The Broughtons Cruise

The trip last year began with twelve CVYC boats, power and sail, leaving early July for the first leg of the cruise north up the Strait of Georgia, past Campbell River, into Gowland Harbour near April Point. Next day saw a very early morning start to catch the tide through turbulent Discovery Passage and up Johnstone Strait to Forward Harbour where all our boats rafted together to enjoy a joint happy hour before dinner. On the third day our flotilla entered the Broughtons which is a vast expanse of islands between the Mainland and the north end of the Island. People who live there are known as “mainlanders”.

The pace slowed as we wandered through various sunny anchorages over the next few days, the women kayaking among porpoises; the men returning with various fish caught; all gathering at the end of the day for the usual social event. Boating and fishing stories are often the topic of conversation.

Then we head to the Marine Harvest fish farm on Cedar Island where we are provided a tour of the facility and a barbeque. Marine Harvest is the largest aquaculture company in British Columbia, employing more than 500 people, and producing more than half of the farmed salmon exported from BC. Our club members have many questions and go away with an understanding of how the farms operate in BC and some of the challenges faced by all.

Monk’s Wall is one of the next destinations with members reading Waggoner’s Cruising Guide on the way which describes this area as one that has mysterious stone walls that were possibly built by Chinese Buddhist monks. But another story is that the walls were established by white settlers in the late 1800’s, planting 125 fruit trees, raising cows, pigs, chickens, ducks and sheep, and even building a rock archway. We walked around the walls, searching for the fruit trees and wondering what life was like for settlers in those days.

Later we anchored at Mamillilaculla which was one of the large Native Villages in decades past. There are some old building ruins and a fallen totem remaining, fast being swallowed up by the surrounding bush. At anchor in the quiet Native Anchorage one waits to hear the voices of centuries past.

The following day we head over to Pierre’s Echo Bay Marina and Resort where we do laundry, buy groceries, and take part in the resort’s Italian dinner night. We meet many other boaters, some returning from Alaska, some heading north to fish the Spider Islands on the open Pacific past Cape Caution, and others, like us, are cruising the Broughtons. We all enjoy an evening where owners, Pierre and Tolle, feed and entertain the many boating travelers. This is one of their various planned theme meal nights held throughout the summer months.

Before leaving the marina the following day, we walk over to Billy Proctor’s place. He’s an old time fisherman, conservationist, and longtime resident who was born in the Broughtons. We meet Billy himself, tour his museum and have a look at his well-known fish boat, “Ocean Dawn”. We are thrilled to meet the man who has fished this area for decades and has seen many changes in his lifetime. He writes his life story in his book, “Heart of the Raincoast”; he describes the Broughtons in his other book, “Full Moon, Flood Tide”. Both books are available at the Vancouver Island Library.

As we leave, rain and fog overtake us so we head to Claydon Bay to take shelter from a Pacific low moving in for a couple of days. The boaters don their rain gear while fishing or kayaking, and some remain on the boats to play cards or mah jong. The furnaces are turned on as the temperature drops to about 12 degrees. With the boats tied together there is always someone around to join in the activity at hand or there is space to get some alone time. Someone bakes bread, another prepares muffins to share. We don’t experience the wind in our anchorage but we listen to the weather channel on our radios and know it is blowing out there in the open waters of Queen Charlotte Strait.

After three days the light rain stops and the weather reports the weather system has moved on. We cruise to Blunden Harbour which is on the Mainland directly across from Port Hardy. Later, we see a photo in Alert Bay showing Blunden with at least 8-10 long houses in the early 1900’s. Today we find only an old trapper’s cabin and some scattered large old logs remaining from the longhouses. Some people are said to have found old traders beads on the sand and shell beaches; blue Russian beads, amber beads from Captain Cook. Explorers traded beads for goods. They are often found on large shell middens which give away locations of old Native villages in the Broughtons.

This is the most northern point of our cruise, so we head back south to Sointula on Malcolm Island across from Port McNeill. This is an old Finnish settlement with quaint and colourful houses, each with unique fences seemingly decorated just for visitors like us. A couple of shop windows have closed signs explaining that they are at “the wedding”. We find our way to the museum where we look across at the hall where we see the wedding party in an upstairs window. Now we know where many of the village residents are. The museum gives a flavour of what life was like here at the turn of the century. There is a school principle’s log of the student misdemeanors and their punishment, photo’s of dapper young people going to Vancouver on the Union Steamship, a little boy rowing two little girls all dressed in their Sunday best; there are articles of clothing, utensils, machinery and much more.

Alert Bay on Cormorant Island is our last stop before starting for home. In town we walk over to view the totem poles which tower above the town and stand in the ‘Namgis Burial Grounds. We make our way across town to the U’mista Cultural Centre which holds the potlatch ceremonial gear that were recently returned to Alert Bay from museums in Ontario after being confiscated in 1921. At that time, government officials and missionaries believed the potlatch, which was a celebration of significant life events, detracted from changing the old ways of natives. Today the centre is a proud display of cultural traditions. We are in awe as we view the rarely seen masks, coppers, rattles and whistles. It is well worth the trip to drive to Port McNeill and take a ferry to both Sointula and Alert Bay to see these unique settlements.

Now it is time to make our way back down Johnstone Strait and home to the Comox Valley. We leave an area rich in history and natural beauty. It takes three days to return after being away for a month. It is time to return to do laundry, clean up, repair and provision our boats before the next cruise.

Later this summer, the CVYC will take a trip south to the Gulf Islands, mooring as guests at other clubs with reciprocal moorage agreements. Boating members will take in dinner theatre at Chemainus, flea market at Ganges Harbour, tour and fireworks at Butchart Gardens, and more.