Pacific Yachting - October 2024

A Little Kindness Goes a Long Way

Fond Memories and New Discoveries

THE HAUNTED CRUISE

Spirits of the Salish Sea

Boat Storage Available From October to March

OMPASSAGES

PASSAGES

Sam Burkhart editor@pacificyachting.com

Two Types

Boating Kinship

ost people have heard the joke about the two types of boaters. It goes like this: “There are two types of boaters out there, those who have run aground and those who will.” As far as jokes go, it’s pretty accurate. Most boaters I know have hit some under water “thing” at some point in their lives. I won’t go so far as to call it a rite of passage (it really should be avoided at all cost) but I will say that once you do it, you sure try not to do it again.

utrage sells. If you’ve spent much time on Facebook or other social media sites you’ve probably seen it— endless negativity. Unfortunately, even our local boating groups aren’t immune. Scroll through the feed and you’ll see numerous posts describing bad boaters and negative encounters on the water or at the dock. Don’t get me wrong, there can be—and is—valuable information to be found in these groups, but you often have to sift through the rants and complaints to find it. Before this editorial turns into a rant of its own, I’d like to turn to the positive.

But those aren’t the only two types of boaters out there. A recent cruise aboard a friend’s 30-foot sailboat got me thinking about this. My friend is the fastidious, cautious type. Our plan was a short sail to Thetis Island for supper at the pub, a night on the dock and pastries at Telegraph Harbour Marina the next morning before returning home. Every detail was meticulously planned well in advance. My friend relies on multiple apps for wind, tide and weather information and utilises multiple systems for navigation. Very little is left to chance. The “over-planner” is a common type of boater and there is nothing at all wrong with that approach.

A few poorly behaved boaters won’t get me down, but sometimes it’s nice to be reminded of the kinship we all share as boaters—whether powerboaters or sailors. Recently, I was anchored in Royal Cove on Portland Island. There were probably six or eight other boats in the anchorage taking advantage of the beautiful weekend weather. It was early afternoon, and we had just finished our hike around the island. We’d got an early start so we would make it back in time for lunch. Most other boaters had long since abandoned the sun-soaked heat of their cockpits for a hike through the shade of the forest—perhaps to the sand and shell beach on the other side of the island or maybe on the longer trek around the entire island.

her, but polishing and varnishing are frivolous extravagances, and if looked at askance, his boat has something of a pirate ship appearance to it.

DIRECTOR Arran Yates AD COORDINATOR Rob Benac COPY EDITOR Margaux Perrin

DIRECTOR OF SALES Tyrone Stelzenmuller 604-620-0031 tyrones@pacificyachting.com

DIRECTOR OF SALES Tyrone Stelzenmuller 604-620-0031 tyrones@pacificyachting.com

A free spirit like Jim doesn’t need planning or preparation, so when we told him we were headed to Thetis Island later that morning he said, “great, I’ll join you! Let me fill up my fuel tank and I’ll be ready to go.” My friend looked up from his checklist and cocked his eye at me. When it was time to go, I asked Jim if he wanted a hand leaving the dock. “No, no,” he said. “I always singlehand.” Then, “follow me, I know a shortcut.”

Jim motored out of the dock and had his sails up in short order. We quickly followed suit. Thankfully, Jim’s “shortcut” was already part of the plan and we followed him through easily. He arrived at the marina a few minutes ahead of us and I watched as he jumped off his boat with lines in hand, only slightly bumping the dock as he came to rest. We ate an early supper with Jim and afterward he untied and motored home. “You aren’t going to spend the night?” we asked. “Oh, no. I want to catch the sunset on my way home.”

ACCOUNT MANAGER (VAN. ISLE) Kathy Moore 250-748-6416 kathy@pacificyachting.com

ACCOUNT MANAGER (VAN. ISLE) Kathy Moore 250-748-6416 kathy@pacificyachting.com

On the other hand, there is the spontaneous “go with the flow-er”—another type of boater who I run into regularly (metaphorically speaking). As we loaded the boat and engaged in final preparations for our one-night cruise to Thetis Island, a dock neighbour stopped by for a chat. “Ol’ Jim” we call him. He’s a regular down at the dock. He keeps his sailboat in working condition and certainly takes pride in

and hulls of the boats bobbing at anchor came into sight through the trees. That’s when we noticed that the sailboat nearest to ours didn’t appear to be in the same spot as when we’d left. In fact, it now appeared to be between our boat and the shore and slowly moving closer to the rocks. We confirmed that the boat was indeed dragging and decided that two of us would go to the aid of the drifting vessel while the third would attempt to find the owners, hoping that they would be somewhere nearby. We rushed down to the dinghy dock, untied and with as much energy as I could muster, I rowed us over to the drifting boat. My friend hopped aboard and began hauling up the ineffectual anchor while I attached a line from the dinghy to the bow of the sailboat. We managed to pull the boat away from the rocks in the nick of time. Just as we finished securing it alongside ours, our friend appeared at the top of the ramp with the owners rushing along behind. Needless to say, they were incredibly thankful that we’d jumped to the task of rescuing their boat and after they re-anchored we spent a pleasant afternoon swapping stories of mishaps and other adventures.

I’d like to think I fall somewhere in between these two types. I do plan my trips in advance using Windy, Navionics and a chart plotter. I want everything to go smoothly, but I am open to changing plans according to wind and whim.

As we’d been walking through the shelter of the trees, we hadn’t noticed that the wind had picked up, and as we got nearer to Royal Cove the masts

So, if you need a reminder of the goodness of your fellow boaters, turn to page 38. Mark Leopold has put together a story recounting a few of his experiences assisting vessels in need. And like Mark, you never know when you might become the vessel needing help.

—Sam Burkhart

Neither type is right or wrong, but I would suggest that one type is more likely to avoid running aground, at least for a little longer.

—Sam Burkhart

ACCOUNT MANAGER Meena Mann 604-559-9052 meena@pacificyachting.com

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Editorial submissions: Submissions may be sent

The Nonsuch 26, with its destinctive cat rig and wishbone boom.

LETTERS

WE WELCOME YOUR LETTERS

Send your letter, along with your full name, and your boat’s name (if applicable), to editor@pacificyachting.com. Note that letters are selected and edited for brevity and clarity.

CAT BOAT

The August issue of Pacific Yachting recently arrived in our mailbox. As usual the First Sea Lord read the magazine first and also as usual, she started at the back with Cockpit Confession. The article, in this month’s issue, entitled “Adventures with Lucy” was about Lucy, the perfect cat to have on board. The first Sea Lord identified the boat in the attached photo as a Nonsuch, which is of course a cat boat. Was that intentional or a happy coincidence?

—Mark Powers

La Reina, 26 Nonsuch

SAFETY FIRST

We are long-time subscribers to Pacific Yachting magazine.  We noted with interest your article entitled ‘Conquering the Currents’, subtitled ‘Safely navigating the passes of the Northern Gulf Islands’.  One of those passes was the Cut between Thetis and Penelakut islands, which is described as narrow, shallow, “suitable for dinghies” (p. 35), with the risk of going aground. However, your cover shows a sailboat transiting that same pass, taking those risks, and with neither person on board wearing a life jacket—what if they had suddenly gone hard aground?  Your primary interest should always be boating safety, and many of your articles in that same edition focus on equipment safety, training and the need for preparation. Shame on you.

Yours truly,

CORRECTION

—Barbara Fulton

For your readers, the info that Deane Hislop gave in his article on the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (PY July) regarding docks on Pender is incorrect. There is no dock on Roe Lake, North Pender and there is no dock at Beaumont marine park on South Pender. Neither of these places has ever had a dock, except for a floating dock at Beaumont that once was in place when the Park Host program was in operation.

—David Dossor

CURRENTS

10/2024

WE ENCOURAGE CURRENTS SUBMISSIONS

This is a local news-driven section. If something catches your attention that would be of interest to local boaters, send it along to editor@pacificyachting.com.

Do you know where this is?

Geo Guesser

Thanks to everyone who submitted an answer for September’s Geo Guesser. Unfortunately, as of press time for this issue we have no correct guesses and no winner! This month’s location might be more well known.

Deadline: Friday, October 4.

Ready For Fun

Renowned naval architect Howard Apollonio and local yacht sales veteran Vic Parcells developed a new modern raised pilothouse motor yacht—the Apollonian 52. Benefits of this design include ease of operation, a centrally located galley, and spacious cabins with good headroom. Features like a convenient day head, wide side decks, large flybridge, and shallow 3’ 3” draft are ideal for cruising. At 52’ overall, the boat fits most 50’ slips, can easily be handled by a couple, and is packed with standard equipment like a bow thruster and a full electronics package.

Another new 2024 stock boat will arrive this fall and won’t last long. Fully equipped for cruising, this boat includes upgrades like twin Cummins QSB 6.7 480 hp engines for an 18 knot cruise, 20 kW generator, Avanti stove, Garmin Fantom radar in black, 15’ black digital antennae, full canvas package, windshield cover, seat covers for bridge and aft deck, Bimini top with 1.5” stainless frame, two 14” Samsung tablets for the bridge, and an Ollson Manufacturing 1,000 lb crane davit with power rotation.

This will be the last boat available at our 2024 price. For more info or a private tour, please contact our worldwide distributor Vic Parcells at (206) 229-3134.

52 Pilothouse

Happy customers watch their new 52’ arrive

Yachting’s annual photo contest is back! So get behind the lens while you still can, and start submitting your best boating photos from 2024 for a chance to be featured in Pacific Yachting. Prizes include gear from Mustang and Salus Marine! For contest rules and to enter, visit pacificyachting.com/photo-contest

December 15

NMTA Announces 2024-2025

Grow Boating Grants

The Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA) has announced the continuation of its Grow Boating grant program for 2024-2025, once again offering 10 $1,000 grants to organizations that help get new boat-

ers on the water, promote diversity and inclusion, and encourage current boaters to go boating more often. The application process is now open and closes October 31, 2024. Grants will be announced in December and funds will be distributed to grantees in the spring of 2025. NMTA’s Grow Boating program is funded by a portion of space rental fees collected by the association at its Seattle Boat Show each year. Since 2003, NMTA’s Grow Boating program has awarded more than $2 million to promote boating in the Pacific Northwest.

Applications must fall into one of the following categories:

• Youth Boating Grant: Awarded to a group or organization seeking

funding support for an event or program aimed specifically at getting or increasing youth participation in boating activities.

• Discover Boating Grant: Awarded to a group or organization seeking funding support for an event or program aimed specifically at introducing new people to boating.

• Boater Education / Safety Grant: Awarded to a group or organization seeking funding support for an event or program aimed specifically at educating new or current boaters on how to be safe on the water.

More information about the grant program, types of programs funded and the application can be found at nmta.net/grants.

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Electrical repair & retrofit

BOOK REVIEW

Escape to Clayoquot Sound: Finding Home in a Wild Place

By John Dowd and Bea Dowd

John and Bea Dowd have a yen for wilderness living. For years, they’d occupied an off-grid cabin in the mountains near Vancouver and raised two children. New Zealand-born adventurer John is wellknown for his kayaking expertise and is the best-selling author of Sea Kayaking: The Classic Manual for Touring, from Day Trips to Major Expeditions. Bea, a photographer, edited  Sea Kayaker  magazine with John for decades.

With their offspring grown, they sought a new lifestyle and found it on Clayoquot Sound’s Vargas Island during a kayaking trip (Clayoquot is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve). The uninhabited beachside house that enticed them is embedded in the parkland. The pair tracked down the homeowner and then moved into the “tower” as they nicknamed the three-storey wooden house. They lived there for nearly a decade. Their book, written by John but interspersed with commentary from Bea and accompanied by her spectacular photos, is a memoir of those years and their experiences.

They may have lived off-grid, but they didn’t shun civilization. They imported their library, kayaks and a RHIB to transport them to Tofino and neighbours. Nor were they hermits. Especially during the summer, their beach was popular with kayakers, and kayaking guides they’d known for years brought groups keen to see how the Dowds fared.

