Cates Park plays host to Capt. Vancouver tribute Longboats part of Wake of the Explorers’ celebration WHAT DO you know about exploring? By Graeme Thompson Contributing Writer Pirates-of-the-Caribbean ships sail through turquoise seas and swash-buckle whenever they run into a Jotly Roger? Hmmmm. To find out how real exploring was done right here in Vancouver, head down to Cates Park on Saturday, June 20. All afternoon there will be sights and sounds to . commemorate the voyages and navigation 200 years ago of Capt. George Vancouver. The Squid Jiggers will sing sea-shanties; hornpipe dancers will perform; the Vancouver Mor- ris Men and the Viva Espana dancers will give us a flavor of 18th century entertainment. There will be face-painting in nautical themes for the children and all the materials to make model boats for fun in the harbor or at home in the bath. North Vancouver District Mayor Murray Dykeman_ will unveil a plaque “‘in recognition of the people of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation and the English and Spanish explorers whoni they wel- comed to these waters.”’ First Nations people have been invited to participate in this cross-cultural maritime celebra- tion, and a salmon barbecue will be prepared. Robin Inglis, the director of the North Shore museum, will talk about the importance ef Van- couver's voyage and his place in local history. The highlight of the afteznoon, however, will be the arrival of the Wake of the Explorers expedition — two replica longboats following in the footsteps of Vancouver’s 1792 voyage to this coast. When Vancouver sailed past Stanley Park on June 13, 1792, ints the channel he would name after his friend Sir Harry Burrard, he was not in his 100-foot-long ship Discovery. He. was in a 26-foot open- masted yawl, accompanied by a 22-foot open-masted cutter with a dozen men aboard each. In boats like these, close to the water and ever in awe of the im- posing coastal mountains, Van- couver travelled, surveyed and often slept while he charted the coastline from Oregon to the Alaska panhandle. Replicas of these small boats make up the Wake of the Explor- ers. The purpose to the expedition, say expedition directors Greg and Shay Foster, is to give people in communities along the Strait of Georgia the chance to see the Strait more closely than usual and at a pace at which they can ap- preciate it. “It is one of the most wonder- ful experiences :o travel with a group of people in this open row- ing and sailing boat and to have to pull together on the oars and cooperate,’’ Greg Foster said. “We can think about what (the Guif of Georgia} was like when Captain Vancouver and his men saw it, and what it’s like now.”” A replica of Vancouver's yawl and a Spanisk lancha will be at Cates Park offering 20-minute harbor excursions. Each boat needs at least eight rowers, but there is also room for non-rowers and children, who must be accompanied. Rowing in unison is not, say the Fosters, as complicated as it looks. The Wake of the Explorers ex- pedition also carries, for demonstration purposes, the kinds of navigational aids that sailors of the period had to have: a sextant, plumb-lines, and compasses. Inquisitive parents and kids can ask how Vancouver got around before maps or even tide charts. This hands-on experience at Cates Park on June 20 will com- plement two Vancouver exhibits relating to Capt. Vancouver. The Vancouver Maritime Museum houses a permanent Vancouver exhibit which includes artifacts from his journey such as one of his sextants, A travelling exhibit called Inside Passage: 1792 is at the North Shore Museum to June 28. Copies of 18th century maps show the stages of exrloration, and there are also maps showing First Nations communities and ac- tivities. And for those who are interest- ed in a longer 18th century explor- ing experience, the Wake of the Explorers has longer camping trips planned along the route. For three to five days at a time, the expedition passes through island channels and inlets that are world-renowned — only you won't be on a Princess cruise, and there won't be martinis at 6 p.m. To find out more about the Wake of the Explorers, 539-2923, DO YOU NEED A SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS? INTRODUCING Exceptional value! phone . AIFEL Ss 6 uit. Whit Exceptional quality Reg. to 99-S eye protection at an 0: ae ‘60%. VUARNET. — : exceptionally low price! “Reg 9. 379-38 Madre Haif Price! Hifec Mt. Whitney hi-cut for. trails & light backpacking. 100% UV. protection. Ground and polished glass lenses. French made frames. | Save $60! The inner tent is suspended by clips, 4 lightweight strength, ventilation and speedy set up Our own lifetim Quarantee! 6.5 lbs. total. 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