Between the sea and the shore, rum- running vessels scattered the west coast of Canada in the early 1900s. They left their mark on history through their involvement in the American Prohibition (1920-1933) and the Canadian War Measures Act (1914), both of which involved the illegalization of alcohol. While many Canadian ships were implicated in rum running during these periods, one particularly notable vessel includes the five-masted schooner, The Malahat. Even though alcohol

The Malahat was built in 1917 by Cameron Genoa Mills Ltd, in Victoria BC. It was a 1543 ton schooner made of wood, mainly fir, which was 245 feet long. It also had hard wood bolts, since there was no steel to build the ship at the time. This five-masted vessel was able to get around by just its sails as it was needed before the engines could be installed. The engines that were installed after her maiden voyage were 24 cylinder Bolinger engines. This ship was designed to haul