The red dots on the blue water represent all the boats anchored with us.
August 18th
Gorge Harbour back to Rebecca Spit
David and I watched a neighbor haul their dinghy back up on
their deck with their fancy retractable winch. We were boasting that are
methods for the same task were like a “well oiled machine”. We got up and decided to show everyone how it
is done.
Once the dinghy was raised high above the water, I handed
off the dinghy line to David, brought up the fenders and then headed up the
ladder to the boat deck to help him land the dinghy. Our routine is like a well-rehearsed
dance, partners supporting each other with grace and confidence. Right. As I
climbed the ladder, I found the trap door closed and after I folded and clipped
it in place, it loosened and rudely struck me on the top of my head. That was
the first debacle. The second was the gangway cover secured with Velcro and
snaps. I fumbled with the fabric trying to escape. Meanwhile, David landed the
dinghy all on his own. We could not control our laughter. Yep, a well-oiled
machine…that’s us!
During my time at the helm today, I had to slow down after
spotting a whale surfacing just a few hundred feet from our bow. That got David’s attention and he quickly
reappeared from the engine room. David agreed it was a good move.
Uganda Pass
We returned to Rebecca Spit to attend a dinner show. The
performing storyteller, Grant Lawrence, is a Canadian author and CBC radio
personality. He shared excerpts from two of his three award winning books. One
story had to do with the BC Ferry system and brought hysterical laughter from
the audience. A childhood memory of his family attending a potluck in
Desolation Sound which turned out to be a gathering of nudists was charming and
more than a little amusing. Grant was joined by three musician friends who
provided stories in song. A good time was had by all.
Our evening was shared with our table mates who were
local residents. Dennis left the U.S. as a young man. He shared that he had
become disgruntled with the politics in the U.S. at the time he left and now
has a duel citizenship. His wife, Meghan, was a retired Canadian teacher. The four of us all live in rural areas which
are tourist destinations, and we had a long discussion on the pros and cons of
the tourist invasions. Dennis and Meghan are snowbirds who spend their winters
in Palm Desert.
We had to drive our dinghy back to our boat in the dark
after the show. Getting myself into the boat was pure comedy. Somewhat tipsy, I
had to step off a wobbly dock and into the boat. That was only going to turn
out badly. Instead, I chose to aim my
bottom for the bow of the boat and when planted, swing my legs awkwardly into
the boat giggling uncontrollably. Not graceful but effective.
We cruised across the darkened harbor while I held two
flashlights over the bow. How David found our boat amongst all those other
vessels when all I could see were anchor lights, I just don’t know, but he
zipped right alongside the Belle.
Did find some boat names worth sharing: Natural High,
Peer Pressure, 50 Cubits, Never Home, Any Excuse
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