The practical Dowds applied their skills to turn the house into a home.

BC’s jungle-like vegetation obscured parts of the house and earlier gardens and trails. They cleared the bush, collected kelp as fertilizer and planted vegetable gardens. Lots of jetsam and flotsam floated to their beach, especially after the Fukushima tsunami. Japanese fishnet glass floats became part of the décor. After 10 years, they left Vargas and moved into a cabin near the Nanaimo River where they’ve continued their semi-pioneering lifestyle.

I thoroughly enjoyed this engaging, well-written book, its many luminous photographs, and the bits of environmental information that popped up. While reading, I wondered how I would survive if I’d found such a house in such a wild spot with the sometime treacherous ocean on my doorstep. By the memoir’s end, however, it’d become clear that visits to the Dowds would have been delightful but that I’d need a lot more talent to survive the way they did with so much joy.

—Marianne Scott

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10/2024

The author with Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper, Peter Burling.

RACING NEWS

Volunteering at the America’s Cup

It is the last beat of the final match race of the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta. Winner takes all. Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, who had faced off for the 36th America’s Cup, are back at it: trading tacks, penalties and the lead in the closest race so far. Every one of the 120 people in the America’s Cup TV team (many just arrived from the Olympics) who isn’t actually pushing out the “World Feed” to a global audience of 1.5 billion is glued to available screens. The tension is palpable. Sprinkled among the blue shirts of the staff are the green shirts of the volunteers, one of whom—me—is logging sponsor logo appearances in the live broadcast to ensure all-important revenue is earned. Nearby, in the Media Centre, Tom Hawker is part of the support team editing photos as they come in from the helicopters and chase boats, selecting those to be posted for global media to use. It is a long way from a

typical Royal Victoria Yacht Club regatta—in more ways than one!

The 2024 Cup is relying on 2,300 volunteers for its financial and operational success. Eighty percent come from Barcelona, which has a community involvement culture stretching back to the 1992 Olympics. The remaining 460 are from all over the world. There are 7,500 applicants and a rigorous application and selection process. Many have extensive sailing resumes and relevant off-the-water career skills. Eleven of us are from Canada and most of the rest from other countries participating in the race, which were given preference. The process started in June 2023, and selections were confirmed in early summer 2024. Once selected, expectations continue to be high. Several training sessions are mandatory, as is attendance. Following the regatta’s ethos of inclusivity, volunteer opportunities are in six 10-day rotations. Applicants sign up for one or more rotations, each en-

tailing seven to 10 shifts of work, each shift five to eight hours.

Arriving at AC headquarters the day before our first shift, we are run through the event’s sophisticated accreditation system and given picture ID—to be worn at all times and reported to police if lost—and then carded into the Volunteer Centre to be issued our uniforms, sized from our choices months earlier. The Spanish staff, some volunteers themselves, are charming, helpful and appreciative. The centre features change rooms and a large eating area where complementary ‘box lunches’ are available at the conclusion of shifts.

It is a secure environment with passes scanned on every entry and a very obvious police presence at all times. Inside, the atmosphere is businesslike, but also fun and friendly. My boss in the TV team, Terri Mac, is charming and grateful as is Tom’s in the Media Centre, Carmen Hidalgo. He works alongside Juan-Carlos, a communications professional and weekend sail racer on holiday from Universitat de Barcelona. In the evenings, there are volunteer meetups in the Race Village where DJs, drinks and smiles abound, language barriers notwithstanding. Was it worth the trip? Absolutely! Ten days on the inside of the leading edge of sailing, sunny skies, Mediterranean beauty and fun and friendly people all make for memories as durable as Spectra.

—John Thomson

Jacks. The closest boatyard to Desolation that you’ve never heard of! Jacks can lift boats up to 60 feet and 40 tons. Work yard, short term and long term storage available. Marine store for all your boating needs. Covered and uncovered winter storage now available. Emergency towing, parts replacement and repairs.

Emirates Team New Zealand 's AC 75, Taihoro.

Tom Hawker

Clean Coast, Clean Waters Initiative Invests in 17 More Projects ENVIRONMENT

In 2020, the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy recognized that British Columbia was receiving masses of plastic and fishing waste and that it wasn’t living up to its reputation of being pristine and beautiful. The province launched the Clean Coast, Clean Waters initiative with funding attached. Besides cleaning shores and removing fishing debris, the money helped coastal communities and companies that were losing revenue due to the decline of tourism during the Covid epidemic. Since that time, the province has reported that 215 derelict vessels were removed and more than 2,100 tons of marine-related junk has been collected. The trash gathering covered more than 6,400 kilometres of shoreline.

The job is not complete, of course, so as announced in August 2024, the province is investing another $8 million for 17 more projects. Small businesses, non-profit organizations and community organizations, including seven led by First Nations, are the contract winners.

According to the ministry, the 17 projects are expected to clean an additional 1,900 kilometres of shoreline, remove at least 31 derelict vessels and, for the first time, clean at least six derelict aquaculture sites. The projects often require helicopters and barges to transport the trash and are expected to create 639 new jobs. For this round of funding, all projects must be complet-

Peter Chance.

ed by February 2025.

Project locations range from Haida Gwaii to the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Recipients include the Rugged Coast Research Society, the Metlakatla Stewardship Office, Living Oceans Society and Quatsino First Nations.

Funding of more than $1 million makes the Ocean Legacy Foundation the largest recipient of this year’s funding and demonstrates how some of this money will be dispersed among different agencies and locations. The nonprofit OLF has a long history of removing plastic from beaches and marine ecosystems and offers a wide-ranging program to reduce marine debris and restore coastal habitats through its education, policy, infrastructure and cleanup programs.

If you’d like to be part of the debris cleanup, check your local community and Surfriders’ websites.

—Marianne Scott

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rder your Pacific Yachting lined journal now and you’ll receive it in time for holiday gift giving. Made of high-quality paper with a durable cover and a bound spine for easy opening and writing, this stylish journal is useful to have on your boat. Designed for freestyle writing or notetaking it’s a place to transcribe adventures, destinations, navigational details or use as a guest book. The Pacific Yachting Journal is also a cool gift idea for the boat lover in your life this upcoming holiday season. It comes with 132 pages and a ribbon to hold your spot. Three additional covers are also available with outdoor themed designs. Special offer: $24.95 with shipping included.

The Pacific Yachting Daily Cruising Logbook is still available for purchase. This six by nine-inch logbook comes with a splash-proof cover with silver foil embossing. Wire-O binding allows the 200 pages to be folded behind the

book for ease of writing. This logbook provides ample space to record naviga tional details and is a handy resource for charting your cruise. Pair it with the new journal for a thoughtful and practical gift this holiday season. Priced at 19.95 with shipping included. Both are available at thebookshack.ca.

Deadline for 2024 Rendezvous Info

The deadline to submit content for PY’s annual Summer Cruising Roundup is here. Our roundup of summer boat gatherings will be published in the December issue and we’d love to hear how you and your friends made the most of the cruising season. Information on rendezvous and boat meetups, along with photos can be sent to editor@pacificyachting.com

Deadline: October 15

PY Daily Cruising Logbook

INDUSTRY NEWS

WELCOMING NEW OWNERS AT SEAWISE MARINE

In March 2024, Derek Brown and Glenn Jones became the new owners of SeaWise Marine located in Delta, BC. Derek brings over 25 years of customer sales and service to the business with a focus on client care and matching systems to needs. Glenn is a factory certified Mercury and Yamaha technician who has been installing SeaWise systems for the last four years. SeaWise Davit Systems are engineered with high quality products and make it easy for boaters to raise and lower their dinghies in the safest and easiest way possible. The first SeaWise Davit System was installed in early 1987, and today, it still performs flawlessly. Each davit sys-

tem is relatively lightweight, weighing approximately 115 pounds. Derek and Glenn can also build systems that meet custom specs and needs. Locally built in Delta, find out more about the business and team at seawisemarine.com.

PRINCE OF WHALES TO LAUNCH FOURTH SALISH SEA CLASS CATAMARAN

Marine and wildlife adventure company, Prince of Whales, has announced the commencement of its fourth catamaran, designed by award-winning naval architect Greg Marshall.

“I am thrilled to announce the construction of our fourth catamaran. We’re proud to be working with Greg Marshall again,” says Alan McGillivray, Prince of Whales’ owner and founder.

“We look forward to sharing the beauty of our region with even more enthusiasts while ensuring we do so responsibly and sustainably.”

Scheduled to launch in Spring 2026, the new catamaran is under construction at Bracewell Marine in Richmond, utilizing their state-of-the-art facilities and expertise. The new vessel will join its sisters, Salish Sea Eclipse, Salish Sea Dream and Salish Sea Freedom, which currently operate whale watching tours and private charters in BC.

Greg Marshall, who originally designed Prince of Whales’ catamaran fleet, continues to collaborate closely with their ownership and team, to ensure that every aspect of this new vessel aligns with Prince of Whales’ high standards.

For more information on their fleet and various adventure tours, visit princeofwhales.com

COLUMN GALLEY

Chicken and Ginger

Versatile and delicious

BY JAMES BARBER

TThe easiest and best thing I’ve ever found for seasickness is root ginger. All supermarkets and most corner stores sell it, light brown and slightly

knobbly. Seasickness, morning sickness, carsickness, even hangovers— they all retreat from root ginger, and there are very few stomach upsets that don’t respond favourably.

Ginger is probably the most-used and least-mentioned ingredient in Chinese cooking—vegetable stir-fries, pork dishes, chicken dishes, soups and dim sum—all of which have a little bit somewhere, sliced or grated.

Because of its versatility, ginger is

useful on boats to jazz up a couple of pork chops, brighten a can of soup, or maybe to put in with a few blackberries you might find in late summer. I add it to beets, carrots, fried rice, spicy noodles and chicken soup. I also use it to freshen up a jar of store-bought tomato sauce or a pan of fried chicken. Buy ginger carefully—ensure it has a nice shiny skin (not shrivelled) and keep it in a resealable bag in the icebox.

Victoria

Discover premier moorage at low season rates

Limited space will be available at Causeway, Ship Point and Wharf Street marinas for nightly and monthly moorage starting September 25.

Enjoy the cozy charm of Victoria’s Inner Harbour during the Fall season.

COLUMN GALLEY

Chicken with Tomatoes, Ginger and More...

My cooking philosophy for boat cooks (marine minimalism) doesn’t exclude cans—there’s just no way you can run an organic vegetable garden in the cockpit of a 25-footer (at least not for an extended cruise), and there’s nothing more versatile than canned tomatoes. Buy Italian if you can, crushed or chopped (read the label to make sure they’re not whole). Tomato paste in tubes (Italian toothpaste) may be a little more expensive than in a can, but it keeps longer, takes up less room and you can leave it until next weekend with the cap on. So, let’s be Italian.

INGREDIENTS

•1 lb chicken breasts

•2 medium potatoes

•1 onion, coarsely chopped

•2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

•1 can diced tomatoes

•1 tube tomato paste

•1 bottle red wine

•6-8 thin slices ginger

•Thyme (or oregano)

•Salt & pepper

METHOD

1. In your frypan with a lid, fry the sliced ginger (unpeeled) in two tablespoons of oil over medium heat until it smells nice.

2. Stir in the onion and let it cook while you cut the chicken into bite-size pieces (straight from the icebox, still frozen is fine).

3. Add the chicken to the pan, turn up the heat and cook five minutes, stirring occasionally, while you cube the potatoes (don’t peel them).

4. Add the garlic to the pan with one teaspoon of dried thyme, one teaspoon of ground pepper and one teaspoon of salt.

5. Cook for five minutes and add half the can of tomatoes (with their juice), the potatoes and a glass of wine.

6. Bring to the boil, squirt in some tomato paste, turn the heat to low and put the lid on.

7. Let it cook for 15 minutes, and there’s supper.

Put the unused tomatoes in the icebox until tomorrow.

