Yuquot, British Columbia, CanadaFriendly Cove
And early start to
Goldriver
Today we have
something special on the plan: Gine said a boat trip to Friendly Cove could be
a lot of fun: sitting on a boat watching the nice scenery and talking. Then
experience the westcoast around friendly cove with a nice picnic and heading
back. We waited until the same week to make sure the weather will be great for
booking. By the way it is the first trip of the boat in this season. That means
Gine said we leave at 8.30 – so let’s get up at 07.30 – have breakfast and the
girls make the sandwiches – bring warm clothes and then we are leaving.
We go on a boatride
with the Uchuck III
the email said we should
arrive at 09.20 and we left on time and arrived on time – a beautiful drive
out. Then gine said I will check us in and Paul you can park – joke – as there
was the most perfect parking spot right there for us available.
How old is that ship????
- The Uchuck III is a passenger vessel and a working vessel as it also brings cargo out to the settlements, camps and fish farms
- Originally it was built in 1941the Uchuck I in Coal Harbour Vancouver and sailed from Port Alberni to Bamfield, when they built Tofino radar station and airport she also drove there. As more ships were needed the company bout the hull of a Yard Mine Sweeper which is now th eUchuck IIII - they got parts from a a lot of other ships, like the engines are from a US Navy sub, the lifeboats from the PRoncess Vistoria which sailed around Cape horn in 1904
- In Aug 1955 the Uchuck III went into service to go from Port Alberni to Bamfield – as roads were built less ships were needed – starting in 1960 she run during the summer to the Nootka sound and starting 1966 – by the 1980s they got advised that she soon would not pass inspection.
- The company decided to start a rebuilding program and upgraded and rebuilt the Uchuck III with a new hull, new deck, new engine, wiring and electronics, got inside refurbished and in 1982 she expanded services also to the Kyuquot sound
- By the way the lifts which look so cool and we can see can lift up to 10.000 lbs
Muchalat Inlet / Nootka Sound
- The Muchalat was carved during the last ice age
- Along this inlet was the largest tree ever cut in BC with 1200 years – what a shame it is gone
- At one time we went into the Nootka Sound with Blight Island: the Nootka Sound separates Nootka Island from Vancouver Islands (guess Friendly cove is not on Vancouver Island): Capt James Cook named is King George’s Sound – but did record that the natives called it Nootka: itchmu nutka means a place you can go around and he got told by the natives that he is on an island
- By the Way William Bligh is a naval officer and we came across his name all over the world as he also sailed around Australia – at this time he was a navigator on Cooks ship resolution
- Another interesting fact is that Capt Cook came from his voyage to Hawaii and the ships were battered and they were looking for a place to repair them and find fresh water and they limped into this bay in March 1778 - they stayed here for more than a months in what they called the Resolution sound – from here they sailed back home via Alaska and Asia – China where they made a fortune selling the otter pelts from the Nootka area
- Over 330 ships came here from 1785-1825 and nearly exterminated the others
- The Nootkas also moved locations with the season to transport, they put plants between the canoes so they had platforms to transport their belongings. They came every spring and summer out to friendly cover because of the abundance of fish, water, whales, sea others, seals, shellfish and herring eggs, wild berries – and for the winter they headed into nearby inlets – Thasis was one of their winter homes
A drive along the
Muchalat Inlet
We were here early and
had time to find a nice spot and check out the ship – soon we were on the way heading
down the inlet. The view is amazing – but we also discovered it is very windy
and cool – so we walked around the ship and visited the captain using an
old-fashion wooden steering wheel (ok all the new modern technology and
computers were here too) – went inside and got ourselves a nice hot coffee to
warm up. Overall the cruise was 2.5 hours and we saw forest covered mountains,
high snowcapped mountains, islands- sidearms and more islands as well as a lot
of fish farms – we saw the mountains with clouds hanging around them – and finally
the first glances at the open Pacific ocean – amazing. It is fun to sit on top
of the main storage and have the feel of the old-time-ship – the mast above us
and the sun – getting up and walking around and seeing more of the scenery.
It was super fun to
approach this rocky area and we saw the lighthouse and the beach from afar –
after docking we went off and now we are ready to explore “Friendly Cove”:
What is Friendly Cove???
- Yuquot means “where the wind blows from many directions
- This was the summer of Chief Maquinna and the Muchalat/Mowachat First Nations – at that time during the summer 1500 people lived here in 20 traditional longhouses. It is also the longest continuously occupied site on West Vancouver Island
- Nootka is often referred as the “Birthplace” of BC it is at the mouse of Nootka sound
- In 1774 Spanish Explorer Juan Jose Hernandez spotted Yuquot and claimed it for the Spanish
- In March 1778 Captain James Cook arrived on his ship the Resolution when he was on search for the North-West Passage. He was the first European to set foot on BC’s soil when he visited Friendly Cove. While Anchoring the locals shouted “itchme nutka” meaning go around to Yuquot: but Cook misunderstood and believed the name of the the area is Nootka. Cook also described the friendliness of the people here
- Here was the Spanish trading post Santa Cruz de Nutka from 1789-1795 – which made it the first European settlement in BC – this is also the only Spanish Settlement in whole of Canada and northernmost one in the Americas
- It was here that the Nootka Crisis nearly led to a war between Spain and Britain as each claimed it: George Vancouver for Britain and Juan Fransisco de la Bodega y Quadra for Spain negotiated for months – unable to reach an agreement it remained under Spanish rule until 1795 when the area was re-occupied by the Muchalat and Mowachat first nations
- John Jewitt an English Blacksmith was held here from 1803-1805 as Chief Maquinnas slave after being captured
- In 1967 most people living here were forced to move to Ahaminaquus (Goldriver) to work in a pulp mill, but the pollution caused health problems and most moved to a new community Tsaxana – only one family remind living there. Every year they return here for summer gatherings.
