Want authentic? Stay on a fishing boat in Bella Coola

It was after 11 pm when we arrived in Bella Coola on BC’s central coast. It was cool and rainy – typical September weather on the coast – and we were tired from traveling all day on BC Ferry’s Queen of Chilliwack .

So my father and I were happy to know we didn’t have to drive far for our room for the night. We were booked to stay on a fishing boat that was tied up within sight of the BC Ferry’s dock – so close we could have wallked to it.

Most visitors to Bella Coola stay in Hagensborg , 16 km inland, because that’s where most accommodation is located. But if you want an authentic experience – right on the water – you can’t beat the Pacific Grizzly .

Bella Coola was a fishing town and the Grizzly was originally a fishing boat. She was built in 1936 and travelled up and down the coast between Vancouver and Alaska for 70 years, fishing for salmon and herring. Outfitting guide Leonard Ellis bought her in 1997 and has recently turned her into a Bed and Breakfast and a base camp for his marine tours .

When we arrived,  the wood stove was going and our ‘staterooms’ in the fore of the boat were warm and cozy. We crawled into our comfy bunks and didn’t wake up until daylight entered the small portals.

The Grizzly’s travelling days are over – she’s tied to the dock permanently now – but Ellis has a 40 foot aluminum jet boat that can carry up to 12 people.  After you speed out of the harbour,  you’ll stop to set some prawn and crab traps (Ellis knows exactly where to put them),  then continue on to a hot springs where you can enjoy a leisurely soak.

Or he might take you for a hike to the Big Cedar Tree, one of the largest trees on the west coast with a diameter of almost six metres. On your way back, you’ll stop and haul up the traps. Be ready for a feast on the Grizzly.

If a fishing boat is a little too rustic for you, Ellis has some luxurious cabins at his property in Hagensborg. The gables over the sundecks are so big, you’ll stay dry even if it’s raining.