The days are shorter, and the weather cooler, …which makes for a great reading season! Whether you’re at anchor down below sipping tea, or at home by the fire planning your next boating trip, there are some great books to read. I’m always on the search for books for boaters. Some books to let you know what it was like to live somewhere secluded on the coast, books to give you a different perspective the next time you’re exploring a particular area, or books to give you ideas for your bucket list to explore. While I admit I haven’t read all these books, there are on my list to get through! Here are some great books for boaters!
1. Once Upon an Island
Once Upon an Island by David Conover. Similar to Jedediah Days, this book is written by a couple who dreamed to buy their own island. A couple that bought and lived on Wallace Island in the Gulf Islands. A wonderful book to give you some history about the island, and imagine what it would have been like to have been there. It’s always nice to know the history behind the names of coves and points.
2. Jedediah Days: One Woman’s Island Paradise
Jedediah Days: One Woman’s Island Paradise, by Mary Palmer. If you cruise off Vancouver Island, sailing from the Gulf Islands to Desolation Sound, Jedediah Days is a must read. Jedediah Island is now a park, but was once owned by Mary Palmer and her husband. Mary Palmer shares her life story of what it was like to live on the island. Jedidiah is one of my favorite islands, and it’s so nice to know a little history on it.
3. Cougar Annie’s Garden
Cougar Annie’s garden, by Margaret Horsfield. Read about Courgar Annie, a pioneer on the west coast of British Columbia. I know you can reach Cougar Annie’s garden by land through some non trivial hiking, but I’m thinking there must be a way to access it if you take a dinghy to shore and hike in? This is definitely on my bucket list to figure out how to get here sometime.
4. Heart of the Raincoast: A Life Story
Heart of the Raincoast: A Life Story, by Alexandra Morton and Bill Proctor. A story about Bill Proctor growing up in Echo Bay, BC. If you’ve ever had a chance to make it up to the Broughton Archipelago’s, you’ll have a whole other appreciation for this beautiful area and the different life of those that live there.
5. Tide Rips and Back Eddies: Bill Proctor’s Tales of Blackfish Sound
Tide Rips and Back Eddies: Bill Proctor’s Tales of Blackfish Sound, by Bill Proctor. Bill Proctor shares stories and knowledge of the area from a lifetime of living there. Blackfish Sound is near the top of Vancouver Island, and a body of water you’ll pass through on your way to the Broughtons. Blackfish Sound is known for marine sightings in the summer. Years ago we floated around in Blackfish Sound for an hour or two, just watching all the marine life – orcas, humpbacks, sea lions and porpoises.
6. The Light on the Island
The Light on the Island, Tales of a Lighthouse Keeper’s Family in the San Juan Islands, by Helen Glidden. Enjoy reading about the adventures of a girl growing up on Patos Island in the San Juans.
7. The Curve of Time
The Curve of Time, by M. Wylie Blanchet the Classic Memoir Of A Woman And Her Children Who Explored The Coastal Waters Of The Pacific Northwest by boat. A woman with five children on a 25 foot boat, exploring the west coast summer after summer.
8. Don’t Never Tell Nobody Nothin’ No How: The Real Story of West Coast Rum Running
Read a little about the history of rum running on the West Coast of British Columbia. Everyone knows the term “rum running”, but this book shares some stories, and pieces together a little more of the history of what it really like.
9. Raincoast Chronicles 21 – West Coast Wrecks and Other Maritime Tales
This is a special edition of the Raincoast Chronicles by maritime historian Rick James. Learn a little about the history of shipwrecks on the west coast, some stories, and the history behind the naming of Wreck Beach.
10. Uchuck Years: A West Coast Shipping Saga
Learn about the history of the coastal shipping line that served the west coast, such as Bamfield and Ucluelet. A rare opportunity to read about the experiences from someone that owned and captained their own vessel, serving the communities on the west coast of British Columbia.
11. Boom & Bust: The Resilient Women of Historic Telegraph Cove
The Resilient Women of Historic Telegraph Cove by by Jennifer Butler. This book is a century of life in Telegraph Cove, as told by the resourceful, and resilient women who turned this isolated coastal village into a tight-knit community.
