The ship is 63.8-ft. overall, 32 tons, mahogany and teak construction of the fast style 1917 era. The rumor had it that W. R. Heyeneman was the "front" man and a naturalized Canadian citizen for a German multi-millionaire named Count Von Albensleben. As I understand it, it was German gov't money put up to build the boat as a contact for German submarines. That is why it was so fast, and no doubt luxurious for the time. The Count lived quite close to us in Victoria.
Henry Wallace was connected with the shipyard and the Canadian gov't allowed the boat to be completed with German money, then seized her, as the German Nationals had all fled to the States with what they could take, the States not having entered the war as yet and neutral.
Wallace named the boat the Walithy. and by then was in shipbuilding himself; later the Wallace shipyards merged with Yarrows shipyards. He used the boat a number of years for pleasure.
The next owner was a Dr. Hugh Keenleyside, connected with the University of "B.C., Vancouver, and later with the WHO and the United Nations. I think it was he who changed the name to the Odalisque, which in Greek means the number one wife or favored one in the harem. Around 1940 or so, maybe earlier, she was purchased by the Gibson Bros. Logging operations for shuttle service to their West Coast operations on Vancouver Island, mainly at Tahsis. They also operated several other freighters, an airline, whaling station at Ceepeecee, upper Island and etc.
I bought her in 1944 from Clarke Gibson and put a dental office in the deckhouse — not sure, might have been latter part of 1943. Travelled the coast doing school kids' work and whatever offered. It was a nice life, as I operated under the provincial health dept. and had all the gas and supplies needed. However, we had much trouble with salt-water cooled twin Lycomings, and took them out and placed twin marine Chrysler Royals. 165 h.p. each. All new dog clutches, fresh water cooling, new rudder for anti-electrolysis, two new 22-in. props, and thoroughly renovated within.
However, my wife became pregnant, and inasmuch as I didn't want diapers flying from the mainmast. and also had a very good practice which I left in Nanaimo, decided to sell her. Put her at the Washington Boat tie-up in Lake Washington, and visited over weekends one winter and stayed aboard. Fresh-water storage, covered, and only $25 a month -some change now!
Al Seaborn, a corn and pig farmer from Iowa, or that area, bought her. visited me here that summer, and cruised the coast. He must have sold her to a couple in Seattle, as I heard they sold the engines out of her for three times what I paid for them, then lived aboard like a small house, not mobile. The next I learned of her whereabouts, a couple wrote me for some history from Bellingham, Wash. I gave them a run-down, but they never visited as I had wished, though Nanaimo is one of the main jumping off spots for the B.C. Coast north.
I am one of the oldest members of the Nanaimo Yacht Club and live ISO-yards from it. semi-waterfront. We have a small boat now and 40 h.p. Merc for fishing.
Dr. Duncan Fox. Nanaimo, B.C.
