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Listerville

Particulars of Canadian War Vessels Building & Projected by Naval Service Headquarters (D. N. C. Dept.) 1943 - 1945: Listerville [CN875]. Janes Fighting Ships 1990 - 1991: Cavalier ex Listerville [YTL 578]. Built by Russel Bros. Launched October 12, 1944. Joe Fossey notes (July 2006): Bob & Louise Perrault own ex-Listerville, an outstanding Ville Class renamed "Cavalier", and later "Hercules" and Miss Jenna. 1–135bhp diesel engine (1942). In 1944 she was built for the Royal Canadian Navy. She was employed as a Boom Defence tug at Halifax NS. She was a post-war tender to HMCS Star. Name 1 1944 Listerville (H.M.C.S.)
Name 2 1974 Cavalier (C.F.A.V.)

 

Listerville in naval service in the 1950s in Halifax harbour. The prominent smoke jack from the forecastle stove was a trademark of the pup tugs.

 

Navy info from Leigh Cossey, obtained April 2018.

 

Listerville RCN Official Photo HS-0050-118_DHH.
source: http://www.nauticapedia.ca/dbase/Query/Shiplist4.php?&name=Listerville%20(H.M.C.S.)&id=35345&Page=1&input=listerville

 

RCN Photograph of the CFAV Listerville (Ville-class harbour tug), Halifax, Nova Scotia, c. 1950.

 

RCN Photograph - 2 Ville-class harbour tugs in foreground, Halifax, Nova Scotia, c. 1950. Taken in 1960 HMCS Bonaventure Majestic Light Fleet Class Aircraft Carrier (CVL 22) Builder: Harland and Wolfe, Belfast, Northern Ireland Laid down: 27 November 1943 (HMS Powerful) Launched: 27 February 1945 Acquired: 23 April 1952 Commissioned RCN: 17 January 1957, Belfast, Ireland Displacement: -16,000 tons; length: - 704ft; width: - 80ft; draught: - 25ft; top speed: - 24kts; crew: 1200 peacetime - 1300 wartime Paid off: 1 July 1970 Fate: Sold for scrap and broken up at Taiwan 1971 National Defence Photograph Canada Neg. No. BN4694.

 

Montreal, Sept. 1977, Dave Freeman Photo, Rene Beauchamp Collection.

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"Cavalier" photo from Hamilton Naval Yard (undated, c. late 80s).

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Hamilton 1987, Plainsville (587) and Listerville (578). George Lee Collection.

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1987 photos of YTL 578 in Hamilton courtesy George Lee.

 

Cavalier alongside 1987 with STAR’s boatshed in the background.
Plainsville & Listerville were two of the 38 Ville class tugs built by Russel Brothers in Owen Sound in 1944. They were 40 foot long overall with a 10’6" beam and a draught of 5'. They were powered by a 150 hp Cummins 6 cylinder diesel. Plainsville was used for training at HMCS STAR from about 1962 and was joined by Listerville (renamed Cavalier in 1974) from 1982 till 1991 when both were disposed off. Originally they would winter at STAR and later would make the transit to and from Kingston each fall and spring to spend the winter there. They were used for diesel mechanic and basic seamanship training and served as safety boats for sailing regattas, powerboat races, air shows, etc.
http://hamiltonnaval.ca/plainsville/

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Rene Beauchamp notes (March 2017): Russel Bros. built CAVALIER at Valleyfield, QC and another workboat on a barge, April 14, 1994.

