$20 · Shipwrecks of British Columbia

Shipwrecks of British Columbia by Fred Rogers Hardcover, 1973, 256 pages, fold out map, dust jacket in poor condition. British Columbia is famous for its beauty, but it is notorious for the treachery of its coastal waters where reefs, sand bars and fast flowing currents abound. The weather does not help with storm after storm rolling in from the Pacific bringing blinding rain and capricious winds. And then there is fog. No wonder so many ships have foundered in these waters or broken their hulls on the rocky shore. The wrecks of Spanish sloops, English men-of-war, freighters, tenders, passenger ships, fishing boats, give testimony to the frailty of navigation, depth sounders and radar against the elements - and to the fallibility of man. "Fred" Rogers has pioneered the search for sunken ships off the British Columbia coast. He has poured through files and reports in libraries and newspapers and has talked to survivors. But he is not just an armchair researcher; his expertise in scuba diving has enabled him to locate and identify the underwater shipwrecks with accuracy. Here in one volume is the sea lore of two centuries of sailing and misadventure told with sure knowledge and compassion. The events leading to each sinking is described in detail and with anedcote, humorous and tragic. Charts pinpoint the position of each shipwreck and photographs illustrate many of the ships and the areas in which they sank. This is a major source book for those interested in the marine history of the west coast. See pictures Pickup in Langford Cross posted