MAPLE LEAF’S SMALL SHIPS OFFER GRAND CANADIAN ADVENTURES
I always like to tell people I meet that once you try a small ship cruise, you’ll be hooked forever. Smaller ships tend to visit more unique and interesting ports of call, and certainly have no lack of charm or character. You might be surprised to learn that some of these small-ship cruises operate right in our own backyard.
Victoria-based Maple Leaf Adventures (mapleleafadventures.com) is fortunate to have two small ships in its fleet: the beautiful, eight-guest sailing schooner, Maple Leaf; and the MV Swell — a classically restored 12-passenger tugboat.
Maple Leaf sends these unique vessels into the heart of British Columbia, with a seasonal roster of cruises to the Great Bear Rainforest, Haida Gwaii, the Gulf Islands and even Alaska.
Plus, Maple Leaf is kicking things up a notch this year.
On April 27, guests sailing aboard the Maple Leaf through Desolation Sound will be able to do so in good company, as Canadian outdoorsman Les Stroud — perhaps best known for his role in the hit TV series Survivorman — joins Maple Leaf’s weeklong voyage from Victoria, which wraps up in Campbell River.
Stroud will enrich guests with one-on-one conversations about his travels and experiences. This is a man who has been taught by indigenous peoples and survivalists, and who has weathered the Canadian Arctic and the Kalahari Desert, so expect conversations on board to be lively and stimulating.
Unlike the TV show in which Stroud stars, there will be no “roughing it” aboard the Maple Leaf. Guests dine on fine meals prepared using local ingredients whenever possible, and relax in the ship’s wood-panelled opulence and cosy maritime heritage.
I really like that Maple Leaf is commemorating Canada’s 150th anniversary. In doing so, they’ve created two special commemorative voyages aboard the Maple Leaf and the Swell that will depart next month, sailing in tandem through the Salish Sea with Canadian Geographic.
The chosen itinerary has places you’ve likely seen at a distance if you’ve ever taken the ferry from the British Columbia mainland to Vancouver Island. But Maple Leaf lets you get up close and personal with this beautiful part of Canada, highlighting spring wildflowers, birds and marine mammals, not to mention visits to some of the most remote and historic islands in B.C.’s Gulf Coast.
Maple Leaf will lead onshore excursions aboard the Swell and the Maple Leaf that are helmed by naturalists and historians, including Penelakut elder Florence James. Maple Leaf has involved local First Nations at every turn, which is bound to enrich the overall experience and give guests a better understanding of the ancient history of these lands.
“We are proud Canadians and we work with many First Nations along the coast whose knowledge of the place and whose intimate ties go back millennia; these cultures generously share their long heritage with us through their rich stories and art,” said Kevin Smith, Maple Leaf Adventures president. “As an ecotourism company, when people asked what we were doing for Canada’s 150th, we could only answer with a trip that included 15,000 years of history.”
These four-night voyages aboard Maple Leaf and Swell in conjunction with Canadian Geographic depart round-trip from Victoria on April 15. This is the part where you ask me which ship is better, but to be honest, I like them both for very different reasons. Maple Leaf is elegant and graceful, and will surely please fans of sail. But Swell is too cool, and never fails to draw a crowd wherever she goes. How often can you say you’ve cruised on a classic tugboat?
Maple Leaf Adventures is also gearing up for a substantial season this year that will run from April to October. Its itineraries — many of which are already sold out or have limited availability due to their immense popularity — travel from Vancouver Island up to Alaska, and explore nearly every region in between. Noteworthy among the itineraries are voyages to the Great Bear Rainforest, Haida Gwaii and Desolation Sound, all of which still have some availability as of this writing.
So discover the pleasures of small-ship cruising while sailing through our own backyard. It’s a heck of a way to ring in Canada’s 150th.
Happy cruising.