When Captain George Vancouver and his two ships, the Discovery and the
set out to map the coast of in 1793, his method of exploration was very
simple though backbreaking. British
The big ships anchored in strategic places and smaller boats were sent to search the bays and channels.
Several times the big ships ended up in the rocks and frequently the boat trips were of many days duration in very bad weather. Occasionally the crews rowed day and night and on more than one occasion, after a brush with the Indians, rowed for their lives.
Their methods of navigation included a compass and a marine chronometer: a clock accurate enough to be used to determine longitude by the position of stars and the sun. The maps they produced were valuable references for those who followed.
During our little excursion up into Desolation Sound, Captain Jeffrey had many navigation tools available.
He used a library of maps he kept where they could be referenced…
...in an overhead display in the pilot house. He was also in constant radio contact with water craft around him and the marine officials on the shore.
He used electronic aids such as the global navigation satellite systems to find his way around shallow water, hidden rocks and narrow channels.
Captain Jeffrey explained the knowledge of the tides is especially important when navigating between Vancouver Island and mainland
Big tides from the
Pacific Ocean ebb and flow around both
sides of the huge land mass causing dramatic turbulence, also know as tidal
rapids, as the water forces its way through the narrow passages. To pass safely, a boater needs to know when
slack tide happens. This is a pause
between flood and ebb tide---sort of like the moment between breathing in and
breathing out. This break only lasts a few minutes so timing is essential.
Jeffrey was so good at arriving at slack tide that we seldom witnessed the turbulence and strong whirlpools which can swamp a small boat.
When we arrived at a place such as Dodd Narrows, often there were boats lined up waiting for the moment of quiet between the ebb and flow.
A tangled anchor chain put us a little late at
. Before we were out into open water we could
see huge swirls and whirlpools forming as the water began to churn. Surge
Even though we could see the disturbances caused by the surge of water, our captain skillfully guided our craft around the hazards. I was almost disappointed we missed out on any kind of adventure.
My video of Captain Jeffrey at the wheel in the pilot house of the David B.
A YouTube video of high tide at canoe pass rapids.