| February - March
2001
This is an article from WaveLength Magazine, available in print in North America and globally on the web.
WaveLength is printed on gloss, recycled, ancient rainforest-free paper
Continued from Part 1 and Part 2 This is the 3rd in a series of columns on the Broughton Archipelago. This time we look at the marine services available in the area. When August rolls around each year, we leave the deadlines and crises behind and head up the coast to the Broughton Archipelago for a month-long holiday cruise on our 'mothership'. We love paddling this maze of evergreen encrusted, rocky islets, still a wild place despite the millennia of the First Nations habitation. While the predominant experience is a coastal wilderness, here and there are village sites, float homes, marine resorts, private boats, logging camps, even clearcuts and fish farms. More often now we see the flash, flash of paddlers' blades in the distance, or pass a group of kayakers, but isolation is still the dominant experience. We seek those spots where we can be alone, sometimes for days at a time, and just drink up the peace and beauty of the marine wilderness. We catch crab, bake bannock, go off on exploratory paddles, shoot a lot of photos, and come back to the boat to curl up with a good book and a glass of wine. The Broughton Archipelago is ideal for this-an isolated area of islands, inlets and protected backwaters where you can lose yourself from the world outside. Boaters can find good, sometimes private anchorage, and paddlers can discover desolately beautiful campsites. We tend to avoid the marine resorts, where some of the 'social' boating crowd hang out, but I'll admit Laurie and I find it very nice, in the midst of our annual retreat, to periodically stock up on fresh water, veggies, do the laundry, have a hot shower or meal, restock the wine and treats, and get fuel and water for the boat. Fortunately, thanks to the efforts of a few dedicated individuals, there are good services available in the Broughton. While some of these marine resorts have catered primarily to boaters and sports fishers in the past, now ecotourism is bringing more paddlers into the area, diversifying the clientele. Prices are obviously higher than down south due to the high costs of shipping, and selection is limited, but it's great to find missing ingredients for a favourite recipe or get some treats. When you're planning your trip-by power, sail or paddle-it's very useful to consider the locations of these resorts, and the type of services you can find in each. See page 44 for details. AccessThe Broughton Archipelago is isolated yet accessible. Private boaters and commercial motherships sail north from Vancouver, Victoria or Seattle, while paddlers often take the ferry and drive to northern Vancouver Island (with their own kayaks, or rent on arrival, or meet up with a tour group) for the paddle across Johonstone Strait. Some catch a ride with a charter boat, carrying their kayaks and gear right into the Archipelago, and get picked up later. An even quicker option is to fly in on scheduled or charter float plane service to a marine resort, bringing along a folding kayak as luggage. Paddle off into the wilderness for a few weeks, or rent accommodation as a base for day paddling. See the Marine Services Directory below Echo BayEcho Bay has a special place in our hearts because it is the home of Alexandra Morton and Billy Proctor, friends from our days on the provincial Salmon Aquaculture Review Committee (the environmental review that brought to light many of the ills of fish farming).
Visiting with Alex and her family (Eric, Clio and Catherine),
and Billy nextdoor, is a highlight of our trip to the Broughton.
Alex brings us up to date on the marine mammals of the area,
as well as the latest fish farm fiascos. Additional Notes
Broughton Marine Services Directory
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Mothership
Meanderings: 
Pacific Edge Publishing Ltd. - PacificEdgePublishing.com |
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