The Caledonia Diocese sold the Northern Cross in 1962 and she has been in the hands of respectful private owners ever since and none have made more than minimal changes to the original design. The current owners have used the boat as a liveaboard cruiser for the last seven years but a change in their lives means the Northern Cross is now looking for new owners. If you have the knowledge and the resources to take on the joys and the responsibilities of caretaking for this venerable piece of BC maritime history, we would be very happy to show you around.

But the first step for anyone interested in this vessel should be a good look over this web page so you can develop a better sense of how the boat is laid out and what good condition she is in. So let's get started. The first thing you will notice when you walk up to the boat is the flush deck design means that if you have lost touch with your 'inner monkey' you will need something to help you climb up to deck level. The boat currently has a set of stairs that sits on the dock and allows you to board amidships without the need for any fancy gymnastics. When you are traveling there is a portable ladder that can be hung from the port or starboard rail so you can climb aboard from dock level.

If you look aft once you are up on deck, you get a sense of how large the main deck is. It is just over 20 feet long and 12 feet wide and with the exception of the rowing skiff and skylight, the deck is virtually clear of obstacles. The current owners wanted to make more use of all that deck space during the cooler part of the year without altering the structure of the boat. So they designed a canvas and acrylic enclosure, known affectionately as the 'rec room', that attaches to the rear of the pilothouse and extends back just over half the length of the main deck. In the spring and fall there is barely any need to heat this enclosure as the sun will do it for you. In the winter, all you have to do is leave the pilothouse door open and the enclosure will warm up surprisingly fast.

Step into the pilothouse and you immediately get a sense of the classic beauty that characterizes these old working vessels. Of course the guys go straight for the old brass engine controls and they will stand there caressing them until they have to go to the bathroom or they need another beer. That's why the engine controls never need polishing. Everybody else loves to be up in the pilothouse because it is just such a beautiful place to watch the world go by when you are cruising and such a cozy space for entertaining when you are tied up or at anchor.

In the aft port corner of the pilothouse is the stairwell down to the galley and salon. But before we explore the after part of the vessel below deck, we are going to descend the stairs and explore the forward area. Once at the bottom of the stairs, you will notice the door to the engine room behind the stairs. Tilt the stairs back on their hinged feet, open the engine room door, and VOILA!!! You are face to face with the polished heart of this vessel -- the Gardner 5L2 diesel engine. For the women reading this, you have now lost your significant other to some weird genetic force that draws guys to old shiny machinery that sounds really cool. You are on your own to explore the rest of the boat. But when you have finished your look around the rest of the boat, bring plenty baby wipes back to the engine room because you will need to wipe the drool from their chins. Don't worry, we'll wipe the engine clean after everybody has gone.

Before we leave the engine room, there are two other features worth pointing out. There is a large cylindrical copper hot water tank sitting in the aft starboard corner of the engine room. It is heated by a hot water coil in the diesel stove and it keeps the engine room warm and dry during the winter if you are living aboard and using the stove for heat. The other feature is the workbench in the forward starboard corner. Once again, for the women reading this, the workbench in the engine room is almost a guarantee you will see very little of your husband while you are on board. Remember, this could be a good thing.

Up at the front of the engine room is the entry to the forward cabin with a shower to starboard and a nice little reading seat to port. Even though the cabin is tucked right up in the bow, it is very bright due to the two port lights and the skylight. It is thought that there originally was ladder access to the forward cabin from the very front of the pilothouse. However, if there was, it has been closed in for a long time and the only access to the forward cabin is through the engine room.

So lets head back to the spot where you landed as you reached the bottom of the stairs from the pilothouse. Careful not to trip over the guys on your way back - they're usually on their knees in front of the engine by this time. Almost as if they were engaging in some strange form of idol worship, praying to the big shiny mechanical beast. But I digress.

On the port side directly aft of the stairs and across from the galley is the dinette. Aft of the galley is the salon with its richly upholstered and very comfortable settees to both port and starboard. They can be pulled out to create double berths when the relatives arrive and believe me, they'll arrive as soon as they hear about your new boat that has such beautiful and comfortable settees. Just remember, if you start feeding them fresh crab, prawns and salmon, they'll never leave. There is also a huge amount of storage space under and behind the settees as well as in the cabinets aft of the settees.

Aft of the salon on the starboard side is a quarter berth currently being used for storage and on the port side is the head compartment, complete with electric toilet and a beautiful vanity. Between the berth and head is the stairway up to the aft deck.

The entry/exit on the aft deck is part of the original scuttle that has just been refitted with a smoked piece of plexiglass that allows a lot more light down into the area at the foot of the stairs. Out on the aft deck you can see the transom door that allows you to easily access the hinged swim grid. As you can see from the picture, there is a custom made boarding ladder that hangs from the deck when you are using the swim grid. On the aft port rail there is a Force 10 propane barbeque and a 20 lb propane tank which should last you well into the next century, even if you barbeque every day. And coiled up under the stern of the skiff is the septic vacuum hose.

The only thing left to do at this point is to turn around and look forward across the main deck to see once again how open and spacious the deck is. And that pretty much wraps up the tour. There are many other details and features of the vessel that we could go on about but they are best experienced when you are actually on board. But at least you now have a better sense of what she looks like and whether or not the layout will suit your specific needs.

It is worth pointing out the boat has just come out of the boatyard after a bit of woodwork repair, bottom painting and replacing the zincs. The hull, decks and pilothouse have just been freshly repainted as well so she is looking her best in anticipation of your visit. For those of you who may not be aware of this, she is available with assumable liveaboard moorage in the West Bay area of Victoria Harbour at a cost of approximately $650 per month. This gives you the truly unbeatable combination of waterfront living in one of the prettiest harbours on the west coast which you can enjoy from the comfort of a beautiful classic motor vessel. And we would highly recommend the new owners take Northern Cross back up to her old haunts in the Prince Rupert area at some point. There are still many people up there who have very fond memories of the boat during her mission ship days.