Floating in here at high tide is like drifting back in time…

One of the last ‘ways’ off the coast of Vancouver Island, this old-school shipyard started up generations ago in the Finnish settler community of Sointula on Malcom Island.

It may look like a sleepy museum display from the past, but underneath the picturesque exterior lies a booming business that is forever busy and in high demand.  This place races to the slow steady beat of its own drum. It’s in tune with the sea.

Ocean water laps at the pilings and creeps up the rails drowned out by the the sounds of a crank engine hauling 30 gross ton fishing vessels up the slip, seemingly defying gravity. Here they will dry out and undergo their annual maintenance rituals, and they are in exceptionally good hands.

The man in charge here is 5th generation boat builder and has worked in this very yard for the last 35 years of his life, learning from his dad and teaching his son.

The local fishing fleet trusts this guy and the Tarkanen Ways, because they know what they’re doing.

Its reputation made hauling out at Tarkanens an easy decision for us, but not a lot of folks know about this place. It’s the only place to haul out between Lund (Sunshine Coast) and Prince Rupert, so knowing about it would save a lot of folks a long trip!

“Good luck getting your lil pleasure boat in there” we were told.

But, a quick call to Ken and we had a date. Little did we know our 30ft Catalina would be the smallest boat he’s ever hauled!

Floating in here at high tide last week with a lengthy to-do list, we were nothing but nerves having never hauled Uintah out of the water. What was waiting for us beneath her waterline? A dystopian aquarium? Blisters the size of your head? The dreaded Catalina smile?

Feeling a little bit of play we were mentally preparing to drop our rudder… but first we had the nerve-wrecking task of hauling her out of the water and onto land.

The tide must be high, the captain’s aim straight, nudging the bow right between the rusted steel rails. Ken climbs aboard to direct the dance. Lines extended and affixed to pilings to keep her upright, we’re told whatever we do “stay to Port”! The signal is then given to the man on the winch, an engine fires, and an ancient hydraulic pully hauls her up the rails as we hold our breath. 

Crank, crank, crank. The boat inches up the rails and out of the sea.

In some wondrous feat of engineering the vessel is now balanced upright out of the water supported between posts, rather precariously perched on its small fin. It’s impressive to see the entire weight of the boat sitting atop such a teeny keel. No worries though, she is safely in the hands of experienced men. In a race against tide the crew works fast moving boats in, getting down to the business of repairing, painting, and upcycling zincs. As one vessel leaves, another moves in on the same high tide. Care is given to attention to detail, never hesitating to lend a hand or a tool. We can’t recommend this place enough for your next haulout. 

If you make it here, be sure to ask Ken about the fire. That’s one heck of a story – Written by Allison McIsaac 

Allison and her partner James are exploring far reaching fjords & remote anchorages of the Inside Passage, charting a course North to Alaska and beyond (slowly) aboard their 30ft sailboat, Uintah. They share stories like this weekly in video form on their YouTube channel @AllisonandJamesSailing