Haida Gwaii: Timing is Everything

Dawsons Landing, Darby Channel

We departed Pruth Bay at 9:30am via Kwakshua Channel, the main channel for approaching and departing Pruth Bay on Calvert Island. Exiting Kwakshua Channel, we turned south along Fitz Hugh Sound until we reached the entrance to Darby Channel and turned northeast, arriving at Dawsons Landing around 1pm.

Got d' Fever at Dawsons Landing

Dawsons Landing has only two, year-round residents! – Rob and Nola who own the floats, grocery store, and cottages. The resident number used to be three but their daughter is going off to college this year; Rob and Nola are hopeful that she will return for the short summer season to help run the store and welcome guests.

Dawsons Landing

Boaters come to Dawsons to fish or to stay over when transiting the area but it’s the cute, well-stocked old-fashioned grocery store that seems to be the main attraction. The store has a little bit of everything – hardware, fishing supplies, clothes, and groceries, and boaters appreciate the access to Wi-Fi; the store even serves as a post office and sells fishing licenses.

Dawsons General Store

We picked up a few items from the store and just as we were carrying them to the boat, a rare and special aircraft was on approach to land at Dawsons – a Grumman Goose! This twin-engine amphibious transport plane was first built in 1936 with modifications made in later years.

The G-21 Grumman Goose

The G-21 Goose was/is powered by 450-hp Pratt & Whitney engines. During WWII the Goose was used for transporting military personnel including the U.S. Coast Guard; nearly 350 “Gooses” were in operation. The unique ability of the G-21 Goose to operate on land or water has served remote locations for over 70 years. After the War, most of the G-21’s were used in the civilian market but by 1990 only a small number of G-21 aircraft remained due to a lack of spare parts and experienced mechanics for this type of aircraft.

The Grumman Goose at Dawsons Landing

In 2007 Antilles Seaplanes announced it was going to produce a turbine-powered version called the McKinnon Goose. Unfortunately in 2009 the Antilles Seaplanes manufacturing center was foreclosed; the Goose that would have been is now referred to as the Antilles G-21.