocks 😂

[@jimsonbrown9768]

Charlie says, this sure beats the dog park!

[@pauloflynn3365]

This is a change from the myth of the captain going down with the boat.

[@roygould9454]

The work ethic of the bald guy in the blue shirt though. It would not surprise me if he was the owner/Captain.

[@markjennings2315]

Just let the old dog wander around the work site LOL

[@ninjabluewings]

So what happened to this boat in the end? is it back in service or scrapped?

[@highlysuggestible861]

Make a beach house out of her, that'd be cool.

[@firesculpturevideo]

The dog pissed of the salvage guy at 4:00 dog: couldn’t give 2 shits when rotting fish guts are a factor.

[@JT-sz7xc]

I hope the owner was stuck with the recovery bill. It’s obvious no one had been aboard her in awhile checking the status of the vessel. Should have been hauled out years ago!

[@ckm-mkc]

I think the owner is also the owner of Vancouver Piling....

[@williamfreeh9598]

you did a great job shooting the videos. a lot was going on and you got it done. maybe next time you do a video like this you might want to leave the dog at home.

[@Why_YouLooking]

Looks like she's been sitting docked for a long time.

[@WalkerKlondyke]

Any idea the last time the boat was working before it sank? Reminds me of an old wooden seiner I worked on out of Petersburg AK. The guy reminds me of my old skipper, too, no let up, no sleep, complete stubborn asshole. But, we consistently outfished the rest of the fleet. I'd bet the Western Crusader was working right up till it's last days.

[@twentypdrparrott694]

I wonder if this boat is a sister to the Western Flyer?

[@ramseybarber8312]

Hi How old is this vessel she looks to be rotten and when was the last time she had a hull survey IF EVER !!!???

[@dustinkincaidjeude]

Built in 1942

[@butasha1]

I have no clue what you pay the bald guy in the blue shirt but whatever it is it isnt enough. While most stand around and watch he is just taking care of business. Good job man.

[@davidstiver4240]

Great job very interesting

[@sukirmanbairiswan]

Preventive maintenance not done or never goes for proper yearly inspection.

[@SuperfloDee]

Think this boat had, had its day before she sank,she looks like shes had a hard life...

[@petergerkens6045]

WOW,what a job!! Nice vids and nice to see her on land. :D

[@davidk8184]

I love the painted over zincs.

[@MukYJ]

David Keleshian I didn’t even notice that. I think she’s beyond the help of zincs though, unpainted or not.

[@rickwelin9773]

After the $100,000 recovery she sat for about 6 months and then was crushed and carted away to the land-fill. I feel sorry for the owner who lost a fortune

[@bikedude4968]

The owner should not have let the boat get in such a bad way. Men could have lost there lives fish in the sea with it

[@thekingsilverado9004]

Many of these independent fishermen were affected by the down turn in the economy and aside of the OBAMA scams 10 a gallon fuel prices at some marinas and that was with the tax with holdings these people were crushed as OBAMA heaped on regulations upped insurances on American businesses things generally ran amuck on the independents. Don't get me wrong there are some slackers but the independents especially the crabbers and the likes had it put to em by OBAMA. Under govt. contracts OBAMA was selling the stuff our govt bought to ASIA for 50 percent less than the fisherman that caught the catch. You tell me that cocksuker OBAMA wasn't a communist. The entire other side of my family fishes out of Baton Rouge La. They can tell you all too well about how OBAMA has literally destroyed their way of life. So there is a reason many of these vessels are derelict and falling apart at the seams. Many independents went out of businesses from 2006 until now. At least 200 families in La. area have given up fishing and moved onto unemployment because fishing is the only thing they know. You need to read the magazines the fishing trades put out about what happened and Trump has yet to get back to help U.S. food producers.

[@omar15964]

How can you feel sorry for a bloke who quite obviously did not maintain his craft to a marine standard. Looks like it hasn't been out of the water since it was built. Pure and complete incompetence on the owners part.

[@johnharrington2831]

@@thekingsilverado9004 Oh yes you are so right, even oysters a $100.o00 for a 5 gallon bucket, these demonrats are destroying America, my Grand Dad was a commerical fisherman on Tampa,Bay and always took pride in his boat,but when things got so tough the boat went lacking,so he could at least live,

[@michaelmooney3369]

what fortune? the boat is worthless, not even worth scrap. certainly wasn't worth the 100 K recovery or 6 months of storage.

[@gregbolitho9775]

nice work, but i didn't see parts 1-3, sorry

[@ehaden6597]

Beautiful boat in her day

[@ianpurkis3925]

Love that little tug!

[@TechSgtBerry]

Where are the barricades to keep idiots out of danger zone? Sheesh! Love the dog! Tug crew are the ONLY professionals, besides the dog!

[@cw3339]

What is holding that thing together? The paint? way too much rot....

[@caddis4801]

I don't mean to judge, but by looking at the owner, I would say he didn't spend any money on upkeep. In all the days of filiming, he never changed clothes! I'm sure this ole gal will not see the water again. R.I.P nWestern Crusader.

[@FranklinNewhart]

I sure don't want to see the Captains bill for doing this job.

[@omar15964]

If he had insurance they would have paid for it.........not even good for fire wood

[@Slick1G3]

@@omar15964 they don't just give away insurance on 50 year old boats

[@dinacaldwell7522]

I bet every one of those smaller boats triple checked their stuffing boxes around the prop shaft and bilge relays

[@oceanman8125]

did it sink because it was rotten or is it rotten because it sunk?

[@thecolonel4037]

In this case, "sinking" is an active verb.

[@dbs3313]

Garden mulch perhaps.

[@Imwright720]

Time to change the boats name to The Sunken Log.

[@rickcruz3382]

How much did this whole operation cost?

