Imperial Oil Tanker and Bollards

It's difficult to find a photo of an oil tanker discharging its combustible cargo in the Inner Harbour. After looking in all the usual places, I finally found such a photo in an unlikely place! Arlie Robb often crossed the causeway to Barriefield. And he photographed some interesting marine sights. The Queen's University Archives holds the Arlie Robb fonds, photos of various diverse subjects, including the Imperial Collingwood* in June, 1976 (top photo) with Canadian Dredge & Dock visible in the background. The photo would have been taken from the former coal unloading dock on the west side of the Cataraqui River  (extreme bottom left corner of George Lilley aerial photo, taken in April, 1951, also from the QUA):

Across the few feet of water was that whitish area (above) where the Imperial (Imperial Collingwood, Imperial London, Imperial Simcoe) and Shell tankers would have docked to unload (furnace oil, stove oil gasoline) filling the nearby oil tanks. Their loads were either taken on in Sarnia or Toronto (via pipeline from Sarnia). Surrounded by Canadian Dredge & Dock scows and vessels. In a subsequent post, I'll list some of the marine traffic including tankers that visited the Inner Harbour. 

This Whig clipping shows Imperial Windsor passing through the causeway at the start of the 1963 navigation season:

Here's a Whig clipping from March, 1974 showing Imperial Collingwood docked as the first vessel of the shipping season, seen riding high in the water:

Two years earlier, Imperial London couldn't risk entering the Inner Harbour to unload due to high winds on November 27, 1972: 

Bollards for mooring still exist:

There was wood cribbing (shown on my diagram as decayed dock) between the bollards. Bow of a laker at Anglin's coal dock with retaining wall, bollards and equipment in the background:

A recent walk finally put me on this hallowed ground on the Inner Harbour! Bollard in water:

Walking a little farther back toward Doug Fluhrer Park, MetalCraft Marine (former site of Canadian Dredge & Dock) is in the background with marina docking in foreground:

 A little farther along, another view including the Leeuwarden Condominiums on the far shore:

A few days later I returned to get some close-up photos of the installation, largely overgrown. A schematic, with Frontenac Village (south) at top, across the narrow docking channel. Going counter-clockwise around the installation, I encountered the large bollard, two metal retaining walls out of which most of the retained rocks had disappeared, two small bollards, two unloading pipes near a decayed and submerged wooden dock, a welded-shut steel box, two more small bollards, the large bollard, and a light pole and small steel box:

 Looking across to Frontenac Village, the first of the two smaller bollards are shown with red arrows:

 The smaller bollard carries the name Drydock Engine Works Detroit:

One of the weed-grown unloading pipes:

This welded-shut steel box probably contains a valve to connect the ship's hose to. Ron Hawkins has kindly noted that the ship would pump the oil itself, not needing any additional pumping equipment to unload the tankers:

 Two more smaller bollards, the retaining wall and blue No Wake sign and Causeway bridge:

And the second large bollard, still with cables and ropes around it:

An aerial view from the Whig 1994 Neighbourhoods series:

The Queen's University Archives turned up a hidden gem, with this view of Imperial Windsor approaching the causeway bridge. The tanker was the first vessel of the year to enter Kingston harbour at the start of the 1969 shipping season, on April 10, reportedly carrying 680,000 gallons of fuel oil:

Closeup (above). The causeway bridge is up:

Neat memories from Ron Hawkins via the Hall Corporation Shipping (HALCO) Fleet Page on Facebook:

"In 1978 I was a cadet on the [HALCO] Chemical Transport. We did several trips to the inner harbour to Anglin Fuel. A very tight turn to port once our ass cleared the causeway. The buoy marking the channel for the Rideau Canal was under the bow as seen from the wheelhouse. Twin screw helped mightily getting to the berth."

"The steel box you mention on your page was unlikely to be a pump facilty. Ships pump it themselves, but if anything there it’s likely a valve to connect the ship’s hose to."

More information on the Imperial Collingwood:

• The tanker Imperial Collingwood began service on April 15, 1948, built at Collingwood Shipyards. 
• Lengthened 1961 at Montreal QC by Canadian Vickers Ltd., remeasured to 293.5 x 43.6 x 17.4, 2530 GT, 1610 NT;
• Lengthened again 1969 with new bow and stern at Sorel QC by Marine Industries Ltd., remeasured to 324.0 length and 2620 GT, 1671 NT.
• Sold 1977 to Shediac Bulk Shipping Ltd., Moncton NB and renamed Seaway Trader.
• Sold 1984 for off-Lakes service and left the Great Lakes.
• Renamed Patricia II (Panama) 1987, Balboa Trader 1992 and Rivas 1995.