S.S. Naramata
The S.S. Naramata is the only remaining steam tugboat in the interior of British Columbia. First launched in 1914, this coal-fired tugboat travelled from Penticton to Okanagan Landing (Vernon), transporting fruits from the many packing houses along Okanagan Lake. Due to her steel hull and speed she was used in ice-breaking service, and during the winter would clear a path for other ships on the lake. The ship was retired in 1967. The Naramata was moved from Okanagan Landing to this site in 1991, and was purchased by the S.S. Sicamous Restoration Society in 1996. The restoration of this historic vessel has now begun and will continue as funding becomes available.
SS Sicamous Restoration Society
• The only Interior steam tug preserved in the province of British Columbia.
• Built in 1914 in Port Arthur, Ontario along with the S.S. Sicamous for the cost of $43,000. The Boat was assembled in Vernon, and then shipped for service to Okanagan Landing, which was located just five miles southwest of Vernon.
• The Naramata was launched on April 20, 1914, and was named for the fruit-bearing community north of Penticton and in operation from 1914 until its retirement in 1965.
• The boat spans 89.8 feet in length, 19.5 feet in width, with an 8 foot draft and a weight of 149.9 tons.
• The tug had a passenger capacity of 20, but served the main purpose of barge transportation.
• Comprised entirely of steel, with the exception of the finishing work. The hull was painted green, with buff colored trim and cabins, and a gold-leaf inlaid name board.
• The Naramata was sold to the Kettle Valley Railway Society in 1991, and moved to its present home on October 1st, 1991.
• In 2001 the S.S. Sicamous Restoration Society purchased the tug for $1.00. It is now under the protection of the Society.
ENGINE:
• Operated on a compound steel, twin-cylinder engine. Steam was pumped into the first cylinder, which would generate exhaust that would drive the second cylinder.
• The Engine measures 12 & 26 x 18 inches, with a single, 4 bladed-propeller.
• One engineer and two firemen were on duty in the engine room, which reached a temperature of 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• The water used to drive the engine was removed from the lake.
BOILER:
• The Naramata contained a Scotch Marine Boiler, measuring 10 feet in length with a nine foot diameter.
• Operated at a pressure of 1103 kPa, with a 27.3 nominal horsepower capability. The boiler was coal-driven, and could propel the tug at a maximum speed of 12 miles per hour (19 km/h). The average speed of operation was 7 miles/hr, or 11.25 km/hr.
• During the initial recovery stage, 3 inches of asbestos were removed from the boiler. Underneath, the steel plating had rusted to the point of crumbling.
From the SS Sicamous Heritage Society