MV Motor Princess
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | 1923-1955 MV Motor Princess, 1955-1980 Pender Queen |
| Owner | Canadian Pacific |
| Operator | 1923-1955: Canadian Pacific Railway, 1955-1961 Gulf Island Navigation, 1961-1980 BC Ferries |
| Port of registry | |
| Builder | Yarrows Ltd., Esquimalt |
| Launched | 31 March 1923 |
| Out of service | 1980 |
| Identification | IMO number: 5412959 |
| Fate | Scrapped |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 428 GT |
| Length | 177 ft (54 m) |
| Draught | 15 ft (4.6 m) |
| Installed power | 1,050 horsepower |
| Speed | 12 knots |
| Capacity | 250 passengers and 40 cars |
MV Motor Princess was a vehicle and passenger ferry built for Canadian Pacific in 1923. She was later renamed, Pender Queen then Pender Lady.
Motor Princess was built in 97 days at by Yarrows Ltd. in Esquimalt. She was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company's B.C. Coast Service.
Motor Princess had a main car deck as well as space for cars on the front half of the upper deck, connected to the main car deck with a ramp. She was a wooden-hulled vessel and the first diesel powered vessel in CP's fleet. She had a cruising speed of 14.5 knots. (Turner, 129) Robert Turner describes the passenger amenities in his book, "The Pacific Princesses":
Naturally, emphasis was on automobile facilities, but passengers were far from neglected. Though her lounge space was limited compared to the spacious equivalent quarters on the larger ships in the [CP] fleet, the Motor Princess was nonetheless well appointed. On both sides of the upper car deck, carpeted lounges were provided with large windows for viewing the scenic Gulf Islands. In addition, the after two-fifths of the upper deck were devoted to a combination dining room and social hall with hardwood flooring. Two staterooms were also provided on the compact ship, and ample open deck space was available for leisurely strolls and relaxing in the sun during the summer months. (129)
Turner cites the construction of the Motor Princess as being a turning point in ship construction for CP. From then on, almost all new ships would be more friendly towards transporting cars. (Turner, 129)