Technology ~akes Call before you Captain'J log: the .. .~ ~~;k~a;· -· i~ the -tl Second Narrows build: the NWPA , ·last voyag -e·----1 if~f-an-ME'JS safer CCGS Na al L I B R · liicier- • 3 . 6 · DEC 8 3 1 9 _,

PACI FIC BIOLOGICALSTA TIQN NANAIMO, B.C.

Pollution Prevention Officers.- ' ' an all woman flyin_g team· BY MICHELINE BRODEUR

orty-one and one running," Marilyn - straight for Port Renfrew, then turned up the coast Gilmour relays into her headset as she along a-route established at the start of the Pollution patrol counts boats from the cockpit's right seat r~creational fishing season. We passed Cape Beale, - inside Coast Guard 979. Today,.sh~ is then di~ a zigzag pattern through Barkley Sqund, pilot-in-commandF and pollution prevention from Ucluelet, visiting each of eight specific, is the primary officer of the T .;,,in Otter pollution patrol aircraft. offshore fishing areas. role of the crew Or;i. her left, flying the " plane is Karen MacGregor, on this aircraft, senior pilot of the Western Region Aerial Surveillance and the women Prevention Program. Their pos itions alternate every on this team other day. The third · member of the team is Lisa Munro, flight engineer. clearly Joye Together, they form Coast Guard's first all-woman to fly. aircraft crew. "I have 41 also," Susan Bujold confirms from her observer position back in the cabin. Marilyn and Susan-are counting recreational fishing boa!S, part of the Creel Survey done twice a week from May to September. Susan "We must be able to see land or water at all works fo r JO Thomas, a company hired by times, so we patrol mostly between 1000 and 1500 Fisheries and Oceans Canada to count boats and feet above the water, " Karen explains . . Thi~ also I .. _check gear for part of the survey. She's on most means they often have to contend with the flights. ' - ' weather, for fog can wreak·havoc with their flights. Today's flight began with a 7:00 a.m. departure - We head towards Tqfino for a quick fuel stop, from Vancouver International Airport. We headed and then we continue up the shoreline to cemtinued on page 2 F.isheries and Oceans Pech.es et Oceans - l+I Canada Can Elda Canada · Coast Guard Garde cotiere Pollution Prevention Officers Continued from page 1

