Notes of Grace - Summer 2019

by Phoebe Sidwell, Bosun

Every year aboard the Pacific Grace there is a unique meld of experiences and personalities. There are many moments which made summer 2019 memorable.

The season began with two ten-day excursions through the Salish Sea and Desolation Sound. A fair number of first-time trainees joined us for these, as well as a few returning to further their adventures with us. On the second trip, we were also excited to welcome several trainees coming through our Type 1 Diabetes bursary program. Together we sailed between forested walls of mountain to reach waterfalls, sang songs on deck while enjoying sunsets, played games on the vast beaches of Savary and Hornby Islands, had rowing races, swam in the warm waters of the Sound, and watched pods of Pacific White-sided dolphins.

Trip 3 took us up the Inside Passage between Vancouver Island and the mainland. Along the way we made a slight detour up the stunning Princess Louisa Inlet to visit Chatterbox falls and swim one last time in the warm waters before heading north. Although we had several days of very light winds, we also had two grand days of sailing with all eight sails set, which delighted trainees and crew alike. August 1^st was calm and overcast – again, not great for sailing – however, we moored in Alert Bay and stepped ashore to play a huge game of soccer in the foggy afternoon rain, then came back to the ship to dry off and enjoy a delicious hot supper. Day 9 was declared to be “Christmas in August” aboard the ship. To prepare for this, trainees wrapped presents for each other, and belowdecks was decorated with Christmas lights, paper snowflakes, and even a Christmas tree.



Trip 4 to Haida Gwaii had a few unusual blessings this year that turned it into a particularly stunning experience. First of all, the Pacific was unusually calm. We decided to take advantage of the flat sea, and venture up the west side of Moresby Island where it is ordinarily rather rough. There we saw a plethora of sea life which astounded us almost every hour. Too many humpback whales to count, black-footed albatrosses, and salmon sharks were among the highlights. As the friendly weather held, and all aboard were eager, we carried on up the west coast, stopping in several lovely anchorages along the way such as Otard and Tian bays, and eventually rounded the north west tip of Graham Island. Throughout the trip we gathered about 7 cubic meters of plastic off the beaches which we bundled onto the ‘Grace and eventually off-loaded to a facility in Port Hardy. Still amazed at the peaceful weather, and now on the north coast, we raised sail in the late afternoon of Day 6 and caught a growing NW breeze which carried us well into the night under a full moon. Circumnavigating Haida Gwaii was a first for Pacific Grace, and a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most onboard.



The fifth and final voyage of the summer – taking Pacific Grace down the west side of Vancouver Island – flew by with some great sails and beautiful stops. One afternoon in Quatsino Sound, we launched our dories and took them for a row up a river. Salmon jumped all around us as we glided along, and the further upstream we went, the clearer the water became, so we often could see the salmon alongside us, swimming in swirling schools. At one place the banks – covered in thick green trees and maidenhair ferns – became cliffy and carved here and there by the action of the water to form small caves. We hardly dared to whisper sometimes, it was so beautiful a place to be. On trip 5 we also walked beaches on Brooks Peninsula, fished then ate fresh fish tacos, and bathed in the hot springs of Hot Springs Cove.

Although all the trips were filled with amazing sights and fun activities, the most rewarding thing was the growth inspired in people as we adventured together. As always, trainees, volunteers, and crew learned from each other as ordinary life was lived in a different way, as we practiced listening to one another, were challenged by our environment, and worked together to sail Pacific Grace from the beginning to end of summer.