Maple Leaf (schooner)

Last updated
Ml-full-sail.jpg
History
NameMaple Leaf
Namesake"Maple Leaf"
Builder Vancouver, British Columbia
Launched1904
Statusin active service
General characteristics
Type Schooner
Displacement~80 long tons (81 t)
Length
  • 92 ft (28 m) o/a
  • 75 ft (23 m) on deck
  • 70 ft (21 m) w/l
PropulsionSail
ArmamentNone

The Maple Leaf is a schooner built in 1904, making it the oldest tall ship still sailing in British Columbia. [1] In 1906, the Maple Leaf was the only Canadian vessel to qualify for the first ever Transpacific Yacht Race, which was ultimately cancelled due to the San Francisco earthquake that year. [2]

Contents

Today, the Maple Leaf operates as a sail training vessel ecotourism schooner, offering small-ship expeditions along the west coast of North America. The vessel accommodates up to eight passengers and is recognized for its sustainable tourism practices. [3]

History

The schooner was commissioned in 1904 by Vancouver businessman Alexander MacLaren, who sought to build the fastest and finest sailing yacht on the West Coast. He enlisted Captain William Watts, founder of Vancouver Shipyard (now Vancouver Shipyards), to build the vessel. [4]

Beginning in the 1930s, the Maple Leaf was repurposed as a halibut longliner and fished in the Bering Sea for several decades, becoming one of the longest-serving commercial fishing vessels of its kind.

In 1980, the ship was purchased at a government auction by conservationist Brian Falconer, who restored it and converted it into an eco cruise ship. In 2001, Falconer sold the ship in 2001 to Kevin Smith who continued the ecotourism business to present day.

Construction

Originally built a yacht Maple Leaf has many features that make it a very unusual ship. The ribs are made of coastal yellow cedar wood. The planking, decks, and beams were constructed of coastal Douglas fir wood—materials emblematic of the Pacific Northwest.

The ship's brightwork, made of mahogany, was gifted by relatives of the builder. Notably, the Maple Leaf was the first vessel north of San Francisco to be equipped with electric lighting, and among the first on the coast to feature an external lead keel. The rigging of the Maple Leaf consists of a gaff-rigged fore sail, a Marconi main sail, a jib, a staysail, and a square fisherman's staysail.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Trio of historical vessels grace dry dock Richmond News; Richmond, B.C. 02 Mar 2016: A.5.
  2. ↑ "The Origins of the Transpac Race". Transpacific Yacht Club. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  3. ↑ Small cruise, big offers; Learn about the West Coast during a fun and educational ecoadventure Saunders, Aaron. The Vancouver Sun; Vancouver, B.C. 09 Mar 2019: G.3.
  4. ↑ "SV Maple Leaf". Maple Leaf Adventures. 2019-09-04. Retrieved 2021-05-04.


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