Sailing Vessel Karma

So thankful for the Harmony Bay Hail Mary, our spirits were high all day Saturday and we really enjoyed the Happy Hour in Lagoon Cove that night. We chatted with such friendly folks. We had already met most of the people on the dock when we were covered in oil. Maybe we looked different than before? Because two boats offered us rides to Port McNeill leaving by 7am Sunday, the next day. One, a large power boat that indeed would have been luxurious. The people? Unknowns. The other, fast friends from the evening aboard their Albin 27′ powerboat. Decisions, decisions. What a change from the night before.

After Happy Hour, we walked the dock to say by to…everyone at the dock…and to inform all potential travel mates of our decision to ride with the Canadian crew aboard the Albin 27! They trailer the boat so have boated on Lake Ontario, the Great Loop down to the Bahamas, and all over the BC coast. Rodger and Mary were just the neatest folks. We tucked in Karma and joined at 7 the next the morning to pull their own prawn trap. I helped Rodger process the prawns, spotted ones included. We got 15 or so. They haven’t had the best luck prawning despite trying very hard. We had freshly made coffee with maple syrup from their alcohol stove and the most lovely 7 knot, 5 hour cruise to Alert Bay on Cormorant Island.

In Alert Bay, we met Mary’s friend from 30 years past and explored the U’mista Cultural Center. The center hosts a permanent collection which includes items reclaimed over time from when they were taken from the island during the potlatch ban. In the website’s words,

The potlatch was banned in Canada between 1885 and 1951. The masks and other regalia that you see here were all confiscated after an illegal potlatch in 1921. After the ban was lifted, the Kwakwaka’wakw people fought for decades for the return of their sacred regalia that had ended up in museum and private collections around the world. Most of the regalia has come home and it is shown here at the U’mista Cultural Centre and at the Nuyumbalees Museum.

The masks were striking. You can see the collection here with descriptions and stories accompanying: U’mista Potlatch Collection. One of my favorites was the Sap’agaml mask whose story is rooted in a creature capable of transformation; the mask thus has interchangeable mouthpieces to represent the raven, the eagle, and the bear. To talk about this small island’s history requires mentioning the residential schools of Canada. Cormorant Island hosted a residential school from 1929 – 1975 when it changed hands to the native Namgis’ people. A formal apology to former students was issued by the Prime Minister in 2008. It included these words by PM Stephen Harper.

Two primary objectives of the residential school system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture.

These objectives were based on the assumption that aboriginal cultures and spiritual beliefs were inferior and unequal. Indeed, some sought, as was infamously said, “to kill the Indian in the child”.

Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country. One hundred and thirty-two federally-supported schools were located in every province and territory, except Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

After some attempts to reclaim the building for other purposes, the building was demolished in 2015 alongside a ceremony. Too much history here for a day! And beautiful art. Effects of the residential schools were seen all over our travel in Canada as we saw many many bright orange shirts worn; they read “Every Child Matters” and aim to honor the children who suffered abuse at these schools.

We booked a hotel room in Port McNeill for the night, a short ferry ride away. Walking back to the ferry, we saw a man in a bright orange shirt messing with a disgruntled trampoline. Offering some assistance, we learned that he, Arnie, was using the mesh to making a drying rack for kelp. He gave us a ride to the ferry landing and promised we’ll try some later. After hearing our plight, he also offered to take us back to Karma on his gillnetter whenever we return. “Just come knock on my boat. I’m usually around.” A solid plan for the way back!

In Port McNeill we had some of the best pizza at Devil’s Bath Brewery. The next morning we walked to the bus and had a nice long chat with the driver. She told us about the fun FiLoMi festivals – fishing logging mining – and how the town has really seen a drop in population, mainly from the decline of those industries. Not many youths stay close to home after unyouthing anymore. She dropped us off route at the car rental – my first ever.

Ten minutes into the drive we saw two smiling folks our age with a cardboard sign reading Nanaimo. Can we do that in a rental car? I drove past. Then immediately turned around and picked them up. Annie and Liam were also the neatest folks. Full of joy. We found out hours later that Annie was graduating medical school in Ireland the next day and that was why they needed the Nanaimo ride, to get to Vancouver (city on the main mainland). If the flight went smoothly, she would arrive just hours before the ceremony. This trip of theirs started in Toronto where she met her old pal from their Costa Rica van life days. He is well versed in the train hopping methods and had tons of stories to tell, including past trips with Annie. Which train cars are the best to ride on. How to get away from “the bull” (security guard) if you get caught. They hopped trains all across the beautiful Canadian country to Prince Rupert, BC with the mission of seeing a salmon run. They took the ferry south to Port Hardy on Vancouver Island where our paths crossed days later.

