When Badger's grow up...

When Badger's grow up, they wanna be just like the 50' converted trawler/dragger, Hawk Bay.

Shared a mooring buoy for the night with Hawk Bay at Europa Hot springs in Gardner Canal a couple nights ago. Beautiful vessel, innumerable finishing touches, oozes history, and fantastic owners.

We had a chuckle at the similarities in our vessels, although my wife was quick to point out how much bigger their boom was...didn't notice we both had a round orange float on the starboard bow until looking at the photo's.

Will post some photo's later of Gardner Canal. Amazing place!

Lovely boat Murray, but so is yours, just that it's smaller nice instead of bigger nice...but...someone needs to quietly tell him about that anchor...

Peter B said:

Lovely boat Murray, but so is yours, just that it's smaller nice instead of bigger nice...but...someone needs to quietly tell him about that anchor...

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They spend part of their winters on the west coast of Haida Gwaii, so it must be "good enough"

MurrayM said:

When Badger's grow up, they wanna be just like the 50' converted trawler/dragger, Hawk Bay.

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Badger...has the right to be an admired avatar.

Orange float...always thought it was a north coast burgee.

Peter...when you have a bigger boom nothing else matters.

Your boat looks more fun IMO.

Hawk Bay originally Lusty Lady, built 1975 of fiberglass by Pelagic in Victoria. Registered measurements 50' x 15', 47 gross tons. Nice boat.

Nice pics! Definitely the father and son image.

Ted

Peter B said:

Lovely boat Murray, but so is yours, just that it's smaller nice instead of bigger nice...but...someone needs to quietly tell him about that anchor...

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In Alaska most fishermen that don't use a Forfjord anchor use a Claw of some sort ... Bruce, Lewmar ect. And you're not going to save them from their sins or stupidity Pete. My theory is that they use ground tackle large enough that it dos'nt matter much what anchor they use. I can't remember any sizable commercial fishing boat up north that uses any of the now many modern anchors. So who's the dummy here .. a few yachties like us or the commercial guys that do it all the time and much more often in bad weather?

A footnote here is that in BC many fishermen (and some yachties) use the Northill anchor. Even a few in SE Alaska.

Tad Roberts said:

Hawk Bay originally Lusty Lady, built 1975 of fiberglass by Pelagic in Victoria. Registered measurements 50' x 15', 47 gross tons. Nice boat.

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Yup...the name change happened FAST!!!

They had a photo album showing the epic 4 month (16 to 20 hour days) of the initial conversion. Luckily a member of the team was a shipwright who had just finished his own conversion, so the knowledge pool was deep.

Seeing them side by side sure puts an exclamation point on why larger boats are exponentially more expensive...there's is just so much more material involved!

The caption for that first photo ought to be "C'mon kid, let's go get an ice cream cone."


Cool shots all and what a coincidence to find a boat that looks like Badger's dad.

Don't be too hard on Peter, Eric.
I think he was just having a bit of fun which, like my own is oft' misread.

Otherwise you are bang on and I know if I walked the local fishboat floats, I'd count a dozen Northills.

The next day we anchored in the Brim River...my new favourite anchorage.

The Gardner Canal is about 50nm long, and the Brim River is only half way. We had to come back because of town commitments, but we'll be going all the way to the Kitlope on our next trip.

Here's some photo's of Brim River (my wife is the wildlife photographer in the family and has photo's of a Grizzly swimming across a 1nm section of Gardner Canal and Humpback Whales)

MurrayM said:

The next day we anchored in the Brim River...my new favourite anchorage.

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Doesn't it all get boring?
Same old mountains, waterfalls, bear, whales, sun; nobody to wave at.

If it weren't for drones, a guy wouldn't even need to get dressed in the morning.

Anyway, I keep going back to Badger & Hawk Bay.
Love the side by each sheer.

Hawgwash said:

Doesn't it all get boring?
Same old mountains, waterfalls, bear, whales, sun; nobody to wave at.

If it weren't for drones, a guy wouldn't even need to get dressed in the morning.

Anyway, I keep going back to Badger & Hawk Bay.
Love the side by each sheer.

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Yup...same old, same old with nobody else in the anchorage and one boat going by all day to disturb the peace and quiet

What drew us to Badger was that its design hinted at a work boat heritage. These photo's cement it for sure.

Murray,
No worries about Peter. He's my friend .. hope he still is hmmm.

We never went NE of Hartley Bay. So many places I wish we'd gone. Even on POW Is.
When are you going to go past the mother of all waterfalls to Masset? When we went to Juneau in 03 we took the ferry over to the Queen Charlotte Is and spent several days. Rented a car and left the boat in Rupert. I taught shop there in Masett in 72. Everybody should see the North Beach. And give Rose Spit (with a boat) a wide berth (several miles) as there is a 10' tidal overfall off Rose Spit. The tide and the wind together can make an awful sea there.

