Sea Reach Adventures: Voyage to Haida Gwaii

On May 25^th we unloosed the mooring lines of Sea Reach, our 42’ Spencer sailing yacht, and quietly slipped out through the blind channel on a gray afternoon. It was the start of an odyssey that would bring us north up through Desolation Sound and across the testy Hecate Strait to a magical place, known to many as the Queen Charlotte Islands but to its original inhabitants it has always been Haida Gwaii (Island of The People). Our trip was intended not only as an opportunity to visit these fabled and remote islands but also as part of our ongoing preparations of crew and boat for extended offshore cruising. Our return leg included an overnight passage from Cape St. James on the southern most tip of Haida Gwaii to Winter Harbour on the northwest shore of Vancouver Island. Both objectives were achieved and with 1200 additional nautical miles under our hull, we’re starting to get a sense of the cruising life.

For the uninitiated, cruising often conjures up images of lazy days basking on the foredeck under an indulgent and benign sky. The reality, especially during June on the BC coast is one of uncertain weather, days filled with careful navigation, an eye on the tide and current tables and a listening ear to marine weather forecasts. Sails are hoisted with joy as the wind comes up and the dance begins, a tango between two volatile partners. Getting the sail plan right so that your partner, the wind, pushes your vessel forward with grace is the challenge. Too much sail and the wind becomes heavy handed and overbearing pushing your vessel deep into the sea. Too little sail and /or too little wind and the dance lacks sparkle and becomes sloppy and unproductive. Get it right – eureka – you’re dancing with the stars!

The cruising experience both contracts and expands your universe. Your vessel is the centre of that universe; the nightly news, a list of wind speeds and sea states. At the same time your are plunged into constant communion with the natural world; you harness the wind, move at the bidding of the current, and share the seaway with marine mammals, some such as the Dall’s porpoise, who will accompany you for awhile. In the remote anchorages off Haida Gwaii, the experience is heightened. Clouds cascade over the mountains while black bears roam the shoreline and turn rocks in search of crabs and other goodies. Sea Reach sits quietly at anchor while her awestruck crew drinks in the beauty. (this post first published in The Squamish Reporter)