The
elegant Fifer was launched at Vancouver's Burrard Shipyard in 1939,
built for Captain William Crawford of the Empire Stevedoring Company.
Her designer, marine architect Robert Allen, was told that no expense
was to be spared in the construction of the vessel. She was to be crafted
solidly from the very best of materials and her engines were to be selected
from the finest available in the world.
Sketch by Jim Woods
Among Fifer's impressive details was a double hull of steel, a magnificent
superstructure, watertight bulkheads and superb staterooms for the captain
and his guests. At 100 feet in length, she was powered with twin 250-hp
diesels that allowed for a smooth cruising speed of 10 knots and was
equipped with extra large fuel tanks that gave the vessel a range of
3,000 miles. The skilled tradesmen of Burrard's delivered to the owner
exactly what he order and expected: a gorgeous luxury yacht that was
fully capable of cruising the world in high style and comfort.
Captain Crawford was to begin his retirement
at the same time his new vessel would be completed and ready for sea.
He planned a lengthy voyage to mark the occasion. Fifer was to leave
Vancouver, cross the Pacific to Hawaii for a visit, then head down southwest
into the tropics. After exploring the beauty and charm of that area
for a few months, she would continue on to India, the Middle East, the
Mediterranean and north to Great Britain. The trip was to end in Fifeshire,
Scotland, Captain Crawford's birthplace and the town for which the ship
was named. Crawford planned to retire in Fifeshire.
She
was to be crafted solidly from the very best of materials and her engines
were to be selected from the finest available in the world.
It was a beautiful dream, but it was not to happen. When the vessel
was launched in November 1939, World War II had been underway for just
a month. The Fifer, like many other Canadian yachts, was seized by the
navy and fitted out to serve as an armed patrol vessel for the duration
of the war. Unfortunately, Captain Crawford died before the war ended
in 1945 and never did get to sail away to retirement in his treasured
craft.
The Fifer was put up for sale and over
the next several years various wealthy West Coast businessmen took turns
owning the beautiful vessel. In fact, one of them, Colonel Clarence
Wallace, owned her twice.
The
Fifer's wheelhouse is full of the time-honoured traditional varnished
hardwood and polished brass.
Down through the years the ship has remained largely the same with few
major changes. One exception was in 1958 when her engines required upgrading.
A sizable hole had to be cut in the Fifer's side, allowing the old engine
to be removed and the new ones, twin six-cylinder Waukesha 360 diesels,
to be installed.
The Fifer's wheelhouse is full of the
time-honoured traditional varnished hardwood and polished brass, along
with all the modern navigational aids a skipper would need. The radio
transceivers, radars, depth sounds and autopilot gear are all there.
Fifer graced the waters of Vancouver
and the Gulf Islands with her beauty for over 40 years, both as a private
yacht and as a working member of a charter fleet. Some time ago she
relocated to California waters after being sold to a well-known international
lawyer, Melvin Belli, who has since died. I was unable to learn whether
the vessel remains the property of the Belli family or has again been
sold. 
