Grenville / Eileen G. / Blossom / Scottish Thistle
Shipping Casualties Resulting in Total Loss On The Great Lakes (from 1870 to 1970) by A. Winkelmann: May 9, 1955 Eileen G., registered at Port Arthur [C.190222] 9.53 tons, Sank, Lat 46deg 28’ N: Long. 83deg 27’ W. Tunnel Island, Lake Huron. GAO Notes: Should read Tunnel Lake. The (Port Arthur) Daily Times Journal, May 9, 1955. Two Men Drown When Tug Sinks. Blind River - (CP) - Ted Thompson and Alex McKinnon, both of Blind River, were drowned today when their tug sank at Tunnel Lake near the Hydro Commission's Rayner dam north of Thessalon. Only survivor was Johnny Anderson, also of Blind River. 1955 Eileen G., registered at Port Arthur [C.190222] 9.53 tons, Sank, Lat 46deg 28’ N: Long. 83deg 27’ W. Tunnel Island, Lake Huron. GAO Notes: Should read Tunnel Lake. Bill Polnick Notes: Was built in 1944 for the McFadden Lumber Co., Ltd., of Blind River. After the sinking it was raised by Harry Gamble and it was later renamed b] Blossom and later c] Scottish Thistle (unregistered). The (Port Arthur) Daily Times Journal, May 9, 1955. Two Men Drown When Tug Sinks. Blind River - (CP) - Ted Thompson and Alex McKinnon, both of Blind River, were drowned today when their tug sank at Tunnel Lake near the Hydro Commission's Rayner dam north of Thessalon. Only survivor was Johnny Anderson, also of Blind River.
Bill Polnick (acquired the tug c. 2000 and towed her to Espanola to convert her to Scottish Thistle, eventually to end up in the Soo) notes: Was built in 1944 for the McFadden Lumber Co., Ltd., of Blind River. After the sinking it was raised by Harry Gamble and it was later renamed b] Blossom and later c] Scottish Thistle (unregistered).
HMCS Grenville: Registry #190222. W20 or W18. In 1942 she was built for the Royal Canadian Navy. She was employed as a Boom Defence duties at Wabana NF. In 1946 she was sold to Nipigon Lake Timber Co., Ltd., Port Arthur, ON. In 1951 she was sold to the J.J. McFadden Lumber Co., Ltd., Blind River, ON. On July 08, 1955 she foundered and sank in Tunnel Lake ON. Repower 1 – 106bhp, 2nhp diesel engine by Mack Trucks Inc, Plainfield, NJ.
Name 1 1942 Grenville (II) (H.M.C.S.)
Name 2 1946 Grenville (C.N.A.V.)
Name 3 1948 Eileen G.
Blossom getting towed by either Queensville or Decelles to Espanola Ont., where it would become Scottish Thistle.
Jimmy Polnick comments (July 2017): ...one day i got a call from my dad Bill...
"Jim wake up we're going to Espenola to sand blast a tugboat..."
*an hour later*
"Well Jim, this is our new tugboat"...
me - "what the... how? what???? do we get to race it???"
2003 Great Tugboat Race programme courtesy Jeanette Cox. "The Thistle as it is now called, was built by Russel Brothers in 1944 for McFadden Lumber in Blind River, Ontario to work with log booms. She was purchased by Bill Polnick in 2001 and is now used strictly for pleasure."
Jul 1, 2015: LOCAL2 cameras were on the scene as 16 vessels took part in the 34th annual Great Tugboat Race, held Saturday afternoon on the St. Marys River in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This four minute video features short interviews with Adam Lyons of Whitney III, Roy Wilson of Queensville, and Annette Currie of Mikayla. Also Marc Mousseau. Also footage of Boomalong, Scottish Thistle, Cobra and (briefly) W.D. McCosh. source: https://www.sootoday.com/videos/news/tugging-along-the-st-marys-river-11509
22 sec. Bobbing! Sault Ste. Marie Great Tug Races.
11:27 Actual Race
Jimmy Polnick comments (July 25, 2017): "After years and years, we finally won the last tugboat race...so let it be known, Scottish Thistle = fastest -200 tug on the St. Mary's river, 3 years running."
Scottish Thistle, Mikayla & Decelles. Taken on January 9, 2018 by Rick McCutcheon. Ice-locked tugboats, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. This is a study in patience. I saw this as a possible image six days ago. Six days in a row I went out with my gear waiting for the light to come in with the sun going down, the pinkish sky behind, the yellow of the tugs lit by evening sun, and no intrusions. Each night until this evening I was foiled by one thing or another, and even on this evening I waited two hours to get this image.
This evening I went with only old school manual focus lenses, many 30 or more years old. This is the much acclaimed 135mm, f/2.8 AI-S lens, mounted on one of Nikon's newest bodies, sitting on a tripod of course.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/89374305@N00/38707335795
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