Westcoasters: Boats That Built BC

Gordon Turner is the author of Empress of Britain: Canadian Pacific’s
Greatest Ship and the editor of SeaFare, a quarterly newsletter on sea
travel.

The author provides short biographies—one per chapter—of 14 vessels
that have made significant, if sometimes almost unheralded,
contributions to the maritime history of British Columbia. They range
from Captain George Vancouver’s 18th century wooden-walled Discovery
to the modern high-tech submersible Pisces I. Some, such as the
passenger ships Princess Maquinna and Lady Alexandra, were familiar to
residents of the lower mainland and Vancouver Island. Others, such as
Lorne and Malahat, have long faded from most people’s memories. One
vessel, the fishing boat BCP No. 45, achieved its greatest fame after
its photograph was used on the reverse of a five-dollar bill. Each
chapter contains about 10 well-chosen photographs, but unfortunately the
largest of them run across two pages, which means that details are lost
in the gutter. Although the book’s proofreading leaves something to be
desired, Henry’s knowledge of the subject matter and his ability to
tell a story effectively make Westcoasters an enjoyable read for
seafarers and landlubbers alike.