Russel Brothers Limited OWEN SOUND, ONTARIO Steelcraft Boat Builders
| Nikauba
Canadian List of Shipping 1956: Nikauba [C.194314] registered at Montreal; built at Owen Sound in 1952. 36' x 12'2 x 3'8; 14 g.t.; 11 n.t.; 100 hp. Owned by Consolidated Paper Corp. Ltd., Montreal. Canadian List of Shipping 1970: Steel tug Nikauba [C.194314] registered at Montreal. Built at Owen Sound in 1952. 36'; 14 g.t. Canadian List of Ships 1997: Owned by St. Maurice River Drive Company Ltd., Trois Rivieres, Québec. Transport Canada List 2002: Built by Russel-Hipwell Engine Co., Owen Sound, Ont. Transport Canada List 2003: Owned by Compagnie Du Flottage Du St. Maurice Ltee., Trois Rivieres. |
YC notes: In 1981, the Nikauba was called to break a jam at the truck unloading facility at Grandes Piles.... Réjean Boisvert wrote me that the situation was not as bad as it looks.... In 1981, 75000 "cordes" of "pitounes" (logs) were dumped in the river from trucks at this unloading facility! That is a lot of wood!
To get rid of the jam, the boat was hitting it back and forth, trying to make its way into the jam and with the current from the propeller, to wash the logs away.... not to try with anything else than a Russel boat!
At Rapide Blanc, the jam was miles long but only 2 to 3 feet high, never higher than the front of the boat. At Grande Piles, it was a diferent thing and a little more dangerous for the operator....
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YC notes: On November 23, 1986, a jam was reported at the truck unloabing facility of Grandes Piles, Qc. Nikauba had been stored for the winter but was put back in the river to break ice and get rid of the jam. Notice another little boat owned by CIP (Canadian International Paper), undoubtedly an unknown Russel! Nikauba was put on the ground with its winch at the end of the day... two days later, it had to be put back in the water because another problem occured at the unloading facility!
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Early 90's, The Nikauba in a huge log jam.
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Grande Piles in 1998,The Nikauba is still there on display at the marina.
The Nikauba again at Grande Piles in front of The Piles.
Boom Jumping: Have you ever had the chance to jump a 4 piece boom with a tug?...Look at the photo below and imagine the fun of jumping a boom this size.
Coming full speed ahead, about 300 feet or so in front of the boom, throttle dowm, line the tug in the middle of one segment of the boom away from the chains, perpendicular. When the tug hits the boom, full speed ahead. The tug goes halfway out of the water until the tail of the boat clear the boom. Enough to scare anybody unused to this kind of sport!
If you are not going too fast, you can manage to keep the boat on the boom to let some logs escape. Full throttle ahead will make you slide off the boom slowly, with a scary feeling when the back of the boat is about to leave the boom. If you are not square.... get jour life Jacket or close the doors! - Yves Cloutier.
Nikauba and Les Piles at Grande Piles, Québec
Nikauba at Grand-piles, QC. Photo courtesy Rene Garceau.
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Rene Garceau's plaque signifying his 34 years with the STMRD (St. Maurice River Drive) Company. "Cette plaque ma donner 34 ans d'ouvrage et de bon souvenir." |
Yves Cloutier notes: Photo taken in 2002 of the Nikoba on it's stand
at the Marina at Grandes-Piles, QC.
Yves Cloutier notes: Photo taken in 2006 of the Nikoba on it's stand
at the Marina at Grandes-Piles, QC. 
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Nikauba photo by Claude Matteau taken on September 30, 2016. MARINA DE GRANDES-PILES, QUÉBEC, CANADA
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132157179@N08/29825411200
René Beauchamp notes (Mar. 9, 2017): Yesterday, my wife and I decided to make a scenic ride along the St.Maurice River. At Grandes-Piles, we saw a tug with no name at the marina. At home, I look up in the book "La navigation sur la rivière Saint-Maurice et ses affluents, 1856-1996" and in it I got the answer. It is NIKAUBA well documented in the Russel Brothers Facebook page...at the Marina at Grandes-Piles, QC.
René Beauchamp notes (Mar. 9, 2017): Yesterday, my wife and I decided to make a scenic ride along the St.Maurice River. At Grandes Piles, we saw a tug with no name at the marina. At home, I look up in the book "La navigation sur la rivière Saint-Maurice et ses affluents, 1856-1996" and in it I got the answer. It is NIKAUBA well documented in the Russel Brothers Facebook page...at the Marina at Grandes Piles, QC.
Nikauba at Grandes-Piles, Québec. Photos by Rene Garceau.
Nikauba at Grand-piles Tuesday 9/7/19. Photos by Rene Garceau.
For more Russel exhibits visit Owen Sound Marine & Rail Museum 1165 1st Ave West, Owen Sound, ON N4K 4K8
(519) 371-3333  http://marinerail.com |
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