History of Boating in Victoria

Boating and sailing have a long history in Victoria and British Columbia. Boating has its roots in the dugout canoes carved from a single cedar log by First Nations people. This versatile craft was the only vessel used on the coast until the arrival of European settlers in the mid-1800's. Before there were roads and steamship service, the earliest settlers relied on canoes, scows and rowboats to get around, often travelling hundreds of kilometres for supplies.

Among the immigrants to Vancouver Island and British Columbia were skilled mechanics and shipwrights who brought the expertise required for a boat building industry. The first boatyards were established at Fort Victoria in the 1850's, expanding over the next decade to the mainland. The first boats built were tugs for the lumber carriers, but by the late 1860's, simple, sturdy schooners were being built. The biggest demand for boats came from the developing fishing industry in the 1870's. Albion Iron Works opened in Victoria in 1872 as the largest machine shop supplying engines north of San Francisco. High quality, edge-grain fir and yellow cedar planking were also used in boat construction. Builders developed their own designs or relied on naval architects.

There were few private sailing yachts until the early 1900's, although families took outings in small launches and sloops. With the introduction of gas engines around 1910, boats became bigger and more complex. By the 1920's, open skiffs evolved into 15 metre vessels, produced by the dozens for fishing companies. During WWII, both yachts and fishing vessels were modified for use as navy patrols. Builders gained experience with wartime steel-ship construction which led to improved welding techniques and marine-grade alloys.

The waters between Vancouver Island and southwestern British Columbia were very active during the prohibition in the late 1920's and early 1930's, when "mother ships" would off-load cargo worth millions of dollars to high-speed yachts known as "rum runners"; many of them were built in Victoria and outfitted with WWI surplus Liberty engines. One of these mother ships was the former lumber carrier, Malahat, later converted into the world's first self-propelled log barge.

After WWII, there was a surge of interest in pleasure boating. Marine plywood and waterproof glues were now used by boat builders. Engines became more compact and economical and synthetic fibres like nylon improved the quality of ropes and sails. In the 1950's, the introduction of fibreglass revolutionized boating and sailing by allowing the mass production of small craft. Dinghies and lifeboats were invented, followed by sport-fishing and utility boats. Fibreglass also proved well suited to cruising sailboats and lightweight racing designs.

Continuing prosperity through the 1960's led to faster hulls with twin engines, stylish interiors and an increasing array of navigation equipment. Large, luxury yachts were produced for an international clientele. Toward the end of the 1990's, as British Columbia's commercial fleet became more modern and specialized, retired forest industry and fisheries vessels were being converted for pleasure use.

Today marine-based industries, from fish farms to sport fishing, create a steady need for heavy-duty, rigid-inflatable or welded-aluminum service vessels such as water taxis, fireboats, patrol boats and charter boats. Old-world craftsmanship has merged with innovative techniques and technology. Since the 1970's, a growing eco-tourism industry has renewed the popularity of canoes and introduced kayaks. Regardless of the vessel, extensive cruising in the inland waterways of British Columbia, Washington and Alaska is extremely popular and considered some of the best in the world.