Lady Cynthia was a steel-hulled passenger ship converted from a minesweeper, (formerly HMS Barnstaple), which served in the coastal waters of British Columbia from 1925 to 1957. Lady Cynthia was a sistership to Lady Cecilia, also a converted minesweeper. The ship was generally referred to as the Cynthia while in service.
Nomenclature
The Union Steamship Company of British Columbia, owners of Lady Cynthia, had a number of vessels which operated in all areas of the coast of British Columbia. The company, however, ran a number of routes close to Vancouver where overnight accommodations on board ship would be unnecessary, with the objective being to carry large numbers of day passengers. To distinguish vessels intended for this service from the company's other ships, these day vessels were given names that began with "Lady", and included Lady Cynthia, Lady Cecilia, Lady Alexandra, Lady Pam, Lady Evelyn, and Lady Rose.
Design and construction
Lady Cynthia was originally built in 1919 as a Town class minesweeper and served with the Royal Navy as HMS Barnstaple. The navy sold the minesweeper in 1924, and it was purchased by the Union Steamship Company of British Columbia. The vessel was reconstructed at the shipyard of Coaster Construction Co., under the management of W.D. McLaren, in Montrose, Scotland.
An upper deck was added, and to maintain the ship's stability, sponsons were added on each side of the hull. The sponsons reduced the maximum speed of the ship from 19 to 15 knots. The rebuilt ship had two funnels but the rear funnel was a dummy, added for appearance, but did provide engine room ventilation.
Accommodation included a forward observation lounge, a main saloon framed in mahogany with maple panels, a dining saloon framed and paneled in mahogany, a café with oak dance floor, and considerable promenade deck seating. Although a day-steamer, three staterooms were available on the promenade deck.
Lady Cynthia had a gross tonnage of 950 and net tonnage of 390. The ship was 230 feet in length overall, and 220 feet in length between perpendiculars, with a beam of 34.5 feet including the sponsons. The depth of the cargo hold was 16.3 feet.
The power plant consisted of twin Ross and Duncan triple-expansion steam engines, two propellers, and two Yarrow water tube boilers. The maximum speed was about 15.5 knots but this required firing of both boilers and was reserved for special occasions. Normal speed was 13 knots, and one boiler was sufficient for this.
The ship was licensed for a maximum of 900 passengers on summer excursions, 800 passengers in other summer travel, and 500 passengers during the winter. Cargo capacity was approximately 75 tons. The official Canadian registry number was 152899.
Entry into passenger operations
Following reconstruction, Lady Cynthia reached Vancouver BC on August 22, 1925. The company placed the ship on the route from Vancouver to Powell River under Capt. Alfred E. Dickson, the company's most senior master for the first trip. Afterwards, Capt. John Boden was placed in command. Starting in the 1920s, Lady Cynthia was employed on excursions to Bowen Island, where the Union Steamship company owned and operated a popular resort. Other Howe Sound ports of call included Porteau, Anvil Island, Britannia, Woodfibre, Squamish, Keats Island, Grantham’s Landing, and Gibson’s Landing. “Sunshine Coast” ports of call included Gower Point, Wilson Creek, Robert’s Creek, Selma Park, Halfmoon Bay, Buccaneer Bay, Pender Harbour, Savary Island, Powell River, and Cortez Island, and Stuart Island.