In September 2014, Tim, Alex, James, and I launched from Alder Bay, near Port McNeil, at the north end of Vancouver Island. Each of the four of us brought our own open wooden boat, built with our own hands: Tim with BIG FOOD, a John Gardner-designed peapod; James with ROWAN, mostly an Iain Oughtred-designed Sooty Tern; Alex with HORNPIPE, a modified Don Kurylko-designed Alaska; and me with BANDWAGON, a Hvalsoe 16 of my own design. All of the boats were designed for oars and sail and rigged as lug yawls. We were headed for the Broughten Archipelago, on the southern rim of Queen Charlotte Strait, positioned between Vancouver Island and the remote, mountainous British Columbia mainland. We were having an easy sail along Hanson Island on the north side of Johnstone Straight when an orca crossed through our fleet and swam between Tim in BIG FOOD, left, and Alex in HORNPIPE, right.
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Thanks very much for writing this up, Eric. It brings back memories and it is very interesting to hear the story from your perspective. This trip forms one of the chapters in my new book, and while I remember some of the details a little differently, we definitely were on the same trip!
(Alex’s book is Becoming Coastal. —Ed.)
Hi Alex,
My story did not come from contemporaneous notes, as yours may have. But I think that’s OK.
It is a tale, to the best of my recollection, linking together a number of vivid memories. There were spaces to fill in, helped by reviewing the chart, photos and the WBF thread. No question that memory, mine at least, is an elastic and sometimes confounding thing. I can only hope that in the telling, I captured something of value.
It was a great trip, blessed by fine weather, in the best of company.
Eric
What a great adventure!
I have done the Bowron Lakes circuit in British Columbia twice in a canoe and a rowing dory. I think a salty cruise would be double the fun, what with whales and sea creatures!
Great read! A friend and I kayaked a similar route in June 2019, beginning and ending at Telegraph Cove. Thank you!
Lovely account, Eric. You’re one plucky band of adventurers.
Thanks for the great trip report, Eric. I like the cruising details. What were the calendar dates? And what might be your recommended range of ideal dates? I’m contemplating a similar but somewhat longer trip in my 20-ft. modified Whitehall.