Until she was sold for use in Kincardine several years ago, the wooden-hulled, powered fishing schooner AVALON VOYAGER II, built on the east coast, was a familiar sight in Toronto Harbour. Recently acquired by Hank Buitendyk for use as a floating restaurant at Owen Sound, she cleared Kincardine under her own power on October 29. On the 30th, she encountered problems with a water pump and lost all engine power. In heavy seas, she struck Cape Hurd Reef and, her anchor not holding, she drifted into Hay Bay. The fishtug W.A. SPEARS came to the scene and rigged a towline but it soon parted and AVALON VOYAGER grounded beam-on to the seas. A rescue dinghy overturned in the waves and one of the tug's men had to swim across with a line to get the owner and five-man crew off the VOYAGER. All were rescued safely but, on October 31, the wind changed direction and the 34-year-old vessel began to break up. There is little doubt that the boat is a total loss.

Return to Home Port or Toronto Marine Historical Society's Scanner

Reproduced for the Web with the permission of the Toronto Marine Historical Society.