Welcome Aboard

KNOWN FOR HIS simple, inventive recipes, James Barber brought a sensual, “anything goes” approach to food and the pleasures it brings. James began authoring Pacific Yachting’s GALLEY column in January 2005. In his column, he gave advice on how to cook in the limited space of a boat galley, using quality ingredients, improvisation and “whatever you might have on hand.” Our readers delighted in his sense of humour and his simple, practical recipes. For James, cooking was light and fun. He reminded us to be

creative yet practical, spontaneous yet elegant— and to always lick the spoon.

When James died at the age of 84 in November 2007, the culinary world lost one of its most popular icons, and the staff at Pacific Yachting as well as scores of fans, young and old across Canada, will remember James fondly.

We are delighted to be able to share James Barber’s beloved recipes in the pages of Pacific Yachting. We hope you are enjoying them as much as we are.

SUCIA ISLAND

FOND MEMORIES AND NEW DISCOVERIES

STORY AND PHOTOS BY BILL KELLY

WWith moorage in the Lower Mainland at a premium, many boaters have looked south to Point Roberts Marina in Washington State. Its easy access to the San Juans and Gulf Islands and offers boaters a good alternative for moorage south of the Fraser River. It was not that long ago the 43-year-old Point Roberts Marina was adrift in tough times. A large contingent of their Canadian customers moved their boats back to Canada due to COVID-19 restrictions. Occupancy dropped to around 30 percent. Some services shut down and the Port of Bellingham entered into talks to buy the marina, but discussions weren’t fruitful and the marina remains in control of Chinese billionaire Zhu Gao who bought it in 2015. This seems to have worked out well as the marina

Fossil Bay. Below: The author’s 26-foot Thunderbird, Dåmmerung, docked in Fossil Bay in 1980.

ISLAND

is now over 75 percent full, according to marina manager Zihao Ding, and of those, 80 percent are Canadians boaters. Although the marina needs upgrades, which he says are underway, it does seem the snowbirds have returned.

One Canadian boater who moved his sailboat to Point Roberts is my friend, Alan Boreham, author of Beer in the Bilges, who moved his Jeanneau 35 from Vancouver. New to

the San Juan Islands, Alan was keen to explore the area, so I suggested a cruise to beautiful Sucia Island, just 15 miles south, which I have visited several times. This island is the largest of three San Juan marine parks that include Patos Island to the north and Matia Island lying just to the south. Strong currents swirl just north of these islands with the convergence of Boundary Pass and the Strait of Georgia. In large tides and strong winds,

the whole area from Patos Island to East Point can be a boiling cauldron. Big floods and south winds are especially hazardous for small boats.

SUCIA ISLAND HAS a fascinating geological history. Scientists believe parts of the island are 75 million years old and were transported as much as 1,000 miles north to its present location by plate tectonics. The oldest bedrock makes up Little Sucia Island

SUCIA

SUCIA GROUP

and the ridge south of Fox Cove as well as the south shore of Fossil Bay. In 2012, part of a femur bone from a theropod dinosaur was discovered on the island and excavated by paleontologists from the Burke Museum in Seattle. They determined the fossil is around 80 million years old. Theropods are a group of meat-eating, twolegged dinosaurs that include T. rex and Velociraptor. For boaters’ sake, it’s a dashed good thing they’re gone.

Little Sucia Is.

Fox Cove

Shallow Bay

Ewing Is.

EwingCove

North Finger Is.

South Finger Is.

Johnson Pt. Wiggins Head

FossilBayMudBay SnoringBay

Echo Bay

SUCIA ISLAND

Sucia Group

Point Roberts Marina Orcas Island

San Juan Island Patos Is.

Matia Is. Alden Bank

Ewing Cove.

Exploring the coast by boat never fails to spark the embers of romance and adventure.

The island also sits within the traditional territory of several Coast Salish tribes who occupied the area for several thousand years. In 1791, the Spanish explorer Captain de Eliza cruised by the island and named it Isla Sucia on his chart. In Spanish “suscio” means dirty or foul and it is unsure whether this is a reference to the weather at the time or the many rocks and reefs surrounding Sucia. After the Pig War in 1859, Sucia was declared a Federal Lighthouse Reserve. In the late 1970s it was acquired by Washington State Parks and designated a marine park.

This 564-acre island is considered the crown jewel of the state’s marine park system. With miles of pristine trails, sandstone outcroppings, beaches and anchorages, plus 48 mooring buoys, it’s a natural destination for local boaters. Sucia Island also has a variety of wildflowers, trees, birds and wildlife. Other nearby ports to visit to get fuel or groceries include the marinas on Orcas Island, as well as Roche and Friday harbors on San Juan Island. As part of a cluster of about a dozen

islands of the Sucia group, Sucia is the largest, providing anchoring spots in the many coves and bays ringing the island. It is ranked as one of the top boating destinations on the west coast of the United States and even, according to the Washington State Parks brochure, of the world.

WE SET A course of 125 degrees and picked up the ebb as the Strait of Georgia blends with Rosario Strait. Here, the current can be strong and soon we were doing between seven and eight knots as we entered the Puget Sound Traffic Separation Lanes—a quiet highway of commerce—and other than a couple of tankers parked at the Cherry Point refinery, we saw no large ships.

The sun was warm and the sea calm as we motored south. The only hazard to be avoided is Alden Bank, extending in a southeast direction for three miles. Marked by buoys at the north and south end, there is lots of room around the bank and it is not a danger if you’re paying attention to the chart plotter.

Our destination was Ewing Cove on

the east side of Sucia, a spot I’d been to a few times over the years. We came alongside the well-marked Clements Reef, which is a National Wildlife Refuge protecting breeding seabirds. Whether it was the sea air, the sounds of the birds or the familiar setting, scenes came back to me from many years ago.

SUCIA ISLAND WAS my first landfall on my first boat over 40 years ago, when I first started sailing a 26-foot Thunderbird called Dåmmerung. This was in 1980 when I thought nothing of sailing from Blaine to Sucia in the winter. The boat’s source of heat was my girlfriend and an ancient propane stove. Despite the

cold, I had fond memories of one Christmas when good friends came with us for a couple days of Yuletide festivities while tied up at the dock in Fossil Bay.

The thrilling sensation of landing on a deserted island on a small boat in winter is something that perhaps only young people can experience. It’s

those early days of boating when a few hours on the water makes you think you’ve crossed a great sea and arrived at some forgotten land.

And so it was that Christmas night that, after a hair-raising sail from Blaine, we arrived at the new world of Sucia Island and settled down for a turkey dinner and a bottle or two of

Ewing Cove.

SUCIA ISLAND

wine. Afterwards, the four of us wandered the trails in almost complete darkness on a starless night as the wind blew through the trees.

I PUT THE memories aside as Alan and I navigated around Clements Reef and the rocks at the south end of Ewing Island. We motored into the anchorage and dropped the hook in calm conditions, then went ashore and hiked for an hour. After working up an appetite we returned to the boat to light the barbecue and get dinner underway. It is a constant that food never tastes so good than at sea. The appetite is whetted and wine flows—just not as easily as before.

The wind came up overnight and the anchor line grew taut as a persistent chop entered the cove. By morning the sun shone bleakly through a veneer of stratus and after breakfast, we prepared to get underway. Several small commercial and sport fishing boats hovered around Clements Reef as we rounded the south buoy, and

we set a course back to Point Roberts. We expected nothing further from our overnight voyage to Sucia Island, but events were not finished with us. As we began to pull away from the island, two humpback whales surfaced about 100 metres away and followed us most of the way to Patos Island. Hunted once to the brink of extinction, humpbacks have made a comeback numbering in the thousands along the British Columbia and Alaska coasts. Seeing them in the wild, these huge creatures’ survival in a complicated world does seem a joyful miracle.

BUT THEN, THE older you get every day seems a miracle and proves why messing about in boats is important, even when past the age of discovery. It’s the enjoyment of being on the water and the grand memories of the fears and challenges of good voyages and bad, of the parties and friends and of the boats that carried us from the days that are no more.

Shallow Bay.

House pits and fallen beams are all that remain of Haida longhouses at T'aanuu Llnagaay (Tanu Village).

BOATING WITH RESPECT

How to visit Aweenak’ola, the lands we are on

BY DIANE SELKIRK

BOATING WITH RESPECT

FFrom the Salish Sea to the Great Bear Sea, we are fortunate to boat through some of the richest and most productive cold-water marine ecosystems on Earth. This region is home to a diverse array of marine life, including whales, sea lions, seals and salmon, as well as seabirds, wolves and bears. Characterized by deep fjords, swirling currents and rocky islands, it’s been managed and stewarded by dozens of First Nations communities for over 15,000 years. With deep and enduring ties to the

winding inlets and bucolic islands, they have managed this region through aquaculture, sustainable harvesting, trade and spiritual practices.

While these Nations have always held a hereditary obligation to care for their lands and waters, over 100 years of cultural suppression and physical separation made this sacred task almost impossible. For decades, the people fought to regain their authority and jurisdiction over their ancestral territories. In recent years, courts have begun to affirm Aboriginal title along with the rights and responsibilities that accompany it.

Many boaters who set out to enjoy the coast often don’t realize they’re exploring unceded territory. Krissy Brown, manager of the K’ómoks Guardian Watchmen Program, hopes this is something the K’ómoks Guardians can help teach. Part of a network of Guardian

Programs that now span the coastline (and the country), these official stewards, sometimes known as Watchmen, have a unique role to play in upholding and educating their members and all visitors about Indigenous law.

Learn more about the importance of cultural and archaeological sites, and best practices in how to show maya’xala—respect—when spending time in Indigenous territories:

Poles at SGang Gwaay slowly returning to the earth.

WHILE EVERY GUARDIAN program is different, all focus on protecting and preserving the lands, waters, and local species for future generations while re-establishing their rightful connection to ancestral territories.

For the K’ómoks Nation, Brown explains the Guardian program’s initial goal was simply to get community members back onto the land and restore their ancient relationships. For team member Caelan McLean, it was the opportunity to hop on a boat and help care for his territory, which “spans from the Englishman River in the south up to the Salmon River in the north,” that drew him to the Guardian Program as a 16-yearold summer student. From there, he discovered a job that blends ancient law, Western science, and a hefty dose of public relations.

McLean explains that Guardians have a mandate to monitor and research wildlife and traditional plant inventories, protect wildlife from poaching or injury and keep an eye on cultural sites. Their work includes things like recent kelp and eelgrass surveys but may extend to educating boaters about slowing down for marine mammals or showing them how to identify fragile archaeological sites.

“There are a lot of places accessible by boat that are culturally sensitive, and people might not recognize them,” he explains. To help, Guardians might show visitors how to spot a shellfish harvesting area (something important for food security), identify and avoid an old village site or safeguard an ancient mariculture innovation. “We want to help boaters understand, so we show them the things they can do to protect these places.”

While Guardians don’t have any enforcement authority, Brown says that for the most part, their interactions with the public are positive. “People are eager to learn about things like our big fish trap system or how to recognize cultural soils.” Also called middens, Brown explains that, like many archaeological sites, these ex-

posed patches of stratified shell and black earth carry deep significance to Indigenous people. However, over the years, many sites have been disrupted by accident or through intentional digging by people searching for artifacts.

WHILE THE K’ÓMOKS Guardians have just begun creating an archaeological inventory of their previously recorded sites, studies further up the coast have shown how crucial it is for visitors and Indigenous people to learn to identify and protect these endangered rem-

nants of early habitation.

“You know that moment when you’re boating past a sheltered cove with a pristine-looking beach and think to yourself, ‘Wow, that looks like a really nice place to spend the day’?” asks Christine Roberts, an archaeologist and proud member of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation. “Well, on this coast, if it’s a good spot, chances are you’re looking at a place where First Nations people once lived.”

