Yes, maybe. I can’t claim to be much of a sailor. In fact, any vessel over the size of a kayak or canoe is way beyond my abilities, unless I’m driving onto a ferry – you might have read before about how I like to park at the front of an open car deck and pretend to be the captain. No? Oh. Let’s pretend I didn’t say that…
Last weekend I got to spend quite some time on the water, in the sturdy Nahmint 5, and in a police launch. These were the two vessels used to transport excited youth, elders, mentors, and a slightly nervous PlaidCamper out to remote tribal lands, a camping spot that felt far from the modern world, and all the better for that.
The day had dawned with quite a bit of cloud cover and a real chill in the air. Our destination is reputed to be one of the rainiest places in Canada, and it appeared as though we’d be experiencing some of that soon. Fortunately, the cloud and mist burned off by midday, and as we pulled away from Ucluelet and headed towards the Broken Islands, the day warmed up and everything was a glorious blue, punctuated by island jewels of green and grey, with the distant mountains of the main island reaching up above cloud cloaked shoulders.
What a ride, with smooth, smooth water all about. My nerves over being in a small craft on open water were soon as calm as the almost mirror flat surface we moved across.
Honestly, I’d not been too sure about the boat ride, having felt rather green about the gills in a heavy swell a couple of years back, but last week was fine. Sea legs? My sea legs were behaving, and we enjoyed a magnificent hour or more, fuelled by strong coffee, bright sunshine, and excited chatter.
I’ll write about the days spent camping, and some of the adventures we experienced over a few posts in the coming weeks, but thought I’d start with this, the short voyage to reach our destination. And, because I’m a little boy, I couldn’t resist including the police launch used for the trip back. What fun it was, getting my non-existent locks wind-tossed and wet in the sea spray thrown up by a fast-moving boat – far better than me fast-moving to the side and throwing up…
I’ve never been in the back of a police car (being a law-abiding sort) but now I can say I’ve been hauled into the back of a police launch (my initial clamber in wasn’t so elegant…)
I’ll leave it there, happily pretending to be an almost salty sea dog, and continue the tale another time.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 
Loved your photos, especially the 2nd with that pop of orange in an otherwise almost black and white photo. It looks like a beautiful ride.
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Thank you! Smooth sailing – boating? – made it very pleasant. The mist and fog blows in and out so quickly, I’m never sure how the photos will turn out, but it keeps it interesting. I should try to learn more about taking pictures in particular conditions, rather than pointing and shooting and never truly understanding what works…
Hope your weekend is going well!
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As usual, you had me chuckling, pc. Pretending to be a sea captain on a car ferry, your non-existent wind-tossed locks, and your not-so-elegant clamber into the police boat. Your trip looks like so much fun. You captured the thrill for all of you on the boat on your big trip. And wow, did you ever luck out with the weather. Great post. Looking forward to hearing about the event. Have a great weekend, my friend.
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Thanks, Jet! It was a great trip, and the boat ride was a wonderful way to start and finish the weekend, especially for a non-nautical hanger on like me. More to follow on the camping part…
I hope your weekend is going well!
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Aye aye Captain Camper! Sounds like the kind of educational camp-out I could really set my sails to. A wonderful introduction to your sunny voyage into a wild and rainy district. Thank you, and I’ll be looking forward to hearing more of the developments there.
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Thanks, Walt! The youngsters were far more capable on board than I was, and they were pretty happy campers as well. I suspect I learned rather more from them over the weekend than they did from me. It’s heartening to see engaged youth and how they develop into community leaders and take care of themselves and their surroundings. More on that in a future post or two.
I hope you’ve been enjoying a good weekend out and about!
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“… because I’m a little boy…” – ah, so many of my escapades, from early adolescence to present could (should) start with this disclaimer.
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Thanks, Bob – made me laugh once again. “If it would please the court, we’d like to contend the accused should be excused because he is, in truth, a little boy…”
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Beautiful photos and glad to read to you got your sea legs on that smooth, smooth water! Please tell me that you have a captain’s hat for those ferry rides!! I’ve enjoyed learning about Canada through your adventures and it has been wonderful to read and see all these wonderful areas around Ucluelet. Looking forward to hearing about your weekend off the grid and the remote tribal lands. Love the shot of the police launch with the reflections and it’s a good thing you don’t have to worry about long wind tossed hair when you find yourself racing to side of the boat when the sea legs get a little shaky. Manchester United/Everton is our main game today on tv, hope it’s being shown in your beautiful area!
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Thank you! Yes, we are currently living in a beautiful area, a place for outside adventure on and off the water (mostly off, probably a good thing unless we’re in kayaks in sheltered bays!) I will have to look out for a captain’s hat, and get the Jeep windows heavily tinted…
Oh the football game today – was the MU penalty a penalty? I think not! Excellent goal by Martial, and Everton getting one back kept it interesting, and they squandered some good chances, sigh. Mourinho lives to grumble and moan another day!
Hope your weekend is going well!
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Definitely a penalty!😁
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The Everton one? I agree – and it easily beat De Gea, unlike Pogba against Pickford! (OK, he got the rebound, but what was with the “run up”?!)
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He should have received a penalty for that “run up”!😁
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How exciting to be in a police launch! I could sense your excitement. Glad your sea legs behaved themselves PC. And look forward to hearing about your adventures. 😊
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Thanks, Miriam! I always feel guilty whenever I drive past a parked police car (I think many of us do, even when we’ve done nothing wrong!) so it was great to relax and laugh and chat with the officer in charge of the launch. Turns out, as suspected, police officers are human!
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Sounds like a the beginning of a great trip Adam!
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Thanks, Wayne – it was a lot of fun (and dry,) and to the sort of place you’d enjoy.
Hope all is well with you, and there’s a weather gap sometime soon for your next trip!
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maybe Sunday?
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