Return of the Jamie L

 
McNally Construction's Jamie L has returned to Halifax after several years of work in other locations. It arrived during August with the crane scow Derrick No.1 (built by Canadian Dredge and Dock in  Kingston, ON in 1979).
Now working both at Fairview Cove on the pier extension and at pier 9C with the pier 6 crib work, it can be seen running back and forth to the various locations. Built in 1987 by Navigation Verreault at Méchins, QC for Public Works Canada, it was originally named Baie Ste-Anne, and measured 41 feet overall length,  25 gross tons, and was fitted with engines totaling 470 bhp driving twin screws. In 1996 when PWC decided to get out of the dredging business, the tug was renamed T.1.  It was soon snapped up by Beaver Marine and continued to operate under that name until 1998. By that time the name Baie Ste-Anne had been taken by another vessel, so the tug became Baie Ste-Anne II. In 2005 as Beaver became fully integrated into McNally Construction the tug was renamed again this time as Jamie L.
As built, the tug had a grey hull and white superstructure, and yellow funnels with black cap and red maple leaf. Beaver painted the hull black, then the deckhouse red, leaving the PWC funnels unchanged. In 2005 McNally gave it the green and cream colour scheme that it carries now, but it still carries the red maple leaf - a nice touch revealing its history, and showing a little patriotism too.
Jamie L's near sister tug, built by Ben Livingstone Shipyard in Charlottetown PE in 1987 was called George Bay. Based in Yarmouth, it was transferred to the Canadian Coast Guard by PWC, then sold in 1997 to Navimar Inc of Quebec and renamed Le Taureau. (after a French immigrant ship of 1656-1658 , and translated means "The Bull"). In 1999 Beaver Marine acquired the tug and at that time it was reported to be fitted with two 6 cyl GM 6V92s delivering 660 bhp.
On October 6, 2007, it was on the deck of the crane scow McNally Olympic when they parted a tow line and went ashore near Hebron, Labrador in heavy seas. Both tug and barge were lost, but the towing tug Jerry Newberry made it through.

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