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Post by WettCoast on Oct 14, 2021 18:28:06 GMT -8
I am starting this thread to feature photos & discussion on the west coast adventure tourism sector that employs a number of smaller vessels to ferry those interested in such things as bear & whale watching along the BC, Alaska & US PNW coasts. These are west coast 'work boats', but as different as passenger trains are from freight trains. To get this started I am putting up a couple of photos of boats that I saw recently at Kitimat's MK Bay Marina. On October 6th I saw five boats there, from three companies, all engaged in Great Bear Rainforest tours.
Second photo - the Pacific Yellowfin, also at MK Bay. I put this same photo up on the Yachts thread about a week ago. pacificyellowfin.com/
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Post by WettCoast on Oct 14, 2021 21:06:50 GMT -8
Two more photos, this time of Maple Leaf Tours' (MLT) other boats, seen in Haida Gwaii in June 2015.
I saw all three MLT boats at MK Bay Marina, Kitimat, on October 6th of this year. |
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Neil
Voyager 
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Oct 14, 2021 21:42:09 GMT -8
Thanks for starting this thread, Jim. Never heard of the Cascadia. Quite the little cruise ship. My first thought when I saw the photo was that the people who complain (justifiably) about the Northern Sea Wolf's lack of bow windows would probably notice the same thing here, although, the company's website does state that passengers have free access to the bridge.
Really good website and full info on their three vessels.
I also liked your thread title, particularly the 'U.S. PNW' part. Always bugs me when people refer to south coastal BC as the Pacific northwest. Far as I know, that's an American term; Canada's Pacific northwest is more like Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii. And I guess to even take a broader perspective, if you live in Vladivostok, you probably see BC as being on the Pacific's east coast.
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Post by whalebreath on Oct 17, 2021 19:38:20 GMT -8
The Swell I know as being attached to a few different now defunct sportfishing operations over the years good to see it's still afloat; the Yellowfin is so fine often see it here in English Bay; the Maple Leaf too I know of old a somewhat checkered operating history and a rather incommodious ship.
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grk2
Deckhand
Posts: 91
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Post by grk2 on Oct 18, 2021 10:39:40 GMT -8
Cascadia spent several years in service in Fijian waters, cruising the islands on the west coast. She made the voyage to Victoria on her own.
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Post by Kahloke on Oct 18, 2021 11:03:32 GMT -8
I didn't get a picture, but I saw National Geographic Venture from our house yesterday, cruising up Tacoma Narrows, and circling around off the south end of Vashon Island. In looking at the website, it goes up and down the west coast - Alaska in the summers, and Baja California in the winters. It could be between the two right now. Anyway, I've never seen that ship before, so it was a treat to spot it. Here's their website: www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/ships/national-geographic-venture/ |
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Neil
Voyager
Posts: 7,177
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Post by Neil on Oct 28, 2021 16:49:08 GMT -8
Working on my shipping files, I added a story from the February (2021) issue of Western Mariner on the Malibu Princess. I was rather surprised to read of a major refit and re-engining of this 1964 built vessel. Looks like they also took out all old (asbestos?) insulation from the engine room and elsewhere and replaced it, as well as new shafts, electrical, and piping. This 120' long mini-Coho must be in pretty good shape to have so much money invested in her at the age of 54. Far as I can gather, she's still owned by Young Life, a Christian organization that operates a camp in Princess Louisa inlet. Seems she also gets charter work with another Egmont based company. Maybe over the years she hasn't had too many miles put on her.
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Post by westernflyer on Oct 29, 2021 22:12:02 GMT -8
A quick look at the Nauticapedia website indicates Malibu Princess has been owned by Malibu Yacht Charters since 1985. As an aside, while doing an image search of the Malibu Princess. I stumbled across a picture of MV Britannia. She is operated by Harbour Cruises in Vancouver and appears to me to have a strong resemblance to Malibu Princess, and she is of very similar dimensions. Harbour Cruises' website says she was originally built to ferry employees to Woodfibre. Nauticapedia states she was built by Allied Shipbuilders in 1982, but no designer is noted. |
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Post by WettCoast on Nov 2, 2021 20:39:40 GMT -8
More Adventure Tourism boats, this time featuring a company named Bluewater Adventures, based in North Vancouver ...
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Post by WettCoast on May 10, 2023 21:20:25 GMT -8
I spent the last few days out on the west coast of Vancouver Island and saw a few of the many adventure tour boats based out of Tofino/Uclulet. Most I believe are engaged in whale watching and probably give their clients a pretty good bang for their buck ... Here is one of them, the Chinook Princess, which is (or was) owned by Jamie's Whaling Station.
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Post by whalebreath on May 16, 2023 16:57:57 GMT -8
I spent the last few days out on the west coast of Vancouver Island and saw a few of the many adventure tour boats based out of Tofino/Uclulet. Most I believe are engaged in whale watching and probably give their clients a pretty good bang for their buck ... Here is one of them, the Chinook Princess, which is (or was) owned by Jamie's Whaling Station.
The Chinook Princess of course belonged to the now defunct Ucluelet Princess operation itself part of the Oak Bay Group - before that it was out of Westport WA IIRC. |
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