Cape Breton's Magazine

The ferry. Sir Charles Tupper; cars lined 6- or 8-knot tide sometimes here when the wind was coming down through it. The Sco? tia was a larger boat and a steamboat • but she often had trouble with the ice, too. The first ferry that operated for the cars • automobiles • was the Pointe de Canso. But she couldn't operate in the winter. Had to tie up, and we'd overhaul her en? gines and get ready for spring. Then the Sir Charles Tupper was the same. But when the George H. Murray came down, she could operate normally m not too heavy ice. Then when the John Cabot came down in lat? er years she was heavier and had a heavier engine and could do a lot better. And for winter service she was so built that we could make what we called a single end boat of it. She'd be put on the marine slip here. The rudder was taken off. The propeller and the tail shaft were pulled out and a blank put over the hole. Because otherwise the propeller would be running right in the ice and we couldn't handle it. This way she just had one wheel and one propeller for the wintertime • a pro? peller at what you would call the stern of the boat. Otherwise, she was what we'd call a double-ender. She wasn't steam. She was diesel. All the auto ferries were die? sel. The John Cabot had a hard time. First, she was rammed off of Point Tupper by one of waiting to be ferried to the mainland. these boats called the lady boats • I for? get the name of the one that did it. The The boat was coming across from Mulgrave and a lady boat was going north • and I don't know who was at fault but neither gave way and the lady boat struck her. They managed to get her ashore, beach her right down by the wharf. She had passen? gers on, and cars and a crew. She'd have gone down if they hadn't got her ashore. Then she was put in service again and un? fortunately she was laying down to the wharf, had gone through her repairs, ready to take the run again. The Murray was run? ning that night. And sometime m the early morning, through the night, she caught a- fire. They got it out and she was repaired again. Then after the causeway went she was sold to Newfoundland and put up for a fishboat. May be going yet today. (Did you ever get out and have to turn back?) Oh definitely, we'd watch the ice pretty well. Sometimes you couldn't make a straight course right across. You'd have to go down and around, watch the ice pans, see them coming. We'd get caught sometimes, for awhile, but we'd get clear of it. The passengers took it pretty well. Some would get owlly • why couldn't you go? Captains would go if it was fit to go • and some? times they took chances. Just had to. But they made it all right. You wouldn't be held long. The tide would change. Rt. 19, near Invernes's/* Inverness Enjoy your favorite seafood