Esperanza Inlet. At this point, the aerial surveillance for the oil pollution portion of the patrol begins. We fly out' to the offshore shipping lanes, then tu~n- back through Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait to Vancouver. To.day , there is specific data to collect, but other days may see random patrols up and down the entire west coast of British Columbia. The pollution patrol is the primary role of the crew on this aircraft. . "Our job, as Pollution Prevention Officers," explains Karen, "is to fly Shorelines is published by the Canadian Coast . ' . . ' 1 along the established traffic routes looking for signs of oil pollution, and Guard Pacific Regior\, and i~ designed to promote to report spills and collect evidence for possible prosecutions." the exchange of information and ideas between Th~re are advantages to flying at these lower. altitudes. The n~w c'an Coast Guard at).d the communities it ..serves. eas ily spot signs of.oil pollutiol) on the water. They see many vessels up You are encouraged to copy or reprint in part close and they keep a sharp lookout for anything out of the ordinary. or in whole the material presented in Shorelines, but Their secondary role is to .watch out for hazards to navigation-boats with . we request that you acknowledge the source. no one on board, boaters in trouble, anything. They've been involved in We appreciate feedback from our readers, If you· search and rescues, locating of lost vessels and assisting vessels in have any comments or suggestions, or if you'd like distress. They've also spotted and reported "red tide" patches, and \ . 'to be added to or dropped our list, assisted .the MinistrY, of Forests in locating illegal logging , fro~ ~ailing operations and Fisfier\es and Oceans in various enforcement' plea~e contact the editor at this address: cases. ' "We also assist the RCMP, as part of the Coast Watch Micheline Brodeur, Editor Program," Karen says. '"We watch for and report suspicious 350 - 555 West Hastings Street looking vessels." / Vahcouver BC V6B 5G3 ' They. routinely monitor the emergency and hailing Channel 16 Phone 604-77 5-8809 Fax. 604-77 5-882~ . and the Marine Communications .and Traffic Ser~ices (MCTS) e-mail [email protected] chan~1els, Coasi: Guard Radio ,along the shoreline· and Vessel Traffic Frequency on the shipping lanes. Rescue Coordination Center is kept . ISSN 1206-5676 informed of their inten_9.ed flying route and the crew reports any changes via Coast Gua,rd Radio so they can be available for search and rescue at all Publications' MaiLAgreement Number 1629840 times during the flight. Designed and produced by The t~am has ~oted increased vessel traffic ov\tr the.years, but find that Nick Nilsen.- WriteNow! Communications. they are having fewer o.il sightings. lt' may be partly due to increased fines Prin'ted on recycled paper. and to the "Identifo:ation Runs" past the deep-sea vessels, so that ship's crews know they are being monitored. The air~raft is painted in Coast Guard · li~ery and sticks ou.t like a flag of authority. Join us at A certain number of flying hours get allocated each year for the Aerial Surveillance Pr.ogram to monitor the shipping' lanes of the West Coast: www.pacific.ccg~gcc ..gc.ca They gain additional cost recovery hours by flying the Fisheries and ·_Coast Gu'ard' Pacific web site provides Oceans Sports Boat Creel Survey along the_shorel ine of Vancouver Island. information on issues of interest to mariners on - "Most of the hours are used in the spring; summer and fall, when the the West Coast. We've ~een working on the site vessel count is higher and the weather is better," explains Karen. "It's recently to make it more user friendly-faster important to make every hour count effectively, so even with creel surveys, · ,.download, easier to navigate- ap.d w~ 've ~e are working in visual conditions." updated the content: B~th Karen and Marilyn take photos and videos from the open window on the right side of the aircrafr. Both cameras indicate latitude, longitude, New on the web date, time, aircraft speed and heading, and this d'ata, together with the I footage, form a s6lid case wnen prosecution becomes necessary. They are • · · 1998 RCC Statistics also available to testify as expert witnesses when needed. ~ Navigable Waters Protection Application The women on the Pollution Prevention flying team clearly enj oy their Guide jobs. They love to fly. • Photo Gallery Updated including ,new photo ~ of t~e CCGC CaJ?e Sutil. SHORELINES AUTUMN 1999 2 / BY NICK NILSEN

. 1.• OU bet! And th~se speed ·bumps improved rail traffic flow." will increase traffic flow rather ~ To measure wat~r depth an acoustic water than slowing it. level sensor manufactured by Bartex Sounds too good to be tr:ue, Corporation of Annapolis, MD calculates but for the Port ofVancoi:iver and depth, again using spund and a clock. The CN Rail two new devices will allow sound trav:els down a vertical tube until it more ships to use the port per day while better reaches water, which, naturally, is the same level rr{eeting the needs of the railway. 'as the entire.Second Narrows .area, with one "Se~ond Narrows in the Port of

