Sixth Season Afloat

Ahoy sailing friends...   Heron Adventures here, headed north for our sixth season afloat! 

This summer’s goal: The Queen Charlotte Islands, now officially named Haida Gwaii.

The plan: We're going to stage this trip, moving Heron to the northern tip of Vancouver island during the first stage (and leaving it in Port McNeill), then flying back in early August to rejoin the boat and continue north to Hecate Strait. There we'll wait (but hopefully not too long!), for a good weather-window in which to make the 55-mile crossing to the Queen Charlottes.

Why the Queen Charlottes? We've dreamed for years of visiting Haida Gwaii’s remarkable abandoned Haida village sites – and in particular, Ninstints, finally recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010.  Ninstints has the world’s greatest collection of Haida heraldic and mortuary poles, many still standing just steps from the  beach in a state of arrested decay. 

The Queen Charlottes, an archipelago of about 150 islands 60 miles off the mainland coast, are known for their remoteness and wild, rugged shores. (We hope we’re not too late in the season for the Hecate Strait crossing.) Sometimes called “the Galapagos of Canada,” the islands have one of the Pacific Coast’s finest remaining old-growth rain forests, as well as some of the highest density of sea lions, sea birds, eagles and falcons! Scientists believe that portions of the islands escaped glaciation during the last ice age, providing refuge for all this rare flora and fauna. 

        A friend gave us this cool "Haida Gwaii Salt" a few years back...                                          

And finally, we both loved John Vaillant's fascinating book, "The Golden Spruce."

If you haven't read it, we highly recommend! Based on true story: in 1997, a "British Columbia timber scout named Grant Hadwin committed an act of shocking violence - he destroyed the legendary Golden Spruce of the Queen Charlotte Islands. With its rich colors, towering height and luminous needles, the tree was a scientific marvel, beloved by the local Haida people who believed it sacred."

My turn on watch, more to come!

Kim