The 150 mile (241 kilometre) trip from O’Keefe Ranch to Penticton and back was exhausting work for Captain Shorts. He would row up and down the lake, taking anywhere from nine days to three weeks for each round trip. The boat also had a mast and a sail that were used if there was a favourable wind. The boat could carry cargo weighing up to 5,000 pounds (2,268 kilograms). He would row during the day and camp on shore during the night. Mainly, the Ruth Shorts carried freight. Perhaps once a month she also would have a passenger or two. For three years, Captain Shorts travelled the lake in good weather and bad on the Ruth Shorts. From 1883 to 1885, he took items like bacon, flour, potatoes, coal oil, and candles to area settlers. His rowboat was a lifeline for many early pioneers in the Okanagan Valley.