Tug Aground Sooke Harbour

[HALILLAMA]

The 'Florence Filberg' is the 120ft tug Hard Aground approx 250 yds north of Eliza Pt in Sooke Harbour. She is a Miki tug, twin engine and was built 1944 as LT144 by Barbee Marine Yard ,Seattle. Reportedly owned by Ron Cook of Victoria.
It was towed here by Star Marine's Tug 'Glen Cove' in the storm whipped darkness Nov 9th. Early in the am on Sat Nov 10th they anchored the tug 'FF' north of Christie Pt mid channel and left into an angry sea off Sooke. Mother Nature whistled and hummed all weekend. On a hard flood tide and storm force westerly wind the tug 'FF' dragged it's anchor into the shallower part of Sooke Harbour. During an extreme storm high tide it went aground in the mud. It draws approx 13 ft. It is now sunk, broken, heeled over and fills with the coming and going of each tide. It is being stripped and vandalized.... It's a sad Mess!!! It's sister ship 'Mary Mackin'(LT158) by the same owner Ron Cook met the same fate in Pat Bay, beached in 1999, was burned in 2004, destroyed 2006.[xx(]
The Florence Filberg sustained considerable damage sinking in Lake Union a few years ago.... pics to follow[B)]

 

[HALILLAMA]

Billings spit and 'Sugar Magnolia' behind

Sunk in Lake Union

 

[westcoast advneture]

Sad photo. Intersting to see in the photos that all the portholes, nav lights and gear are already stripped. Hopefully the fuel tanks are empty and it doesn't become an nasty scene.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Cool pics.You can see my place in one of those pics.
Had no idea it was in that bad of shape.

 

[walleyes]

Thx for the cool pics and the story Halli... She looks sad there don't she ????

How long are they aloud to leave that thing out there without cleaning it up ???? must be some sort of rules no...

 

[John_Reynolds]

Unfortunately Mr. Cook doesn't have a pot to pi$$ in or a broken window to throw it from.
The taxpayers are going to have to pay for the ugly clean-up.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Anybody know if its leaking fuel or oil???

 

[HALILLAMA]

Here's some good reading about Capt. Ron [:0]
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2003/August/03_enrd_467.htm

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Unfrickinbelievable is all i can say.[:0]

 

[Striper Sniper]

You really have to wonder just how much time the SOB actually served! SS

 

[Deewar25]

So apparently this is the same one that tried to tie up to Ogden Point a couple months ago and got turned away (with a screaming Ron Cook on shore)...they were advised to try tieing up at the salvage yard in the back end of the Basin by the restaurant). My buddy who works there suspected they were looking for a place to just dump it and seems like he was right (Ron 'claimed' he brought it up from the US to fix it up). It wouldn't have fuel on-board, but who knows what other environmental concerns there could be for the basin.

Would be a damn shame if we have to cough up for the bill to move it. I guess either coast guard or transport canada are the ones you'd inquire to about it, but he wasn't sure who had jurisdiction over the basin.

 

[walleyes]

You can just about guess its going to be the tax payer flip the bill for this one... Or the bugger is fighten with his insurance company,, could be his scam from the start,, insure it high let it get wrecked and collect ??? who knows...

I just hope you guys get er cleaned up before I show up there next Aug...

 

[Mornin Chubby]

Too bad she dont float no more Would make one heck of a Sooke basin Comunity Fishing Shack[8D]. All welcome! O the good times we could have drinken beer and cleaning fish on er decks.. aww.. man,,[V]

 

[dohboy]

i wonder if the movie captn ron was based on him[]

 

[codfish]

Good topic for the news... don not think the sooke community should have to keep looking at that mess. Maybe a news story would help get things cleaned up a little faste[?]

 

[John_Reynolds]

Apparently there is a Federal posting attached to the boat. It looks like the clean-up maybe underway.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

What would something like that be worth for scrap??Just curious.
Also since its abandoned who pays for the clean up??Would it be good ole captain ron??
Saw a bunch of lights on her lastnight till about midnight.Maybe somebody was doing a little salvaging.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Just a few pics of her in better days.

 

[HALILLAMA]

The posting on the boat took place after I sent them some shots, with a bit of a slick leaving the boat. The posting has been there since Nov 17th. The only thing that has happened is more vandalism and looting. DFO had the Zode nail some reflectors to it 2 weeks ago.
Don't expect for something to happen soon.[B)] With all the calls I made...the feds told me boats go aground all the time and things will happen in a timely manner. Make your own call to Reciever of Wrecks.

 

[Gypseas]

Receiver of Wreck
Navigable Waters Protection Division
Suite 820 - 800 Burrard Street,
Vancouver, B.C.
V6Z 2J8
Telephone Number: (604) 775-8867
Facsimile Numbe: (604) 775-8828