Rivtow Lion
Tug · Canada · Lost 2005 · The British Columbia Coast
A Royal Navy rescue tug that once towed torpedo-damaged ships in the North Atlantic later worked BC's coast and was sunk as a sheltered artificial reef in Departure Bay in 2005.
Become Captain of RecordSee Shipwreck on Map
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built in 1940 as the Royal Navy rescue tug HMRT Prudent, later renamed Cautious, this vessel came to British Columbia in the 1960s and was renamed Rivtow Lion, working for decades towing the log barge Rivtow Carrier along the coast. In 2002 the Nanaimo Dive Association acquired the retired tug, and after clean-up work, sank her as a shallow, sheltered artificial reef in Departure Bay, Nanaimo, on February 6, 2005.
Vessel
- 1940
- Canadian registry no. 182199
- Cochrane & Sons Ltd.
- Selby, Yorkshire, England
- Steel
- 147 ft
- 33 ft
- 561
- Diesel, single screw
- Royal Navy (to 1964); M.R. Cliff Tugboat Co.; Rivtow Marine/Industries/Straits Ltd.
Loss
- February 6, 2005
- Intentional sinking
- Departure Bay, Nanaimo, British Columbia
- Strait of Georgia
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
The Wreck Today
- 90
- Upright, sheltered, popular beginner wreck dive
- Upright
- Not established
- Not established
Position
- 49.20° N 123.95° W
- Approximate position
- Departure Bay, Nanaimo, British Columbia
Coordinates from a dive-resource site for the mooring location.
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
Build details, former names, ownership history, and scuttling date.
Wreck depth, condition, and site description.