Vanco;llver restricts ship movement Daullnk by Telephone . into the upper harbour because of -st~ong tidal streams, limited depth; and two bridges," said Terry Cl,lrran of. the Canadian Hydrograpliic Service. "As a r~sult vessrl pass;ge is li~ited to periods when the water level and the current are within specified limits." It makes sense that if you measure the water movem'ent mqre ~ccurately and you do this mor'e often, you will be ahl~ to schedule ~raffie better.1 Here's where the spee? bu"mps come in: A system called an Acoustic ' Scintillation Flow Meter (ASFM), manufactured by ASL Environmental . ' . Sciences of Sidney, sends out two parallel beams impo-rtant difference: the, water in the tube has . of sound, at two depths, across the Second been isolated from wav,es. , 1 1 Narrows at the rail bridge. ·changes in currents _- "Because we ·know the geography of the . , or tides <;>r any kind of turbulence cau~es the seabed under St:cond Narrows, we can calculate beams of sound t~ vary in strength. The ASFM the water depth anywhere, by taking a single measures variations in the signal strength over a reading/,said Al Thorn, project eljl-gineer five-minut~ period, then pattern-matches to · r~sponsible for designing the mounts for boih determine time and, because it knows the devices. 1:'he result is a precise knowledge of the distance between the two parallel paths,· depth of the Second NarrO\\'.S at any given compute~ speed. of flow. ' . . moment. This information is se'n.t to a controller who Narrows, bridge and draft clearances are monitors for any abnormal changes in water calculated and the _results telemetered to port depth. by comparing the new data to a 40-year management and the traffic control centre for average that is programmed into the computer. real-time ctisplay. The information is now _ ' "Accurate' knowledge of water·depth, current available fqr CN Rail, the Harbour Master and, .. and bridge cleara!_lce ~an 'permit greater ship of course, ship-~apta ins, to use_to irr{prove safety · loading and longer transit periods," said Terry. and-~ffic iency . What was once dqne by SHORELINES "The result is greater port efficiency and prediction is npw done with prec,isi_on. --' .AUTUMN 1999 3 P~otecting your right to NAVIGATION

BY NICK . NILSEN '' t

anadi~ns enjoy a tradition"of water "We process 1100 to 1200 applications per travel that he1ped make our country year," said Yvette. "The workload varies with what· it is today. For hundreds local economics ~nd the weather. We receive A primer 1 ~f C years-, from ·the; c9ureur de bois ·of the many applications in the winter and spring ,on the 1600s to modern communities like Bamfield or months for construction planned for summer." Bella Bfrlla, our livelihoods have depended on Before you start a project, contact the Coast Navigable goods getting to us by water. Even today, many Guard to discuss in general terms th~ work you communities rely on boats, ships and barges to plan: to do. The NWPA officer will hefp you in Waters bring in commodities. Water, water, determining what information is required for everywhere, and it must remain navigable. preparing and submitting an application under Protection The right to navigate Canadian waters is a the NWPA. paramount right, as descended from English Once yo u have finalized the project design, Act and how common law. The Navigable Waters Protection submit your application to the nearest Act (NWPA) is a federal law designed to protect Canadian Coast Guard office. An approv~l it may that public right of navigation. issued under the NWPA authoriz«s the work It ensures that construction· in navigable only in terms of its effect on navigation and it: affect you waters is. approved to minimize impact on remains the owner's responsibility to obtain navigation. It also ip.cludes provisions to other permits that may be required. Therefore, remove unauthorized works or obstructions to early in the planning stages you !'Ire encouraged navigation. The NWPA is administered by to contact your local conservation authority, Coast GlJ;ud, and approvals for huilding or provincial Ministry of Environment, Lands and placing any works are granted under the Parks, as well as Environment, Fisheries,- and authority of the Minister of Fisheries and. municipal offices, to discuss their requirements. Oceans. You must comply with the NWPA because "Many people think of navigabl~ waters in it's the law. The public right to navigate must be, terms of the oceans that surround us," said protected. Complying witl). the NWPA will Yvette Myers, Superintendent of the Navigable· ensure that any interfer~nce created by your Waters Protection Division, "But the NWPA · ' project is ~·cceptable, so that the rights of other applies equally to freshwater lakes, rivers, waterway users are respected. I • streams, creeks-any navigable water. Basically, if For new construction, the NWPA officer will you can float a' kayak down it, it's a navigable .review your application either as a form al water." approval or by the work assessment process. The The NWPA affects anyone planning form~! approval process. is followed when the construction on a nav~gable waterway. Such work has the potential to substantially interfere SHORELINES works may include a wharf, dock, pier, dam, with navigation . .The work assessment process is \ AUTUMN 1999 boom,.bridge, o~erhead cable or pipeline. · followed when Coast Guard officials determine 4 ·• .,

