About the Crystal S
Built in 1963 at M. Sakamoto Boat Works in Steveston as a combination gillnetter and troller fishing vessel. It was constructed by shipwright Mamoru Sakamoto, who owned and maintained the vessel until his passing in 2003. The Crystal S has fished on the Fraser River, Johnstone Straits, Rivers Inlet, and up the coast to Camano Sound. Mamoru retired from commercial fishing in 1986, when his oldest son took over the fishing operations.
Vessel description
Wood hull (red cedar planks, yellow cedar bulkheads and beams, gumwood trim and oak ribs)
Length 37 feet / Width 10feet 6 inches / Draft 3 feet 6 inches
The M. Sakamoto Boat Works was established in 1950 at the south foot of No. 2 Road in Steveston, upon Mamoru’s return to the west coast after forced internment in the Okanagan during the Second World War. Over twenty-six years, sixteen boats were built and launched from the boat works, ranging in size from 32 to 40-footers, known for their high quality and craftsmanship.
Sakamoto, Bud. Historical Documentation (2003)
Restoration Project
Watch this space for information on restoration progress, programs and workshops.
Virtual Tour of the Crystal S restoration project
For a view of the Crystal S inside Richmond Boat Builders workshop (recorded in December 2024), take this 3D virtual tour, showing its current condition and configuration as a working gillnetter. The net drum and rig have been removed and stored. We are now in the documentation phase of the project, emptying the interior and cataloguing the gear for future interpretive use.
Move into Richmond Boat Builders
Filmed on October 15, 2024, when the Crystal S was moved into the Richmond Boat Builders workshop to begin the restoration process in her temporary new home.
Lumber Stock
To begin the restoration of the Crystal S, our shipwright first sourced the materials required for the project, with the aim to use the same materials as the original builder. Read more for a description of the materials, how they were sourced, and how they are stored to maintain quality.
Clean Out and Object Inventory
In a span of just over two weeks, our team cleared out the cabin of the Crystal S, and found the small space deceptively full of what must have been hundreds of items from fishing gear to household items, maps, permits, and even some art supplies! Learn more about this part of the process and see some photos of found treasures.
Kagami Mochi on the Crystal S
Bud Sakamoto shares with us an annual tradition of the Kagami Mochi display that can be found in Japanese and Japanese Canadian homes at New Year’s. The Kagami Mochi (translated “Mirror Rice Cakes”) is made of a stack of two round mochi rice cakes, topped by an orange citrus. It is typically displayed from mid to end of December until mid-January. The round shape of the mochi symbolizes mirrors, once an auspicious offering to the gods. This is just one example of a tradition that has continued in Japanese Canadian families through the years.
Umeki Plug
A recent find on the Crystal S is an example of an edge-nailing and plugging technique used to join the bulkhead timbers together. This process of using a pre-bent nail and shaping the special plug called “umeki” is a real hallmark of traditional Japanese boat building, as detailed in the book Japanese Wooden Boatbuilding by Douglas Brooks.
A Special School Field Trip Visitor
The Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site offers a series of school field trips for students from around the Lower Mainland. One of the most popular school programs is Britannia Boatbuilders, during which children learn about the history of boat building in Steveston, concluding in an activity where they can build their own boat to take home. Earlier this year, one of the students who took part in a Britannia Boatbuilders program, was the grandson of Mamoru Sakamoto, who built the Crystal S, currently being restored inside the Richmond Boat Builders.
Assessment Project
After physically removing the contents of the Crystal S onto tables set up in the Richmond Boat Builders building the process of assessing these items began. Assistant Curator of Collections, Philippa Dove, led this stage of the project and writes about the process of organizing the contents of a fishing boat. Find out how the hundreds of items were sorted into three different categories: Permanent Collections, Exhibit Props, and Disposal.
CBC Radio North by Northwest Interview
Listen to this interview with Bud Sakamoto and Dave Sharp on CBC Radio’s North by Northwest with host Margaret Gallagher. Thanks to everyone who visited the Richmond Boat Boat Builders during the 2025 Doors Open Richmond weekend, to get a behind-the-scenes look at the workshop for the restoration project of the Crystal S. (From June 7, 2025)
Upcycled Heritage
Nuts and bolts salvaged from Japanese Canadian boat building family give new life to old parts in the Crystal S restoration project. Dave shares how he has used the donated materials from Mamoru Sakamoto’s old workshop. See the photos of the salvaged items in use in this blog post.
Forming the Stern
The stern of the Crystal S is taking shape, using new resources and old tools and techniques. Learn more and see photos from this step in the restoration project here.
Supporting the Stern
Shipwright Dave Sharp keeps the project moving as he shares some photos and updates about the continuing installation of the stern.
Fish Holds
Here’s a photo of the fish hold found in the middle section of the boat; removing floor boards and hull liner to pieces to expose the hull framing. To learn more about these fish holds, and the type of fish caught by the Crystal S, read more here.
Steam Bending
Watch how steam bending is used to form the white oak used in constructing the stern of the Crystal S. Read more about this part of project here.
Questions? Please contact britannia@richmond.ca