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Tugboat Hercules Taken on Dec. 19, 2009. Photo by Heather D. Made in 1944 and originally named "Listerville", her first assignment was to keep German subs out of Halifax Harbour.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/hdeeks/4210429698/

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From Mac Mackay's excellent TUGFAX blog about Halifax vessels SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2012
source: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2012/11/listerville-i-returns-to-nova-scotia.html

Listerville (i) returns to Nova Scotia...
Hercules awaits a return to salt water on Mahone Bay. Her mast has been laid flat for road transport. A tug, built in 1945, and for many years in fresh water near Montreal has returned to Nova Scotia. Built at Owen Sound, ON by Russel Bros as the Listerville for the Canadian navy, it was one of scores of Ville class "pup" tugs built for use at naval installations all over Canada. As 45 foot, 165 bhp tugs they became jacks of all trades, pushing, towing, and running errands around dockyards and naval bases.They were easily transportable by rail and so ended up in many out of the way places over the years. Listerville was based in Halifax for many years. After disposal by the navy it worked for McKeil Workboats as Cavalier and its register was closed in 1999 when it became a pleasure craft. It was carefully refitted and renovated and renamed Hercules It arrived back Nova Scotia on November 8 by truck and will soon enter the waters of Mahone Bay. A second Listerville is currently in service at HMC Dockyard in Halifax, it was built in 1974.

 

From Mac Mackay's excellent TUGFAX blog about Halifax vessels SATURDAY, AUGUST 2, 2014
source: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2014/08/miss-jenna-mahone-bay.html

Miss Jenna - Mahone Bay...
Miss Jenna appeared to be taking a day off from her normal activities of assisting in wharf and other marine construction projects in the Mahone Bay area. Acting as a race marker on a day when there was virtually no wind, may be a rather boring chore, but the crew seemed to be enjoying the outing. Built in 1944 as Listerville for the Royal Canadian Navy, she was based in Halifax and Kingston, ON then was used as a pleasure craft under the names Cavalier and Hercules before Mike Kelley of Mahone Bay bought her in 2012.

 

Miss Jenna in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, Aug. 2015. Photo courtesy Mailman & Kelley Marine Ltd.

 

A week at the spa, Sept. 2015. Photos courtesy Mailman & Kelley Marine Ltd.

 

Photos courtesy Mailman & Kelley Marine Ltd.

 

Photos courtesy Mailman & Kelley Marine Ltd.

 

From Mac Mackay's excellent TUGFAX blog about Halifax vessels SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2016
source: http://tugfaxblogspotcom.blogspot.ca/2016/06/eastern-tug-roundup.html It was also a quiet day in Mahone Bay where the ex RCN Ville class ''pup'' tug Miss Jenna was resting alongside. Miss Jenna is the former Hercules, Cavalier and originally, Listerville.

 

Everything can be attractive, if not beautiful. Miss Jenna is the former tugboat Hercules, Cavalier and originally, Listerville, the workhorse of Mailman & Kelley who are in the wharf crib work and breakwater construction business. Photo by Rod Mackay.
source: http://rodneymackay.com/fun2018/oceanography/quaternery%20copy.html

 

john scratchley photo taken on September 23, 2016. Miss Jenna - ex Listerville, Cavalier, and Hercules. Refit Time: Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. https://www.flickr.com/photos/sandad/31542514753

 

Miss Jenna in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, 2017. Photo courtesy Mailman & Kelley Marine Ltd.

 

Captain Bill Stewart, Sambro, Nova Scotia took this photograph of the old LISTERVILLE in spring 2018. Photo courtesy Spud Roscoe.

 

Miss Jenna in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, summer 2018. Photos by Rod Mackay.
https://rodneymackay.com/fun2018/SUMMER2018/recreation-sidewalks2/walkabout.html

 

Miss Jenna in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Photo by Betty Meredith.

 

Miss Jenna in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia. Photo by Betty Meredith. Mac Mackay comments (Mar. 7, 2020): "It is registered to Mike Kelley of Mailman and Kelley Ltd. of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia and has been rebuilding there for several years."
https://www.booking.com/hotel/ca/fisherman-39-s-loft.tl.html

 

For more Russel exhibits visit Owen Sound Marine & Rail Museum 1165 1st Ave West, Owen Sound, ON N4K 4K8
(519) 371-3333     http://marinerail.com