The British Columbia Coast & Inside Passage
(a.k.a. Bill & Tad’s Excellent Adventure)
Tuesday, February 23, 2021 – 1900 GMT/UTC
with Yacht Designer Tad Roberts & Capt. Bill Noon — Capt. Karen Sullivan Moderating
Yacht designer Tad Roberts and retired Canadian Coast Guard Captain Bill Noon will be taking us up the coast of British Columbia and the Inside Passage. These gentlemen have spent their lives in boats of the BC coast, studying every boat that crosses their bow, and they’ll be sharing their deep knowledge of the boats of this coastline with all of us.
They’ve also explored nearly every nook and cranny of these waters, and know the history of the land and its people. So their discussion of boats will be set in the context of the wild, beautiful landscape. The moderator for this talk is former schooner captain Karen Sullivan who’s cruised extensively in these waters herself, including single-handed voyages to Alaska. Q&A to follow.
Related Links:
Tad’s Page in the Worldwide Classic Boat Show
Tad’s Yacht Design site
Tad’s Historic BC Boats Blog
A Couple of Tad’s Designs in the Show: DUNN DEAL and RÊVERIE
Karen’s Boat RAVEN in the Worldwide Classic Boat Show
Karen’s Adventure Blog
Karen’s Writer’s Site
Bill’s Boat MESSENGER III in the Worldwide Classic Boat Show
Book List: (We recommend ThriftBooks.com for great used books)
Cruising narratives & literary accounts:
BIJABOJI – North to Alaska by Oar, by Betty Lowman Carey. Harbour Publishing, 2004.
The Curve of Time, by Wylie Blanchett
Historical references:
Vancouver’s Discovery of Puget Sound, by Edmund S. Meany, published 1907, reprinted 1957. Contains a great description of Nootka Sound and Friendly Cove as well as the Strait of Georgia, Desolation Sound, Broughtons, etc.
Exploring Puget Sound & British Columbia, The Classic Reference Atlas by Stephen Hilson, Evergreen Pacific Publishing, 2008.
Exploring Alaska & British Columbia, same as above.
Cruising guides:
(2 volumes) Exploring the South Coast of British Columbia, by Dan Douglass and Reanne Hemingway, FineEdge.com. Out of print but still among the best resources.
Exploring the North Coast of British Columbia, same as above.
(7 volumes) Dreamspeaker Cruising Guide Series, by Anne and Laurence Yeadon-Jones, separate volumes for Gulf Islands & Vancouver Island, Desolation Sound and the Discovery islands, Vancouver, Howe Sound & the Sunshine Coast, the San Juan Islands, the Broughtons, and the West Coast of Vancouver Island.
Tide tables:
Ports & Passes annual tide tables
Washburns
Captain Farwell’s as a collectible, with its wonderful illustrations?
Great introduction to the West Coast, guys! Thank you very much! Hope to get over and sail there sometime.
Just a note on Canadian Tide & Current Tables, the official “publication” for both coasts. As of 2021 these are no longer published in book form and if you want the government issued information (on which the other guides are usually based) you can go to the web site:
https://tides.gc.ca/eng/data/predictions/2021
and print off the PDF, or peruse the web site data. I could not located the information on the secondary ports (tides or currents) so save that page from your 2020 publication.
Thanks to all of you for an excellent presentation. I originally started boating on the Coast in 1966 out of Vancouver and Pender Harbor and have a fond appreciation of my two trips to Alaska on my friends 40 ft Tolly Sports Fisher, visiting. Any of the areas you have described. We are waiting with baited breath for the border to open so that we can come up and help the BC marine economy this summer.