- Today 6 people live year around here – 2 of them are the lighthouse keepers and the Williams family of the Mowachat First Nations
- And by the way this is a lot of firsts of BC: first European contact – First Beer brewed – first European inhabitants – First ship built – first time a European women arrived – and the first national historic site in 1923
The Church of Friendly
Cove
First we walked up to
the church – by all the flowering blackberries – and it was super cool to see
through them to the boat. A First Nations lady gave some info about the first
nations and what it going on today and in the future. The poles are absolutely
amazing – as well as a table in form of a whale.
- This was the 3rd catholic church in Yuquot: the first was part of the Spanish Outpost built in the 1790s. The 2nd church burned down in 1954. The priest then wanted the church close to the village but Chief Maquinna refused to have it on the traditional plots – so it was built where it is today.
- It has 2 stain glassed windows donated by the Spanish government remnants from a colonial past: one shows the representatives of Spain (Quadra) and Britain (Vancouver)
- The catholic church withdrew their religious authority in 1997 that is when the inside of the church got transformed
- All 4 totem poles inside are Muchalat/Mowachat carved and are replicas of the originals which stood in front of the Chiefs bighouses in Yuquot in the 1920s - and no today it is not a church anymore.
Lunch on the canoe
with a view
On the big grassy area
with view out over the beach and back to the lighthouse we were sitting down on
an upside down canoe carved from a huge tree right near the Watchman totem pole
(from 2016). And always the super cool view over the beach and the ocean – and if
you turn around the amazing view back over Nootka Sound. You can’t sit still.
The Beach on Friendly
cove
As the weather was so
beautiful we decided not to walk to the lake – and we rather went down to the
pebble beach – so amazing and the pebbles here are so beautiful different colors
and all so nice and round (yes we brought home some souvenirs from the beach).
We walk along the edge to some of the cool huge rocks and yes we could have
spend a lot more time here – but slowly made our way towards:
the lighthouse of
Friendly cover
- 1911 the lighthouse was erected on San Rafael Island – the current lighthouse replaced the first one in 1958
- By the way in case you wonder you can see up to 16 miles from up here on a clear day like today
Ok so when we wondered
which is the way: it is easy follow on the driftwood and then go up – no –
there are no trails you walk on the wood and then up the steps. We met the
lighthouse keeper and his wife who lived here for the last 6 years and once a
months they get food flown in and in summer they have a lot of visitors, they
told us where they lived before it was super remote not like here, but this
fall they will move to Sointula, closer to a town where they can actually take
a car to shop!!! Or go off to the big town of PortMcNeill.
The views from here
were amazing – and we even had a short glimpse inside the lighthouse.
I may should mention
the way up is super cool as there is like a super clear lake which has amazing
colors!!
We relax and enjoy on
some driftwood
And before heading
back to the ship we were sitting at the little beach near the wharf and only
enjoying the amazing views.
Ok we discovered
later, that we didn’t see all, as we didn’t go to the lake (the weather was too
nice) and we didn’t check out the carver we also missed the large totem flat on
the ground which orginally got erected in 929 and fell in the wind in 1994.
What an amazing spot!!!
– this was a super cool trip!!!
Back on the windy ship
We head back to the
ship and soon even before we leave the sky got dark and the clouds even darker
and the wind got cold: I guess that is what they call the wild west coast. We
find a nice spot on top of the Storage (where it is a bit wind protected) and
see there soon the sun comes out again – and we enjoy the warm sunrays and the
amazing views. What was super cool at one time we saw the clouds literally
crawling down the mountain between the trees – that is so creepy. It was super
amazing!!!
Scenic circling near
Gold River
And then we can see
the town of Gold River in front of us – but what was super weird we didn’t go
and dock – no we circled for close to an hour in a circle around: we did see
all the mountains you can see as well as all the logs in the water – we didn’t know
exactly why – but finally we docked!.
Late Supper means Hot
dogs:
As where everyone relaxes
– Paul does the scenic drive back to the campground and once we are there we
started a super late supper. Good thing we planned in hotdogs – at least they
go fast and easy to make :-)
We play Skyjo
And tonight Martin
& Beate introduced us to a new game called Skyjo – it was a lot of fun to
play and we decided that we may should go into playing games a bit more – as it
is also fun to do it and lots of fun to talk during the game.
And not we didn’t go
to bed late – as we had another full day.
2025-05-22