Roberts has spent the past several years studying these inviting beaches and sheltered coves. She is passionate about educating people on why protecting this landscape is so important. As a descendant of the original inhabitants, Roberts is just beginning to understand how deeply intertwined her

Once you know how to spot them, you'll discover a variety of clam gardens up and down the coast. To visit respectfully, don’t disturb the rock walls or remove anything from the tidal flats.

ancestors were with the landscape. She marvels at their ingenuity. “It’s incredible to see how many resources were used up and down this coast. You can’t walk along a beach or enter a forest that hasn’t been used, modified or accessed by our ancestors.”

While some signs of earlier habitation have disappeared—erased by development, industry, or defacement—Roberts says many sites are just starting to be identified and studied, making it almost a race against time. For instance, in an extensive archaeological project

on Quadra Island, Roberts collaborated with a team that included the Hakai Institute to study clam gardens. She was astounded when they located dozens of human-made, terraced beaches on the island’s northern end. “Clams were clearly a main staple,” she says of the remarkable food-producing technology, “but then the people died off.”

ANOTHER COLLABORATIVE

project tracing human history on Quadra involved aircraft surveys using LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which provided elevation models and helped pinpoint sites where humans likely lived during a time of great sea-level fluctuations. The excavations that followed yielded stone tools and other artifacts from as far back as 13,900 years ago.

Revolutionizing our understanding of coastal migration, Roberts says the discoveries on Quadra Island—coupled with obsidian cutting tools, fishhooks, and other items from 13,600 to 14,100 years ago found further north in Heiltsuk territory—showed how important these sites can be when they bolstered the “kelp highway” theory. This theory, which also aligns with oral history, suggests the coast’s first inhabitants weren’t land-bound migrants who crossed the Bering Land Bridge, but seafarers who navigated down the West Coast at least 5,000 (some estimate more than 15,000) years earlier than previously believed.

For Roberts and many other Indigenous people living along the coast, these scientific findings also hold a per-

sonal message. Every stone burial cairn, ancient rock shelter, tool, fish trap, sea garden and culturally modified tree is a connection to their ancestors. And the artifacts don’t just offer ancient history—they provide details about how the First People adapted to dramatic climate shifts at the end of the ice age. Each discovery offers clues about how they developed sustainable food production techniques and built resilient communities in the face of huge environmental challenges.

“They hold our history. But they also hold our future,” Roberts explains. “Every single element in this landscape was managed by First Nations people and carries the stories of who we are and where we might go.” However, when visitors don’t treat the land with respect—such as inadvertently digging in a burial mound or knowingly taking an artifact—a piece of this complex and wondrous story is lost.

RESOURCES

Do not disturb any archaeological finds or remains that you may encounter, instead photograph, take GPS co-ordinates and report them to the nearest Guardians and to BC’s Archaeology Branch at archaeology@gov.bc.ca or 250-953-3334

Identify or report a clam garden site: clamgarden.com

Discover how to recognize ancient mariculture sites including clam gardens, fish traps and root gardens: seagardens.net

Learn more about the member First Nations of the Nanwakolas Council: nanwakolas.com

Find the Guardian Watchmen closest to your location: indigenousguardianstoolkit.ca/ program-map

Be respectful of former village sites like Qalogwis (in Tlowitsis Territory) and areas marked "Indian Reservation" on charts. Even when places look abandoned, they may hold sacred meaning and are often the locations of artifacts or burials.

WHILE THE GUARDIAN Watchmen are working to uphold traditional laws that have never ceased to bind all who enter and use these territories, many

Get an overview of some of the responsibilities of Coastal Guardians: coastalfirstnations.ca/our-stewardship/coastal-guardian-watchmen

of us are still catching up. Roberts, McLean, and Brown all agree that the first step is education. They encourage boaters to stop in coastal communities, visit the museums and cultural centres, and ask questions. And if you see Coastal Guardians on the water—stop by for a chat and an orientation to the place you’re visiting.

Perhaps someday, a new set of archaeologists will sift through the soils off Vancouver Island and discover the story of our time here. Hopefully the results will show that by engaging with the wisdom and traditions of the First Nations, we helped preserve their heritage and that our actions contributed to the protection of some of the most ecologically significant marine ecosystems on the planet.

Diane Selkirk

PAY IT FORWARD

BOATERS HELPING BOATERS (PART 1)

STORY & PHOTOS BY MARK LEOPOLD

KYNOCH INLET & THE TIPPING POINT

A few years ago, homeward bound from a 2,500-mile exploration up and down the famed Inside Passage to Alaska, we struggled to find adequate anchoring at the far end of Kynoch Inlet in the spectacular Fiordland Recreation Area of British Columbia. We probed throughout the head of the inlet, searching for reasonably shallow depths to drop anchor, but as with many of the underwater canyons of these fjords, a vigilant captain may find a precipitous drop of up to a hundred

fathoms nearly immediately beyond the shoreline. Combined with severe tidal ranges of nearly 20 feet, a captain must be judicious as they search for a reasonable depth to drop anchor.

After scouting the area, I noticed a large 66-foot yacht, MV Arctic Charm, dropping anchor about 100 yards to our port, close to shore in front of the Kainet Creek estuary adjacent Culpepper Lagoon. It struck me because, in our much smaller vessel, I had passed over that area, rejecting it as too shallow to accommodate the impending outgoing tidal change. Arctic Charm’s 10-foot draught re-

quires four times what our smaller vessel, a 27-foot Ranger Tug at that time, needs under her keel. “That’s odd, I really don’t think he can anchor there,” I noted to my first mate, Peggy.

Having finally settled in with a decent anchor hold in 75 feet, a merciless northerly pounded our bow, just as we were about to sit down for a hard-earned supper. Suddenly, out of our port saloon window, my eye was drawn to an image that didn’t look quite right: the Arctic Charm rising, even larger and taller, and, well, listing slightly to her port. I continued watching for a few more moments,

and realized she was now tipping at an ever-increasing, precarious angle.

Grabbing my life jacket, I jumped in my dinghy at almost exactly the same moment that Glen, our cruising partner in his near-identical RT25, was launching his. We converged at Arctic Charm, followed by a half-dozen other dinghies as the entire anchorage full of cruisers realized the boat was in trouble. With the outgoing tide, she was “beached” upon the gravel estuary at the inlet’s head, and with every foot that the tide retreated, she was listing further over to port. The two couples on board were genuinely fearful that she could tip over at any time. All of us neighbours jumped into ac-

tion, some ferrying the two female crew over to a nearby sailboat, along with two pet dogs and some personal belongings. Others began the task of trying to winch this 200,000-pound steel-hulled behemoth off the seabed by re-positioning her anchor further out from shore, dropping it, and then having the captain work the windlass as a winch.

We never succeeded in freeing Arctic Charm off the bottom, but our col-

When the folks aboard Arctic Charm found themselves high and dry, nearby boaters came to the rescue.

lective efforts of inching her toward deeper water bought her precious time in keeping her upright. Finally, the tide turned, bringing desperately needed depth under her keel, and the vessel was properly righted. High fives were shared, the crew of Arctic Charm was reunited, profuse thanks were exclaimed, and boat horns blasted throughout the anchorage in celebration as the big vessel successfully proceeded on her journey, returning to Shearwater for a haul-out to inspect the hull and running gear. This horror movie closed with a happy ending, but the script could have turned out much different, were it not for boaters helping boaters!

Anchoring in a busy anchorage can be a challenge, even for the most experienced boater.

WALSH COVE & JIGGING FOR NEARBY ANCHORS

Last year we enjoyed a month-long boating adventure throughout Desolation Sound and the Discovery Islands, our second longest voyage since that eventful Alaska trip. Not all boating mishaps are as dramatic as what we experienced in Kynoch Inlet. But as the saying goes, if you spend enough time on the water…

It was our 16th day, the mid-point of our cruising plan. The previous

day, we had departed “Surprise Cove” (our name, uncharted) after getting skunked trying to find reasonable anchorage in crowded Pendrell Sound. As July turned to August, the crowds of peak cruising season were evident and many anchorages were completely full, adding to the challenge of anchoring in depth with limited swing room.

Approaching Walsh Cove, we again found our new neighbourhood crowded, but upon closer inspection, we spotted one of the last two sterntie locations available. This last position, in the northernmost corner of

the cove, was tight, and being in the “corner” meant the bows (and anchor rodes) of the nearby boats converged like three slices of a pie. Care was taken to ensure we dropped anchor well beyond the vessels that anchored before us. Fouling your neighbour’s anchor is not the recommended way to make friends in an anchorage! But the absence of wind and current meant this was not a difficult anchorage and we eased in between the vessels to both port and starboard.

The next day with predictable midafternoon breezes kicking up, we

watched—initially with amusement and then with concern—as Toujours, a Ranger Tug 31, struggled to secure both anchor and stern-tie. Sometimes, one may struggle with one or the other end, but rarely both simultaneously! Evidently the captain had dinghied to shore, stern-tie in hand, but hadn’t noticed that his vessel continued to drift northward. The first mate seemed helpless to secure the boat, while being pushed by a persistent southerly wind kicking up at a most inopportune time. Eventually our intrepid captain realized the absurdity of trying to secure the stern-tie while his vessel moved steadily away. Note: Toujours is French for “always” or “still”, and this Toujours was always moving, still moving, never secured!

The captain hurried back to his tender to rejoin a perplexed first mate aboard their still-drifting vessel. Rais-

ing my binoculars for a closer look, I could see the anchor rode descending to some unknown depth below the surface, but the anchor was clearly not holding to the seabed as intended. The Ranger continued to drift, always moving, the entire length of the anchorage, passing a dozen anchored vessels as though (unintentionally) trolling or jigging to catch other vessel’s anchor lines.

Now Toujours approached our vessel, close enough to converse, so I inquired if I could help. “No, we’re OK,” claimed the confused captain, trying to convince himself. I continued my watch, unconvinced, when moments later our dear captain reconsidered: “So very sorry to ask, but would you mind pulling up your anchor as I believe we are fouled upon yours! Our windlass is just spinning freely, we can’t seem to pull up our anchor!”

This was exactly my concern; but with the wind gusting, and First Tracks, our Nordic Tug 37, presently secure in a tight anchorage, releasing my stern-tie and retrieving my anchor was the last thing I wanted to do. I courteously replied that I would comply, if need be, but wanted to reassess his vessel’s movement first. Lo and behold, the always-drifting vessel now proceeded away from us, with no subsequent tension against our anchor rode. Convinced that we were, in fact, not fouled, but that our friendly captain simply needed assistance with operating his windlass, I jumped onto my paddleboard to offer help. My neighbour, 50 feet to my starboard, also witnessing the spectacle, shouted for me to paddle over to his boat and we could jump in his small fishing tender and speed out together to the still-drifting

Stern tied in Walsh Cove, West Redonda Island.

LAWS AROUND RENDERING ASSISTANCE

(beyond the friendly courtesy of boaters helping boaters in non-threatening situations)

vessel. Moments later we had fenders and lines deployed and we were welcomed aboard eagerly. “Do you have the windlass wrench?” I asked. “Yes,” he exclaimed and proudly produced the specialized tool used to adjust the clutch: “Is this what you need?” We proceeded to the bow pulpit, and in less than 30 seconds the windlass was performing flawlessly, retrieving the anchor-turned-oversized-fishinghook, and properly snugging it against the pulpit.

“Occasionally”, I advised, “the windlass needs to be tightened. My windlass needed adjustment just the other day, not unusual with heavy use, especially in these deeper-water anchorages where you are deploying and retrieving greater lengths of rode.” The appreciative captain thanked us, admitting they were still learning their way around their firstyear vessel. The grateful first mate

seemed even more relieved that a mechanical issue rather than human error was the culprit for the miscue. “Don’t worry”, I encouraged: “If you spend enough time on the water, it is only a matter of time before you will be humbled.”

