June Cameron's latest book, 26 Feet to the Charlottes, is one of those rare books with a timeless quality that will surely earn itself a place alongside classics like Wylie Blanchet's The Curve of Time. Set in the summer of 1983, Cameron and friend Paul Holsinger set out for the wild, west coast of the Queen Charlottes in an aging 26 foot sloop with a tempermental Kermath gas engine. This was before the days of GPS, so they were forced to rely only on their compass and basic navigation skills to enter what were then unfamiliar and poorly charted harbours, especially on the west coast of the Charlottes..
As they sail the Inside Passage and across Hecate Strait to the Charlottes, they explore many popular stops as well as out-of-the-way anchorages, beachcombing, hiking and generally travel at a relaxing pace. They bake their own bread, hunt for fuel for their wood burning stove, and harvest abundant seafood (this was back when abalone were legal and there were always salmon for the catching). Throughout her narrative, Cameron weaves in plenty of fascinating coastal First Nations and pioneer history, natural history, stories of the decline of once thriving communities, and tales of the colourful loggers, fishermen and others they meet along the way.
Many books have been written about coastal cruising, but few have provided such an entertaining and informative read.
Cameron is also the author of the memoir Destination Cortes Island: A sailor's life along the BC coast ((Heritage, 1999) and Shelter from the Storm; a sailor's life of havens, high seas and discovery (Heritage 2001). Cameron lives on Cortes Island.

-Peter A. Robson / Pacific Yachting