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Frolicking with BCA Last May

Nikki Tate-Stratton

Boatless... for now
August 8th, 2018

The May Rendezvous at Poet’s Cove on Pender Island was a welcome break from a winter in the mountains that seemed to go on forever this year. As usual, the Rendezvous was well attended and fellow sailors gathered at Poet’s Cove on Pender Island for a weekend full of socializing, music, hiking, feasting and swapping stories and information. You know, another great gathering of like-minded bluewater souls!

As usual, there were also bonus activities to keep us all entertained. Elaine Humphrey’s microscopy session on the dock was really cool. I swung by out of curiosity and wound up staying for ages, examining specimens Elaine had collected for us to examine. I learned how to use one of those eyepiece monocle things (which I now know is called a loupe) and was astonished to see that teeny tiny baby jellyfish have tentacles so fine you can’t see them with the naked eye.

I was lucky enough to be staying aboard the small but mighty Easy Rider, my daughter and son-in-law’s sporty 29’ Ranger. Fortunately, we all (including the dog, Spartacus) get along very well because if we didn’t I would miss out on the amazing food!! It’s handy when your daughter is a foodie and has removed a berth in her modest boat in order to accommodate a latté machine, fridge and freezer combo and extra galley gadget storage space!

Fantastic food was the order of the weekend – and not just aboard Easy Rider. The potluck on Sunday was a highlight, but Happy Appie Hour on Saturday and the breakfast on Monday were pretty awesome as well.

Where I got a little lost and confused was in the Celtic knot-tying workshop led by Chris Stask (who was also kind enough to coordinate from aboard the host boat, Inceptus). My getting lost in the intricate maze-like patterns he had thoughtfully prepared for us to try was not Chris’ fault, I hasten to add. Lots of people patiently wove their cords in and out and around and up and down and under and magically produced gorgeous knotwork. Let’s just say I’m still working on mine…

If the knot-tying extravaganza was just a tad too salty for me, the sea shanties and singalongs were right up my alley. It was great to see so many happy sailors gathered on the floating dock, singing away accompanied by the various musicians who pulled instruments from below deck and helped us all make merry.

Lots of attendees also took part in the Gift Exchange and I’m sure glad I did as I am now the proud owner of a pirate hat!

For those who wanted to go ashore and really stretch their legs, hikes (including an expedition up Mount Norman) were an option, though for those of us who live in the Rockies it was such a pleasure to be able to grub about on the beach I don’t think I reached an altitude higher than the coffee shop at Poet’s Cove!

Other prairie schooners also took part (yes, Bill and Cathy Norrie, I mean you!) though they did a lot more sailing than I did. The Norrie’s scooted around the floating dock aboard Pixie with all sails flying, proving that yes, it is possible to maneuver in tight quarters without firing up the inboard diesel, without running aground, ramming the dock, or throwing any crew members overboard.

I can’t wait to get back to the coast and back on the water. My fingers are crossed that Dani, Toryn, and Spartacus are willing to clear out my quarter berth and bring along an extra plate and set of cutlery to the August Rendezvous so I’ll be able to attend. Hope to see lots of you there!!

Photos

You can see lots of photos from the May rendezvous at the BCA Shutterfly photo album. Have a look and you may find a few gems that bring back memories of a great weekend.

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Rendezvous

Comments


  1. Corinne Whelan says:

    Hi Nikki- thanks for sharing a beautiful description of a fun and interesting rendezvous! Hope to see you another time!

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