Around the World in a Dugout Canoe: The Untold Story of Captain John Voss and the Tilikum.

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Thursday, February 13th, 2020
7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

The February meeting of the Nanaimo Historical Society will feature a presentation by Qualicum-based author, John M. MacFarlane about his latest book release: Around the World in a Dugout Canoe: the Untold Story of Captain John Voss and the Tilikum.

THE LECTURE

On May 10, 1901, the Tilikum, an 11.5-metre cedar dugout canoe, converted to a three-masted schooner, cast off near the current site of the Oak Bay Marina to sail to London, England. Crewed by two men -- Captain John Voss, owner, and mate, Norman Luxton, a young journalist with no sailing experience.

The already 50-year-old canoe crossed the Pacific to Fiji (where Luxton jumped ship) and then Australia; thereafter continuing its voyage - with a series of 9 more mates - across the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope, then Brazil before sailing up the Thames River and arriving at London, Sept. 1904.

During the 40,000-mile voyage, Voss and the Tilikum became media sensations at ports-of-call where reporters telegraphed tales of their adventures to newspapers around the world. In 1905 Voss sold the Tilikum to a private buyer but by the 1920’s she was an abandoned derelict on a Thames riverbank. In 1930 the City of Victoria repatriated the Tilikum, returning her to Victoria by freighter. Back in her homeport she was restored and put on outdoor display in Thunderbird Park, until 1965 when she was added to the collection of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia.

About our speaker:

John M. MacFarlane is the curator emeritus of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia, curator of the Nauticapedia Project website and the author of a number of books and articles on nautical history. He was commissioned into the Royal Canadian Navy (Reserve). He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society (London), recipient of the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers and the SS Beaver Medial for Maritime Excellence (from Amazon website). ###

The Nanaimo Historical Society is a non-profit organization. Founded in 1953, the Society’s mission is to preserve, promote, and celebrate the history of Nanaimo and central Vancouver Island.

Annual membership is $10 for a student, $24 for an individual, $30 for a family, and $34 for an organization. Membership includes a subscription to the British Columbia Historical Federation Magazine. ###

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