Yard Auxiliary, General (YAG) training vessels are wooden boats built between 1954 and 1958. Built for use as a blue boat, the majority of these crafted were used for general purposes such as liberty boats, stores and equipment lighters, as well as harbor ferries in Esquimalt, and for training members of the Royal Canadian Navy in basic seamanship, vessel handling, and navigation on the west coast.
A YAG in Ladysmith Harbour
The boats are arranged in typical naval fashion with officer’s housed forward with the galley and their own head, an engine room midships, and cadet room aft with 12-14 bunks in double tiers.
The original contract (let in 1952) was for 4 vessels, two to be built at Withey’s Shipyard in Silva Bay on Gabriola Island, and another two to be built at Mercer’s Shipyard in New Westminster. Ultimately 6 were built, 5 at Withey’s and one at Mercer.
306 (Grizzly) and 308 (Cougar) were delivered by Withey’s in 1954, 314 (Caribou), 319 (Badger), and 320 (Lynx) were delivered by Withey’s in 1955. 312 (Otter) was delivered by Mercer’s in 1955.
The vessels were all sold by auction in 2011.
- Displacement: 70 tonnes
- Breadth: 19′- 0″
- Draught: 4′-9″
- Length: 75′ 3″
- Propulsion: 2 × Detroit Diesel 6-71 series engines, 320 hp
And now you know…