 | |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | Maple Leaf |
| Namesake | "Maple Leaf" |
| Builder | Vancouver,British Columbia |
| Launched | 1904 |
| Status | in active service |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | Schooner |
| Displacement | ~80long tons (81 t) |
| Length | |
| Propulsion | Sail |
| Armament | None |
TheMaple Leaf is aschooner built in 1904, making it British Columbia's oldesttall ship.[1] In 1906, theMaple Leaf was the only Canadian vessel to qualify for the first ever Trans-Pac sailing race, which was slated to take place in San Francisco but never took place due to the massive earthquake that occurred in that year.
Now a sail training vessel andecotourism schooner, she has a rich history of operation on the coast. It operates as a small cruise ship touring the west coast of North America and accommodating eight passengers.[2]
In 1904, aVancouver businessman named Alexander MacLaren wanted the fastest and best sailingyacht on the west coast. He hired Capt. William Watts, shipbuilder and founder of Vancouver Shipyard (now Vancouver Shipyards) to build it.[3] From the 1930s to the 1970s, theMaple Leaf was ahalibut longliner on theBering Sea, making it one of the longest-running ships to fish. It was purchased in 1980 at a government auction by Brian Falconer who restored the vessel and turned it into a eco cruise ship. Falconer sold the ship in 2001 to Kevin Smith who continued the ecotourism business.
Originally built a yachtMaple Leaf has many features that make it a very unusual ship. The ribs are made of coastalyellow cedar wood. The planking, decks, and beams were constructed of coastalDouglas fir wood, making the ship a true vessel of the coast. Made ofmahogany, the bright work of the ship was a gift from the builder's relatives. It is all the more distinctive by being the first ship North ofSan Francisco to have electric light. It is also one of the first ships on the coast to have an external, lead keel. The rigging of theMaple Leaf consists of agaff rigged fore sail, aMarconi main sail, ajib, astaysail, and a squarefisherman's staysail.