North Star of Herschel Island

North Star book - still seeking a publisher!

bruce — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 04:11:42 +0000

Almost every day we get a FaceBook post or an e-mail asking us when the book about North Star’s history will be out - North Star of Herschel Island: the last sailing Arctic fur trading ship. Well, soon we hope! I have sent off queries to some Canadian publishers and have received some very good comments but so far no contract. I have also looked into self-publishing or print-on-demand options but I am hoping that a Canadian publisher will see the merit in it. In writing about North star of Herschel Island I find myself in good company. Farley Mowat, Pierre Berton, Gordon Pinsent and many others are some of the Canadian authors who have included North Star in a book or two. Former Prime Minister Jean Chretien has telephoned me aboard to discuss the ship and the book project and has asked for a copy - as has Farley Mowat.

If anyone has some advice on whom to query then please contact me on North Star of Herschel Island’s FaceBook page or e-mail northstarbook@gmail.com

Thank-you.

Bronze Plaque to Honour North Star of Herschel Island

bruce — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:58:52 +0000

The beautiful upper causeway around Victoria BC’s harbour is lined with bronze plaques honouring ships that have moored in the harbour or sailors who have earned distinctionmthrough their work at sea. I spoke with the general manager of the greater Victoria Harbour Authority who thought that honouring north Star in this way was a great idea. She linked me up with the person in charge of these plaques who then told me the price. We are now trying to raise about $1,000.00 for this project. The plaque will come in at $600 but there will always be additional expenses and if we can raise more then it can go into the paint and varnish fund.

We are fundraising through the site GoFundMe.com and the button to get there is (hopefully) here:

Raise Money Online

or here:

Raise Money Online

If copying and pasting the above doesn’t work then please go to GoFundMe.com and search North Star of Herschel Island for details.

Manuscript Finished and CBC North is calling!

bruce — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 02:22:23 +0000

Finally found the last chapter to the book about the history of North Star of Herschel Island and have sent off a query to a publisher. The editor at the last publishing house retired and apparently that means that my manuscript goes to the bottom of the slush pile. Oh well. I hope that another publisher will pick it up. As soon as I posted on FaceBook that the manuscript was finished people started to inquire about ordering it!

I don’t think that any book is ever truly finished until it is in print and so I am continuing to edit it. This week I received a large package from Mary Carpenter Lyons with all kinds of information that I will inject into the project. Then CBC North contacted me and I will be interviewed about the book tomorrow.

Book info still needed

bruce — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:11:33 +0000

The book about the history of North Star of Herschel Island is nearing completion. I would still love to get copies of any newspaper or magazines that the ship has been in. I also would like to interview anyone who was aboard during the Sitka Island Voyage or the Voyage to study the Great Bear Rainforest. Please get in touch with me if you have stories to share!

Russian Tall Ship Pallada donates Sails to North Star!

bruce — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 00:08:52 +0000

Today, Sheila and I toured the Russian sail training ship, Pallada,with her Sailing Master, Alexandre. He gave us a tour of all of the belodecks, crews quarters, Main Salon, Captains Cabin and his own cabin where he showed us some dramatic photos of Pallada losing her foremast last year between Japan and South Korea. At the end of the tour we visited his sail loft and he then donated to the ship hundreds of square meters of sail cloth from their old sails. Still looks almost new and we will make good use of it this year. We will either build new sails for the current rig or consider a different rig over this winter. Very generous donation. Thank you Alexandre and Pallada!

Historic Sail Aboard North Star!

bruce — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 19:17:12 +0000

On July 31st, 2011 we took North Star back out to sea with Margaret Hawkins (nee Carpenter), her husband, Lyle Hawkins and their two sons Terry and John and their wives and children. We also had aboard Sven Johansson - North Star’s second owner. This was Sven’s first time back underway aboard in fifteen years! The reunion of sorts represented three generations of North Star’s ownership. All that was missing was a member of the Wolki family. Margaret and Lyle’s family represented three generations and i am sure that Fred Carpenter was looking down from heaven with a big smile on his face.

New Link to Explore

bruce — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:35:34 +0000

We have just traded links with the Nauticapedia site and it is well worth looking into. The url can be found in our Links page or just go straight to www.nauticapedia.ca

Underway Again!

bruce — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 21:33:37 +0000

After a winter spent in front of the Empress Hotel and the Legislature buildings in Victoria, we shifted berths to the new docks at Fishermans’ Wharf. The old wooden docks held in place with pilings have been replaced by a new system of plastic docks tethered to bungy cords anchored into the seabed. Interesting. We made our way this week over to the Fort Street wharf where we can work on the ship and enjoy being closer to town.

Mortgage has been incinerated!

bruce — Thu, 26 May 2011 21:55:17 +0000

After 15 years, every line, copper nail, spar and plank is officially ours!

CBC North Interview

bruce — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 04:36:11 +0000

Very happy to be interviewed by Phillippe Morin at CBC Northwind in Inuvik last week. Would love to hear from any listeners with their stories and photos of North Star.