Close Encounters of the Canadian Kind
On both the west and east coasts of Canada, on small ships that allow a deeper immersion into the wonder of our country's ancient nature cruises
WEST: On Outer Shores’
“Hishuk ish Tsawalk, Hishuk ish Tsawalk, everything is interconnected.” The words, softly spoken with spiritual veracity by Nuu-chahnulth elder Denis St. Claire, reflected the spirit of our jaunt to Benson Island, a remote isle at the wild, windswept edge of Pacific Rim National Park. Perched on a rock in a clearing amid towering cedars and spruce with deer grazing nearby, St. Claire, who is legendary on Vancouver Island’s west coast as an archeologist and ethnographer, explained: aeons ago, this village in the Broken Group archipelago was populated by the Tseshaht people who thrived by foraging and fishing in a symbiotic relationship with the land and sea. After we had travelled to this spot by Zodiac boat with him from the schooner Passing Cloud, left anchored in Barkley Sound, sailing by scattered islets where trees grew from rocks with seemingly indomitable strength, this elder’s stories gave the region historic and cultural credence, and our little band of sailors an authentic appreciation for what may have been taken for a simply scenic place.
I had imagined that sailing on Outer Shores Expeditions’ 70-footer (21-metre) designed by William James Roué, the famed designer of the iconic schooner Bluenose, would be a caper, with sails puffed on the breeze en route to idyllic islets. But when I boarded the sleek wooden vessel in Ucluelet Harbour, and met owner (and captain) Russ Markel – at 47, an ecologist and environmentalist with a PhD in marine biology – I sensed this voyage would have a serious, though decidedly delightful, course. After introducing first mate and marine scientist Joel White, chef Devon Carr, also a marine biologist, and St. Claire – whose presence would allow access to sacred ancient villages – Markel introduced the passengers, ranging from a 70-something couple from Santa Barbara, Calif., to a 30-ish woman who would be my cabin mate and sleep in the upper bunk. After exploring the beautiful interior – its classic wheelhouse decorated with awards, including several first class racing prizes; its skylit salon panelled in gleaming Douglas fir and wrapped with a leather banquette facing a cast-iron heater; its three double-berth staterooms, each with a vanity and sink; and the communal head with shower – we gathered on deck for a gourmet snack, a harbinger of meals to come.
Markel primed us for serendipity. “We have no set itinerary. Our route will flow with the weather, the tides and wildlife we encounter. We’ll see where the wind takes us.” As he spoke, bald eagles soared above the masts. “Feel free to participate as much as you like – steer, hoist the sails, pull the lines or wash the deck.”
Sailing from Ucluelet Inlet – named after the First Nations Yuclutl-ahts, which means “people with a safe landing place” – we headed past hundreds of sea lions basking on rocks and flipping into the water. Barkley Sound is a deep groove on Vancouver Island’s coast, Markel explained, sheltering some 300 islands and islets in the Broken Group. As we passed a rocky outcrop with ravens squawking on western hemlock, their shapes chiselled by salty breezes, he added, “Expect to see great diversity, like the California coast, the redwood forests, a cold-water Great Barrier Reef, Galapagos Islands and Alaska all in one area.” After stopping on Benson Island, where Carr foraged for edibles, including stinging nettles to spice up fresh halibut for dinner, we sailed to a protected bay at Village Island where the first Europeans arrived in 1787 to get sea otter pelts for the fur trade. After dinner, Markel opened a map for the first of our daily chart chats.
Our morning wake-up call was the sound and sight of loons dipping in the glassy water. Sailing past a range of 10 tooth-edged mountain peaks, St. Claire said they symbolize the First Nations father who married off 10 daughters to ultimately relate all people and expand his population. Uncovering our aboriginal past would be a common theme on the trip: at Jake-Jarvis lagoon, St. Claire showed us three ancient intact fish traps that prove the cultural heritage of a village that existed before the 1800s. Apparently 30 remain among the Broken Group, and a village discovered on Dicebox Island dates to the 1500s. Then, just as the tide rolled in, Markel navigated an incredibly thrill-