Terry Halifax
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Sep 06/02) - A very familiar face at the Inuvik Public Dock is that of the Mackenzie Surveyor.

The ship's captain, Brian Turner, said the ship was built for the federal government in 1979 and refitted in 1985.

"It surveyed the Mackenzie River for the federal DWP (Department of Public Works) barge for dredging," Turner said.

He bought the ship at auction from Crown Assets Disposal in 1989 to use as a charter.

Turner's been in the charter business since 1975, transporting tourists and freight up and down the river and along the Arctic Coast.

"My outfitter's licence goes from the Alaskan border to Cape Dalhousie to Norman Wells," he said.

The Surveyor navigates with a compass and GPS, but the boat's captain has plenty of experience steering through the labyrinth of the Delta channels.

"I know my way around," Turner grins.

Communications include a VHF radio, a radio telephone and Coast Guard radio.

She's powered by a pair of six cylinder V-53 Detroit Diesel engines pushing a combined horsepower of 430 horsepower.

The Surveyor has a tunnel drive system that forces the water back from inside, so there are no propellers to run aground.

"It's built to go in shallow water," he said. "That's why it's so slow."

It used to have a jet engine, but the government installed the tunnel drive and diesel engines. Turner said the engines are bullet-proof and powerful, but slow and not too fuel efficient.

Next season she won't be so slow, he says.

"I'm putting a Volvo right in the back and open all this area up for cargo," he said, pointing to mid-ship. "These drives take up a lot of space."

The new engine will be a surface drive that puts out 400 horsepower.

"She'll probably do 40 knots," Turner said.

"It'll still be a shallow-draught boat, but it will be much quicker and increase her load capacity to 12 or 13 tonnes."

He and the crew had to abort a recent trip up to Herschel Island to salvage an aircraft when the sea ice had forced them back.

"We don't have a very good forecasting system over here," Turner said.

"East of here, there's no problem, but west of here there's no shipping lanes to speak of."

On the trip to Herschel, one of his engines overheated, so he'll put in a new head gasket and what ever else is required to get the ship through the season.