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History of the Starliner

scanned line image of old white and red fishing vessel with Starliner name on hull

The Starliner is a 35-foot wooden gillnet fishing vessel built in 1963 by the Lubzinski brothers, Jack and Joseph, in Whonnock BC. Built with lumber from old-growth logs, the Starliner with its streamlined design, is named after Ford’s high-end car built in the early 1960s.

Canada’s west coast fishing industry has provided an entry-level business opportunity for many immigrant families, including the Lubzinski family from Poland. Because the Starliner was the last boat built by the brothers, it was kept in the family and not sold. Ted Lubzinski and later his son, Terry, used the vessel to fish on the Fraser River. It was donated to the Britannia Shipyards in 1991.

In September 2024, a condition report by Britannia Shipyards’ shipwright determined that the vessel is no longer safe for display due to deterioration from extended exposure. As a result, a full lines plan and table of offsets of the Starliner were recorded with a detailed laser point scan. See image (above) for a sample of this work.

Additionally, the City salvaged the interior and exterior steering wheels, and propeller. The information and items salvaged can be used in a future reconstruction project at Britannia Shipyards.