I guess I can tell our own towing story..
At least it wasn't a dark and stormy night.. It was a beautiful hot August
afternoon in the San Juan's
We left Prevost Harbor on the North side of Stewart Island in the San
Juan's. Cleared customs at Bedwell Harbour on South Pender Island and then
made a nice run to the Sannich Inlet through Brentwood Bay and down to Todd
Inlet just behind Butchart Gardens on Vancouver Island.. Put it in reverse
to set the anchor and caught the painter on the prop shaft...Went overboard
and cut the line loose. Problem solved.. Ready to go in the morning.. Nice
day at the Gardens, nice dinner on the boat and a good nights rest..

Had to meet the rest of the family back in Roche Harbor by 5:00 pm so we
needed an early start.. Started the motor and eased it into forward to
pull the anchor.. Nothing, no movement, no nothing...Open the lazerette and
pull the boards to get a better look at the shaft.. The rubber dampener had
severed the night before when I wrapped the painter on the shaft.. Never
expected that to happen...

Nobody around to pull me out to the Bay where I could get some wind and sail
on home.. But I did have a dingy with a 9hp Yamaha....I found it was best to
use a long line and pull the boat with the dingy in reverse... 2 hours later
we made it to the main bay and picked up a favorable wind, almost made it
out past Salt Spring Island when the wind died..
Another thing.. Always keep your dingy gas can full.. Never know when you
will really need it.. Had to go into Brentwood, catch a cab, go to a gas
station and back top the towing job.. That little thing uses a lot of gas
when pulling in excess of 12,000 lbs.....

Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary (Love em, Eh) towed us to a Marina on the
West side of Mill Bay where we spent the night...Jury rigged the shaft and
made it back home the next day.. Thanks to the help of the retired school
teach who ran the marina...

Has to be a lesson somewhere in here. (:-))

Rod Barber
The Flying Pelican
Baba 30 #18
Now Tacoma WA.

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Received on Tue Mar 13 16:51:03 2007