that the work ttCH ' ...mt It WIEI. does not _____2 __ _; __ _ -substantially -i"r}terfere with navigation ..The process to he followed and the type: of approval will :vary depending on the type . and complexity of the proposed ' w~rk. "For certain projects, such as bridg~s, '' booms, darns, and causeways, we have no latitude," said Yvette. "Tne formal process must · be use__d." An application is also required under the NWPA for repairs or alterations ot'an I existing w0rk. The formal approval process is usually longer, ·· and requires you to·compiete additional steps, to navigation, Coast Gua~d must deal with including adve~tising the work and completing ,them," said.Yvette. an environmental assessment in accordance The NWP division works doselv, many with requirements under the Canadian - federal and provincial. agencies, including the Environmental Assessment Act (CEM). RCMP and the Ministry of Environ~ent, , Duril)g the advertising. and CEM process, the Lands and Parks f~r example. Within Fisheries I . . public will have an opportunit.Y to comment on and Oceans, there is a lot of interaction too: the project's potential impact ,on other - "Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation waterway users arid the environment. department advises us on whether aids to The work assessment process takes less time navigation. are required for certain proposed to complete arid does not r~quire formal ~orks," said Yvette. "We recently worked with advertising or-an environmental assessment. ' the Office of Boating Safety· to assess a "Fol' many applications; such as small hydroplane race course on Okanagah Lake. We private d~cks\ the work assessment process - had to make sure it didn't interfere ~ith takes about ~o to f~ur weeks to complete," navig

