Princess Kathleen Sinks
Canadian Pacific Lines
September 7, 1952
On September 7, 1952, sailing 1.5 to 10 miles off course (depending on who is telling the story), the Canadian Pacific Lines' (CPL) Princess Kathleen steamship sunk off the coast of Point Lena in Favorite Channel, Alaska with no loss of life on her last cruise of the season.
The evacuation took a toll on the passengers, as many hiked through the bush to get to a road where vehicles were waiting to transport them into town. One passenger suffering a heart attack soon after arriving at the Baranof Hotel.
Passengers would be compensated with a complete refund of their fare, and an average of $1,000 for property loss.
Later that day as the tide rose, Princess Kathleen slipped further and further off the rocks and into the sea. Her bow rests about 50 below the surface of the water, the stern 120 feet below, with about an 80 degree list. She had 155,000 gallons of bunker C fuel or also known as No. 6 fuel oil on board when she sunk.
Over 50 years later, a ship that had become a favorite dive location for divers with a fondness for sunken ships, now has people wondering, what were our parents thinking, when they left that ship to pollute the pristine Alaskan waters, without repercussions to the Canadian company that owned it.
Local officials are now saying that fuel is leaking, as is evident by the sheen on the surface of the ocean, near where the ship is resting.
The leak appears to be slow, so much so the United States Coast Guard (USCG) has determined the amount is unrecoverable. During the past six months or so, the leak has been on going, turning up the heat on the government for something to be done.
No. 6 fuel oil is a dense, viscous oil produced by blending heavy residual oils with a lighter oil (often No. 2 fuel oil) to meet specifications for viscosity and pour point.
When spilled on water, No. 6 fuel usually spreads into thick, dark colored slicks, which can contain large amounts of oil.
Direct mortality rates can be high for seabirds, waterfowl, and fur-bearing marine mammals, especially where populations are concentrated in small areas, such as during bird migrations or marine mammal haulouts.
“Based on the recent reports of a sheen from the Princess Kathleen and our concern for the environment, the Coast Guard felt diving on the vessel to determine its actual condition was necessary,” said Captain Melissa Bert, Sector Juneau Commander. “Any action we take with regard to this vessel will be done in conjunction with our state and local partners and balance our concern for the environment and its historical significance.”
The USCG opened the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund in February 2010 to fund the remote survey of the sunken vessel.
The name plates for the ship were recovered during a dive and are on loan to Vancouver Maritime Museum.
Princess Kathleen was built in 1925 by John Brown & Company Ltd for Canadian Pacific Railway Co (CPRR), owners of Canadian Pacific Lines. The steamship was 325-feet-long, with a 60-foot wide, 26 deep beam.
The vessel was sailing towards Skagway, having entered Favorite Channel. The Channel is located north of Stephens Passage, between Shelter Island and the mainland. She had 307 passengers and 80 crew aboard when the steamship, captained by Graham O. Hughs hit the rocks at Point Lena.
At the time of the sinking, around 0300 hours as passengers and most crew slept, Chief Officer Charles W. Savage was on the bridge. Savage would later say though the ship had radar, it had not been turned on. A company spokesman told the press that whether or not to turn on the radar was a decision made by the officer in charge and apparently Savage did not deem the situation radar worthy as it traveled off shore at a speed said to be 9 knots.
The shipwreck was destined for a horror story, to be sure. Initially, Savage's crew sent out an SOS on the wrong frequency. It would be two hours later before the United States Coast Guard would become aware a Canadian ship had been grounded on their shores.
When the USCG got wind of the plight of the Princess Kathleen, they immediately sent a cutter that had been towing a fishing vessel to the scene. The rescue ship arrived around 0630 hours to begin the evacuation of passengers who had already begun to make their way onto what they thought was an island.