The Vestad-built gillnetter “Snowflake” ( at the 48:00 minute mark) looks exactly like the Vestad (34′) we owned (Lean-Two) except ours had a horseshoe stern. We bought her from Sam Devlin, who had converted her for pleasure use. My son and I brought her from Olympia, WA to Seward, AK in 2005. We cruised in company with Sam, who was on his converted fishing boat, Josephine from Olympia to Ketchikan. Author/publisher Mark Bunzel cruised with us on board Lean-To, again as far as Ketchikan. He wrote a 3-part series in NW Yachting that year. From Ketchikan to Seward, we were on our own. The first, and only place, we had a person recognize it was a Vestad was in Prince Rupert, where a guy walked up to me on the docks and said “That’s a Vestad, isn’t it?” His uncle was a Vestad competitor. What an adventure that trip was! We sold her to a couple in Ketchikan in 2010 and took her back across the Gulf of Alaska and down the Alaskan portion of the Inside Passage again. Thanks for the picture, Tad! Thanks to all of you for a great 1.5 hours.
Thank you so much I loved the history and the science!
Heard the replay, it was excellent !!! It took me back to the years of going up and down the coast, sometimes with a charter party, mostly by myself. What I loved most was exploring all the inlets, going ashore where possible. Over the years I realized how busy this coastline was. Everywhere I looked I found remnants of old mines, logging camps, fishing operations, you name it. I found a lot of evidence of all the Chinese that lived up these inlets, chards of pottery, kitchen utensils, and items that I never figured out !!! One trip I really remembered was finding a large concrete building with a smoke stack in Bute inlet, I didn’t have a clue what it was. I later found out it was the first pulp mill on the coast….run mainly by Chinese. I started reading the various books that talked about all the people that lived along these inlets, fascinating stuff !! Later I moved to Haida Gwaii for 9 years and started exploring the mainland coast and the islands there. There was always something to see and discover.
Karel Doruyter
More and more evidence that the Chinese were the first on the coast-not Cook or the Spanish- but the sailing fleets of Zheng He- See British author Gavin Meinzes book “1421, the Year China discovered America”. Meinzes claims that the Euro navigators used Chinese charts.
The Pleasures of Summer Solicitude.
In the early 1990s my youngest son and I took a 25′ Aluminum pocket cruiser motor sailer, Shadowfax, from Port Townsend, WA to Icy Straits, AK. When you folks were talking about small boat cruising and anchoring in 360 degree protected small “one boat bays, it brought to mind a comment my then 13 old son made. We were just North of the Queen Charlotte Sound and sitting enjoying the long summer flat calm evening sounds of jumping fish, tree frogs, and assorted unidentifiable nature sounds and Severin says, “Dad this is just like a Bambi Movie.”
Great presentation OCH, Karen, Bill, and Tad
Just watched the video presentation. Nicely done! I’ve sailed the Salish Sea and West Coast for nearly 40 years, mostly in a 30 ft sail boat. Headed for the west side of the Island again this summer. A nice variety of topics covered, and covered in detail. Well presented. If anyone is looking for sailing video of sailing this part of the world just look up my You Tube channel, Bert Vermeer Sailing. The best cruising grounds in the world!
What a beautiful boat is Normal. Many thanks.
Nice insights to the opposite coast of Canada. (I am in Nova Scotia).
Can’t wait until the video to this presentation is posted. I couldn’t catch the live presentation but I’m really excited to see this. I just bought a Tad Roberts boat! It’s listed in this show, Reverie.
Just checked out Reverie – very nice!
Sending you my thanks for a wonderful excursion through the Inside Passage today – I watch the ocean from my perch near Cape Disappointment and long for the time when I can cross the border again to visit Port Renfrew and Campbell River, Port Rupert and the astounding shores of Haida Gwaii. Your wonderful photos helped ease the longing. Thanks for mentioning Bijaboji – a wonderful adventure book.
Cathy Cruikshank
Thank you for watching and participating, Cath. Here’s to that border opening up and getting to enjoy the magic of the BC coast again! Love, Nate
Cannot wait to see the recording as I was not able to see it live. I cruised those waters for many years
I recently got my monthly WoodenBoat magazine with an article by Tad Robets in it! Thanks WB!
thanks! Too many high spots to mention!
Very Fine Job – to Everyone. Brings back many cherished memories of our cruising years along that spectacular PNW Coast.
