Join us at the docks of Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site as we host the Westcoast Work Boat Association (WWBA) for a gathering of their members in Steveston on July 18 & 19, 2026.
Arctic Charm
The Arctic Charm was built in 1977 as a fishing boat and registered as a “dragger”. In 2006, she was purchased in the U.S., and completed a full relit and repurpose in 2014 at the Canadian Registry. Refitting and repurposing performed at Ladysmith Fisherman’s Wharf & Stones Marina, as well as engine rebuilding in Nanaimo helped to renew it to its present condition.
Gikumi
The Gikumi was built in North Vancouver in 1954, originally designed for the Broughton Lumber and Trading Company sawmill in Telegraph Harbour. Its name means “Chief” in the tongue of the Namgis First Nation (Alert Bay) in the Kwakwala dialect. The Gikumi serviced the mill until it closed in the early eighties, after which it became BC’s first whale watching vessel.
Today, it is owned and operated by Master John Turpin as a recreational vessel, providing Voyage of the Gikumi guided tours during the summer season.
Green Sea
In the late 1950s, the Green Sea was built by Kaine boat building industries in Prince Rupert. Over the course of its time, it served various owners as a fishing boat, working around Haida Gwaii and Sooke, BC. It was converted into a live aboard boat in 1992, and in 2012, the Green Sea ended up touring the coast based out of Pender Harbour.
Pacesetter
Built in 1972, the Pacesetter served as a Fraser River fishing boat. Repowered from a gasoline to a diesel engine during her active fishing years, her license was eventually bought in the Buy Back Program in 1999. From 1999-2000, the engine was rebuilt and an aft cabin was added to serve its current purpose of cruising waters from Vancouver Island all the way up to Sitka, Alaska.
Princess Louisa Inlet
Originally built as a gill netter in 1974, the Princess Louisa Inlet was first named Don Quixote and then Deep Bay. The fishing gear was removed by the previous owner and the cabin extended but not completed. Major work has been carried out over the last many years at Canoe Cove Marina & Boatyard in North Saanich BC.
Sandra Jean II
The Sandra Jean II is a salmon troller, commissioned in 1965 by father and son, Robert and Gary Russell in Gibsons, BC. Built by the Sather Boat Works, she fished the West Coast until 1997, when she was repurposed as a licensed packer and recreational vessel. Its present owners, Peter & Nancy Hardy, have been reconditioning the boat since 2000.
Viking Mariner
Previously named the Mar-Brothers, this 1955 vessel was originally a part of the Martinolich family fleet. It served as a drum seiner for their fishing company, and later worked around Vancouver Island for the Canadian Fish Company. After being refit and restored from 2001-2007, various owners have continued to maintain the Viking Mariner, which now cruises around the BC Coast.
See these boats up close on the docks for the Westcoast Work Boat Weekend July 18 & 19, 2026 at Britannia Shipyards NHS from 12 to 4pm. Admission is free.
