Last week we brought you Part One of this cruising adventure that took Fred and Stephanie Kaufhold from the coast of British Columbia across Hecate 5trait to the island chain now know as Haida Gwaii.
These remote islands were known for centuries by their colonial name, The Queen Charlotte Islands, but were renamed with the indigenous Haida name in 2009.
( Fred and Stephanie are cruising aboard their Helsman 37 trawler Dream Weaver (pictured above) in the company of two buddy boats. Their trip across Hecate Strait was bouncy as the wind picked up and built seven-foot seas on their quarters. They were happy to make landfall on Gwaii.
After arriving and spending a night in a marina, the flotilla headed to the town of Queen Charlotte where they had to pick up cruising permits for the unspoiled islands and waters of the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and National Marine Conservation Area Reserve and Haida Heritage Site.
The reserve occupies the southern third of the island chain and offers mountainous natural beauty, unspoiled nature and original Haida villages and settlements complete with totem poles.
In Part Two, we join the Kaufholds as they start their exploration of this remarkable and remote indigenous peoples’ reserve.
Read more here.
