SS Island Princess facts for kids

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|} The steamboat Daily was a busy ship in the early 1900s. It was part of the "Puget Sound Mosquito Fleet," a nickname for the many small boats that carried people and goods around Puget Sound. Over the years, Daily had two more names: Island Princess and later Cy Peck.

Contents

• Building the Daily Steamboat
• Life as the Daily
• Becoming the Island Princess
• Changing to the Cy Peck
• Later Years of the Cy Peck

Building the Daily Steamboat

The Daily was built in 1913. A skilled shipbuilder named Matthew McDowell constructed it. His shipyard was located near Tacoma, in a place called Caledonia.

• The Daily was one of the bigger ships Captain McDowell ever built.
• It was 116 feet long and 25 feet wide.
• The ship weighed 254 tons.
• It was the seventh passenger and cargo ship Captain McDowell built for the Puget Sound area.
• The Daily was a great example of a "mixed-use" ship. This means it could carry both people and freight.

Life as the Daily

After it was built, the Daily started its job right away. It traveled on a route between Seattle and Tacoma. Along the way, it stopped at different places on Vashon and Maury islands.

Becoming the Island Princess

In 1918, a big change happened for the Daily. It was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). This company owned many ships. They renamed the steamboat Island Princess.

• The CPR used the Island Princess to serve the Gulf Islands. These are a group of islands off the coast of British Columbia, Canada.
• The ship helped improve travel and trade in the area.
• Even though it was the smallest ship in the CPR fleet, it was very useful.
• The Island Princess (formerly Daily) worked for CPR from 1918 to 1930.
• It traveled to islands like North Pender, South Pender, Mayne, Galiano, and Saltspring.

Changing to the Cy Peck

The CPR's service to the Gulf Islands was very popular. So, in 1927, CPR decided to use a different, larger ship called Charmer. This ship was special because it could carry cars.

• In 1930, CPR sold the Island Princess to a company called Gulf Islands Ferry Company.
• The new owners renamed the ship Cy Peck.
• It was named after Cyrus Wesley Peck, a hero and politician from British Columbia.
• The new owners changed the ship so it could carry automobiles, just like the Charmer.

Later Years of the Cy Peck

Cy Peckin BC Ferriescolors (1962)

The Cy Peck (which was once Island Princess and before that Daily) was a very strong and well-built ship. It kept working for many years!

• As late as 1956, it was still regularly traveling in British Columbia. It worked on the route between Fulford Harbour and Swartz Bay.
• In 1961, another company called BC Ferries bought the Cy Peck. They used it as a backup ship.
• In 1966, the ship was sold again. This time, it was bought by J.H. Todd & Sons. They used it as a floating fishing camp.
• Even in 1975, the Cy Peck was still around! It was being used privately near the town of Ganges on Saltspring Island.
• Today, you can find a copy of the ship's steering room (called a wheelhouse) on the waterfront in Ganges.