Colin Griffinson, owner of the 1943 yacht Pacific Yellowfin, described a quieter charter season in Desolation Sound and the Great Bear Rainforest. Despite fewer bookings, he highlighted remarkable wildlife sightings, including wolves and a humpback whale. He also discussed maintaining the classic wooden vessel in Vancouver.
Colin Griffinson owns the 34.6-metre Billings yacht Pacific Yellowfin, built in 1943 and currently based in Vancouver, British Columbia. In a logbook entry for BOAT International, he reflected on the recent charter season in Desolation Sound and the Great Bear Rainforest, noting it was down compared to previous years. He attributed the decline to poor performance in the Dow Jones and S&P indices at the start of the year. Nevertheless, Griffinson and his family continued using the yacht, while also acquiring a kayaking lodge on Quadra Island to manage.
Wildlife encounters stood out this season. Griffinson recounted finding a wolf pack near the beach, with the leader howling from a rock while guests observed from a tender and kayaks. A young wolf approached the kayaks on the tide line. On another occasion, alone in the tender, he witnessed a humpback whale breaching 40 times, far exceeding the usual three or four sightings. "This year was off the charts – I saw things I had never seen before," Griffinson said. He emphasized the unpredictable nature of their charters: "That’s why we call our charters ‘adventures unscripted’. We know where the animals are. We know how to work the tides, but every time we go out, it’s a completely different story."
Regarding Pacific Yellowfin's upkeep, Griffinson noted the challenges of maintaining a wooden boat. "Well, it’s a boat… you just keep throwing money at her! Actually, she’s in great shape and we’re stoked at the moment," he remarked. The yacht runs on its original engines, with custom-manufactured parts and a recently acquired spare engine from a tugboat. For winters, it is stored in a private marina in Vancouver, featuring a yacht enclosure, workshop, and dedicated shipwright team. This setup, established about 20 years ago, facilitates all maintenance in the rainforest environment.
The account appeared in the January 2025 issue of BOAT International.
