The Quadrant Partner, Built in 1974 as the Carlyn McMurren she has two sister ships, it's unique hull was designed by the renowned Robert Allan firm out of Vancouver. The tugs were built for work in the Arctic & they were built in the years where quality wasn't neglected. The Partner is an extremely capable Tugboat, however it is not at all an enjoyable weather boat. Stories heard from sailors that got to know her personally say it will get through anything Poseidon has had to offer her. Sure you'll get through but that's not without a beating.. some spilled coffee in the wheelhouse and a messed up galley down below! Rumor says its achieved the journey from Vancouver to the Mackenzie River and another story says that a Catherwood representative broke an arm on board due to being bumped around in a storm near Comox. The tug spent countless years up North, I believe it was then acquired by JJM construction in 1990 and named the Miller Richmond, it towed barges up and down the Fraser and everywhere around. A TSB report I read explains that on December 18th 2000 it had a collision with the Pitt River Bridge. At the last minute, while the tug was on its final approach, the bridge wouldn’t lift due to mechanical reasons. In a last resort to prevent collision the skipper tried backing hard on the barges and spun a 180 to stop em up. Without luck he drifted out of the channel, ran aground with the boat and the second barge hit the bridge. It explains there was considerable damage to the protection piling however nothing to the bridge. Catherwood towing then acquired the tug in 2016 and changed its name to the Fraser Navigator. It kept on towing on the Fraser and did some work delivering feed/fuel to the fish farms around the Broughton and Discovery Islands. It was also used as a replacement boat for the city transfer run to Powell River. Being a pusher tug at soul but used as a towing boat, the Partner was left out; it wasn't the favorite of the fleet. With a weird shape, a high center of gravity, shallow draft making it a skating type of boat. It didn't get the right attention it needed. In 2021 Quadrant Towing acquired the vessel and rebaptisted it to the Quadrant Partner. It has been through a redesign with the help of Arrow Ship yards, Quadrant took an opportunity & gave the Partner a chance to shine again as a designated Pusher tug. It currently works in Prince Rupert for dredging support and let me tell you that it moves around a lot landing barges all day. It's great at what it does. 65 ft in length with a gross tonnage of 131 tons It packs 1400hp out of a fairly new pair of tier 3 caterpillar C-32 it draws 6 ft of draft & sleeps a mighty crew of 4. It successfully maneuvers barges in some pretty narrow sketchy places and can push the right barge at a cruising speed of 10knots. It is one of the rare, almost unique pusher tugs on this coast. For me coming from the East Coast where we push barges around a lot, the Quadrant Partner was my first command of what I consider a real Tug on the great BC coast. I worked hard to be in this position. To run the Partner is something I take pride in and every time I get on board I am very thankful of the great opportunity Gordon, Kirsten and the people at Quadrant Towing trusted me with. This particular picture was taken on my third day in command. John, our senior skipper that gave me familiarization, had left me with the keys. It was just my Deckhand Evan and I. It was a sunny day in Rupert. Up the wheelhouse you forget how big she is. I remember the moment I walked onto the dock taking a glance at the boat telling to myself damn she a big Girl!!! As the bird passed it made an epic picture. Then the phone rang and off we went to move a barge. It was a good day!

Photo & Story Credit: Tristan Pilon

Fine art prints are available in both 1 ½” thick canvas or fine art paper.

Canvas prints are Limited Edition (of 100) and come with a Certificate of Authenticity, are “ready to hang” and the sides are black.

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These fine art prints are the perfect alternative to an original. Printed right here on Vancouver Island, these prints have the look and feel of something I have painted myself.

Canvas Print

The natural texture of the canvas produces prints that are often hard to tell from the art original, and because they are not behind glass, offer stunning, rich-colour views from any angle. Award-winning breathing Color LYVE canvas, OBA free, truly archival, & carefully coated with satin coating, which are certified 100+ year archival by the Fine Art Trade Guild. Ready to hang with black side treatment. The stretcher bars are locally sourced from sustainable, Vancouver Island Douglas Fir and Hemlock, kiln-dried and milled. Canvas prints are a wonderful wall art option because they can look beautifully tailored without an external frame.

Fine Art Paper

"Made from 100% cotton rag and using a hot press production technique, this Hot-Press Fine Art Paper features a smooth matte finish. The heavy weight of 330 gsm, thickness of 16 mil, and opacity of 98% further give this paper the look and feel of a true fine art paper. Also, by forgoing the use of optical brightening agents, this media will offer a warmer, more natural coloration that is less prone to degradation over time. Designed for longevity, Hot Press Natural is free of acid, lignin, and chlorine and is pH buffered."