Sea Legs

In order to get this roller we had to go to Port Alberni. Ry and I took that as a perfect opportunity to get me my sea legs. I have been cruising around with the guys for some time now but never in real open ocean. We took Ry’s 14 foot hursten V haul for a crazy ride.
We took to the ocean at 7 am with 6 jerry cans filled with marine gas and enough food for an emergency cove/bay camping trip. Also we had life jackets, VHF radio and Ry’s Cell. Since the trip we have further accumulated an air horn and flare gun.

Apparently I was happy go lucky until we passed Cox Bay and it occurred to me we were in full open ocean. By the time Long beach came around I was gripping the boat. My right hand covered in blisters from my death grip. The swell was in the 5-7 ft range with rogues at 10 feet. My mind played tricks on me, being a surfer the only time I stare at swell is to figure out when it is going to break. While staring at the swell my mind kept telling me it was going to break on us which was not true.
I was glad when we hit Ucluelet and demanded Ry take me for a neighborhood walk as for some reason along the way I thought I might never get to appreciate the mundane things in life again. We filled the tank with Gas at Eagle Marine were a giant sealion came right up to the boat and as I took a photo smiled at the camera. Maybe he learnt this tactic would get him treats from tourists ? We had no treats, we used him for a photo.

After filling up our tank we headed through the broken island group. We stopped for a beach comb on Turtle Island. A huge airforce plane came plowing down on our sky line.. It was flying so low I was sure it was going to crash. Ry said it was the Hercules C1 or something like that.( Vero or Ry feel free to correct me on what it is called) It was massive and clipped the tree tops. Apparently the air force likes to use this area to do drills. Probably because of the low air traffic ? We had a well deserved beach nap and set off for the Alberni Canal. Apparently the canal is big enough to fit an air- craft carrier.


The second we hit Port Alberni the warm valley air hit us. All the layers of wool and jackets came off and we were in our swimming suits soaking in the summer.Mine being a gold bathing suit straight from the city of sin .
We went up the river and I took B+W film photos of the glacier and the river. We tied on to his mom dock where his brother and sister were merrily playing. We arrived at 4pm. Warning Gratuitous photos of me in a gold bikini:

It was a bit of travel time to be sure but then again we did take a lot stops to adventure. For some reason with the sceneray and the joy of being in the water it didn’t seem that long of ride at all.
I am unsure I could do the Tofino to Ucluelet part in a 14 ft boat that planes. The flying off the waves and bumping in to them just isn’t my style. I thing when my boat is ready and it flows with dips and rises of the ocean as oppose to plowing through I will be more seafaring.

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