SMALL CRUISE, BIG OFFERS
Learn about the West Coast during a fun and educational ecoadventure
Victoria-based Maple Leaf Adventures (mapleleafadventures.com) is a West Coast lover’s dream. They’ve been operating in these waters for nearly two decades, traversing as far north as Southeast Alaska and calling on some of British Columbia’s most spectacular sights, including the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii, the thoughtful ancestral home of the Haida Nation. The latter is home to Gwaii Haanas National Park and remains accessible only by ship or seaplane.
Maple Leaf Adventures specializes in “ecoadventure cruising ” — trips that combine an element of small-ship expedition cruises in with substantial enrichment and education about the natural environs in which they operate. They’re my favourite kind of cruise. This is the education I wish every high school student could get. Few things compare to sailing into the heart of the Great Bear Rainforest or anchoring in a secluded harbour in the Gulf Islands for a stroll through the woods.
Maple Leaf does all of this, of course, in extreme comfort — and the company has three distinctive ships to take you into the West Coast’s wild heart.
First, there is the legendary Maple Leaf — a graceful eightpassenger sailing schooner. Elegantly nautical in its fit and finish, this ship is a sailor’s dream. Nautical-style berths with brass reading lamps add to the adventure and the camaraderie on board. Mahogany panelling and Douglas fir beams radiate the look of a bygone era.
The Maple Leaf also carries two zodiac-style boats for explorations ashore, and two kayaks for independent exploration.
Then, there is the Swell — a tugboat constructed in 1912 and converted for use as an expedition ship. One of the West Coast’s most unique vessels, it can accommodate 12 guests in six private cabins, all of which have private bathroom facilities. This is a great ship with tons of personality and charm, particularly if you don’t care about being under sail.
This year, Maple Leaf has acquired a third vessel, and it’s pretty unique among the ships plying the West Coast. Called Cascadia, it was built in 2007 down in New Zealand and refitted extensively before debuting for Maple Leaf this year. It also has the distinction of being a catamaran designed for luxury expedition cruises.
To that end, Cascadia can hold 24 guests in 12 cabins. That’s a fairly big ship by small ship standards on the West Coast, but it enables Maple Leaf to offer even more variety. Will you take the sleek and authentically nautical Maple Leaf; the ruggedly charming Swell; or the more modern Cascadia? Cascadia benefits from having a full-sized lounge and restaurant and a wide variety of stateroom options that range from 160 to 235 square feet. They’re done up with modern fittings and furnishings, and many rooms open directly onto a sheltered outdoor promenade deck, perfect for those impromptu whale sightings.
Most of Maple Leaf ’s adventures run between April and late October. A series of quick four-night cruises bookend each season, and two special sailings focused on wine and craft beer, respectively, close out the season in late October. In-between is a treasure trove of sailing options, with voyages that explore the Gulf Islands, the Salish Sea, Desolation Sound, the Great Bear Rainforest, Haida Gwaii and even Southeast Alaska.
So if you caught yourself reading this column but aren’t what you’d consider to be a “cruiser,” these are the voyages for you. Small, responsible and wonderfully fun, they are an education wrapped up in the guise of a holiday. For the cruiser who is new to small-ship cruising: Get ready for a new world of enrichment.
Happy cruising.
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