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 creates prints that are often indistinguishable from the original artwork. Since they aren’t covered by glass, these prints offer vibrant, rich colors that can be enjoyed from any angle. The award-winning LYVE canvas features breathable, OBA-free, truly archival material, carefully finished with a satin coating. Certified by the Fine Art Trade Guild for over 100 years of archival quality, these prints come ready to hang with a sleek black side treatment. The stretcher bars are crafted from Paulownia wood—a strong, lightweight hardwood that is easy to work with, highly resistant to warping, decay, insects, and mold, and grows rapidly. Canvas prints make an excellent choice for wall art, as they offer a polished, tailored look without the need for an external frame.

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“Elegance Velvet” paper is a cold press paper, featuring a subtle texture similar to that of cold pressed watercolor paper. It weighs 300 gsm, giving it a substantial, heavy feel. Made from 100% cotton rag, it is naturally acid-free and archival, making it a standard choice for professional Fine Art reproduction prints. Its longevity is rated for over 100 years. As with most modern prints and papers, when properly stored and framed, they typically exceed the official 100-year rating for fade resistance and durability.