Richmond's restored Crystal S showcases Japanese Canadian boatbuilding heritage at Maritime Festival

The Richmond Maritime Festival this weekend showcases a restored 63-year-old fishing vessel that carries the legacy of Japanese Canadian boatbuilding on the Fraser River.

Shipwright Dave Sharp has spent two years restoring the Crystal S, a 37-foot combination gillnetter and troller built in 1963 by Mamoru Sakamoto at Sakamoto Boat Works in Richmond. Sakamoto established his shop in 1950 after forced internment in the Okanagan during the Second World War. Over 26 years, he built 16 boats ranging from 32 to 40 feet — a remarkable body of work that shaped Fraser River fishing.

The restoration draws on traditional Japanese techniques and tools. Sharp used Japanese pull saws and caulking tools from the Britannia Shipyards' collections and employed an original fastening technique called umeki, which involves a distinctive plug and nail to join timbers. "The distinctive part about this boat is the traditional Japanese techniques that are used in it," Sharp said. "Otherwise, it's a pretty typical Fraser River salmon boat, though a really good example of the kinds of boats that evolved on the river."

The biggest challenge was rebuilding the Crystal S's badly rotted ring stern while preserving its original shape and construction methods. Although nearly the entire rear half required replacement, much of the forward hull remains original, including the keel, ribs, and planking.

The festival runs August 22–23 at Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site, 5180 Westwater Drive, Richmond. Sharp will be in the Richmond Boat Builders workshop all weekend answering questions about the Crystal S and other restoration projects. The 23rd edition of the festival features nautical-themed activities, live music from Celtic and folk bands Tiller's Folly and The Wheat in the Barley, the 35-member Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy (first formed in 1940), and The Whiskeydicks, plus kids' entertainers and food trucks.

Other heritage boats on view include the 104-year-old historic tugboat SS Master. Later this summer, a small ceremony with the Sakamoto family will celebrate the Crystal S's relaunch. The boat will then become the focus of an exhibit about the area's boatbuilding heritage.

"We're hoping to showcase the craftsmanship and the design that goes into these boats," Sharp said. "But mostly it's about the legacy of these Japanese Canadian boatbuilders, who played such a huge part in shaping this part of the river and this part of Richmond, and the contributions they made."