Nanaimo Harbor

Nanaimo. Now there's a name to call up memories, some recent and others decades old. Nanaimo meant sunny summer boating in our early-married years. We felt oh! so adventurous after we upgraded to a fast 24' Sea Ray and finally cruised north of the American San Juan Islands, crossed the Georgia Straits and the Canadian border to spend RL's too-short vacation time in British Columbia. Scuba diving, fishing, water skiing and exploring filled our days with non-stop activity, and our time in port was just as busy. Nanaimo Harbor featured a shopping mall with convenient access to replenish ice for the coolers, and to buy the groceries and beverages that we couldn't legally bring across the border. Then there was the year we hit town the weekend of the Bathtub Race - OMG, what a crazy harbor happening! The bathtub boats departed Nanaimo Harbor (on Vancouver Island) and headed across some big water to the city of Vancouver (on the mainland), but the party reportedly went on for days. 

In recent years we've just passed through Nanaimo on road trips to and from the boat. We use the Duke Point ferry as our Vancouver Island access point, lingering in town only when necessary to sit in line at the terminal's parking lot, waiting to board the ferry. My August seaplane stop in Nanaimo (link) doesn't count as a visit since we were back in the air again minutes later. 

The shorter hours of winter daylight didn't encourage us to wander through town on this month's cruise south. We did meet some interesting boaters on the dock and enjoyed a leisurely cruise of Nanaimo's working waterfront the next day as we departed. I'd like to spend more time shoreside exploring southern Vancouver Island, the parts we don't see from the water.

Photo: Containers and container cranes line the waterfront.

Photo: Small but mighty yard tug works the log booming ground.

Photo: This large Colossus of a ship had an unusual bow profile.

Photo: B.C. ferries link Vancouver Island with the mainland and smaller islands.

Trivia question: What do you call a Canadian harbormaster or dock master?
Answer: Wharfinger

   

Moving the Boat

Campbell River, B.C. to Nanaimo, B.C.
75.7 nautical miles                                 9 hours travel time
water temp 42.7 f - 42.3 f                       air temp 43 f - 46 f

Photo: Seagulls and logs were the primary traffic on Day One of the run south.

Departure morning began several hours before dawn with noisy activity along shore and on the docks as well. Tugboat crews fired up early, the Quadra Island ferry sounded its arrival/departure horn, noisy water taxi passengers gathered for the first runs of the day, and truck tires crunched and spun throughout the gravel parking lot. We waited to untie until 20 minutes before official sunrise, until logs and drift would be easier to spot. 

Shades of gray colored the world early on; dark, dark gray water below, medium gray sky above and light gray fog patches moving all around, limiting visibility. With zero wind to ruffle the water it was easy to spot the many logs that peppered the channel along the southeast shore of Vancouver Island. That was appreciated since so many round, peppercorn-like chunks in the distance turned out to be the end of ugly spear-like telephone-pole sized logs! 

There were few vessels traveling along our route, just a couple of ferries, two water taxis and a handful of small fishing skiffs. The day lightened up a bit, changing from gray to gray-blue and the water remained flat calm. Seagulls, osprey, eagles and an occasional seal provided some interest along the route, but this was mainly a day to cover some miles and appreciate the perfect cruising conditions as we headed south to the shipyard.     

B is for Bait

A bag of 2012 bait, filled with chunks of salmon carcass, gave rise to a fun photo op when I cleaned out the freezer.

One gull spotted me walking out the salon door with ziploc in hand. Was he sitting at the fish-cleaning station across the fairway, waiting for a free lunch? 

A second seagull arrived to drive off gull #1 and bullied his way up to the defrosting salmon frames.

Mmmmmm, tasty.

Then the air filled with squawking, diving, feisty birds as they all asserted their claim to this fishy treasure.

No contact or actual combat occurred - it all appeared to be posturing and complaining as the dominant birds swooped in and the others scattered. 

Hey!!! who invited the seal?

That did it, one seal mouthful and the party was over.