MV Vanlene
Freighter · Panama · Lost 1972 · The British Columbia Coast
A Panamanian freighter loaded with 300 Japanese cars ran aground on Austin Island in Barkley Sound in 1972, becoming one of BC's best-known wreck-diving stories.
Become Captain of Record
The Vessel and Her Loss
The freighter Vanlene, en route from Japan to Vancouver with 300 Dodge Colt automobiles, ran aground on a reef off Austin Island in Barkley Sound on March 14, 1972, after navigating largely by magnetic compass in fog. All 38 crew were rescued, and about 131 cars were airlifted off before the hull was abandoned. Locals scavenged the remaining cargo over the following years, and winter storms eventually broke the ship into two sections on the reef. It is now a popular and heritage-recognized dive site.
Vessel
- 1950
- Not established
- Not established
- Steel
- 473 ft
- Not established
- 8354
- Diesel, single screw
- Not established
Loss
- March 14, 1972
- Navigational error
- Austin Island, Barkley Sound, west coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia
- Pacific Ocean
- Japan → Vancouver, British Columbia
- 300 Dodge Colt automobiles
- 38
- 0
- Lo Chung Hung
The Wreck Today
- 30
- Broken into two sections on the reef after several winters of storms
- Not established
- Not established
- Protected under British Columbia's heritage wreck legislation as a designated historic place.
Position
- Not established
- Position not established
- Austin Island, Barkley Sound, British Columbia
General location at Austin Island is well documented, but a precise surveyed position was not confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (85/100)
A precise surveyed wreck position was not confirmed in the sources reviewed.
Canadian Register of Historic Places
Vessel dimensions, tonnage, grounding date, and wreck condition.
Grounding circumstances, cargo, fuel spill response.
