The Lure of Boats
By W.L.Wenaus
Boating is a natural activity for many people who grew up near the ocean. But for some this foreign territory filled with angles of masts and ropes, colours of blues and reds, and sounds of flags flapping in the sea wind appear to be nothing less than exotic. The opportunity to become part of this unique world is not difficult if you live in Nanaimo or in any of the surrounding coastal communities. Courses, guided tours, safety training, and events designed to draw you into the water culture are readily available throughout the Gulf Islands.
The lure of boats started for Kevin Ratcliff as a young boy when he joined the Navy and Sea Cadets. As the owner of the Harbour City Sailing School he trains novices and experienced sailors through the Continuing Education Marine Program at Vancouver Island University. When he first started teaching at the school (then called Nanaimo Sailing School), most of the students were local people that already had some boating experience. Now 80% of his students come from Alberta or out of province and have never been on the water before. He says, “People move to the island to retire or work and it doesn’t matter if they are a power boater or a sail boater they will at some time get on the water”.
“There’s nothing like being on the water… it tickles a part of the brain.”
Captain Valma Brenton, owner of HerizenTM Sailing For Women (a division of Herizen Life Adventures International Inc.) based out of Nanaimo, knows that boating experiences for men and women are different. That’s why HerizenTM is uniquely designed to train women exclusively on how to sail with confidence. Captain Brenton has been sailing in waters around the world for the past 25 years. In addition to obtaining many boating certifications and licenses, she is a businesswoman, a writer, and a photojournalist. She is also a life coach, certified in many disciplines of Yoga, and as a Consilence Energy Management therapist Valma is able to offer women sailors an enlightening experience and an opportunity to tap into their “higher self”. Learn to sail in the pristine waters of BC’s Gulf Islands, Desolation Sound, and the Gulf of Georgia or in the tropical waters of the British Virgin Islands, Baja, Mexico, Belize, or the Mediterranean.
Safety in the water for all boaters experienced or new cannot be stressed enough. David Mailloux, Marina Supervisor at the Port Authority also volunteers with the Nanaimo Power and Sail Squadron, a non-profit, volunteer organization that makes safety its business. The Squadron started in 1956 with a few local boaters looking for training and has grown over the years to over 500 members. During the 12 to 14 optimum boating weeks in the summer, 22,000 people in 7,000 vessels come through Dodd Narrows into Nanaimo Harbour. David says, “Knowledge of boating safety is essential. You need training if you are operating on these dynamic waters and in this very busy harbour”.
If becoming the captain of a power or sailboat is not your goal, you might join a Dragon Boat or Outrigger team. GO Rowing & Paddling Association of Canada provide communities an opportunity for a positive experience in rowing and paddling sports. The Nanaimo Paddling Centre, a branch of the Canadian Association, offers dragon boat and outrigger canoe programs for all ages and experience levels. The NPC is also the official training centre for the Nanaimo Dragon Boat Festival held this year July 10th to 12th. This festival is fast becoming one of the most exciting boating experiences in Nanaimo, not only for the paddlers, but for the spectators as well. The rhythm of the welcoming drums echoing across the water stirs something deep in all that are present. The ancient ritual of “Awakening the Dragon” with the eye-dotting ceremony brings out the fire and gives the boats, crew and spectators the strength of the dragon. If you have already taken the plunge to be one of the members of a 22-person crew, you have already been stirred by the power created when 20 paddles dip into the water as one. If you are watching from shore you vow that next year you will be in one of those boats working as part of a team… sharing the ecstasy of victory or the anguish of defeat.
You might like to try something more extreme. If that’s the case, find an old bathtub, figure out how you can keep it afloat, and enter the International World Championship Bathtub Race, part of the Nanaimo Marine Festival held this year from July 23rd to 26th. Why anyone would be crazy enough to attempt this grueling 36 mile race from Nanaimo Harbour, around Entrance and Winchelsea Islands, then back to the finish line at Departure Bay in a 3’ 6’’ vessel propelled by an eight horsepower motor, is something only a bathtubber could explain.
If you can’t see yourself as a captain, part of a rowing team, paddling around in a kayak or canoe, or navigating a bathtub, you might consider chartering a boat. Imagine sitting in a deck chair sipping an apéritif just as the sun slides out of sight on a sparkling tangerine ocean. You could anchor off one of the six Gulf Islands or be tucked into an isolated bay somewhere in Desolation Sound. The neigbouring boat could be owned by one of the many celebrities that enjoy these islands: Bobby Orr, Barbara Streisand, John Travolta, Harrison Ford, are just a few of the celebs sited in these waters.
Although living on a boat is not encouraged thousands of boaters do spend a large part of the year on their boats. Many of the boats in the Boat Basin are moored all year round and for the first time this year the Port Authority is offering some yearly leases. People staying on boats can be anybody from a salty old sea dog to a CEO of a bank. Some of the boats moored in the harbour are used by commuters to get to work, transport the kids to school and pick up supplies. Others are there waiting to be used for weekend getaways to some of the most beautiful water destinations in the world.
What is the lure of boats? Is it the sense of adventure, the challenge of maneuvering the currents, the thrill of the speed or the game played with winds that are trying to deflate a billowing sail? Is it the freedom felt when the bite of salty winds and whipping hair tendrils sting the face? If the image of you sailing into the sunset on blue-green coral tropical sea seems like a far away dream, consider one of the other ways you can play on these beautiful waters. It can be as easy as setting sail on a Nanaimo Harbour Ferry for a day of unforgettable marine adventure around the waterfront or taking a luxurious BC Ferry on a trip to one of the Gulf Islands.
Whatever your boating experience might be, all boaters will tell you that once you get out on the water you will have a passion for it. David Mailloux sums it up best. He says, “There’s nothing like being on the water… it tickles a part of the brain.”
This article appeared in the May June 2009 issue of More Living magazine.