Village of Finn Slough - Gillnetter Eva circa. 1937

            Richmond, BC Canada

EVA, is a wooden gill-netter built in 1937. She is powered by an original two cylinder Easthope engine. Easthope was a local company that manufactured some of the first gasoline engines used to power the West Coast fishing fleet and became a legend in the industry. Eva was built from good quality materials – Western Red Cedar, Yellow Cedar and Douglas Fir to name a few. 

The Eva (#13K3752) was built in 1937 at the Suzuki Brothers Boat Yard as a Japanese–style double–ended gillnetter. She is 29.6’ x 8.0’ x 3.0’ carvel plank construction, cedar over oak. She was originally owned by Henry Jacobson, from Finn Slough BC. She required rebuilding by the Kishi Brothers Shipyard in the 1950s. In the 1960s she was owned by Gus Jacobsen (Henry’s nephew), also of Finn Slough BC. In late 1990s Al Mason, a highly skilled model builder and shipwright, traded a beautifully constructed scale model of the Eva for the vessel herself. She fished commercially to 1993 with fishing licence #23653.

She is probably the only vessel in existence to have been exchanged for an exact replica of herself. In 1997, Al Mason, a former resident made an interesting trade with Gus Jacobson, a Finnish fisher with long ties to Finn Slough. Al agreed to trade a working scale model (25.5 inches) of the Eva for the real thing (29.5 feet). Gus had been looking for a good home for the boat ever since he transferred the Eva’s fishing license to his present gill-netter because of a change of the fishing regulations around 1993 when area fishing was set up on the West Coast. Gus knew if a wooden boat was left unused it will deteriorate. Al, a shipwright who had repaired Eva in the past, had his eye on the boat for years and jumped at the chance to take ownership. When Al moved away from the Slough he made sure the Eva went to the Finn Slough Heritage and Wetlands Society. Kevin, another Finn Slough resident has upgraded her moorings among many other things. 

Recently, local fishers have considered donating several historic fishing vessels and buildings to the Heritage & Wetland Society for preservation. Included is the “Eva” a twenty-eight foot wooden gillnetter built in 1939 at the “Kishi Boatworks” down river in Steveston. This boat is powered by an original two-cylinder “Easthope” engine. 

“Easthope” was a local company that manufactured some of the first gas engines used to power the West Coast fishing fleet and became a legend in the industry. Also donated was a float containing a rare net-soaking tank made of cedar. It was used to keep linen gillnets from falling apart by soaking them in a Blue Stone (copper sulphate) solution. 

This was before the advent of nylon nets and environmental awareness. They are in the process of creating a living museum by restoring and maintaining these and other heritage features. The Slough is bounded on the Fraser River side by Gilmore Island and on the north by a dyke built to protect Richmond. 

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Thank-you for your visit, and any faves or comments are always sincerely appreciated.
Sonjaand maintaining these and other heritage features. The Slough is bounded on the Fraser River side by Gilmore Island and on the north by a dyke built to protect Richmond. 

This image is best viewed in Large screen. 
 
Thank-you for your visit, and any faves or comments are always sincerely appreciated.
Sonja

Taken on: March 7, 2020

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Gillnetter Eva

circa. 1947

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Sets appears in: • Village of Finn Slough, Richmond (2020)

Camera: Nikon D5300, f/10.0, 1/250 sec, 40mm (=60mm), ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)

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