Then and Now… WOW

JULY, 2018

Crew change in Port McNeill  with Ken our faithful crew coming aboard so Sideways Sally and the Amazing Janaye with her Mom Jackie could catch a ride back to Vancouver with Tanis, the other half of the Ken crew.

MUGGED BY HUMPBACKS!!

Well, the East Coast Skipper had seen alot of big whales in his day,  Right Whales in the Bay of Fundy, Humpbacks off the coast of Newfoundland,  but never this close up.  He also took many, many friends out sailing on his Tanzer 22, and had great times which make great stories.  Sideways Sally has heard them all, but my favorite is when he was out with a certain friend who’s name is changed to protect their identity.  “Charlie” was always keen to join Hershey on the water, and since he’d been out quite a few times, the skipper felt confident one fine, calm afternoon that Charlie could take the helm while he went below decks to make a cup of tea.

The skipper is very happy when people come aboard and show interest and share his love of sailing.  He was feeling life was quite perfect that afternoon, nothing is more luxurious than sipping  tea in the cockpit in the sunshine.  Giving Charlie his last minute instructions to go on either side of the fairway buoy that was just ahead of the boat, the skipper thought it was all very straightforward.  As he was below letting his tea brew there was a loud “thud” and a sudden jolt that sent the tea flying.  Looking out the hatch he immediately saw that Charlie had ran smack into the buoy.   The skipper shouted, “either side was open and clear, why did you hit the buoy?”  To which Charlie replied, “I couldn’t make up my mind which way to go.”  Luckily there was no great amount of damage, just spilled tea, so away they went.   The skipper still scratches his head when he tells this story now.

Sideways Sally is determined to put a secret camera on board when the Skipper and his mate Ken go out adventuring.   She really needs to know how they manage to do everything just fine without her.  This year they had a wonderful time eating chili several times a day for days in a row,  (which Tanis had prepared ahead of time) so why cook if you don’t have to?  They also manage to anchor safely then drink beer and play chess to their hearts content, not always in that order.   No one is telling them when to get up, clean up, or how to do stuff, and it’s a happy, messy men’s world at sea.   It’s not all smooth sailing tho, and it’s normal to have things break on a sailboat.

This year they broke the throttle cable, but no panic, they were able to motor into Forward Harbor and put the anchor down, then put their heads together to jury rig a solution.    Ken and the skipper go way back to working together in the window business in Winnipeg Manitoba.  Hershey was the engineer and Ken was in quality control.  What two better minds to fix problems!!

In no time they had a line running from the fuel throttle inside the engine compartment, up through some plumbing tubing through a hatch to the cockpit,  and taped in place with electric tape, then tied to the rail beside the helmsman’s seat.   All the skipper had to do to run the engine was pull on the line running to the throttle which is spring loaded, and he could control the speed of the boat while under power.   It felt and looked like he was holding the reins of a horse, YEEHAW!!

No doubt this was all done with alot of laughs and alot less time without the instructions and suggestions from the 1st mate.   They truly have a good time with their trips together on the water.

This year they were in for a special treat.  They were SO thrilled and scared shitless all at the same time, to get mugged by humpbacks.  This is the day every boater dreams about (OR NOT).  Ken especially has always wished to get the experience of being close up and personal with some wild life since his boating times are once or twice a summer as timing allows.  His wish came true and he caught some great video of humpbacks “mugging” OMOO barely more than an arms’ length away.

What a show these large humpbacks put on,  coming over to OMOO who was stopped with the engine off as soon as they saw the blows.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU KEN FOR SHARING YOUR VIDEOS ON OUR BLOG.

NOW WE CAN HARDLY WAIT FOR NEXT SEASON!!