This is a fitting way to start a very exciting feature on nwyachting.com. Every boat has a story, and if you want to tell that story, email me the text and photos. We’ll get as many as we can on the web site. Thanks, Fred, for sharing your story – a Pacific Northwest tale if ever there was one! -KH
By Fred Post, Campbell River, British Columbia
My boat is Meander. I built her myself, starting with Sam Devlin ‘Dipper’ plans. There was a write up in Wooden Boat started it all.
Stretched it (18” longer), made it taller and the cabin wider to accommodate dinette / v-berth, then helm, stand up head and galley in the cabin.
Everyone seems to stop us and take pictures.
While it was under construction, it was inside a tent. So I could not step back and see how it was going until it was nearly finished.
So far we have cruised all over Desolation Sound in the one season of cruising since her launch. We live in Campbell River, so it is right in front of us.
Last season we anchored in Sandy Island Marine Park, just south of Comox, Copeland Islands Marine Park, just north of Lund and Powell River, Tenedos Bay, Squirrell Cove, Toba Inlet, Prideaux Haven and Rebecca Spit.
This year our major trip is to take 9 days and see Princess Louisa Inlet. 2 days going, 5 days there and 2 days returning.
We enjoy canoeing, so the boat gets us to our destination, we have a portable campsite, and we meander about in the canoe.
In the future, after retiring, I can see our cruising area expand from Port Hardy all the way down to Olympia. We have canoed the Broken Group many times, and Nootka Sound, but would like to cruise there as well. Seeing all those places from the water connects one to the history of the area way better than all the ‘new’ roads.
The boat can take a pounding, but we are fair weather cruisers. Every day at 4 pm we check environment Canada’s marine weather report and adjust our plans.
Meeting Sam Devlin and seeing his shop would certainly be an interesting trip.
I am attaching one more pic. Tied up at Lund with the canoe on top. Went to the Copeland Islands right after for 4 more days.
2 comments
Great little article! With the fishing articles and this you are becoming a BOATING magazine and not just a paper at the Yacht Club!! You have THIS reader’s appreciation!
Thanks, “Greenie.” Stay tuned, there’s lots more to come. And please let me know if you have any suggestions, either for format or content. The idea is for PNW boaters to make this site the best possible for their uses and interest, and we are all ears. -KH