Fish packer, naval patroller, Caribbean cargo hauler—the gaff-rigged ketch Providence has crossed many waters throughout her 123-year life.
Over the last few seasons, we’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Providence in her latest iteration as Canada’s oldest passenger vessel. Out of Sidney, B.C., her crew are now introducing guests to the tradition of tall ship sailing on day trips and longer overnighters in the southern Gulf Islands. This coming fall, she’ll be time traveling again as her diesel engine gets replaced by an electric motor—making her a zero-emission ship with the sails either raised or furled.
We’ve loved the time that we’ve spent on this beautifully unique wooden boat, and you’ve likely seen a few photos that we’ve shot on board. Sharing our commitment to skill, craft and functional objects that are built to last, we caught up with captain and co-owner Simon Fawkes to learn more about Providence and the work of sailing and caring for a vessel that’s been roaming the world’s oceans since 1903.
“She’s turn of the century, so by modern standards Providence isn't an efficient sailing machine. And she was always a work boat, not a racing boat. She was never the fastest. But she sails really well, and the experiences I’ve had on her are pretty powerful. You can really feel the history and the character that she has.”
“I grew up on the North Shore in Vancouver, and fell in love with the water and the ocean as a kid. As a young man I got into sailing bigger boats and racing, and got the bug to pursue sailing as a career. Before long I started working on boats and sailed all over the world—the South Pacific, the Mediterranean and a whole bunch of other places. Back then, as long as you had enough experience, you could hop on almost any boat that was going anywhere. I even spent a summer packing fish on Providence, so I knew her well.”
“The previous owner of Providence was Peter Watson. He’s a real character, and he’s actually still around. He’d bought Providence in Denmark in 1978, and then sailed her back to Victoria with his young family and fixed her all up. He worked her as a packer on the coast for a long time, but stopped fishing probably around the early 2000s. I think he dreamed that he might sail her back to Denmark, but it didn’t happen. So Providence sat for almost 10 years, and every six months he’d ask, ‘What’s your offer?’ It was a long back and forth, but finally in 2017 I bought Providence with a partner.”
“After a year of major refit, Providence was certified by Transport Canada as the country’s oldest passenger vessel. At first we started out hauling sail cargo in the Gulf Islands, but now her work is mostly giving people an accessible way to experience getting out on the water and being propelled by the wind. Sidney’s a great place to do that, because you’re right in the islands as soon you get out of the marina. We usually get between five and seven sails up, and then we shut the engine off and have the choice of going any direction, depending on the wind, and each direction is equally stunning. It’s a great feeling when you take 20 people out on the water and they come back and tell you they’ve never had an experience like it."
“It takes a lot to keep a wooden boat in good shape. There’s always plenty of maintenance for the crew to do, then we usually have a month in the shipyard before the season where we pull her out of the water and handle any larger projects that might be required. With a wooden boat and a skilled shipwright, you can cut out old pieces and replace them—this past spring we replaced a few planks. We take good care of her, but part of the reason she’s so solid after 123 years is how she was constructed. They really don’t build them like they used to.”
“The goal isn’t to get somewhere in particular. It’s being out there and paying attention. There’s always something going on, whether it’s marine mammals or birds. And we welcome people to get as involved as they want to, helping get sails up or taking a turn at the helm. It’s hands-on, as much as we can. There are so many little spots in the Gulf Islands we go that I never get tired of, but for me, the best part of sailing is that I get so focused. I love that experience, and it’s so nice to share it with other people.”
“I felt like taking care of Providence was something that needed doing. The promise I made to her was that when I handed her off to the next person she’d be in better shape than when I got her, and she is. The next step for us is converting her to electric. We’ll pull her out in October and have her in the shipyard for probably 4 months retrofitting. She'll be both Canada’s oldest passenger vessel and Canada’s first fully electric passenger vessel.”
Learn more about Providence and their sail adventures at providence1903.com.
Photography by Railay Fawkes