BACK ABOARD FIRST Tracks, reflecting on the drama that had played out at Walsh Cove, I was relieved not to have pulled up anchor unnecessarily during the strong afternoon breeze, especially in tight quarters. And I was reminded that sharing knowledge from experience, and a helping hand, are sometimes the vital ingredients to help make boating safe. Boaters helping boaters.

Little did I know that within 24 hours this story would flip—It was my turn to be humbled and ask for assistance from a neighbouring vessel…

Canada

The Canada Shipping Act, 2001 requires operators to stop and render assistance to a vessel in distress unless:

•Doing so would endanger their own vessel or passengers or…

•Another vessel is already assisting the vessel in distress or…

•The persons on board the vessel in distress say that they no longer need assistance.

United States

Federal Law (46 USCS sec. 2304) requires the master of any vessel subject to US jurisdiction to “render assistance to any individual found at sea in danger of being lost,” so long as the assistance can be rendered without endangering the rescuing vessel or individuals on board.

Exploring Walsh Cove, West Redonda Island.

THE HAUNTED CRUISE

SIX CEMETERIES IN THE SALISH SEA

BY CHERIE THIESSEN

HAUNTED CEMETERIES

IIn October the darkness starts to spread, the nights become longer and the fecundity of autumn withers and dies. The long, wet, northwest winter advances, when light seems perpetually at half-mast, fogs smother the trees and dampness invades the boats that shudder and wait, as do we, for cruising season to bless us once again.

But wait—maybe, one more late season cruise? It’s the month of Hallowe’en; in some countries the Day of the Dead, so what better time to visit the graves of some of our Salish Sea pioneers who hopefully rest in peace as they wait for their season? Why not dry off the boat, warm up the engine, shake the flies out of the sails, and go on a cemetery cruise, visiting some of the graveyards where the inhabitants may be expecting you. 1.

Mayne Island Cemetery

Georgina Point Rd. Near Miners Bay, Beside St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church.

The docks in Active Pass, in front of the old Springwater Lodge, are the closest place to tie up. There’s lots of room to anchor in the bay as well. The frequent ferry wash will rock you around a little, but you probably won’t be here for too long. At this point in time, the Springwater Lodge is closed, so no hot toddies here.

A five-minute walk north along Georgina Point Road takes you past the picturesque church with its lychgate

and its burial grounds and remembrance garden. The names on many of the tombstones will be familiar as their monikers grace many of the places on the islands, like innkeeper John Bellhouse from Galiano (Bellhouse Provincial Park); Pender Island’s first postmaster in 1882, Washington Grimmer (Port Washington); or the Bennetts from Mayne (Bennett Bay).

Grimmer, who rowed to each island to deliver the mail, once frantically rowed to Mayne to get to the islands’ only midwife, Mrs. Bennett. However, this delivery couldn’t wait. His son

was born halfway across and his birth was commemorated by the name the couple gave him—Neptune, who also answered to Navy.

Members of the Payne Family from Saturna Island also rest here. They arrived in 1886 and a few years later a younger brother, Harold Digby, followed them and opened a store and post office on the island.

The list of well-known settlers is as endless as the Active Pass views from this hillside’s final resting place. While they may rest in peace, uneasy lie the many others under the soil who were never named.

St. Paul’s Cemetery Fulford Harbour, Salt Spring Island

Anchoring near the head of the bay in Fulford Harbour is possible in settled conditions, or skippers can tie up at one of the two public docks: the tiny one in front of the ferry docks or the larger and more sheltered ones behind it, albeit crowded. You’ll probably need to raft up.

Tiny St. Paul’s Catholic Church at the head of the harbour is reputedly the most photographed building on Salt Spring. Coming into the harbour you can’t miss it.

Erected between 1880 and 1885 by members of the community, the materials were brought in by canoe from Cowichan Bay to Burgoyne Bay and then by ox-drawn stoneboat to this site. The church was formally dedicated on May 10, 1885. Its opening was celebrated by a faithful congregation of Kanakas, (Hawaiian descent) Indigenous people and European settlers, and soon became the social hub of the day.

The land was donated to the church by pioneer Horace Shepherd, whose two sons had both married Kanaka women.

The Kanakan influence can be felt upon visiting the site, where shell necklaces adorn many of the headstones. Kanaka pioneer, Maria Mahoi, the hardy resident of nearby Russell Island, is also buried here. She lived with her second husband and 13 children on Russell Island in their 500-square-foot home, growing produce to sell to Salt Spring Islanders. Russell Island and the Mahoi homestead are part of the Gulf Islands National Park.

The iconic St. Paul's Catholic Church on Salt Spring Island was founded in 1878.

Cherie Thiessen

The Capernwray Harbour Bible Centre on Thetis Island is home to one of the most beautiful gravesites anywhere.

3.

North Pender Island Cemetery

Beside Fire Hall #1 on Bedwell Harbour Road, across from the community centre.

Anchor or tie up in Browning Harbour and walk to the nearby Driftwood Centre. There, you can decide to stand at the car stop on the RH side across from the centre and wait for a lift, or you can walk along the road for two kilometres. The road just before the fire hall leads to the cemetery. There’s a plaque by the entrance.

Incorporated in 1905 on an acre donated by pioneer Rutherford Hope (1849-1914), whose name was given to Pender’s Hope Bay, this serene spot holds many memories and the people who made them. A time capsule completed in July of 2000 is near the old orchard, awaiting a 2100 opening that few Penderites will ever see above ground.

Tiers of identical white crosses testify to the 120 war veterans who lost

Fanny Hooson drowned in the sinking of the S.S. Iroquois in 1911, but her remains were never found.

their lives. Standing guard nearby are many exotic evergreens with names like Weeping Norway Spruce, Blue Atlas Cedar and Zebra Pine, all planted in memory of deceased loved ones. Leaves from a perpetually shedding gigantic arbutus settle like tears on the graves of Neptune Grimmer, his wife, and his mother.

The most poignant marker, for me, has always been the stone that bears the inscription: the child lies here. This was the son of Fanny Hooson, the first schoolteacher at the North Pender Island school, who drowned with him and 19 other passengers in the sinking of the SS Iroquois in 1911. The unseaworthy steamer had already capsized three years previously, but instead of heeding this ominous warning, the company merely righted the vessel and put it back into service. The child’s body was recovered, but he lies alone; the Salish Sea kept his mother.

4.

St Margaret’s Cemetery

Preedy Harbour, beside the Capernwray Harbour Bible Centre, Thetis Island.

This spacious harbour is a perfect overnight moorage in settled conditions. It looks across Capernwray’s beautiful grounds and imposing mock Tudor building. The long

Top: Beth Rand; Centre: Cherie Thiessen

English Camp Cemetery in Garrison Bay is one of the most storied graveyards in the Salish Sea, and is home to the “victims” of the Pig War.

dock, of course, is private property. The genial folks at the Bible Centre don’t object to boaters walking along the shore to access the gravesite adjacent to their grounds but if you feel you want to enjoy more of the grounds here, please head up to the office and sign a waiver.

This half-acre rectangular graveyard is choice waterfront. Looking out to Scott, Dayman and Hudson islands across the bay and otherwise surrounded by woodland, I feel there are no restless souls here. Could this be because there is only one unknown resident abiding in an unmarked grave?

Henry Burchell, who arrived on Thetis in 1890 with his wife, Helen, built the structure that is now Capernwray. His partner, Arthur Janson, was the first ground breaker in what was soon to become the island’s cemetery. When Helen died suddenly in 1914, Henry erected a granite cross to honour her. When the Burchell property was sold 13 years later, the established graveyard was given in trust to the Anglican Church for Thetis Islanders and transferred in 1986 to the Thetis Island Ratepayers’ Association, who do a marvellous job of keeping this place of rest pristine.

Although his body remains where he fell on K2, adventurer and philanthropist, Daniel Culver, is remembered in a grave marker here and it’s easy to sense that his spirit has returned. All boaters should pay their respects as it was his generous endowment of $1.1 million that enabled the purchase of Jedediah Marine Park in 1995.

If you can pick up a copy of a wee booklet published on island called The Lives Behind the Headstones, it’s amazing the history you can uncover.

5.

English Camp Cemetery

Garrison Bay, San Juan Island

Anchoring in expansive Garrison Bay gives boaters access to the cemetery up nearby Young Hill. If approaching the bay via Mosquito Pass use caution, as currents ebb south quite strongly through the pass. Upon exiting, pay

attention to the starboard marker off White Point, easily missed when we were last there. It’s an excellent anchorage and one of our favourites.

The bay surrounds 214-hectare English Camp, AKA British Camp, 4.5 kilometres from Roche Harbor. Cross the road and head up Young Hill trail. Ten minutes up the steep hill you’ll see a trail off to the right. It quickly culminates in a tiny graveyard that holds the remains of seven or possibly eight

Cherie Thiessen; Top: John Lund

HAUNTED CEMETERIES

Roche Harbor Church and Pioneer Cemetery with its picket and rusty wrought iron fences surrounding graves with illegible gravestones.

Royal Marines. One would think that they died in battle with the Americans during the 12-year so-called Pig War, but ironically that wasn’t the case. The only shot fired in that narrowly averted ‘war’ killed the pig. Four of the marines here drowned, one was accidentally shot, and of the other three remaining, there is no information. A plaque placed here in 1964 reads that eight people are buried in this lonely site, although there are only five gravestones and two other graves. I cannot help but think that in spite of the views and natural scenery, these young men’s spirits long for home and I cannot help but wonder who that eighth person was.

6.

Roche Harbor Pioneer Cemetery

Tangney Memorial Drive behind Roche Harbor, San Juan Island.

It’s hard to imagine entering any harbour as picturesque as this one. With its tiny church and its old hotel, it drips a history that some may say clashes with the development now surrounding the harbour.

After clearing customs in Roche Harbor, boaters can tie up at the extensive marina or find a place to drop the hook in this large but busy marine sanctuary. Afterwards, head up the path beside the church and turn left at the airfield on Tangney Memorial Drive. In a few minutes, the eerie Pioneer Cemetery appears. There’s an unknown number of unmarked graves and 14 marked graves dating from 1891 to 2010, with only nine having some sort of identification. Some of the graves have collapsed

in upon themselves. White picket and rusty wrought iron fences surround graves with illegible gravestones. A crumbling stone fawn sits in one plot marking the resting place of Ralph Lincoln Jr. who was just eight when he fell off the Roche Harbor docks and drowned. Many of the people lying here were workers at the Roche Harbor quarries, and died of drowning, dynamite accidents (from the quarries) and disease. One of the earliest marked graves belongs to two little girls, Agnes and Mamie Wilson, daughters of George and Mary Jane Wilson. Agnes died from pneumonia at age 10 in 1891. Her fourmonth-old sister Mamie died of bronchitis shortly thereafter. The two share a single stone, surrounded by fencing

shaped to resemble a bassinet.

There’s a huge contrast between this sad little cemetery and the imposing edifice you come to if you take the road beside it that leads to the McMillin Family mausoleum. John McMillin was the founder of the lime works and built the town of Roche Harbor, employing, housing and often burying his 800 workers.

Pioneers, entrepreneurs, immigrant workers, war veterans and soldiers a long way from home, they’re all gone but their spirits hover in the Salish Sea. You’ve only got to linger, watch, and wait.

Cherie Thiessen X2

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A FAMILY AFLOAT

ADJUSTING TO LIFE ASHORE AFTER NEARLY EIGHT YEARS CRUISING THE WORLD

BY MARIANNE SCOTT

IIn 2012, Max Shaw and Elizabeth Brown-Shaw, along with Victoria, 8, and Johnathan, 6, moved aboard SV Fluenta, a 1982, 47-foot Sparkman and Stephens centre cockpit cutter. Benjamin was born and joined the family in 2013 while Fluenta was refitted for offshore duty in Mexico.

