24 WESTERNMARINER.COM AUGUST 2019 CANADA’S COMMERCIAL MARINE MAGAZINE
Unloading a catch of spot prawns from the wood-hulled
virgo (ex virgo B, 1946, Park Shipyards, Vancouver) at
the end of the workday are deckhand Marcus Meuser
(left), owner/skipper Tom Gill (centre) and deckhand
Rockwell Beamish (right). The virgo was built for
Magnus Budal of Vancouver, who owned it until the
mid-1950s when it was sold to Inar Jager, then of Bella
Bella. It has changed hands a number of times since
then, including spending a decade under ownership of
Ucluelet-based James Walters. It was purchased by Gill
around 2016.
Getting ready at Philbrooks Boatyard Ltd. to launch a brand new 100-ft
Ocean Alexander that the yard had modified is Philbrooks lead shipwright
Scott Campbell. Work on the vessel encompassed extending it by four feet
at the transom in order to provide a bigger swimstep and larger lazarette.
As part of this, Philbrooks had to replicate the prop tunnels and Humphree
blade-style trim tab installation, and extend the teak decking and railings,
all to an extremely high standard in order to blend perfectly with vessel’s
existing materials and finish. The launch was a two-step affair, with the
vessel lowered to the water’s edge at the end of the work day, and the
actual launch taking place later in the evening at high tide.Launch-ready
Spot prawn delivery