o ·our trip has see!) us equipment aboard them, and when they are lifted Sgo from Victoria on onto the ship, using our derrick, there is always a crew change· night small chance they could be damaged. Not that my (August 24, 1999) over to guys .would do that, but hey, it happens! So we have Halibut Bank ODAS to stay beside the buoy while taking readings and buoy (that.'s an Ocean calibrating until the scientists are happy. This Data Acquisition Buoy-a usually takes three to four hours. After completing weather buoy!), which we the ground-truthing that"night, we steamed up to worked on Wednesday, Sentry Shorl ODAS, jl)st off Campbell River, and then up the Fraser River we worked it the next morning. All okay. Each to the S 16 buoy. That ODAS buoy takes about five hours to complete. We ------· was a bit of fun! We lift the buoy on board and swap it with a BY CAPTAIN DAVID WENSLEY found out from Captain reconditioned buoy. Then we liave to ground-truth Don Potts of CCGC the data, that is, compare the buoy data to what we · Adin Post that slack water,, actually see and have on site to ensure they are the off Steveston was ·around high water' at Sandheads. same. That takes at least three to four hqurs. After That means the river current should be nil, however, that we steamed up through Seymour-Narrows to the freshet is still very strong in the River and slack Scarle't.t Point Lightstation where we picked up water may not always be predictable. We timed our furniture a·nd stores. going to Quatsino Lightstation. arrival for that, which, of C<'lurse; happen'ed to be This is furniture for the work crew that will be dinnertime! Sl6 buoy was tied up in Stevest~n as a going to Quatsino Light station, for their tug had previo_usly rescued the buoy as it floated reconstruction project at some point, I s u sp~ct. downstream, and they tied it up. Our work boat Then it was out to W,est Sea Otter ODAS buoy. tried to tow the buoy back to the ship, but couldn't. No land visible from this buoy! It's about mid way Things were starting to look bad. First; the tide was between Cape Scott at the northern tip of due to change any minute now, and the buoy was in Vancouver Island and Cape St. James at the a_position where I could not possibly get the ship southern tip of the Charlottes, give or take 50 miles close enough to tow the buoy out. So ~ow what? The or so. There was a gale warning posted when we bosun suggested sending in ano~her boat to help, ' sailed out t~ward the buoy, and I was concerned we out, so we sent the Mk V Zodiac rigid hull wouldn't get it done. As yqu can imagine the inflatable. It has twin 90 horsepower outboards, weather and sea conditions have to be fairly good tGJ maybe that would help? In they went_and they added ~ork these buoys,. so we keep a "weather eye" out their power to it, and it·came out.no problem! whenever we are-_working any buoy. The wind Heroes all, AGAiN! . whipped up just after we completed the buoy work, While do.ing that we were abqut 100 feet from the so we sailed for Experiment Bight - Cape Scott: ~redge Fraser Titan working in the area, and just Finally, we anchored for the night, and everyone SHORELINES after ·we recovered the buoy, a deep sea conta'iner could get caught up on their paper work, and AUTUMN 1999 ship came zooming by down river.. Plu~, on the other planning, etc. · 6 The wind blew like the clappers of hell that night again!), worked a buoy at Hiekish Narrows, worked for . (well actually NOT, but I like that line and I just had to two days flying ton"s of lumber, 30 yards of gravel ?nd slip )t in). Anyway, the wind did blow, but by morning 200 bags of cement, and other sundry supplies into the weather system had moved north so we steamed ·out Boat Bluff Lightstation, up near Klemtu. After that we to M/V Triangle Island. steamed south, stopping off at Egg Island lightstation Now for those who haven't been to the Royal BC Museum, to see the diorama there, well all I can say is GO! If the producers of]urassic.Par-k had wanted to · . make a i:eal\stic movie, Triangle Island is where they should have co.me! There. is no land anywhere on the coast that rivals this rock for sheer beauty, ruggedness, and mystery: You get a sense of not belonging, and a strong feeling to get about your business· and be gone from there! Here we picked up the Birders, scientists studying the birds and habitat on the Island. Each year when we pick them up we hear the stories about the latest hatchlings, and wh~ther they will survive. It is an .ongoing story, and one we like to fly more gravel and cement. This lightstation doesn't to b~ a part of. Three women, and one guy-two of them have a boat landing and is ·accessible by chopper only. had been there for four months, one for three and a Next we stopped at Quatsino S~und to deliver supplies half months, and the other fo~ six weeks! They were to Kains Island Lightstation-the ones we picked up at VERY happy to see us! We had to anchor on the north . Scarlett Point earlier in the -trip. We also had to go up side of the island, as the sea was too large to get into to Port Alice and take on fresh water at the mill theri. south bay. Weather was great, sunpy and warm. One ~f As there was a ship in at the deep sea dock, we had to our helicopters arrived to shuttle the people and gear take water by using the water bladders we n~rmally use . from shore ,to shi.p. There are no natural boat landings to give fresh water to lightstat i on~! A first for me, but on the island, and using a chopper is the best way. After · despite the rainy weather everyone had a good time, gathering our researchers, and their gear, we took them and we completed watering in no time. into Port .Hardy. Got some beautiful sunset pictures as We have been unbelievably busy this trip. EveryEme we steamed in. has had a good trip, but we are really looking forward After Hardy, we steamed up to South Hecate Strait to getting off. We will be decor:nmissioning at Pat Bay ODAS buoy. Weather \emained good, we worked that on the 21st at noon. Last one off turn'. out the lights. one yesterday, and then steamed up to the North Hecate Not quite that dramatic, as there will be a small crew ODAS buoy for today. Presently we are anchored doing on board to put the old girl to bed. the ground-truthing. CCG$ Gordon Reid came by and we · Since last we were in Victoria we steamed up and delivered an outboard motor to them, as they were supplied Carmanah Light with a new assistant having problem with one of theirs. lightkeeper and family-wife and two kids, plus tomorrow we will be in Kitimat ~nd wis. will work the / delivered 32,000 litres of fuel oil. Yhey were quite low Nanakwa Shoal ODAS buoy and drop the AES techs off . and very happy to see us. Fuelling of the lightstations is at Kitimat. After that we are bound for the mighty done by a small fuel barge thai: we carry. It holds about Green Island Lightstation, the most northern 16000 litres of diesel, ~nd it can be e;sily one of the . lightstation in BC, to deliver llghtkeeper effects, then most dangerous jobs we do on a routine basis. The into Rupert, then southbound to Victoria, with a few worst lightstations to land fuel are all the ones we have stops thrown in. to do this trip. We take ·the fuel barge in with our· . workboat, by rafting the boat alongside th~ barge-the A couple of weeks later barge being much bigger than our workboat. We have now run ail the way down the coast, back to Now I should say a· few words about our workboat. . , )HORELINES AUTUMN 1999 Victoria. Enroute, we saved a tug from si~king (heroes continued on page 12 7 . I \