[@icanfixanything4u2]

from the looks of it the owner better have some good insurance, it seems to me the vessel should have been dry docked a long time ago. total scrap,

[@129jaystreet]

Buy looks of her haul, I think her Captain knew she was making water for some time. What becsme of her?

[@itstheoz1]

what kind of engine does it have

[@lazarus1313]

You should mount a camera on charlie , he wonders off to get the whole picture

[@dogpatch75]

Very interesting vid! As soon as she dries out anybody got a match?

[@filibertobarrera3839]

Looks like a marine wood pecker got to it.

[@f.k.burnham8491]

The only people who appeared to know what they were doing was the tug crew. The rest of them seemed to not be a team, and uncoordinated.

[@waldorf2007]

Spot the owner. One man wrecking crew.

[@thersaholycow]

She was a beautiful girl at one point. I hope someone gives her the love she needs to be one again.

[@jimjonrs3932]

It was scrapped. Didn't you watch the video?

[@b.c.junctionembroiderynj8804]

The guy in the shorts has got to be the owner. he's working like crazed guy getting that boat floated …….

[@Slick1G3]

hands the owner a book of matches

[@irgski]

use her for torpedo practice...Davey Jones’ locker!

[@grantflavel9822]

What a joke. Love the dog and the incy wincy tug boat

[@scottfirman]

I have never seen so much time wasted as I did on this one job. Seriously. It scares the crap out of me watching these idiots handling this job. Moving the piling barge? A simple cable from the back of the fishing boat to the boat lift would have done it. I swear whom ever is running that outfit needs to be canned. One guy should have been in charge of the operation. Your dog was making nuesence of himself and for what? Seeing the condition of the hull made me wonder why they bothered spending that much effort on that hulk. In India, they would have beached that POS and stripped it on the shoreline. All for what it was worth in scrap value only. The owner looked sad knowing it was the last time that ship would see water under her keel.

[@Tr1pMind]

They spent the time raising because it sunk at the dock, but the owner was most likely held liable for the recovery effort. It's a boatyard, they have the equipment and will do what the owners want as long as they pay. Its not a matter of waste. The operation to run the 2 cranes, the haul out, the tug, and all hands probably went into the range of $300,000 USD for the one day operation. Its a drop in the bucket for the big trawlers. They can make over a million in a good season, the boats are upwards of 5 to 10 million new, probably 1-2 million used. This wasn't a waste, it was a calculated expense. The owner, if he had enough money or credit could likely finance a new boat and in a few years be back to making money.

[@herbertgarrison6548]

that guy has a lot of balls staying on deck while they lift that pile of shit.

[@TODDFINK1]

www.shipspotting.com/gallery/photo.php?lid=1555121 She was a pretty sweet boat at one point... Built in 1942. Last history owner ends in 2016.

[@stevensonDonnie]

Is there a breaker yard in Bc?

[@daddybob6096]

Leave Charlie home next time, he's very nosey. LOL.

[@sl350sl350]

leash laws ?

[@MARKLOCKWOOD2012]

If your gonna own a vessel 🚢 your gonna have to fix and replace stuff.

[@jolanni7]

Crane gotta be 300 tons. Damn big rig.

[@MukYJ]

John Lanni I doubt it, that’s a 100T TravelLift.

[@jimjonrs3932]

It said 200 right on the side of it.

[@grahammiles5695]

Is there not some regulation that keeps decrepit boats like this off the water?

[@jonwilly2]

Uses the same remote as the lift i run

[@jdjewellpa]

That's a shame. What a nice boat. I liked the design

[@terrystockstill251]

is that old wood boat worth all this

[@Happy357mag]

At first I said yes but it looks really rotten underneath so I doubt it. It's a shame a little maintenance goes a long way. But neglect, well this is what you get.

[@tango88red]

What kind of boat is she?

[@delboytrotter8806]

P.o.s. boat !

[@frederikdejongh92]

This ship is rotten out need whole lot off tlc to recover it

[@jayd1876]

Shouldn’t have changed its name from Jenny. Prob shouldn’t have got it from Forrest Gump and lieutenant Dan. They screwed the guy who bought it lol.

[@MichaudDaniel]

A lack of maintenance

[@krashdown102]

just what people need when there trying to work... dogs running around getting in the way.

[@MichaelMcFearin]

Poor old neglected girl, what became of her?

[@delboytrotter8806]

Nice firewood.........

[@allanclose9684]

The bystanders look more enerjetic than the workers.

[@thomasbriggssr8155]

Hey give them a break, they're Canadian union men.

[@handyman75657]

I wonder why they tolerated all of these Idiot spectators in the area especially at the Travel lift? Most any company is liable for someone getting hurt if they even bump their schins... I will not even mention the Dog! Such a dangerous situation as it is much less than having to deal with a trip hazard with four legs!

[@glasslinger]

The dog looks like the boss of the job! That boat is a piece of shit that is only good to be junked! For the money spent trying to raise it he could have bought another boat in better condition!

[@jimmurihiku8009]

Why or how did it sink?

[@brianemery8945]

Age/Neglect

[@MukYJ]

Brian Emery more neglect than age. My dad has a 1942 Chris-Craft and it takes an unbelievable amount of time, money, and energy to keep up.

[@louielouiepks]

Why did it sink ???

[@greego5952]

Because it was a 100+ year old boat that was neglected by its owner. What happens when you keep a wooden boat in a water for many many decades? The water eventually gets into the wood and the wood then rots and decays. If you want to keep a boat like this from sinking you gotta do maintenance to prevent a disaster like this again.

[@stevespawn1]

Why did it sink?

[@ecovention]

Look at the video Dah, holes everywhere.

[@krystiansieminski363]

Good for scrap