Russel Brothers Limited OWEN SOUND, ONTARIO Steelcraft Boat Builders
| Wisp
WISP is an acronym that stands for "William Ivan Scott Purvis". RBF Notes: Ex Winch Tug from Pic River, ON area. Rebuilt by Purvis Marine. |
This image is from one of the Sault Ste Marie Great Tug Race brochures (year unknown). Stan Johnson of the Marathon and District Historical Society comments: "A correction to the caption here is that the Wisp was built for Marathon Paper Mills of Canada, not American Can."
Wisp - Winch Tug from Pic River, ON area. Rebuilt by Purvis Marine.
(Soo, ON July 25, 2002)
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Wisp in June 2001. Photo by Adam Zheike.
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Wisp, late June 2002, Sault Ste. Marie. Photos courtesy Boatnerd.
2003 Great Tugboat Race programme courtesy Jeanette Cox. "The name WISP is an acronym for William Ivan Scott Purvis, the operator of the vessel. She was built for American Can by Russel Bros. in the 1950's as an alligator. After working for over 30 years on the Pic River, she was purchased by Purvis Marine Ltd. In 1990 a complete remodelling, involving a new superstructure and steam plant was done. In 1992 the engine was replaced by a 3 x 5.5 x 3 cmpd engine and a surface condenser. In 1997 the engine was replaced again. A 3.5 x 7 x 6 cmpd Nave B3 which is 100 years old this year has been installed. It is truly a thing of beauty - brass and stainless steel."
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Wisp. Photo courtesy Scotty Purvis.
Scotty Purvis comments (Jan. 22, 2018) that WISP (William Ivan Scott Purvis) sat ashore about 12 years in the Soo. Scotty's dad, being a steam freak, found an 1888 steam engine from a military patrol boat which they installed, and Scotty fitted it out and used it at his family cottage last summer. Scotty and his dad have been working on the tug off and on for decades. It was originally one of about 15 Abitibi boats his father bought, a 27 foot gator.
Wisp, Sault Ste. Marie, Labour Day Weekend 2017. Photo courtesy Jennifer Sim.
Wisp, Sault Ste. Marie. Photos by Scotty Purvis, courtesy Matthew Carlson March 2018.
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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