Dragonflight

More from “Winter Passage”
After purchasing 20-acres on Middle Rendezvous Island, a floating dock was quickly built for Chiron in the small deep bay on the west side of the island. We began to work with an architect on plans for a permanent house. Meanwhile we realized that we needed a small, fast boat to take us into Heriot Bay for grocery shopping and picking up mail. After lots of research, Bob decided upon a 15-foot Dauntless series Boston Whaler with a 50 hp Honda outboard. We named her “Dragonfly.” Bob wrote about our first experiences with Dragonfly in our newsletter to friends and family…

____________________________

…. Dragonfly was everything we expected it to be and more. What we didn’t expect was the way that it reflected the changing patterns of our lives. On 5 July, Chiron towed Dragonfly from Campbell River to its new home on Middle Rendezvous Island.

The next day we took Dragonfly into Heriot Bay for groceries and mail, covering the distance in minutes rather than hours. We gained swift passage, ease of mooring at the tourist-crowded docks, the ability to shop and return in a small part of the morning instead of committing a whole day to the venture. In turn we lost some of the wonderful gracefulness of a sailing yacht in passage. We were accustomed to counting eagles along Whale Passage, talking to the seals that came alongside, going below to make fresh coffee and sandwiches to share with the helmsman, listening to classical music, the luxury of a stove burning in the salon to warm you on rainy days, and of course, the company of cats. But Dragonfly is swift. Now we move at five-fold Chiron’s gentle 7-knot pace.

A week or so later, we were running low on drinking water and I needed to find a place to fill Chiron’s tanks. I decided to take Dragonfly north through the Yuculta Rapids to Big Bay on Stuart Island and see what was available. In less than half an hour I ran the rapids and whirlpools and felt very confident of Dragonfly’s seaworthiness as I docked at Big Bay Marina. Lots of big motor yachts, mostly U.S. designations. Very upscale looking crowd in souvenir tee shirts confirming that they had in fact made it this far north. As I stepped to the dock, I unclipped my VHF radio and called Morningstar on channel 09.

“Chiron, Chiron, Chiron - this is Dragonfly. Over.”

“Dragonfly, this is Chiron. Over.”

“Well, I’m here. I’ll check the store and water situation and head back shortly. Skies getting dark. Over.”

“Roger - I’ll be waiting. Over.”

“Dragonfly out.”

As I started along toward the Marina Store people called to me from their boats, and I realized from their comments and questions that they were treating me as a local - asking my advice on dealing with these rapids and understanding the weather. It was a feeling that had been evolving since our trip to Refuge Cove and Morningstar had noted that we had been pointed out and photographed as we walked along the docks. We had become the ‘color’ in other folk’s vacation snapshots!

Today, here in Big Bay I could distinctly sense the differences as I walked with purpose through the boaters that idled here, drinks in hand, waiting out the weather in this Tupperware haven. These were the summer people. The tourists. And they looked the part. I reached the store and as I stuck out my hand to open the door, I stopped. There was my image darkly reflected back at me. Long gray hair, shoulder length. Face burned dark by the sun and wind, lean now. Dressed in my bright yellow foul weather jacket, safety harness with radio clipped to the webbing, shorts and Tevas. And I had just come through the Yuculta Rapids against the current. Hell yes! He’s a local.

The Big Bay Marina Store struck me oddly. Immediately inside the entrance was a well-stocked liquor agency and to the right, a gift area which was the source of the self-conscious tee-shirts, ubiquitous ‘Scenic BC’ postcards and the usual coffee table books for the functionally illiterate. But the food store itself was poorly stocked and the refrigerator cases more than half-empty. What was there looked pretty sorry. Two forlorn loaves of bread represented the baked goods. This was mid-July and I had expected substantial provisions. Around the other side was a large area dedicated to the espresso minded. Expensive flavored blends for those who haven’t learned to drink real coffee yet. I had to assume that this choice of supplies reflected the tastes of those who inhabited the marina, however briefly. I was rapidly developing a pretty dismal view of this place and its transient population. Forget the water. Time to leave.

Returning to Chiron, I explained what had happened at Big Bay and then talked Morningstar into coming with me on one more Dragonfly trip while the weather held. We had both wanted to visit the new store at Surge Narrows. It was only a short distance from Middle Rendezvous Island, but it lay on the other side of Whiterock Passage. Morningstar was understandably a little hesitant. Currents can roar through Surge Narrows at 16 knots, and up to 14 knots on the ebb. It is considered one of the fastest-flowing and most dangerous tidal streams in the world.

Whiterock Passage has claimed its share of boats but we had already done it months ago in Chiron and now I was proposing to run it in Dragonfly, an altogether more suitable boat. We had been reading the ads posted all over the area (as far west as the bulletin board in the Laundromat at Campbell River Marina) that announced that the store was open and operating “seven days a week, 9 am till 9 pm.” It seemed like a good antidote to the Big Bay experience. So we went. (written by Bob - July 1998)

To be continued…