The Coast Guard vessel Vector is open again today (Oct. 19) for public tours until 4:30 p.m.. The ship is docked beside the Maritime Discovery Centre’s lighthouse gallery.
Thursday’s public tour was busy all afternoon, and the ship’s crew also hosted school groups in the morning, where kids learned about what the scientists aboard the ship are doing.
One of the memorable activities according to a student from Neill Elementary was “touching 900-year-old mud”. Students also learned that crew members and scientists live aboard the ship while on expeditions, so there were people sleeping in the bunk rooms while they were touring the vessel.
“It’s still a working ship,” explained Karen Geiger, science communications advisor for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. “When they do their expeditions they sleep and eat on board,” she explained.
Crew members from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Natural Resources Canada and scientists from Royal Roads University were on board, and the vessel also has marine research equipment and displays of research from the surrounding area that members of the public will be able to see.
The Vector will make its way down the Alberni Inlet to the west coast for open houses in Tofino on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 12:30–4:30 p.m. at the First Street Public Dock and Sunday, Oct. 21 in Ucluelet by the Ucluelet Aquarium, where the vessel will be open from 12:30–3:30 p.m.
