Captain Peabody had pulled the same trick nearly twenty years earlier: taking the hull of a vessel, stripping it down, and completely rebuilding it into a completely new ferry. When he did this in 1935 the vessel that emerged was the Kalakala, a vessel whose function as a ferry had always been secondary to its use as the symbolic flagship/excursion vessel–though up until the 60’s, she worked pretty well as a ferryboat as well.

In the early 1950’s, the need for a fully functional ferry was a little more in the forefront after Peabody established a new ferry run between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo. The ferry would have to be fast and carry about 100 cars. Given the length of the trip (a little over an hour and a half) the ferry would have to be be comfortable, with a fully functional lunch counter and a number of lounges for passengers. Peabody’s experience with the Chinook and the Kalakala gave him the target and the City of Sacramento, a steam-powered vessel roughly the same size as the Chinook gave him the hull he needed.

Built in 1903, the ferry was already old by that time, and had been remodeled at least a half-dozen times over the years. The superstructure was primarily wooden, something that would not be allowed in Canadian waters, (regulations on wooden passenger cabins had been tightened after the fire on the Noronic back in 1949) but Peabody knew that most expensive part of the ferry had already been built–the hull, and the City of Sacramento’s hull was of a good design for speed and had been solidly built. Everything else would have to go.

New diesel electric propulsion had been picked up from surplussed destroyer escorts after the WWII and already proved to be a success on the Chinook, propelling her through the water at an easy 20 knots. (The same engines from the same group of destroyer escorts would end up but Washington State Ferries Evergreen State Class. The drive motors are still working onboard the Tillikum to this day.) All Captain Peabody had to do was build a new steel superstructure onto the car deck.

Like the Kalakala, it would be lightly constructed to keep costs down. And like the Kalakala, the mostly new ferry would use the minimal materials involved in the construction of the new passenger cabin to reflect the design trends of the time. While the Kalalaka had used those bare materials to construct an Art Deco interior very reflective of the time, the newly christened Kahloke would reflect the post-war styling trends, which is now called “mid-century modern.”

The Layout

Before going forward, I have to thank Jimmy Carlos for providing the photos I had been looking for years. I knew photos of the Kahloke‘s interior had to exist, but I had never seen any. Mr. Carlos provided all the shots you will see below. The photos were probably taken just after before the Kahloke was set to go into service, as the furniture layout lines up nearly exactly with what it depicted on the blueprint above.

Coffee Bar

The photo only shows half of the coffee bar, but it is easy to see its similarity to both the Chinook but more so the Kalakala. Instead of going for a “double horseshoe” design, the Kahloke opted for a probably more functional “M” shaped counter.

Below is a menu from the Kahloke from the mid-50’s. As you can see there were plenty of options for passengers.

The Ladies’ Lounge

Based on the layout of the furniture, the three photos below are all of the Laddie’s Lounge. The last photo with the mirror appears to be the “Ladies Rest room” which is a separate space from the “Ladies Washroom” with the sinkds and toilets. It wasn’t uncommon for vessels in this era (right up until the Jumbo Class ferries) to have a lounge area for women outside of the lavatory. (Properly the “head” in the maritime world.)

Of note in this area of the ferry are the wonderful flying saucer ceiling fixtures, the ubiquitous ashtrays (which are literally everywhere in the passenger cabin) and the curtains.

Mid-ship lounge

Interesting to note the upper part of the windows were hinged and could open. No doubt the bare steel of the cabin and lack of insulation could make for a warm vessel on summer days. (And a cold one in the winter.)

Forward Observation Lounge

Perhaps the best looking area of the vessel, the forward lounge had the most comfortable appearing furniture. The lighting seems to have taken a cue from the Kalakala, which used a long trough running the length of the cabin and recessed bulbs reflecting light off brass plates; Kahloke seems to have utilized neon lights. No doubt the Kalalaka‘s light was probably “warmer” as a result.

How it might have looked in color

I based my color choices on a chart of how colors look in black and white, and what existed on the Chinook. While the furniture doesn’t match exactly, I would think they probably would have been similar.

The Car Deck

Unlike the Kalakala, the Kahloke had a nice, unencumbered sweep along the car deck. The two structures about the middle of the ship are retractable fire doors.

The Engine Room

The Wheelhouse

I have to say, the Kahloke‘s wheel is probably one of the most unattractive I’ve seen. The Chinook‘s wasn’t much better. I guess when it comes to a ship’s wheel, I prefer the old fashioned ones.

I wish Black Ball had done a full color brochure for the Kahloke as they had done with the Chinook, but the vessels were built for entirely different reasons. As the “night boat” on the tourist run, and with sleeping accommodations, it was only natural to promote the Chinook as they did–and rightly so, it paid off handsomely as for the first several years of service, she was booked out for months at a time.

The success of the Kahloke and his other ferries operating in Canadian waters, Captain Peabody looked to a suitable running mate on the Horseshoe Bay-Nanaimo run to maximize service (and his profits, of course.) He already had one, operating on the run between Port Angeles and Victoria. In the fall of 1954 he quietly put the Chinook into the yard for an “annual overhaul.” This alleged overhaul included the complete reconfiguration (amputation, more accurately) of the bow, making the ferry a bow-loading vessel–and as observers were quick to point out, also rendering the ferry unable to dock in Victoria.

Not surprisingly, when 1955 rolled around Peabody announced the Chinook would not be returning to the route an instead would be moved to run alongside the Kahloke. The Cities of Port Angeles and Victoria were horrified; the City of Nanaimo was delighted. Chinook, renamed Chinook II was put on the run and proved to be an immediate success, and the pair worked together until Peabody sold the company in 1961.

As for Port Angeles and Victoria, after some lobbying, for summers only from 1955-59 Washington State Ferries took over the run, using the Kalakala. The Coho took over in December of 1959, where she has been every since.

Kahloke became the Langdale Queen for B.C. Ferries and sailed until 1976. Her history is detailed on the City of Sacramento page.

Captain Peabody’s instinct about the hull of the old steamer proved sound. Long after the Kahloke‘s cabin had been removed and the ferry converted into a barge, the hull kept on going, lasting well over its 100th birthday.