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Imperial Oil Shipping Co., Ltd.
Sarnolite - (1916-1947)
See her as : Imperial Sarnia (2) - (1948-1986) &  Imperial Hamilton - (1947-1963)

 
SARNOLITE operated on and off of the Great Lakes.
( Photo Earl D. Simzer Collection & courtesy George Ayoub )

The third consecutive sister ship tanker for Imperial Oil was christened SARNOLITE. She was launched September 27, 1916.
Like the others, this vessel was 258 feet (78.6 metres) long and could carry just over 20,000 barrels of petroleum products.
There were various duties assigned to SARNOLITE. In the early years she operated on the Gulf of Mexico to Halifax, Nova Scotia,
with stops included at Tampico, Mexico, and Cuba. She also sailed between Saint John, N.B., and New York, N.Y., and even Halifax
to France late in World War One. During the twenties and thirties, SARNOLITE was used as the fleet training ship.
SARNOLITE was in and out of the Great Lakes. She was often ordered to carry bunker oil and became known as "the dirty ship"
because of the nature of these cargoes.
Imperial renamed her IMPERIAL SARNIA in 1947 and IMPERIAL HAMILTON in 1948 when a new, and larger, IMPERIAL SARNIA was built.
The vessel received a new pilothouse at Port Dalhousie during the winter of 1951-52. This structure outlived the vessel and later
served as the Pilothouse Museum at Corunna, Ontario.
On September 4, 1961, IMPERIAL HAMILTON caught fire at Sarnia and was badly damaged. She was retired, sold, converted to a
barge and eventually used as a breakwater. In 1970 her remains were cut up for scrap.

"SARNOLITE"
(47) (b) IMPERIAL SARNIA (I)
(48), (c) IMPERIAL HAMILTON (134515).
Built 1916 Collingwood Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. 250 x 43.1 x 16.6. Gross 2060, net 1549.
Damaged by fire at Sarnia, Sept 4,1961. Retired 1962.
Converted to barge at Sarnia and lay idle at Windsor. Taken to Kewaunee, Wis., 1967,
for use as breakwater.
Owners:
l) Imperial Oil (1916- 62)
2) Earl's Welding Service, Sarnia (1962-67).
 "Sarnolite".

The Miramar Ship Index for "SARNOLITE"
IDNo:
1134515
Year:
1916
Name:
SARNOLITE
Keel:
Type:
Tanker
Launch Date:
27.09.1916
Flag:
CAN
Date of completion:
11.1916

DWT:
Yard No:
47
Length overall:
Ship Design:
LPP:
76.2
Country of build:
CAN
Beam:
13.1
Builder:
Collingwood SB Co.
Material of build:
Location of yard:
Collingwood
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn):
1T-8.5

Subsequent History:
1947 IMPERIAL SARNIA - 1948 IMPERIAL HAMILTON

Disposal Data:
Made into a barge 1962 & eventually scrapped in 1970.

History:
ON
LR/IMO
ID
Year
Name
Tons
Change
Registered Owner
134515
1134515
1916
SARNOLITE
2060
Imperial Oil
134515
1134515
1916
IMPERIAL SARNIA
2060
1947
Imperial Oil
134515
1134515
1916
IMPERIAL HAMILTON
2060
1948
Imperial Oil

Additional information :

Registry & Rig Information
Vessel Name:
SARNOLITE
Nationality
CANADA
Official Number:
134515
Rig:
Propeller

Dimensions & Tonnage
Vessel Length:
250.00
Gross Tonnage:
2060.00
Vessel Width:
43.00
Net Tonnage:
0.00
Vessel Height
16.50
Hull Material:
Steel
Masts:
Hull Number:
00047

Builder Information
Place of Build:
Collingwood, Ontario
Builder:
Collingwood Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.
Date of Build
1916

Name Changes
Vessel Name:
Date:
Registry
Official #
IMPERIAL SARNIA
1947 - 1948
CANADA
134515
IMPERIAL HAMILTON
1948 - 1970
CANADA
134515

Ownership Changes
Owner Name
Date
Registry
Official #
Imperial Oil, Ltd.
Sarnia, Ont. Canada
1916 - 1962
CANADA
134515
Earl R. McMurter
Sarnia, Ont. Canada
1962 - 1965
CANADA
134515
Medusa Portland Cement Co.
Charlevoix, MI U.S.
1965 - 1967
Bultema Dock & Dredge Co.
Muskegon, MI U.S.
1967 - 1970

Rebuild History
Dimension change, 1946 (250 x 43.16 x 16.58). Hull stripped by Earl's Welding Service, Sarnia, Ont., 1962; pilothouse removed to Courtright, Ont., as marine museum.

Disposition
Sunk as temporary breakwater, c.1968, at Palisades (South Haven), MI. Went to pieces in winter, 1969-1970; clamshelled out and scrapped in summer, 1970.

History
Stripped hull sold to Portland Medusa Cement Co. for proposed dock at Charlevoix, MI, in 1965, but was never used. Passed up at Detroit, October 13, 1967, in tow of tug MUSKEGON, bound for Lake Michigan. As IMPERIAL HAMILTON: Severely damaged in stern section by explosion, September 5, 1961, at dock, Sarnia, Ont. Five crewmen injured.