For a good many years now, the former C.S.L. tug BAYPORT (II), (a) BANSWIFT, which had been based in Midland, has been lying in the Leslie Street slip off the Toronto turning basin. Used as a houseboat, she has been mouldering away and, in fact, her wooden pilothouse rotted away to the point that it had to be replaced. The replacement is something to behold! The tug's owner, Meridan Marine Ltd. (as identified in the Canadian List of Shipping), has purchased the pilothouse recently removed from the tanker CAPE TRANSPORT and has placed it on the tug's boat deck. The house is, of course, far too big for the 73-foot BAYPORT and noticeably overhangs the texas. BAYPORT has not operated in many years but if her owner should ever decide to run her, we will be watching carefully to see how soon she capsizes.

We understand that representatives of Strathearne Terminals in Hamilton have taken a look at CHRIS M. recently, presumably in connection with a possible sale of the big tug for scrapping. CHRIS M.'s owner, Norman Rogers of Algonquin Island, Toronto, has done no further work on the tug since 1976 and the "conversion" of the boat has come to a standstill, leaving her a harbour eyesore.

For those interested in deep-sea passenger vessels, we cannot ignore major developments affecting passenger liners. The trend these days seems to be for large liners to be sold for non-transportation uses. Witness RAFFAELLO, MICHELANGELO, FRANCE and CRISTOFORO COLOMBO, all of which are to be used as accommodation ships. It is indeed pleasing to see that LEONARDO DA VINCI will be continuing to serve as a cruise ship and that S. A. VAAL (the former TRANSVAAL CASTLE built in 1960) will do likewise. Retired during 1977, the latter vessel has been sold by the South African Marine Corp. to Carnival Cruise Lines who have renamed her (c) FESTIVALE. She will be given an extensive refit in Japan and will enter service in October 1978, joining the two former Canadian Pacific vessels CARNIVALE and MARDI GRAS.

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