(1919) 1923 Cedarbay 1961
Steel twin-screw St. Lawrence River canal size bulk freighter
One of a fleet of vessels, ten or more, built shortly after the end of World War I for the French government for coastal service in the coal trade. Cabins aft with twin screws, they were near sisters named for occupations involved in the construction or operation of ships. Built by six or more different shipyards, they all had slightly different dimensions and tonnages. Of the vessels brought to the Great Lakes, half were propelled by fore and aft compound engines and half by triple expansion engines. Ten of these vessels were purchased in late 1922 primarily for the grain trade by Ogilvie Flour Mills, Montreal QC, renamed for trees native to Canada with –bay suffix honoring their operating company, each vessel owned by a separate company indicating the name of the vessel, and brought to the Great Lakes in 1923. Built at La Seyne France by Forg. & Ch. De la Mediterranee, Hull 1124
Launched as Charpentier (carpenter). Renamed Vernon 1922
230’ LOA, 219’5” LBP, 34’3” beam, 14’9” depth
1 deck, arch cargo hold construction, coal-fired boilers, 2 triple expansion engines, 700 IHP
Enrolled at Montreal QC 1923 as Cedarbay
218.8 x 34.3 x 12.4, 1239 GT, 640 NT Can 150835 to:
Cedarbay Steamship Co., Montreal QC, Bay Line Steamships Ltd., Mgr. (home port Montreal QC)
Entered Great Lakes service 1923
Managing firm renamed Tree Line Navigation Co. 1924
Sold 1936 to Lloyd Refineries Ltd., Port Credit Ont. and renamed Joan Virginia.
Converted to tanker winter 1936/1937 at Port Dalhousie ON by Muir Bros.
Remeasured to 651 NT
Returned to service 1937 for Lloyd Tankers Ltd., Toronto ON, subsidiary of Lloyd Refineries Ltd.
Sold 1947 to Transit Tankers & Terminals Ltd., Montreal QC
Transferred 1952 to Coastalake Tankers Ltd. and renamed Coastal Cascades.
Sank July 24, 1960 at her dock at Montreal QC Raised and scrapped 1961.
2347
My father Walter D. Wilson was a deck hand on the Cedar Bay freighter during the late 1920’s-possibly the early 1930’s. It was fantastic finding this historical information the the Cedar Bay. Now when I look at my picture of the Cedar Bay going from the St. Clair River into the lower part of Lake Huron it will have new meaning to me and my family. Thank you very much for posting this information. I also had a brother Ron Wilson who sailed as a deck hand on the Great Lakes, and oceans around the world during the 1960’s, so our family has a lot of stories to remember about both of them on the sailing freighters.