Thank you to all concerned. Bill & Paula Page
Thank you so much Bill, Karen and Tad, we learned quite a bit about the BC coast. It was fun to see a couple of boats we recognized.
Renate & Carty
Fantastic presentation – thank you. Going to rewatch with the kids – a great (living) history lesson of the BC coast.
Thank you Karen, Tad & Bill
for taking us to BC´s fascinating coast, it´s boats and nature.
To me, it was like a small vacation and an expedition into an area I always wanted to visit,
but up to now somehow has been out of reach.
And thanks again to the WWCBS crew to make all this possible!
Greeting from Europe
I’m so glad this area is more approachable to you now, Stephan and Winnie, and hope to see your family out cruising here one day.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thank you Karen, Bill, and Tad for presenting our home coast to the world.
Wonderful presentation! Cheers!
Thank you!
Yes. Starlink: https://www.starlink.com/
Where is Tad sitting?
On his Boat in Silva Bay, aT Anchor!
Thanks for the great presentation. As a transplant from coastal Maine, the BC coast looks so similar, just lots bigger. I’ve got to get there when the border opens again.
It’s like a whole universe to explore, isn’t it? You could spend a lifetime and not see it all.
What was the sailing scene like in the winter? It looked like there was a bit of wind, so surely some bigger boats may go out near the start and end of winter?
Hi William, Most people cruise in summer, with some venturing out in spring and fall, but if you have heat, are careful with the navigation and weather and don’t mind the short days and are flexible with your schedule, winter can provide some of the best cruising of the entire year. It’s a different kind of cruising, but one of our fondest memories was leaving Port Townsend on a whim to cross the Strait and spend Christmas 2019 in Victoria, tied up in front of the Empress Hotel–pure magic. We have cruised to Vancouver and anchored in False Creek in early March, and also love to cruise down to Seattle in late winter, because you can always get a slip right downtown and go see a play, or have dinner out, all with no reservations or crowds. They’re some of the pleasures we look forward to having again one day. Also, racing goes on year round – the Shipwright’s Regatta is this coming weekend, and it’s going to be the largest fleet ever.
Really enjoy the presentation….what was your guess regarding being able to enter Canadian waters this summer from the US
Hi Karen. Loved the picture of the Dana! I have a 1989 Dana I bought new. Home port Manhassett Bay Long Island New York. By the look of the rounded ports I would think it’s a few years earlier then mine. Loved the talk. Thank you so much. Larry Stam
Hi Larry, thanks for tuning in, and enjoy your Dana–lots of good cruising in the islands and especially north!
Thanks again for yet another interesting talk !
Can you speak a little more about the Japanese influence on the coast and perhaps the internment.
Sorry ! We considered that but ran out of time, very very important part of our History.
Understood – thanks Bill. I was just curious if Tad had any personal recollections of how things went down at the time. In addition to the severe impact on their community, I’ve seen a few photos of their beautiful boats all corralled up – not sure though if they were destroyed or were sold off and continued to fish. Thanks again for the reply. It was a wonderful journey up the coast with the three of you. Cheers.
A few years ago at the Port Townsend Wooden Boat Festival I gave an hour long talk on Japanese influence in BC’s wooden boat culture. It’s an extraordinary story in that Japanese boatbuilders came to BC, immediately adopted/adapted traditional western designs, improved those designs significantly, were interred in appalling conditions yet continued to produce boats, and years later came back to the coast and started over……
Thank you Tad – I appreciate the information. I’ll definitely look into this some more. Cheers.
Excelent. Thank you
I was planting trees on Vancouver Island in ’77 around Zeballos. We were sailing from place to place. Dead logs seemed to be a big risk for power boats, was it really something to fear?
Still is a major hazard. Hemlocks tend to sink to neutral buoyancy so can’t see them. Keeps the boatyards busy.
Any notes on wooden boat building in the region appreciated.