Thanks for the pics that make me lonesome for the north country.

Nomad Willy said:

Murray,
No worries about Peter. He's my friend .. hope he still is hmmm.

We never went NE of Hartley Bay. So many places I wish we'd gone. Even on POW Is.
When are you going to go past the mother of all waterfalls to Masset? When we went to Juneau in 03 we took the ferry over to the Queen Charlotte Is and spent several days. Rented a car and left the boat in Rupert. I taught shop there in Masett in 72. Everybody should see the North Beach. And give Rose Spit (with a boat) a wide berth (several miles) as there is a 10' tidal overfall off Rose Spit. The tide and the wind together can make an awful sea there.

Thanks for the pics that make me lonesome for the north country.

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Hi Eric,

I hear you...it'd take at least 2 lifetimes to see it all.

My first summer job was on Haida Gwaii in 1976 building trails for the Parks Branch. We lived in Tlell but worked at Tow Hill and North Beach as well.

Think we'll wait for paravanes before venturing across Hecate Strait if we ever summon the experience and/or guts to make the crossing. Don't have a burning urge just yet...so much to see close to home.

Murray:
Toss this in the old coal bucket along with the Woodwards catalogues for next month when darkness starts to set in just after lunch.

WWBA | WESTCOAST WORK BOAT ASSOCIATION

Eric:
Figured before somebody said I was full of you know what, not an unusual event, I should go see if I was right...

Hawgwash; said:

I know if I walked the local fishboat floats, I'd count a dozen Northills.

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Wouldn't ya know it, I started seeing Northills before I even got close.

Counted 13 on just 2 of the 4 floats.
Some spots they came in pairs and certainly outnumbered all the others.

Do I have a life or what?

The "little guy" (thankfully without a flybridge) is more my style.

Wash,
Indeed those Canadians are crazy for those Northills. I have a good sized SS flying boat Northill in my collection.

Murray,
Don't need paravanes IMO. Too little to gain. Too much trouble.

Mark,
I'll always agree w you on that one. The FB is found almost universally on ice cream boats.

Bad Hawg! Bad-Bad Hawg!!

WWBA | WESTCOAST WORK BOAT ASSOCIATION Drool...

MurrayM said:

The next day we anchored in the Brim River...my new favourite anchorage.Here's some photo's of Brim River (my wife is the wildlife photographer in the family and has photo's of a Grizzly swimming across a 1nm section of Gardner Canal and Humpback Whales)

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Nice pics.Is that your private tiny glacier, or a small waterfall? I think glacier.

Bruce,
Third pic down?
Waterfall for sure.
Another BC waterfall.

BruceK said:

Nice pics.Is that your private tiny glacier, or a small waterfall? I think glacier.

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Bruce, whatever the man says, don't buy it.
All paintings.
Look at the avatar; that's the clearest day in 23 years.

No one needs go there.

We big boat cruised Alaska in May, perfect weather,especially Glacier Bay. Maybe we were lucky,I felt we were.

Nomad Willy said:

Wash,
Indeed those Canadians are crazy for those Northills. I have a good sized SS flying boat Northill in my collection. ,,.

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Commercial, Bay Area fishermen have favored those lightweight anchors, but the master of this fishing vessel says there is a trend toward using claws which are less likely to foul their nets.

Hawgwash said:

Don't be too hard on Peter, Eric.
I think he was just having a bit of fun which, like my own is oft' misread.

Otherwise you are bang on and I know if I walked the local fishboat floats, I'd count a dozen Northills.

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It's OK Hawg, I know Eric was tongue in cheek, just yanking my chain, and he's right. The fisherfolk do mainly rely on an actor that's heavy, and fits well on the pointy end. Actually, in my experience, (and I had an uncle who was a trawlerman), they seldom actually anchor anyway. They usually are long-lining or netting way out, and just stay out on the move until they return. Or they are crab or lobster (crayfish) potting, more or less same deal. They might sneak into a sheltered cove they know about now and again if there's a blow or to get a good rest, but overall, I'd say they anchor overnight way less than most of us do.

Peter,
Glad you're not too angry w me.
The trollers use the same anchors except the seiners sometimes use Navy anchors and they are almost never seen on a troller.

But you're right the seiners and gillnetters don't anchor as much as the trollers. The trollers anchor frequently for a week at a time bunched together in a small coves. They buddy boat a lot and they hate to see pleasure boats in their favorite anchorages.

But you're right the fishermen would be better off w a modern anchor about half the size. But they are into convenience. I do'nt think they set their anchors often. Probably only w a bad forecast. The heavy chain probably keeps them in place w breezes up to 10 knots.

Here's my Northill .. of the seaplane variety. Never tried it.