rshuman531
New member
Last month, Chris and I took Raven, our CD 25, to explore two inlets along the west coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia. We spent two nights each in Nootka Sound and Esperanza Inlet, anchoring in settings framed by steep mountain slopes and, in some spots, small islets with the distant sound of Pacific surf.
The inlets are connected by inside channels, allowing us to travel between them without venturing into the open ocean. We launched from Gold River using a ramp and parking area maintained by the local First Nation. The launch site has the benefit of paved road access to the populated east side of Vancouver Island—something not all inlets offer, as many are only accessible by gravel roads or not at all.
This remote northern coast has only a few small towns remaining from its past in logging and mining. These communities now rely mostly on sport fishing and tourism for their livelihood.
During the trip, I was reading about Captain Cook’s fisal voyage. He visited NootNootkand, named many geographic features, and brokered a treaty with the Spanish that granted British control of the coast. The arrival of European explorers—including the Russians—marked the beginning of a tragic upheaval for the vibrant Indigenous cultures that flourished here. While there is still a strong Indigenous presence, many historical village sites are now silent, slowly reclaimed by the rain forest-a sobering and poignant reminder of what once was.
A highlight of the trip was our stop at EsperanzEsperanza, which has dedicated nearly a century to serving the local Indigenous population. The setting was breathtaking—narrow, winding channels flanked by steep mountain walls. We also visited the Nootka LigNootkation, where we chatted with the lighthouse keeper who was familiar with our cabin on Balaklava Balaklavaearby, at Friendly Cove, we met an Indigenous carver working at the historic village site next to the lighthouse.
We saw some other Canadian CDorys in CDorysCove in Esperanza Esperanza
All told, it was a rich and rewarding exploration in a short time.
Photos in our Raven photo folder and sub folder West Coast Van Isle 2025
The inlets are connected by inside channels, allowing us to travel between them without venturing into the open ocean. We launched from Gold River using a ramp and parking area maintained by the local First Nation. The launch site has the benefit of paved road access to the populated east side of Vancouver Island—something not all inlets offer, as many are only accessible by gravel roads or not at all.
This remote northern coast has only a few small towns remaining from its past in logging and mining. These communities now rely mostly on sport fishing and tourism for their livelihood.
During the trip, I was reading about Captain Cook’s fisal voyage. He visited NootNootkand, named many geographic features, and brokered a treaty with the Spanish that granted British control of the coast. The arrival of European explorers—including the Russians—marked the beginning of a tragic upheaval for the vibrant Indigenous cultures that flourished here. While there is still a strong Indigenous presence, many historical village sites are now silent, slowly reclaimed by the rain forest-a sobering and poignant reminder of what once was.
A highlight of the trip was our stop at EsperanzEsperanza, which has dedicated nearly a century to serving the local Indigenous population. The setting was breathtaking—narrow, winding channels flanked by steep mountain walls. We also visited the Nootka LigNootkation, where we chatted with the lighthouse keeper who was familiar with our cabin on Balaklava Balaklavaearby, at Friendly Cove, we met an Indigenous carver working at the historic village site next to the lighthouse.
We saw some other Canadian CDorys in CDorysCove in Esperanza Esperanza
All told, it was a rich and rewarding exploration in a short time.
Photos in our Raven photo folder and sub folder West Coast Van Isle 2025