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BY ED TICKNER, SHIFT SUPERVISOR, MCTSCOMOX

', WORKDAYI n MCTS, we never know what's ,. going to happen when w_e sign on Ishift: Captu'red below is a log of . calls received on Russ Arnott's shift at ·.n t e ife of Comox MCTS centre on September . 10, 1999. Note that the names of the vessels requiring ass istance have been 'MCTS officer changed. 0751 PDT On duty at the Safety position. J ' · 0816 PDT RCC Victoria advised the 30-foot Russ F/V Search reported overdue on a trip from Prince Rupert' to Poulsbo,

Washington. Victoria Queen Charlotte Strait called a fishing vessel I and Comox and requested help. The Spark!e had broken its MCTS · towline, backed· up over it and ,wrapped it i,n were" . the prop. He also needed assistance getting his req~ested barge back. After a;_ MIB was issued and to calhhe several vessels were tasked or voluntee.red to vessel. First assist, the vessel Wester~ Hemlock arrived on ·time lucky, scene with dive' gear and cleared the line ..The I contacted Sparkle was then able to retrieve-the .drifting the vessel ' barg~ and proceeded slowly to Port Hardy off Egg escorted by the CCGS .::fcmu. Upon arrival Ship l~land, Safety inf~rmed the operator he could' {iot soll,thbourul. They had been delayed by poor , proceed because he was a repeat customer and weather but were okay and revised ETA for . had to have his vessel inspected. Poulsbo in four days. 0908 PDT I 0834 PDT

. , . ' Nal-whal crew performs at the I • ~ • Buoy Tender Roundup

ri. the' Summer 1999 issue of Shorelines we crew of USCGC Mariposa, from Thirteenth brought you a_story about Training District, Seattle, participated in a number of ·' Week, when Canadian Coast Guard training courses. · Pacific .Region and crews from all over In August, the Canadian Coast Guard Ship the province, along with the visiting Narwhal traveled to Juneau, Alaska,

Narwhal 1 Bosun Len / Bielby, standing inside a marked square, uses hand signals only to get the crane -0perator to follow his directions. His sharp eye and clear .hand signals place the spike just ·10 headquarters to USCG inches from Seventeenth District, to "'-----~--=-----'"----'------' the "X". participate in training offered r during Buoy Tender Roundup. Crewmembers 2 trained in aids to navigation positioning, welding, small engine repair, rigid-hull inflatable' raft repair, fire fighting, CPR, first aid and food service assistance. ' . , The highlight of the week came during the Buoy Tender Olympics when Narwha l's bosun, Len Bielby, , demonstrated amazing ~ kill as he directed-the crane / I ' - ~ operator, using.hand signals only, in positioning a spike a · mere ten inches from the SHORELINES I markedX! AUTUMN 1999 10 iit.:;:,·'Mli?:'/.,', ,•.' :

/ These excharges give crews a chance .to Deckhand Daniel compare notes and share stories as they Giguere checks . prepare to make the oceail.s a safer ~la.ce f01: the welding OI} people. The value of this partnership ts the test plate- demonstrated in the accompanying letter not bad for a from Seventeenth District's Commander, · first ·try! Rear Admiral Tom Barr!".tt .

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T. J . . . Barrett Rear A~-. '-'J.ttJ.ra1 u Coillrnande . s. Coast . s eventeen~hr, ' Guard Coast Guard Distri~t

