Dolmage, Captain William Stewart
DOLMAGE, Captain William (Bill) Stewart
DOB: APRIL 12, 1946
DOP: OCTOBER 27, 2024
An amazing man
Captain William (Bill) S Dolmage, born April 12th, 1946, took his final sail in the early hours of October 27th, 2024, as he passed away peacefully after a brief battle with cancer at the North Shore Hospice.
Lovingly remembered and very much missed, he leaves behind his 3 children: Laura, Neil, and Kim, his granddaughters; Rylee, Shay & Kianna. Margareth, his siblings; John, Susan, Wendy, their families and many more family friends and colleagues.
North Vancouver has been his home for most of his life when not away working on the boats. He has spent the past decade sharing a home with his eldest daughter and granddaughter, whom he helped raise and take care of. Bill was at his happiest being on the water, spending time with his children and grandchildren supporting them and cheering them on in their sports, or in his chair cuddling with his 2 cats and watching a favorite classic show.
In his younger years, Bill attended Vernon Preparatory School. Starting at the age of 15, he went to work during the summers on the ‘Cedarwood’, doing seismic exploratory work for Shell Oil off the West Coast.
After graduating from Saint Georges School in 1966, Bill went to work for Pacific Towing, where he learned the tricks of log towing and he attained his 350 Ton Masters certificate in 1970.
In 1972, Bill and his brother, John, formed Hattco Marine Services, and operated water taxis, small tugs, and barges out of Vancouver Harbour. He bought out his brother in 1977, and then sold the operation to Tymac Launch Service. He then bought, and ran the ‘Conuma Trojan’, and contracted to Tahsis. Years later, he returned to Vancouver and operated up and down the Coast, eventually selling the ‘Conuma Trojan’ and taking over the ‘Gilking’. Bill ran her for several years, mostly log towing with some barge work, before going back to Pacific Towing to work in the office.
When many are thinking of retiring, Bill went to the Island to continue his love for log towing. He ran tugs for for a number of years; towing logs South to the River, or other coastal areas.
Later on, Bill had continued working for several marine companies; towing log barges to and from Haida Gwaii, towing scrap to Tacoma, and delivering fish feed up the Central Coast.
Lastly, he ran charter boats out of Coal Harbour and False Creek for Magic Yacht Charters and other privately owned vessels, right up until he went into the hospital.
When the calls came, he was always ready and willing to make another trip.
Bill is regarded by many who knew him or worked for him, as the finest log tower on the Coast. As well, he was a great barge man and a mentor to many. His knowledge of tides and weather trends was unmatched, and he was always keen to teach his crews or share his knowledge with anyone interested. Many people who worked with him agree that no other Captain taught them as much or as passionately as ”Billy” did, and they always enjoyed being part of his crew.
We would like to invite everyone who knew him, to share their memories and photos for all to see and enjoy.
https://memories.lifeweb360.com/william-stewart-dolmage
A gathering and final sail to remember the good times will be held on April 27th, 2025, with Magic Yacht Charters out of Coal Harbour.
Boarding will be at 1pm, sailing 2pm – 5pm.
Please send your RSVP to: captainsfarewell@gmail.com, so that we are be able to plan accordingly for numbers, if you are sailing with us.