Senang Hati

In Festival Boats 2019

Senang Hati is the last boat built by the celebrated Vancouver Island boat builder, George Bruigom. He built her for himself in 1986 at Comox on Vancouver Island and sadly, he died six months after building her.  She is a strip planked double ender and is a unique vessel. George designed her himself and included fittings in her that he had been collecting for years. She is built of Red Cedar and Oak and she is in excellent condition thanks to the loving attention of shipwrights Ian McKenzie, Jono Brown, and Dawn Johnston. She was purchased in 2006 on a whim by Mike and Carrol Browne of New Zealand and Margie Jamieson of Canada, none of whom had any boating experience, and taken to Prince William Sound in Alaska where she stayed for the next five years. The owners spent five idyllic summers exploring Prince William Sound and then brought her back to SE Alaska and ultimately Canada where she now lives at Ladysmith on Vancouver Island. Since 2011 Mike and Carrol Browne have been the sole owners. Senang Hati is a very strong and beautiful boat who attracts attention wherever she goes. We were very fortunate to have David Grimes, an Alaskan herring fisherman and conservationist with us. David patiently taught us how to travel safely and we could not have had a better teacher.