' . j. SHORELINES AUTUMN 1999 11 I

Narwhal Captain's Log continued from page 7 / . . Actually it is called a surf boat. It has two poiJ1ty ends! · about two thirds of a yard at a go, and with 50 yards to ' This is a requirement for making landings at the move, there was lots of work. The next day the fog exposed lights, as you sometimes have to run in the moved in, so the chopper didn't arrive in the morning. surf to make a landing. It is all very tricky work, and The crew aren't ones to sit and wait, so we moved the requires a little .more-skill rhan working this computer! gravel by workboat, and formed a chain, and we moved Another major feature of such boats is the oversized every bag by hand that day. The chopper arrived at rudder and tiller (yes· just like a sailboat). The tiller lunchtime but we ·told him to go back, as we had things arm is long to give a good lever well in hand. Besides, in this and is stoutly made, as is the · case it was quicker by boat than boat. This gives the cox'n a great by chopper. deal of control over the boat. After Nootka, it w~s off to These/boats are so strong they Langara Island, at the north · have been known to be deposited · west tip of the Q ueen · a great way inland, on a freak Charlottes. It was a two-day wave, sit on the rocks for nearly steam up the coast. Weather an hour, and when another wave was good, except 45 knot winds large enough to float them hits, and associated waves after they have backed out, and just leaving Nootka Sound until off carried on doing their work. It's Quatsino Sound. But this old no big deal-if you live to tell the girl rides like a Cadillac in story. Recently one of these boats those seas. was overwhelmed in the surf, the crew were all rescued Yesterday saw us fuel Langara Lightstation with safe and sound, just a bit wet, but the boat stayed on 40,000 litres. That's three times into the landing with the rocks overnight in that surf, being pounded Oil the our fuel barge. I was very impressed with my crew (like I shore. The next day the crew retrieved the boat, it was wasn't already!). beat to hell, but once righted, it still floated. If the Last night we steamed over here to Rupert, where we engine hadn't been flooded you probably could have once again. have loaded a huge amount of cargo, . ·~ started it up and continued on! , destined for the Boat Bluff reconstruction project. Can't Now imagine this surfboat encumbered with a see the deck for the cargo carried aboard! Again! This barge three times its size, a~d now make the same has been one of the busiest trips (have I said this before?) landing you normally have trouble doing with just the I have ever been tasked with, and our motto for the boat. Bi~ of a challenge, I'd say. patrol has been "Pile it On". I wonder what that is in After that we flew lightstation supplies-groceries, Latin? Narwhal working hard right to the very end. Just ·' Sears catalogues-to Pachena, Cape Beale, and as it should be. Lennard Island. After Carman'ah, we had just enough We sail on the evening tide southbound for Boat time to give Pachena 32000 litres ~f fuel oil. Originally Bluff, maybe Mclnnes if there is time, 'then via the west I didn't think I would have tl1e time, but by not giving coast for Pat Biy. Should be home for crew change. I Carmanah more fuel, that gave us enough time to do hope. I'm so very proud of my crew for all their hard Pachena. They were both very happy to get fuel before work, they deserve much more than I can give them. the winter sets in. We had great weather too! On the trip south we landed supplies at Boat Bluff, After that we steamed up to Estevan Point, then landed more supplies at Klemtu, the big Sikorski S- delivering groceries, supplies, and 40 drums of 61 chopper will come down in a couple of days, and sling aviation gas, and 22,000 litres of fuel. Estevan Point. this to Boat Bluff. After'Klemtu we steamed down to Lightstation is only accessible by chopper, and each Mclnnes Island. This lightstation is due west of Bella load of fuel has to be slung in by the chopper. In this .Bella, and is quite exp9sed. We were able to deliver one case we used the CG 304, a Bell 212 helicopter, as it barge load of fuel, before we had to heave up the anchor has a large lift capacity when slinging in fuel by fuel and point our nose south for Victoria. ' easy, 800 litres at a time. That wa.s an all day job, and Enroute to Victoria, we were tasked to attend a buoy . we had good weather for th'at too. Next was MORE in Quatsino Sound, then we made Victoria CG Base the GRAVEL to Nootka Light. Part of the 1.3 million day before crew change. We off-loaded our cargo, pounds we moved this year~ The gravel took two days, enjoyed a beautiful1trip through the Gulf Islands. At Patricia Bay, ne~r Sidney, we ended our ti:ip, and SHORELINES t.he first day we used the 212 helicopter, with two AUTUMN 1999 pilots spelling each other off. The chopper could lift Narwhal's career on the 21st of September 1999. Ring Finished With Engines! · 12