Northern Ships and Shipping

Dateline: October 9, 2025.

• Built in 1929 by W. F. Grandy, Grandy Boat Company in Seattle Washington, for Allen and Margaret Brown. Named Zimie II. Registration #229724.

• Classed as a Gas Yacht, wooden hull - 34.3 feet long, 9.75 feet breadth, 4.8 feet depth; 15 tons gross, 14 tons net. Engine built in 1929 by Gray Motor Co. at Detroit, Michigan, 72 hp.

• She seems to have been purchased by the United States Army early in World War II; renamed Turtle. After starting war service at the Ballard locks she was taken to the Yukon where she served as a bridge tug during construction of the Alaska Highway.

• 1946, probably passed to the Canadian Army with other Alaska Highway assets.

• Friday, July 18, 1947: The Governor-General of Canada, Viscount Alexander, will arrive in Whitehorse on Sunday, July 20th. "Monday morning the Vice-Regal party, escorted by Mr. C. J. Rogers, president and managing director of the White Pass & Yukon Route, will make a tour of the town and visit Miles Canyon and Marsh Lake where the Army launch 'Turtle' will take them to Tagish on a fishing trip. On Tuesday there will be another fishing trip arranged and a short motoring trip over the Alaska Highway." (The Whitehorse Star)

• July 16, 1959: "To celebrate the first of July and the fourth of July and summer generally, a small flotilla of boats carried a group of Whitehorse people on a tour of the lakes around Carcross. The lakefarers spent five days and five nights on the jaunt, leaving Wednesday last week. In the Army 'Turtle,' Brigadier and Mrs. J.R.B. Jones and their family, Major and Mrs. J.C. Chartres and their daughter and Captain W. Snell sailed all the way to Ben-my-Chree." Read the entire article here. (The Whitehorse Star)

• June 15, 1961: "Well the old Turtle is back on the water again sporting new paint and several improvements including propane lamps. Sgt. Bill Statz is stuck with the job of running her again this year. We can't help envy his position but it has hidden hazards. For instance, launching day on Marsh Lake Bill got out in the little Turtle to lend a hand and after much paddling around decided to sit down for a rest - missed the gunnel - and slipped quietly into the lake. COLD?" (The Whitehorse Star)

• September 2-4, 1963, among the events to be held during a visit by members of the Imperial Defence College of Great Britain, Major A. R. Thomsen will host 8 members on the Turtle for a cruise up Windy Arm.

• July 12, 1965: a photo in The Whitehorse Star (too dark to reproduce here) is captioned "A fleet of Yukoners' boats tie up for the night at Fisher Cove, across from Tutchi town on Tagish Lake. In the foreground is Commissioner Cameron's 'Turtle' next is the Yukon Electric's 'Dorothy', Pete Oerlemans' 'Orion', and Al Prince's 'Fubar'."

• May 30, 1966: "Last official function [for Yukon Commissioner Gordon Cameron] will be to attend the dedication of the RCMP memorial cairn at Carmacks, then he hopes to take a few days off, and get the cabin cruiser "The Turtle" into the water for a short cruise. The family expect to drive down the Alaska Highway early in July. Gordon Cameron joins Canadian Utilities in Edmonton July 10th." (The Whitehorse Star)

• September 6, 1966: "Tom and Athol Retallack enjoyed a few days' holiday out on The Turtle and visiting around Whitehorse last week before returning to Dawson on Friday." (The Whitehorse Star)

• October 3 - 27, 1966, the display ad seen below was published in The Whitehorse Star.

• 1966, sold, moved to Vernon, BC.

• Between 1981 and 1988, rebuilt at Peachland, BC (on a desert bench just above Antler's Beach), by Sarama and Lyonoor Lardein. Renamed Adelante, a Spanish word meaning "forward". Transport Canada considers her a new build - registered on April 14, 1988, official number 809718. Now 10.91 m x 3.05 m x 1.34 m, 14.70 tonnes gross, 52 hp engine with a single screw, rated for 8.0 knots. She was re-launched at Shelter Bay Marina at Westbank in May 1988.

• 1991, moved to Vancouver.

• August 2008, purchased by Shirley Howdle, who had "significant systems upgrades" made.

• October 2025, moored at False Creek in Vancouver, where Shirley Howdle lives on her.

Turtle and another boat docked at Marsh Lake during the visit of the Governor-General of Canada in 1947. Yukon Archives 82/346 #13 (PHO 42).

Turtle with Dorothy and another boat at Carcross in the 1950s. Photo from Bob Cameron's collection.

July 7, 1966. "Retiring Commissioner Gordon Cameron and family made their last trip of the season, for this year anyway, on their boat the "Turtle.' They were part of a group of six craft which sailed down Tagish Lake and Taku Arm over the long weekend." Bob Erlam photo (The Whitehorse Star)

October 3 - 27, 1966, this display ad was published in The Whitehorse Star.

Adelante - date and location not known. Photo from the Classic Yacht Association collection.