Max and Elizabeth had both earned engineering degrees and met in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) at Nova Scotia’s Shearwater AFB. Like most military families they moved often, including three years in the UK where they took sailing courses, obtained their RYA day skipper certification, which later led to Max obtaining his RYA Yachtmaster Ocean ticket. This designation permits sailors to skipper yachts on passages of any length around the world. After both serving in the RCAF for more than 20 years, the couple decided to change the set of their sails and spend more time with the kids. They planned to explore the South Pacific for a year or two. And so they did—but the sojourn grew to nearly eight years and covered 36,000 miles.

During those years, the family visited 14 countries, including Fiji, the Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Kiribati and New Zealand as well as many isolated atolls and islets (see PY July 2020).

For their education, Victoria and Johnathan took correspondence courses while also developing survival skills living aboard in out-of-the-way places. They learned to fish, cook, do

A FAMILY AFLOAT

crafts, climb trees, kiteboard and make instant friends with other yachties or onshore kids. They continually met people from different cultures, with different languages and occupations. They learned about boat maintenance, weather, trip planning and eventually, watch keeping. They played video games but as social media wasn’t available, they mostly entertained themselves.

IN DECEMBER 2019, the Shaws returned to Canada after a refit in the Marshall Islands, sailing as far north as Alaska’s Dutch Harbor through three climate zones, then cruising down the Inside Passage and finally berthing at Port Sidney Marina. They continued living aboard until the summer of 2024 when they moved back to the house they’d bought years ago. “It’s actually quite a transition,” Elizabeth told me. “So much space.”

I caught up with the Shaw family after a 3.5-year hiatus wondering how everyone fared in less exotic places. What kind of employment would Max and Elizabeth engage in? Was it difficult to acclimate to a more land-bound existence? What about schooling?

“One of the most common questions we get is about the children’s education,” Elizabeth said. “Does an offshore experience away from brick-andmortar schools put them behind?”

IT APPEARS TO be the reverse. Victoria, 20, finished high school, is in her third year studying software engineering at UVic and has completed co-op terms. The recipient of several scholarships, she lives on campus and, in contrast with her fellow students, finds her room extremely spacious. She’s part of a team that’s building a rocket. “It’s eight feet tall and is designed to travel 27,000 feet at Mach 1.7 speed,”

she said. “I’ll be going to Toronto with my team of eight.”

Victoria is anything but one-sided. During her offshore years, she learned to knit, crochet and sew. “When ashore, I’d bring my crafts and it would give me common cause with the local women,” she’d told me. “They taught me to weave hats from fronds.” She also sewed a drogue parachute. “We had no social media,” she said. “I had time to learn.”

Her hands are rarely idle. During our recent interview, she was knitting a sock. “I knit during class too,” she explained. “A sock is something simple. Whenever it’s a general lecture, not one with facts I must write down, I knit.”

JONATHAN, 18, IS entering his second year at Kingston’s Royal Military College on a full scholarship. He too

Victoria

is following the family educational tradition—mechanical engineering is his choice. “RMC was weird in the beginning,” he said. “On the boat, we were so used to doing our thing, while at school everything is so organized. But I like learning new things and was already used to change on the boat. We continually changed routines and met new people in new environments. We got used to equipment going wrong and having to make repairs. When we left the Marshall Island to go to Alaska, the furler broke. We had no choice but to repair it ourselves. But we never got too stressed.

“Being on the boat set me up well,” Jonathan continued. “I watched things being done by hand, learned a work ethic and speaking with adults. It was learning for life. We had the luxury of discussing and solving problems with

our parents. It was ingrained in us to figure things out.”

He also developed an avocation which has turned into entrepreneurship—designing knives. “My grandfather gave me a rigging knife when I was a kid,” he said. “On the boat we grew up with knives, especially cleaning and filleting the fish we caught. By age 13, I started drawing and then fabricating different knives.”

In October 2022, he and Elizabeth exhibited at a blade show in Utah. “I had a table,” he said. “It led to my getting a contract to design knives for an international company. My license with them gives me a percentage of the gross.”

He also enjoys the military skills competition with Sandhurst and West Point. Among the many skills practices, he and his team tied for 5th place

in “rucking” (walking with a weighted rucksack) among 400 competitors. He plans to make the military his career as an engineering officer in the Army.

“So you’ll be a landlubber?” I asked.

“Unfortunately, yes,” he said.

BENJAMIN, 10, HAS spent his entire life aboard Fluenta and has only become land-based this summer. Born in Mexico, he traversed oceans as a baby and grew up in ever changing locations with two older siblings. He’s a confident kid who has no constraints when talking with adults. Elizabeth boat-schooled Ben through grades one to three but he now attends Thriving Roots, a wilderness school, with many classes taking place outside or in a yurt. The school calls it “blended learning… with the natural world as our primary teacher,” so Benjamin is extending

Jonathan Benjamin

A FAMILY AFLOAT

his life in a natural environment. According to Elizabeth, it’s an enriching program which helps to make learning fun, almost a game. But he’s engaged in a separate program that covers such topics as coding a computer game and introducing students to AI.

MAX AND ELIZABETH add that their children aren’t outliers. “We’re in touch with a group of families we met and most kids are also doing very well,” said Elizabeth. “Out there, everything is learning fodder. It’s constant adaptation to new circumstances and children learn to be comfortable in their own skin and govern their own reactions. And it gives kids the gumption to try new things and a willingness to step up.”

Victoria explained that offshore, everyone makes quick connections. “Other boats with kids aboard would leave,” she said, “so we had to find common ground fast. What we had in common was living on boats and that we were the only ones there. Sometimes we played Minecraft both competitively and collaboratively. With local kids we played soccer and didn’t need much verbal communication. All of this has made it easy for us to talk to people.”

Max recalled one event when Benjamin cut his head aboard Fluenta. “There was a lot of blood,” he said. “I sent the older siblings to get Elizabeth who was doing yoga on the beach but warned them to tell her about the accident calmly. They returned quickly

and we patched up Benjamin with some Steri-Strips [there was no hospital at the atoll]. It was all done without panic or undo commotion.”

Elizabeth has translated her years of offshore experience into educating couples who are seeking a similar journey. Among other venues like yacht clubs and boat shows, she speaks at the five-day Annapolis Boat Show Cruisers University to help people get ready for what she calls “an achievable adventure” and to teach them to cross the gap between wanting to go offshore and then setting sail.

Some of the questions she is asked are naïve: “Where do you anchor at night? Are there pirates? What about sharks?” She answers those quickly then pivots to the practical aspects: Affording offshore cruising; provisioning without supermarkets; analyzing the weather; passaging; schooling for the children. She also covers the emotional skills offshore sailors must have, emphasizing that couples must be partners and have a common understanding of the teamwork required. “Sometimes the husband is keen but the wife less so,” she said. “I’ve developed a workshop entitled, “It’s Your Cruise Too” designed to overcome expectation mismatches.

Elizabeth and Max often present together and discuss the respect the couple must have for each other’s skill sets. “How do we pivot to the sailing life and how do we remain kind to each other?” are two more topics they speak about.

MAX HASN’T BEEN idle either. Building on his engineering and offshore skill sets, he earned a Certified Professional Yacht Broker designation, which, according to him, is a self-regulating industry program that sets professional standards and offers ongoing continuing education. He works as a yacht broker and Yachtmaster Instructor at Yacht Sales West

Elizabeth & Max

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with offices in Sidney and Vancouver. Although he works with clients who visit the “for sale” boats at the dock, he has developed a specialty service finding boats all over the world for sailors seeking a specific vessel. “Clients are smart,” he said. “I listen to them and they often have a boat in mind. I find that boat for them. The clients want help with the process of locating one that is suitable.”

Over the years, Max has built a network of boat industry contacts and relationships through his own voyages, brokerages, people attending his and Elizabeth’s boat show workshops, internet sites and various podcasts he’s participated in. Some companies and brokerages refer clients to him. “It’s mostly a referral, high level process,” he said, “You have to build credibility and trust.” It seems to work. In the last four years, he’s found 139 boats for clients, mostly sail but some power vessels as well.

Once clients contact him, Max interviews them extensively to figure out where they want to travel and how they plan to use their boat. After such a discussion, they sometimes discover they need a different boat for the places they want to go to. Once they decide on the right boat, he seeks out dealers or brokers around the world, obtains surveys and sometimes travels with the clients to inspect the vessel.

One couple wanted to sail the Mediterranean and Max looked for three years before finding a 55-foot Amel sailboat located in Antibes, France. Another pair wanted to go from French Polynesia to Thailand and were seeking a boat already south of the Equator. Max found them the right boat in New Zealand after flying there and surveying the vessel.

He even sails with some clients. He helped Victoria-based Peter and Natalie Hunt buy a new Nautitech 44 Open catamaran in 2023 in La Rochelle, France. The couple and their two children sailed the Mediterra-

A FAMILY AFLOAT

nean in SV June but wanted to cross the Atlantic so they could apply for their Yachtmaster designation. They invited Max to crew with them during the crossing. Max, keen to be on blue water again, flew to the Canaries for the November 2023 Atlantic Rally for Cruisers (ARC) to St. Lucia. He thoroughly enjoyed the crossing and going over the Canadian Recreational Yacht Association’s Yachtmaster Offshore curriculum with the Hunts. He also learned much about how differently a catamaran behaves from the monohull he sailed for so many years. And technology had evolved so he could still receive phone calls as if he were in the office!

Max says his new career in the boat brokerage business was not a strategic

plan, nor something he plotted out. It seems to have grown organically from his military project management experience and the years sailing offshore.

“It’s sometimes pretty relentless,” he said, “but we continue to meet amazing people, some of whom become friends.”

WILL THE SHAWS go offshore again? The idea does roil in their minds, but with the older children making their own way, and flourishing second careers helping other people fulfil their sailing dreams, it may be a way off. What they do know is that those years offshore have created wonderful memories, honed many useful skills, cemented a close family life and bred accomplished, resilient offspring.

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Surfing and Soaking

Downwind to Hawaii (Pacific Cup 2024)

BY ALEX FOX

AAll sailboat races can be viewed as singular and stand alone, but I can say that I’ve also come to view my racing experiences aboard the J-122, Joy Ride,

through the prism of continuity. It’s more like one grand adventure, which began for me with a Round the County Race in 2015 leading to a bunch of Swiftsures, Southern Straits, and Seattle area races. Then a Van Isle 360, a Vic Maui and a Sydney Hobart, culminating with this year’s Pacific Cup race from San Francisco to Kaneohe. The sailing and life lessons seem endless, so I’ll try to share a few of my biggest takeaways along with some general observations that I hope you’ll find interesting.

BOATS DON’T SAIL themselves (at least not the ones you and I race on) therefore, the people involved are everything. The lead up to a long ocean race is so important in terms of boat and program and crew development, logistics, modifications and refinements, weather and strategic planning and practicing. It begins with strong leadership from the owner/skipper down through the boat captain and every single crew member. With so much involved in preparing for a bigger race, the division of responsibilities is very

important. Even after the boat arrived in San Francisco, there was a new to-do list. We basically started by taking everything removable off the boat. Next was a thorough cleaning of the inside, from the bilge to the headliner. All the gear was gone over, from tools to spares, sail repair kit, medical supplies, sheets, halyards, blocks, lifelines and jacklines, man overboard recovery, safety gear, electrical and communication systems. Then came the restowing in easy to find locations, labelled and available to every crew member. All the spinnakers were taken ashore, checked over, properly repacked, by the foredeck team. The sails would be the last thing to bring back aboard. Food preparation and provisioning is a big thing of course, with some personal preferences and requirements. It’s all about the calories, but a well-fed crew is a happy crew and a few treats always buoy the spirits! For the Pacific Cup, there was familiarity amongst the team, with John, Bron, Maaike, Eric, Byron, Robin and me, all long-term crew members. Our newest recruit Ryan, first joined for the Van Isle in 2023. Divide and conquer was the mantra in the week leading up to the race. The people are key, whatever it takes!

