The Pirates' Cruise Tony Cook, S Ehair, llational t onnunications Conmittee foronto Squadron P/C Don Mercer, Vancouver Squadron, and his wife Susan had sailed their brand-new 40-foot Nordr Pacific sedan trawler over to Nanaimo from False Creek, looking forward to taking part in the Nanaimo student cruise. They, and many other boaters, were disappointed when the cruise was cancelled due to the threat of hear,y weather. On Sunday morning, though, Susan suggested a harbour cruise, and she soon had John and Doreen Hinksman and my wife Annie and me, hastily jumping aboard. The "harbour cruise" soon became "just a peek outside" to see what con- ditions were like. Don is very proud of his boat's handling, with its four- and-a-half foot displacement, and Picture of the cove plaque and Simbuyo at the dinghy dock. Simbuyo took the rather lumpy con- ditions beyond Protection Island in Pylades Channel. By now, the crew us through without incident. I rarely her stride. Nothing ventured, then, was feeling peckish, prompting the saw Don put his hands on the wheel. but to pull out the student cruise skipper to call for a lunch stop at Back in Nanaimo Harbour, Don materials, much to John's delight, Pirate's Cove on De Courcy Island. wasn't finished with this cruise. I mean, since he had spent some hours The Cove has a triclcy entrance with a new boat, after all. He took us the preparing for this back in Toronto, a hidden reef, but a local cottager, length of the harbour, thus complet- and to start work conning the way. evidently tired of pulling boaters off ing Susan's original intention. Down Northumberland Strait we the hazard, had set up a private The decision to cancel the stu- motored, transiting Dodd Narrows range. Mooring alongside a floating dent cruise was a wise one. against a stiff current. Conditions dinghy dock - don't do this in sea- Conditions in many areas would deteriorated in the Stuart Channel son - we explored the area, sought have been modt unpleasant for with heary rain and increasing wave out the Pirate's Tieasure Chest and smaller vessels with litde displace- height. Our skipper concentrated on sat back to enjoy Susan's delightful ment. fu it was, Don and Susan quartering tJre waves, and Simbuyo lunch of local mussels, and fried sailed back to Vancouver the follow- easily handled the rough water. As we won tons. ing day and experienced a very made the turn into Ruxton Passage, The uickiest part of the cruise was rough ride. But Simbuyo carried we took the waves beam-on, while yet to come: the passage through them safely to harbour. lllll the crew leapt about, securing loose False Narrows, which appeared true objects which threatened to become to its name. Multiple ranges, ahead airborne. It was comforting to hear and astern, guided us along a mean- that Simbuyo will recover, theoretical- dering uack amidst some serious ly, from a 105 degree roll. reefs. Skipper Don, coolness personi- We found smoother conditions in fied, tweaked the autohelm and sailed www.ca nad ia nyachti n g.ca.