The replica wooden handliner rowboat, built in 2005 as a project of the Sunshine Coast Museum, was rowed and sailed from Davis Bay at Mission Point to Pilot Bay on Gabriola Island on June 20.
It was rowed by local boatbuilder Larry Westlake and was accompanied by an original handliner built in 1937 in Nanaimo, rowed by Colin Masson of Gabriola. The distance of approximately 18 statute miles was covered in five hours. The crossing was organized as a kick-off event for the first gathering of vintage and newly-built handliner rowboats since the type faded out of commercial use (and nearly out of existence) after the Second World War.
The next morning after the Strait crossing, the two boats were rowed to the gathering place at Piper's Lagoon near Nanaimo, where they met with other handliners arriving by road.
The Handliner Rendez-vous Road took place in Nanaimo because this is currently where most of the surviving boats of this type are. Ten boats in all showed up, with participants arriving from as far away as Saanich, Savary Island, Cortes Island and Campbell River.
Several old-time fisherman, now in their 70s and 80s who had used handliners commercially, also showed up.
Eight of the boats were launched and taken out rowing together, with crews and owners trading around to see what the others were like.
The Strait crossing and Rendezvous project received the assistance and support of volunteers from the Sunshine Coast Museum, Nanaimo Area Museum and from the City of Nanaimo.
The revival of awareness and interest in the handliner type has only been possible because of the Sunshine Coast Museum's replica and migration project in 2005.
Beginning with that project, Westlake has been rowing the Sunshine Coast handliner replica to communities around the Strait to demonstrate the abilities of this type and talk about its history.
Leaving from various locations here on the Coast, he also has rowed it to Lund, twice to Vancouver, to Gambier Island and to Lasqueti and Texada.
- Submitted