EXPERIENCE COUNTS IN sailboat racing, and I’d offer the following basic advice: Take seriously the challenges of personal health, fitness and mental preparation. A 2,000-mile race is something very different than pushing yourself hard in an overnighter, or even a three or four-day 600-miler. On the personal health front, there’s the obvious things, like coming into the race fresh, with a mindfulness to avoiding sickness, injury or other self inflicted impediments. Beginning a major offshore race either tired, fatigued, sick, stressed, sunburnt or injured makes everything so much more difficult for you and your crew mates. Pre-race, make sure you’re sleeping and eating enough, keeping to your normal routines. Stay hydrated and limit your

alcohol consumption. The younger, indestructible (not) me, might have ignored that advice—some lessons are hard learned. Personal fitness, to me, means being able to do whatever task is required and having the endurance to push through the fatigue barrier that comes with the unavoidable sleep deprivation during a race like Pac Cup. It’s important to appoint a medi-

cal officer on board, who knows about the special regimes or requirements of each crew member. I personally try to avoid medication; however I’ve come to accept that managing the pain of muscle pulls and back tweaks is necessary in order to stay useful and in the game. Seasickness would also fall under the mitigation management umbrella and as the doctor at the race

briefing reminded everyone, that often begins before the race does. I know this is a reoccurring challenge for many experienced racers and cracking the code of what works best is important.

IT’S MOST EVERY sailors dream to sail offshore, downwind, in big waves! For those who’ve had the benefit of growing up racing to Hawaii or competing in other Cali downwind races, this may be old hat, almost a reflex. For the rest of us, the opportunities to sail or practice with the full crew in those ideal downwind conditions almost never happens. So, as part of our prerace work up, I was tasked

with leading evening whiteboard talks on a range of subjects; Refreshers on the sail inventory, spinnaker trimming in waves, changes in apparent wind, mainsail pumping, VMG sailing, helming in waves and more. We also talked about the grind of the race, managing emotions and temperament, staying positive, pitching in, keeping the boat clean and organized, and emphasized the importance of staying focussed to consistently sail fast and efficiently. We’d finish each session with a weather update and possible scenarios we’d be facing. The idea was to get ready mentally, with the ultimate goal of competing well, staying safe, having

fun and coming out the other side better sailors and better friends.

NOW ON TO the best part, the sailing! Let’s begin with a hypothesis or a statement about a downwind race like this: “The wave train is basically travelling with the wind direction and aside from the biggest, fastest boats or the ones that plane, the waves are travelling faster than your vessel.” OK, provided we accept that as a basic truth, then the goal is to stay surfing on each and every wave as long as possible. In other words, the boat that loses the fewest waves comes out ahead! Now that is a bit of an oversimplification, because there are other variables, but as a basic premise that was indeed our goal. Once we were into the solid breeze and waves, slot car sailing—as described by super navigator Stan Honey—went something like this: The wind was between 18 and 25 knots and as helmsman, I was always very conscious of using too much rudder, acting like a brake. As a wave passed underneath us, the bow pointing skyward up the backside of the passing wave, I found it best to head up five or 10 degrees in order to prevent the apparent wind from moving too far aft, and to avoid collapsing the chute behind the mainsail or accidentally gybing in the bigger waves and wind, or worst of all wrapping the spinnaker around the forestay! As the overtaking wave would begin to lift our stern, my job as helmsman was to bear away, aligning the boat at right angles to the wave. With the bow now pointed downwards (down the mine) and with the rudder in the middle (no drag), the mainsail trimmer and spinnaker trimmers would give a good, coordinated pump, trimming in quickly and accelerating the boat, with the apparent wind moving forward, as we surfed at the same speed or faster than the wave. If performed well and we’d lock into the wave for an extended period. Getting it wrong or slightly

sideways to the wave, would create an imbalance, the surf would be lost, the wave would quickly pass, leaving us slow, having to head up a lot to reaccelerate and start all over again. This was an ongoing dance between the helmsman and the trimmers. High average speeds were the goal, along with zero spinnaker collapses or wipe outs. Getting a high number (23 knots) was definitely fun, but the goal was always stay on the wave for the longest time possible. One other consideration was to keep our best Velocity Made Good in mind. Chasing waves with big course changes might work on smaller lighter boats but when the breeze dropped a bit or if the wave patterns were occasionally more mixed up and random, it made extended surfs less likely. In these conditions it was very important for the trimmers to be active, big eases and adjustments, less helm The gains in these conditions would come from sailing an economical course, keeping a steadier average speed and sailing less distance. A design that proves this theory is the venerable Cal 40, everyone’s favorite downwind to Hawaii boat. Its narrow, low drag hull form, long sailing waterline length at speed and low aspect, powerful downwind sail plan allowed it to soak deep best VMG. It’s on my bucket list to do a Hawaii race on a Cal 40 sometime.

I HOPE I’VE shared a few nuggets in this month’s article. My own sailing education continues and I hope that you might be inspired to compete in a longer offshore race yourself! The challenges are many and there’s always more to learn about sailing in waves, weather, navigation, squall sailing, ocean currents. The list goes on and on. I’ll continue to share some stories and lessons from my Pac Cup experience in future articles. For the record, Joy Ride competed pretty well, finishing third in division and forth overall in PHRF. Good sailing, see you on the ocean sometime soon!

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Take a Kid Fishing

Make a kid’s first fishing experience an enjoyable one and they’ll be hooked for life

BY TOM DAVIS

Take a Kid Fishing” is one of the best ways for families and friends to enjoy a day on the water. The practice has been going on since angling’s very beginnings and for many is a rite of passage from fathers and mothers to sons and daughters. The expression is universal and is even used to describe special fishing events that occur all across North America, and I am sure in other parts of the world where fishing is popular. Whether fishing for bass, trout, perch, bullheads, halibut or salmon, it’s the initial overall fishing experiences that matters far more than the size of the catch.

I USED TO help out with a local fishing event called the Victoria Pink Salmon Festival. It takes place every two years when the dominant Fraser River Pink Salmon runs pass through the Juan de Fuca Strait. The Pink Salmon Festival Society arranges for local boat owners, including a number of professional guides who volunteer

their time, to take less privileged kids and one of their adult family members or a chaperone out for a few hours of pink salmon fishing. At the wind down barbecue, prizes are given out to all of the kids.

I volunteered for a few years and always had as much fun as my guests once the rods started popping. Many fish were lost, but enough did make it into the cooler to provide for quite a few salmon dinners. I was always amazed at the wide range of reactions these novice anglers showed when they played their first salmon.

I particularly remember one family where a mom, son and daughter were my guests for the day. The mom was somewhat quiet and I think a bit worried about being on the ocean although

she never said so. It’s an understandable reaction for folks who are not used to being in smaller boats on exposed waters. The son, who was about nine or 10 years old, seemed to be having a good time. However, it was hard to tell exactly what he was thinking when it was his turn to play the fish, and for some reason he didn’t seem to want to have much to do with them once they came aboard. However, his sister, who was a year or two older, was absolutely engaged in every aspect of fishing. In fact, the strikes couldn’t come fast enough for her and I am sure she would have played every fish if I’d let her. She was interested in how the downriggers worked, what lures we used and why we used them, how deep we fished and anything else I could tell her about

fishing for salmon. She was a sponge absorbing every bit of information I could provide during our short threehour trip, and she wasn’t the least bit squeamish. When I whacked the first salmon on the head with the fish stick, aka the “priest” or the deliverer of the last rites, she took it upon herself to dispatch the rest of the catch and put them in the fish cooler. By the end of the trip, she was covered in scales and dried fish slime but couldn’t have been happier. Yet her brother seemed very calm and cool about the whole experience.

During the last hour of the trip, the prevailing southwest wind began to pick up. Since we were fishing a couple of miles offshore from Beechey Head and I had to deliver my guests to Sooke Harbour Marina, I decided to leave

early. On the way back we ran into some patches of rough water as the outgoing tide backed up against the inbound swells. As an extra bonus I decided to let the son stand in front of me so we were both steering the boat. I also had my see-through canvas port open because the windshield was taking periodic shots of salt spray, which reduced visibility. As so often happens with a prevailing westerly wind, those two or three-foot waves turned into the odd four-footer, or more, and we happened to hit one at least that size.

Water poured over the bow, up the windshield and into the cabin through the open port. Instead of being upset, my co-pilot thought this drenching experience was the greatest thing to happen during the entire trip. It just proves that some kids are hard to figure out in terms of gauging exactly what gets their cranks turning. However, I have to say that almost every kid I have taken fishing has had a great time, and if it wasn’t due to the fishing experience, it might have been something else like getting totally soaked, helping to drive the boat or seeing whales and other large marine mammals.

TIPS FOR FISHING WITH KIDS

SHORT AND SWEET Short fishing trips are better than long ones. This was the biggest issue I had when I fished with my father. At times we would be out for six, eight or even 10 hours. That’s far too long for kids to stay focused unless you are lucky enough to have that rare child who loves to fish and for whom time is not an issue.

CHANGE IT UP Even if the trip is short, if there isn’t much action, switch to another species or fishing technique. For example, change from trolling for salmon to jigging for salmon or bottom fish. Other tactics that

keep them interested include having them watch for strikes on one or more of the rods, or looking to see if other anglers are catching fish. If nothing is happening around you, try playing games like identifying the types of marine wildlife in the area. Even pull up on a beach if possible and take a break from fishing or set some crab or prawn traps on the way out to the fishing grounds and let them pull them up on the way home.

DEVELOP SKILLS

As their fishing skills progress and they become more comfortable on the water, let them run their own rods and teach them about handling the boat, navigation skills, water safety and other responsibilities that will be valuable in the future.

DON’T RUSH IT Don’t force the issue in order to meet your timetable for success. Let them progress at their own speed. When I learned how to fish and handle a boat, there were not a lot of other recreational or activities available for young kids. Today, fishing is just one of a score of sports or even tech options that children can choose from. If their first experiences are not positive, they will switch to activities that are more rewarding.

FISH SPECIES Success should not be based on the number of fish caught. However, hooking fish is important. Start them off on salmon species like pink and coho. Pink salmon are extraordinarily abundant on the odd year Fraser River runs, so the summer of 2025 should provide excellent fishing action throughout many areas of the southern BC coast. Coho opportunities are improving and some coho have actually begun to reside inside the Straight of Georgia as they did prior to 1990. Even if it’s a catch and release fishery for wild coho, the steady action will help to keep younger anglers focused. Sockeye are potentially a good option, and one of the best

early season fisheries takes place in Alberni Canal for Sproat and Great Central Lake Sockeye. These runs begin to enter the Stamp River as early as April, but peak fishing action starts in June and runs until the end of July. Bottom fishing for rockfish, lingcod and snapper is also a great introductory fishing technique. The kids are actually fishing with the rod in hand as opposed to sitting in the boat and staring at the rods while waiting for something to happen. In fact, just angling for pile perch at any public wharf can produce the same level of excitement for them.

FISH SIZE

I remember taking my nephew Keith and his son Ben fishing just after Labour Day about 10 years ago. We had a double-header, and I made a quick decision on which fish was the biggest by passing that rod to Keith. Unwisely, I focused most of my attention on his fish. Eventually I turned around to check on Ben only to see him bent over the gunwale with the rod thrust into the water almost up to the reel. He was hanging on for dear life battling with a big chinook that had just sounded with a hard downward run straight under the boat. To his credit, he was not going to let go of that rod, although I’m sure he wondered if the salmon was going to pull him overboard.

We eventually landed both fish but not before some anxious moments on Ben’s side of the boat. Fishing for big guys can be mentally tiring even for experienced anglers and particularly if the bite is slow. So, I don’t recommend a steady angling diet based only on big salmon until kids have learned the ropes on smaller fish. However, winter chinook feeders, unlike trophy summer run fish, are an excellent option because they are smaller, provide lots of action, are willing biters and are quite numerous. They are a terrific starter salmon for smaller fry, provided you choose your fishing time wisely by avoiding cold or windy days.

