Russel Brothers Limited OWEN SOUND, ONTARIO Steelcraft Boat Builders
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| John C. / Restico I
Canadian List of Shipping 1956: Steel tug John C. [C.173542] registered at Port Arthur; built at Owen Sound in 1940. 37'5 x 10'5 x 5'; 10 g.t.; 7 n.t.; 85 hp. Owned by Nipigon Lake Timber Co. Ltd., Port Arthur, Ontario. Ex - Restico 1. Canadian List of Shipping 1970: Steel tug John C. [C.173542] registered at Port Arthur, Ontario. Built at Owen Sound in 1940. 38'; 10 g.t. Canadian List of Shipping 1997: Steel tug John C. [C.173542] registered at Thunder Bay, Ontario. Built at Owen Sound in 1940. 11 m; 10 g.t.; 7 n.t. Ex - Restico. Owned by George Leo MacCormack, 123 Prospect St., Thunder Say, Ontario, Transport Canada List 2003: Owned by George MacCormack, Thunder Bay, Ontario. RBF Notes: Ryan Leblanc reports that John C. has been sold again 2004 and no longer in Rossport, ON.
Leigh Cossey notes (July 25, 2019): "Yes, the ownership listed by Transport Canada is incorrect. Peter Jellison has owned it for 20 years according to the ownership papers on my last post. John C. ownership transferred Mar 31, 1999 and name changed to Restico I with Ontario registration # 38-20632. Pete Jellison does not believe it is right to change a boat's name and when trying to return to Restico finding it was taken he had to register as Restico I.
RBF notes (Oct. 2007): I'm still not conviced that the Restico that Mac MacKay photographed is the same tug as Restico (John C) up here. She was owned by a local here in the 1980's and has stayed on the North Shore here ever since. So for it to be in New Brunswick in 1993 is kinda doubtful. I think there was two Russels of similar design named Restico (NB one) and Restico I (Lake Superior one).
Mac Mackay notes: I agree with this analysis. It is highly unlikely that there would be two tugs of exactly the same name registered at the same time. However, if one was not registered federally (under 10 tons - no need to register) and was only registered provincially, then she could possibly have the same name as one registered federally.
A quick survey of the List of Shipping copies I have indicates only one Restico, and it is the NB one. Registered as John C. http://wwwapps.tc.gc.ca/Saf-Sec-Sur/4/vrqs-srib/eng/vessel-registrations/details/173542 |
John C. on the Aguasabon River. Photo supplied by Robert B. Farrow.
Rob Farrow notes (Dec. 2006): "Finally found the a] Restico I, b] John C. c] Restico [C.173542]
She was in Nipigon, ON when I was up there today. I've been trying to track her down for several years now but she keeps being sold and moved. Finally ended up in the Nipigon area this summer I guess. She now carries the 38E numbers now and has undergone extensive altering. The only original part of her appears to be her lower hull. She's still listed in the Registry as owned George MacCormack in Thunder Bay but she hasn't been locally owned for more than 20 years and has changed owners at least 4 times since. She's managed to stay in the Northern Lake Superior area between Michipocoten Harbour and Nipigon, so she's been extremely hard to pin point. She carries her original name now minus the "I" at the end. She still has the original large Russel Wheel in the Pilothouse. I've also attached a photo of her as John C. courtesy of the Thunder Bay Library."
Sonny Dampier writes (Oct. 2019): In this pic of the John C, I recognize the mouth of the Aquasabon river in the background but the stack logo on the John C is NLT (Nipigon Lake Timber) which confuses me as the Terrace Bay Mill start up was 1948/49 and prior to that the Aquasabon river drive would entail the wood to be towed to the Slate Island, loaded onto barges and the transported across the lake to eventually end up in their American Mill in Neenah. My guess is that this work was contracted out to them. Then the John C was relocated back to Nipigon.
John C. at the mouth of Nipigon River. Photo courtesy Dan Dampier.
D & C has been twice unlucky. Robert B. Farrow provides 5 clippings from her 1957 grounding when her crew spent 30 hours on a rock in a Thunder Bay snowstorm. RBF notes: Way back when I was shipwreck hunting and researching, the D & C came up as a possible wreck site. I researched it and found that it had survived. The following is from "The News-Chronicle" and "Fort William Daily Times-Journal". Pretty neat also that the (Russel built) John C. was in the rescue.
Crew of Four Near Nipigon In Rescue Ship The News-Chronicle 11/20/57 Four men reported stranded on a bleak and gale-lashed island about 100 miles east of Port Arthur...
Tug Found - Crew Saved Fort William Daily Times-Journal 11/20/57 Marooned for nearly 30 hours on a bleak, storm-swept rock in Lake Superior, a Fort William skipper...
Seamen Tell of Ordeal Fort William Daily Times-Journal 11/20/57 Four weary and wind-burned men peered through coated portholes Wednesday afternoon...
Tug Found - Crew Saved Fort William Daily Times-Journal 11/20/57 Marooned for nearly 30 hours on a bleak, storm-swept rock...
3 Local men Shipwrecked in Lake Superior Fred Landon Scrapbook 11/21/57 GAO Collection. Collingwood newspaper. Tugboat saves men marooned on lonely rock...
Sonny Dampier sent over another couple of photos..."Kingfisher, John C and D&C at Evelyn Rocks November 20 1957. Recently I was redoing some picture frames that I got from my dad and came across these behind one of them. I can't remember seeing them before."
This was the day of the rescue of the D&C. It lost rudder and was tossed on the rocks. https://goo.gl/maps/Lw3n37e47rWMExZ57.
Nipigon, ON - Dec. 9th, 2006. Photo by Robert B. Farrow.
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RBF notes: July 16th, 2007. John C (Restico) is for sale in Nipigon.
Asking price is $42,000.
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Photo supplied by Dan McKay, Oct. 2007. |
July 10, 2018. Restico is for sale again. Leigh Cossey comments: "$26,000 Firm
Located in Marathon Ont.
Registered as pleasure craft.
Photos taken by Leigh Cossey July 10, 2018
Tied up along side the Peninsula in Marathon
If I find a buyer my finders fee will be donated to the Marathon museum for the restoration of the Peninsula.
Original prop and wheel. Original registration papers.
6-71 Jimmy had factory overhaul 15 years ago and has very few hours since. Hydraulic steering. Access to engine room from deck and cabin. 150 gal. SS fuel tank. Has a trailer but would need work to make it road worthy."  |
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Leigh Cossey notes (July 25, 2019): "Yes, the ownership listed by Transport Canada is incorrect. Peter Ralph Jellison has owned it for over 20 years according to the ownership papers shown here. John C. ownership was transferred Mar 31, 1999 to Pete and the boat name changed to Restico I with Ontario registration #38-20632. Pete Jellison does not believe it is right to change a boat's name and when trying to return to Restico finding it was taken he had to register as Restico I. |
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 |
