What’s in a Name? Knapp Island
Kayakers crossing Colburne Passage NE of Swartz Bay and SE of Piers Island, pass Knapp island (shaped like a cashew nut). The island was named after Kemster Knapp (1858), an instructor aboard HMS America. It was also known, in the old days, as Mosquito Is. (presumably for good reason)
The island was owned by Joseph Quadros from the Azores, who also acquired Pym Is. in 1889. Subsequent owners included Hollywood film director Victor Fleming and a Texan multi-millionaire Guy Waggoner who built a luxury home and small boatyard. Entrepreneur Andrew Evans and his wife Ann, a Shinto princess, bought Knapp Is. in 1995 and built a Shinto shrine and a practice space for martial arts; the island is private. The Fulford Harbour ferry usually passes between Piers and Knapp islands, reminding us to be cautious. A beach at the southern end of Knapp Island provides a good spot to regroup before crossing Colburne Passage and evading the BC ferries.
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