We were also catching that Nanaimo to Vancouver ferry for the wedding flight so we stuck together all day, visiting Comox, walking the docks, and prying for boat tours. They related our joy of dock walking to how they check out transfer stations and train depots. The folks at the car rental place took a lengthy look at us when the cardboard sign reading Nanaimo fell out of the trunk but shuttled us all over to a recommended pub near the ferry anyway. A place called Mario’s Irish Pub. We all wanted to get a pint just to see what red headed Annie’s thick Irish accent would sound like inside an Irish pub named after Mario but decided on another, with cheap pitchers. Sleepy at the ferry landing, we watched their bags while they had one last hurrah walk around the town. They near missed the ferry! I was asking the attendants to watch after their bags in case they return – a request met with bad looks.

They returned with wine and beers that we snuck onto the ferry where Liam showed us the coolest book you’ll never see at the library, “A Guide to Hiking and Camping in United States and Canada.” If you want this book, you need first to find someone with it. Then you go to a store and photo copy each page. The font is very small. Fold it in half and bam you have your copy. It was written by a legend and details crew changes, types of cargo, and which mile markers trains stop at for many many train lines among other things. The bible. It was a well used copy.

Liam also showed us the coolest thing around his neck. The background: the worst and most sketch train car to ride on is one of those open looking frame only ones. Contrast it with the best: the unused engine car in the middle of the train. There is a bathroom, it’s covered, it’s luxury. These are more tricky what with their locked doors. Trick is, they are all the same lock. Liam made fast friends with a station worker somewhere, sometime who miraculously returned with a copy of this key. You can only copy it from a master key, so no luck making more from his. He pulled out his necklace and we beheld this glorious key to comfort. We thought this little sailing thing was semi niche but dang what a different corner of the world.

We landed in Vancouver where a friend Hayden picked us up. We spent 2023 New Years with him in Bellingham alongside Ethan and Riley. Hayden drove us to East Van, dropping off our friends at the liquor store semi close to the tracks which they wanted to check out, just like we would with any docks. As we said bye, Annie gave me a pair of earrings Liam had made. Copper coins crushed on the tracks. Really beautiful. I would wear these to my sister’s wedding. Hayden gave us the tour and some beers at the brewery he works then we ran all around East Van. His roommate, also named Liam met us; the quirk about this Liam is that he grew up in Haida Gwaii – islands very much on our itinerary for the summer.

We ended the night with pizza early in the morning and crashed on their couch/floor. We woke up 2 hours later, late to catch our flight. The phone that had charge didn’t have service, the phone that had service was dead. We had to wake up Haida Gwaii Liam for a charger but he instead kindly called us a cab. An hour before the flight left, we entered the airport and were reminded to get here earlier next time. The rushing around we did was futile because the flight was delayed more than 3 hours. They changed the second flight as well which landed us in Missoula Montana for a tear jerking sunset.

My lovely sister Alyssa, the other bridesmaid, picked us up and we were off choring. Liam and his brother, who was recruited to DJ the wedding, had suits shuttled by other chaotic means and middlemans to good family friends in Missoula, MT. These are the same kind folks who end up bringing us a great used engine to the small fishing village in Canada, Ucluelet for our quick n dirty engine repower on anchor. Janet and Amos welcomed us in for the handoff and a chat before we drove northwest to Savenac. Our oldest sister Dani and her fiance were still up late chatting with recently arrived friends and family by the time we got in.

Many festivities followed including some light mountain biking which I enjoyed while Liam stayed and made many a call to order a new water pump from our friends at Hatton Marine out of Seattle. These folks are the best with help over the phone. They have a detailed knowledge base about all parts Yanmar. When naming standards changed, cross validation genius, diagnostic assistance etc. Task done.

The friend cabin hang out pre-wedding, birthday cakes, the games, the rehearsal dinner, the wedding, the dancing, it was all QUITE enjoyable. Well worth the long trek. And we got to celebrate my new older brother Ben’s successful PhD defense too! He was supposed to walk that day turns out, but chose to do wedding instead. Liam’s brother played Pomp and Circumstance as Ben’s Aunt dressed him in a robe and cap. Had a great night with lots of dancin’ thanks to our debuting DJ, Liam’s brother Tristan.

The salty engine had been flushed with fresh oil, it was safe at a highly affordable dock with lovely hosts, the new part was ordered, we had a promised ride back with Arnie the gillnetter/kelp farmer, we met lovely new folks and got to spend time with an old friend, and made it to a most beautiful wedding. A busy few days indeed.