You know that feeling that you get when you and your lover are prancing towards each other across a sun-kissed meadow, only to discover that you’re both running on treadmills? We experience this sensation in our dinghy sometimes when wind and current develop against us. We can see our destination, and we’d really like to get there… but our tiny electric trolling motor isn’t up to the task. Sometimes our destination is another boat, with a friend waiting patiently on…
Flashback: Wednesday, February 8, 1989, 7:59pm. My 11 year old self is getting mentally prepared. All the lights in the family room are at full brightness: check. Parents are just upstairs: check. I glance to the window, it’s pretty dark out there. Not ideal, but there’s nothing I can do about that. Do I really want to go through with this? Yes. My friends at school will be talking about this tomorrow. I’m committed. I flick on the TV and…
September found us making our way south down the coast of Oregon and into California, as well as beginning our grade 7 school year. Before we left home it was pretty common for somebody to ask, “Will you homeschool your kids?”, with maybe a hint of mischief in their eyes. “Of course we will.” I’d reply, oblivious. “How hard could it be?” Then I would stare into the distance and smile, imagining a typical day of homeschooling… I’ll wake up…
Hawkins Cheezies, the pride of Bellville Ontario. This exclusively Canadian snack-food has always had a special place in the arteries of this family. In Bamfield, BC, on our final night in Canada, we had the concerning realization that we might not see Cheezies again for a long time. It was 6:50pm. The nearby general store down the inlet would close in 10 minutes, and was at least that far away. We jumped into our dinghy and shoved off, with cries…
The next leg of our voyage would be south from Haida Gwaii, and down the west coast of Vancouver Island. Through sport-fishing crazed communities like Shearwater, Port Hardy, Winter Harbour, Walters Cove, and Bamfield. When you pass a stranger on the docks in these places, the smalltalk runs something like this: “Hey how’s it going?” “Good thanks, you catchin’ lots of fish?” “Yup, hundreds. You goin’ fishin’ soon?” “Yup, I’m actually fishin’ right now.” “Me too!” Or so I imagine….
We’d always wanted to see Haida Gwaii and at this point we were in the right neighbourhood. Getting there would involve our longest passage yet, across Hecate Strait. Yes… Hecate. Strait. Steeped in legends of nautical disaster. Crusty sea dogs on the BC coast will chill your soul with terrifying yarns of the Hecate. For a sailor in BC who has worked their way around the other notorious features, this is the final battle. The main boss. Darth Vader. Sauron….
This post talks quite a bit about beards. If that’s not something you’re comfortable with, you might want to skip this one. The next leg of our voyage was from Calvert Island, to Ketchikan Alaska during the month of June. The weather on the BC coast this spring was trash apocalyptic norwegian abnormal. While much of North America was experiencing blistering heat waves, we were mostly shivering and damp, hoping that some bright grey might break through the darker grey…
We had read that when you move onto a boat to go sailing, to expect a period of mourning for the life that you leave behind. Preposterous advice!! Where will I find time to grieve during this laugh-a-minute instagrasmic nautical thrill-ride?? The advice was apt. Despite having a great time overall, this first period included a lot of introspection and self doubt. Why did we pull our kids from school and friendships to drift through the wilderness? Will they learn…
Before sailing off to foreign destinations it’s common to do a smaller “shakedown” trip, to ensure that your mechanical and emotional systems are in tip top condition. For this reason we chose to spend the summer sailing in BC before aiming south. On May 20th, 8 days after departure we’d made it north as far as Powell River before the shakedown shook something loose. Specifically our cutlass bearing, a small brass and rubber gland in the stern of the boat…
Ending a relationship after 18 years is no inconsequential event. As we watched our 2004 Toyota Echo drive away with her new owners, every dent was a memory. The one with the yellow paint from the parking lot bollard. The huge one from our friend’s pickup truck in the Thrifty’s parking lot. Remember when we drove the kids home from the hospital to the boat? Remember all the ridiculous things we strapped the roof? The antenna fiasco? The snowplow incident?…