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This stunning new North Pacific needs to be seen to be believed

BY PETER A. ROBSON

TThe Port of Everett Marina is the largest public marina on the West Coast of North America, and it boasts 2,300 permanent boat slips and an additional 5,000 feet of guest moorage. One of the most impressive vessels here is the North Pacific 590 Skylounge. This new model, built by Surrey, BC-based North Pacific Yachts, stands out as the largest and most ambitious yacht offered by the company to date.

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Although only 10 feet longer than its predecessor, the NP 590 boasts close to three times its volume and 60 percent more gross displacement. Its sleek and dramatic styling, including towering hull sides, a near-plumb bow, reverse transom and smoked glass windows, give it a megayacht presence. Perhaps the most striking feature is its enclosed skylounge which replaces the traditional pilothouse. North Pacific Yachts, founded by John and Trevor Brice in 2004, has built more than 150 trawler-style yachts in China, and the 590 is their crowning achievement.

The 590 is designed to cruise at nine or 10 knots. It is powered by twin 405 Cummins diesels with a top speed of close to 12 knots, though larger twins and single engine options are available. The solid glass hull is reinforced with a full keel and skegs in front of the rudders, providing additional protection. Decks are cored with closed-cell foam reinforced with rigid PVC for strength and durability.

Evan Adams

The NP 590 Skylounge offers a level of comfort and livability that rivals even the most stylish designer home.

Tacey Jungmann of Snowberry Lane photography

The idea for the NP 590 was born from Phil Adams, who wanted a larger vessel than his NP 49 to better accommodate his extended family. After extensive research into similar larger offerings around the world, Phil and his son Evan chose North Pacific to create this custom three-stateroom yacht. Evan was deeply involved in the yacht’s development, including traveling to China during construction, and was so impressed with the company, he subsequently became North Pacific’s sales manager.

ON DECK Boarding the NP 590 is via the wide swim platform and gently curved port and starboard staircases. A 14-foot RIB is transom mounted on a Freedom Lift, making it easy to launch and retrieve. A watertight door in the transom leads to the full height lazarette and expansive engine room.

The covered cockpit, equipped with a forward-facing settee and a hi-low teak table, offers comfort in any weather and is ideal for al fresco dining. Synthetic Flexiteek is used for the swim platform, cockpit sole and boat deck and provides the look of teak without the maintenance. A broad stairway sweeps up from the cockpit to the boat deck and skylounge above, though alternate access is available via stairs inside the saloon. I like that the stainless bollards, fairleads, cleats and doors are all oversize. They were provided by Taiwan-based megayacht supplier Aritex. A sturdy threepanel sliding hatch, also by Aritex, seals the cockpit from the boat deck when needed.

The asymmetrical cabin layout, with a 20-inch-wide exterior walkway on the starboard side, maximizes interior space while maintaining easy passage from bow to stern. A wing door on the side deck just ahead of the cockpit provides protection from wind and weather, a feature particularly useful when under way. The side decks have 26-inch-high bulwarks topped with stainless handrails, providing a secure feeling when moving around the yacht. Midway up

the side deck, adjacent to the dining/ lounge area, is a pantograph door that offers convenient access to the side deck from midships.

The Portuguese bridge at the bow offers a protected walkway, with a built-in table and settee on its forward side. The anchor gear is robust, featuring a double bowsprit, a Rocna anchor, a heavy-duty Lofrans Titan B windlass and 300 feet of half-inch chain. A clever bridle setup allows the strain on the anchor to be taken up by the bow eye just above the waterline, reducing the scope of the anchor chain compared to traditional deployment from the bowsprit.

INTERIOR DESIGN AND FEATURES

The saloon is entered via a substantial three-panel sliding door, another qual-

ity product from Aritex. The NP 590’s interior is both modern and stylish, featuring a combination of rich, horizontal grain-matched teak with tasteful accents of darker Wenge wood. This contrasts beautifully with white fabric wall coverings, accents and headliner that balance the modern with the traditional to great effect. Light layering adds another level of luxury through indirect ceiling lights, rope lighting, valance lighting and pot lights. The interior is bathed in natural light, thanks to large square windows.

The galley, located two steps up from the saloon, is fully equipped with luxury appliances, including a space-saving oven with French doors. The raised bar counter between the galley and lounge/ dining area offers a great transition.

Guests can sit at the counter on raised stools or lower them to join the large hi-low folding leaf dining table and its curved seating. This is arguably the best place to relax with excellent views, to commune with the chef and simply enjoy the experience with family and friends. A day head across from the galley is a convenient feature. Wide, curved, varnished teak staircases with leather wrapped stainless handrails lead to the skylounge and accommodation areas.

SKYLOUNGE The skylounge, with its nearly full-width helm station, is a standout feature of the NP 590. It offers 360-degree views, an L-shaped seating area and an office desk with a computer station. The helm is equipped with three wide Garmin touch screens and a Dockmate remote control, allowing for precise maneuvering from anywhere on the vessel.

A sliding glass door opens onto the boat deck, where an L-shaped settee and table provide a sheltered outdoor space. The boat deck also has ample room for a davit and dinghy storage, as well as additional seating and space for water toys and fishing gear.

ACCOMMODATION The accommodation on the NP 590 is spacious and beautifully appointed. Extensive light layering options throughout add another level of luxury. The master suite features large rectangular hull windows, a king-size island berth and extensive storage, including more than 20 drawers and 10 cupboards. The ensuite bathroom is equally impressive, with a large, tiled shower, double sinks and a separate toilet area.

The VIP stateroom in the bow offers an island berth, ample storage and easy access to the shared head, which also features a separate shower. The guest stateroom to port has two single beds that can slide together to form a double and a third single bunk that folds away when not needed.

ENGINE ROOM AND SYSTEMS

Access to the engine room is through the lazarette from the outside transom door or an interior staircase in the saloon. It can be configured for various uses, including crew quarters, a utility room, workshop or playroom. The engine room is a mechanic’s dream, with everything finished in gloss white paint and clean, organized spaces around the

twin 405-horsepower Cummins diesels. The polished stainless engine mounts are particularly impressive. Aqua Drive shaft seals are great as they transfer the thrust of the props into the heavy hull stringers instead of pushing into the transmissions and engines. Stainless trays on top of each engine are a smart feature, with room to store tools and parts while working on the diesels. Powerful ventilators make it cool down here even with the diesels running.

The NP 590 is equipped with many advanced systems, including a Termodinamica reverse cycle air system that provides efficient heating and cooling throughout the vessel and allows each area of the vessel to be controlled independently. It consists of a single, variable speed inverter compressor that only pushes out what is needed, resulting in less power draw.

The Wavelift active fin stabilizers enhance stability both underway and at anchor. The yacht also features an 1,800-gallon-per-day watermaker. A 20 kW Northern Lights generator is more than ample for the ship’s loads and can quickly charge the ship’s 28,800 watts (at 24 volts) of lithium-ion batteries. As Evan put it: “There’s never a discussion as to whether we can turn this or that on. Just like in a house. Anything can be turned on at any time.” In the rare case of excessive demand, the dual Victron Quatro inverters can produce 120 and 240-volt AC power to make up the difference.

PERFORMANCE Evan was our captain for the day and he used the Dockmate remote from the cockpit to ease us expertly away from the marina. This was my first experience with the Dockmate system in action, though I had written about the system previously as part of an article on joysticks. Dockmate’s remote unit can be operated from anywhere on the vessel and controls both engines, the gears, the throttles and the thrusters. Evan says he always uses it when docking, which

Tacey Jungmann of Snowberry Lane photography

is not surprising considering the mass of the 590. I quickly became a fan. During sea trials in Possession Sound, the NP 590 proved to be an easy and stable performer. Like most trawlers, comfort, seakeeping and livability are more important than speed. The most economical cruising speed was 9.1 knots at 1,400 rpm, burning just 9.1 gallons per hour—a testament to the vessel’s excellent fuel efficiency. Our miles per gallon increased to about a half-mile at 10 knots. Our top speed was 11.8 knots. Throughout all speeds, the NP 590 maintained smooth and graceful handling. Sound levels in the skylounge were remarkably low at 64 dB, making for a quiet and enjoyable ride. Despite the added weight of the skylounge, the

590 was extremely stable. We found that the stabilizers did decrease roll slightly, but in the relatively calm waters of the Sound, they were not necessary.

CONCLUSION

The NP 590 Skylounge is a testament to North Pacific Yachts’ commitment to quality and innovation. With its luxurious interior, spacious layout, and advanced systems, the NP 590 offers a level of comfort and livability that rivals even the most stylish designer home. Whether entertaining a crowd or enjoying a quiet cruise, this vessel provides the perfect blend of elegance and functionality. Priced between $3.3 and $3.7 million, the NP 590 represents a new high for North Pacific Yachts.

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Bacon Bribe

BY LINDA LEITCH

SSkies were blue and the sun was smiling, tunes were on and the bacon was sizzling. We were floating in Naden Harbour where we could enjoy a relaxing breakfast out of the chop of Dixon Entrance.

Since we were just drifting with no anchor out, we were keeping a close eye on our surroundings. So we saw the RCMP boat as soon as it entered the harbour. With no other boats in sight, it made a direct line for us.

This is a tight knit northern community, so regardless of your station in society, most everyone knows one another and often a bit of gossiped reputation precedes encounters. Lately, rumour had it that the local RCMP were new to town and totally green behind the helm of their boat.

Captain Dann immediately voted that I be spokesperson and sent me up on deck to greet the visitors.

The RCMP boat sped toward our drifting sailboat and circled us three times before realizing we didn’t have an anchor out. By then our boat was bobbing wildly in their wake and they seemed to be coming in to raft up while the slop still had us in a chaotic motion. I was just quick enough to get

my biggest buoy between our hulls as they did indeed decide to raft up. Immediately, the officer at the helm of their boat popped his body out the window. Instead of asking us, “why isn’t your radio on?” or “are you guys ok, you seem to be adrift?” he asked: “Are you guys seriously cooking bacon?” I smiled and confirmed that the smell of bacon wafting across the harbour was indeed emanating from our vessel.

The lovely officer on the stern of the

THERE WAS A LOT OF KINDNESS AND LAUGHTER AND SOON ENOUGH THE GENTLE GIANT WAS BACK INSIDE HIS WHEELHOUSE

boat holding the lines took charge and asked to see some of our safety equipment. From down below, Dann, while still cooking breakfast, started passing me up our safety items. We’d been cruising the northern portion of the inside passage for the last month and we always travel safely so we had tons of valuable things to show them such as our handheld radios, sat phone, air horns, first aid kits and so on until we reached the flares.

I tried to pass them to the officer, but she asked that I open them and read the expiration date for her.

OK.

I searched out the information and just as I realized the flares were severely outdated, I also noticed the skipper of their boat was trying to extricate himself from their window. In his excitement over the delicious smells coming from our boat, he had stuck himself too far out his window and now his inflatable life jacket combined with his protective vest and belt full of a police officer’s tools were stuck.

So, when she asked what the expiration dates were, I answered with, “hey, I think your buddy is struggling up there.” I put the flares down and headed for the bow of my boat to see if I could help shove the officer back in his window.

There was a lot of kindness and laughter and soon enough the gentle giant was back inside his wheelhouse. The topic of conversation genuinely flowed to other places. Eventually Captain Dann announced that breakfast was ready and that we were drifting toward a sandbar and should separate.

I grabbed their skipper a serving of bacon and then threw off the lines. It wasn’t until I sat down to my meal that I remembered the flares and realized what I’d gotten away with.

We’ve since replaced the flares and in a small town social setting, I’ve made my confession to the off-duty officers. They now know me as, “the sailboat lady that used bacon as a distraction tactic.”

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