Karen mentioned Bijabogi, the 13-foot dugout canoe that Betty Carey did the Inside Passage in, twice. Can you speak a little more about the tradition of small boats voyaging the Inside Passage?
Hi Alex, hopefully we touched on that a little in parts of the presentation and in the Q&A, but mostly, we ran out of time–so much rich material to cover! That would make a great topic for another talk one day.
Can you list the books you mentioned?
Thanks Sandra. We’ll include a list of books after the talk.
Bill, could you list some of your favourite books and why it is a favourite
I talked to Steve I think hes’ going to put up a list. Fishing with John, and Curve of time should be standard reading. If a history nut, Captain Walbran BC Coast names was written by Government ship Captain around 1900. It has a list of every coastal place name and the origin of the name. Endless entertainment and knowledge from that book, I keep it I wheelhouse of every ship I sailed on.
The true Bibles are probably Raincoast Chronicles by Harbour Publishing. Harbour Publishing inspired much coastal Literature. Reminds me “That went by fast, my first hundred years”. Frank White, Publisher of Raincoast fathers book.
The Hemingway/Doulass books are fantastic.
Question about navigating this area with a small craft. How is it navigating in a smaller vessel with less horsepower, crazy tides and wind tunnels, whilst surrounded by rocks?
I have made the inside passage several times, but always for work (fishing boats, cruise ship) on larger vessels spare amounts of horsepower. I would love to make a passage on my own small boat one day, and actually explore it. There is so much natural wildlife and beauty!
Hi William, with a small boat you have to be much more alert and connected to wind and tide and be precise in your navigation, but it is one of the most challenging and pleasurable accomplishments a sailor could possibly make. It’s about learning the limits of your boat and yourself, and of learning to slow down and be patient. The beauty of it is that there are so many good safe coves to shelter in that you can make a run for safety pretty much any time you need to.
I stopped in Resolution Cove in 2019 to have a look at the plaque on the rock there, commemorating Cook’s visit. The cove is much smaller than I envisioned
Can you talk about your locations/backgrounds?
“Enough about animals…” HA!
And hearing all this about the fascinating PNW I can understand why Tad moved (back?) there from Maine. Thanks!
Very fun! Thank you.
Yay for South Africans!! And Table Mountain’s table cloth. 😉
Y’all probably knew Allen and Sharie Farrell of “China Cloud” fame?
Very much so, I know there son Barrie famous gillnet boat builder, and a amazing coastal charcter to this day. Painting and singing songs now.
Yes, I often wondered why he chose that spot, sailed around there a lot and many good anchorages close by… Maybe the timbers easy to fall in water? Who Knows, a guess…
Great to see Ratty! She came across the Strait to Port Townsend in the great Shipyard Raid, didn’t she?
Quill Goldman & Richard Lyons actually pioneered the Shipyard Raid route in Ratty in 2004, then won the first Raid in the same boat in 2005. Ratty last visited PT in 2006 with the Raid….
Tad, I meant to ask you, is there a Moley to go with Ratty?
Oh yes, our 12′ clinker rowboat of uncertain heritage is called Mole. The big boat is Blackfish, and Lady Jane is our 39′ x-troller….we spend quite a bit of time looking after boats, but none receive all the attention they deserve….
Having done the BC part of the Inside Passage in an open sail and oar boat myself, I am looking forward to the perspectives that Tad and Bill will bring.
Excellent, I’d love to do that from here in Seward, AK….Maybe you could share pics during this event?
I am eagerly awaiting this presentation. My husband and co-skipper, Bill Norrie, and I have just moved to Victoria, B.C., and are looking forward to a full sailing season of exploring the Salish Sea and beyond! I am sure this will add to our anticipation. Thanks for setting this up for us.
Welcome to Victoria. Be sure to become a member of the Maritime Museum!
Having sailed, explored and built boats in this area for many years when I was living on Hornby Island, Haida Gwaii, Port Hardy and Victoria, I am very interested in today’s presentation. Unfortunately I have to be somewhere else at starting time, but hopefully will catch part of it….or the re-run !!