Free Stranded by Aaron Saunders

-old boy named L. Smith. On this trip south he had the unenviable role of being Princess Sophia ’s sole lookout. The other lookout scheduled to be on board for the sailing was Walter Gosse — brother of Second Officer Frank Gosse. Prior to departure from Vancouver, the two brothers had attended a dance. Like most young men attending dances with pretty girls, they’d pushed their exit from the dance floor until the very last second and had to sprint to Princess Sophia ’s berthing location at Vancouver’s Pier D. Frank Gosse made it, but Walter was left standing pierside. The lack of a second lookout was inconvenient but not unsolvable; in all likelihood, Locke and Shaw had stationed an able-bodied seaman out on deck to assist young Lookout Smith.
    In the darkness of the wheelhouse an oversized poster was mounted to one of the bulkheads. Under the direction of Canadian Pacific’s British Columbia manager, Captain James Troupe, every vessel in the coastal fleet was fitted with such a poster in the wheelhouse. It detailed “ right-of -way” rules for passing vessels within the coastal waterway system. Troup had reasoned that, if in doubt, officers could quickly and easily consult the chart without having to go to the chart room and look through booklets filled with information, thus wasting valuable and perhaps precious time.
    Vancouver harbour as it would have appeared in 1918.
City of Vancouver Archives AM1495-: CVA 1495-8.
    Located at the foot of Granville Street, Vancouver’s Pier D is shown here in 1914. It would burn to the ground in a spectacular fire on July 27, 1938.
City of Vancouver Archives AM358-S1---: CVA 152-1.097
    The chart room aboard Princess Sophia held the vast majority of information sources that the officer of the watch would likely need. Buried in amongst the papers and booklets that filled this room were two directives from Canadian Pacific headquarters to all captains. The first of these notices was over three years old, dated August 12, 1915:
To ALL Masters and Officers:
    Now that the foggy season is approaching, I must caution you regarding the necessity of extreme care in the navigation of your ship in thick weather. Strict attention must be paid to the Company’s printed Rules and International Rules of the Road regarding safe navigation.
    Neglect to carry out the caution — “Stop the Engines” — contained in the second paragraph of Article #16, will not be excused.
    Remember that the responsibilities for the protection of life and property under your charge are very great, and that the strictest observation of Rules and Regulations laid down, are the best safeguards for your passengers, the Company, and yourself.
    OBEY THE RULES. TAKE NO CHANCES.
    APPROVED: J.W. Troup, Manager. C.D. NEROUTSOS. Marine Superintendent. [3]
    The second directive was less than a year old. It was issued on November 20, 1917, and said mainly the same thing as the 1915 missive, with one important addition: “Remember that at the present time it is practically impossible to replace a vessel, and that all repairs cost from two to three times what they did before the war.” [4]
    The message was clear: masters were to avoid accidents and incidents at all cost.
    Princess Sophia ’s whistles cut through the midnight blizzard again, rattling the decking as they sounded. The deep-throated sound reverberated off the high mountain faces surrounding the ship. Viewed from above, she was but a brightly lit speck travelling alone down one of Alaska’s most dangerous stretches of water. Although she continued to steam south at twelve knots, with three men in her wheelhouse and two lookouts positioned on deck, she was literally feeling her way through.
    Despite the foul weather directives from the company — which he surely must have seen and no doubt remembered — Captain Locke was unperturbed by the storm that greeted him in the early morning hours of