Bayeskimo: Story of the Ardrossan ship doomed to an icy fate

Of 1,391 gross tons and 212 feet in length, she was named Bayeskimo and destined for the company’s demanding Arctic fur trade. Her career was to be action-packed, but short.

In June, once fitting out and trials were complete, Bayeskimo slipped her lines and set off on her maiden voyage across the Atlantic and then 1,000 more miles up the St Lawrence river to Montreal. There she loaded cargo for the various fur-trade posts in Labrador, Hudson Strait and Baffin Island. Her commander was Captain Enoch Falk, a highly experienced ice pilot. Her chief engineer was Ardrossan man, Harry Bolton, whose grandson, Alan Bolton, still lives locally and who kindly provided me with a wealth of information about, and photographs of, the ship and her crew.

That first voyage was accomplished successfully. Bayeskimo returned to over-winter at her Ardrossan base, having delivered her valuable cargo of pelts. The second trans-Atlantic voyage of 1924, this time under the command of equally accomplished Captain John Lloyd, was also successful and profitable to her owners.

Captain Lloyd remained in command when Bayeskimo set out from Ardrossan on June 16, 1925 on her third and, as it transpired, last fateful voyage. On arrival at Montreal on July 3 she discharged her cargo, after which she re-loaded supplies for the usual northern trading posts. Four days later she headed back downstream.

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Although she had to slow for fog in the Bell Isle Strait, she reached Cartwright on the rugged Labrador cost, her first port of call, without mishap. From Cartwright, Bayeskimo headed north again, this time through light ice flows and past occasional bergs, until about 30 miles south east of Cape Chidley where an ice field was encountered. Despite this Captain Lloyd was able to exploit open leads and maintain headway without too much difficulty. Then, just at the entrance to the Hudson Straight, Bayeskimo was faced with ice to the north, west and south. In Lloyd’s attempt to find an open route to Port Burwell, the next scheduled port of call on the west coast of Killing Island, the ship was trapped and forced north in the grip of the ice.

That night, the anxious ship’s company could hear the ominous groans and screeches as ice squeezed and clawed their ship. They were helpless to relieve the strain. With the morning tide, however, a lead opened up to the south and Bayeskimo was able again to set course for Port Burwell only to be stopped once more by ice about five miles north of their destination.

The ice closed in again. Bayeskimo, with damaged steering, drifted in the grip of the ice on to the Labrador Reef off the Button Islands. Fortunately another HBC ship, Nascopie, was in the area and stood by while repairs were made. Bayeskimo was able to free herself from the rocks, whereupon Nascopie departed. Captain Lloyd held his ship in position that second night and in the morning the lookout spotted open water so that Bayeskimo was eventually able to reach her anchorage at Port Burwell. While at anchor there, the captain and senior officers checked as best they could for damage, but found little to concern them.

Bayeskimo's crew on the ice awaiting rescue by SS Nascopie

Bayeskimo departed from Port Burwell on 22 July for the next call at Fort Chimo. At first the going was easy enough, but again ice was encountered which rendered progress difficult.

Then it was noticed that the ship was down by the head. Soundings were taken and it was discovered that there was ten feet of water in No. 1 hold.

The ice had caused more serious damage than realised. The ship was sinking.

Pumps were deployed and cargo jettisoned, but to no avail. Captain Lloyd ordered the lifeboats lowered and filled with food, water, fuel and blankets. Bayeskimo’s radio officer called for help and Nascopie’s Captain Smellie responded that he was steaming to their assistance. By 8pm on the 23rd, the foredeck was awash and Bayeskimo was abandoned, Captain Lloyd being the last to leave the doomed ship before she sank at 59º15’ N, 67º05’ W.

Captain Lloyd had the boats moored to a large pan of ice, on which the crew built two shelters and lit a beacon to guide Nascopie to them. The shipwrecked mariners were taken off the ice the following morning and were landed at Port Burwell the following day. With his men safe, Captain Lloyd with a crewman and other HBC personnel set of by motorboat to find a ship to extricate his men.

In this he was successful and before long SS Harmony called at Port Burwell and in due course landed Bayeskimo’s company at St John’s, Newfoundland from where they caught the coastal steamer to Montreal.

On his return to Ardrossan, Harry Bolton became chief engineer on the Baychimo and was among the sixteen crew who had to spend much of the winter of 1931/32 on the north coast of Alaska after Baychimo got trapped in ice to become the “ghost ship of the Arctic”, as described in an earlier article.

I am most grateful to Alan Bolton for suggesting that I write about Bayeskimo. His fascinating collection of photographs can be accessed in his posting in the public Facebook group Ardrossan Harbour and Town, by searching for Bayeskimo.