always enjoyed myself. scenery is wonderful. beach combing is great after a storm. staff is very friendly.

Four friends and I hiked the Nootka Island trail this past August, arriving at the Louie Lagoon trail head via Air Nootka float plane and departing from Friendly Cove via the MV Uchuck |||. We took five days to hike the trail and by the end of it, we were utterly wet and totally smelly! We were so thankful to get aboard the Uchuck and were welcomed aboard by everybody- crew mates, other travelers and also tourists enjoying the day tour. It was a big bag of mixed stories, and everybody aboard was happy to share their experiences with each other. It was pretty easy to make friends.

Up on the deck we were covered and could watch the ocean while staying dry. The ship route had various stops along the way before reaching Muchalat Inlet in Gold River, entertaining those on board with loading kayaks, hikers, and cargo loading/unloading at the fish plants.

Inside is simply beautiful. The wooden design gives a friendly and classic comfort, and the attention to detail is really great. The table tops were inlaid with local maps, there are informative posters on the wall, a few local history books available for reading and purchase, and some framed images on the wall with descriptions of some interesting local stories.

There is a simple kitchen on board selling sandwiches, coffee and tea, and soup etc. Fair prices and friendly service. After hiking the trail and eating trail food, we were pretty ecstatic to eat lettuce.

To summarize, I would highly recommend taking this ship either for transportation, the day cruise, and to visit historic Friendly Cove. It's a smaller ship and she does rock a little, but this is all part of the experience. Definitely take that scenic drive through Strathcona Park and hit up Gold River and Muchalat Inlet. Explore this beautiful Island paradise in style!