The ferry ride from Bella Coola to Port Hardy was an eternity.
This ferry has to be the slowest boat I've ever been on. It took 13 hours for a ride any other ferry in the fleet could have made in eight. Queen of the Chilliwack is 40 years old, rusty, with buckled floor plates on the auto deck that acted like speed bumps every four feet as you drove in!
She is a double ender (drive in one end and out the other) which means there is no bow and cant go fast.
Personally I thought these kinds of ferries were for short runs to save turnaround time or something.
When she hit the open sea of Queen Charollet Sound she rolles and pitched pretty bad and the captrain had to zig-zag to aline with the rollign seas.
Bella Coola is not a top priority for BC Ferries and it shows.
I kept looking for someone out in point of the bow casting a sounding rope of fathom knots to check the depth, "Mark five, mark four, mark ???".
It was that slow.
Even this dolphin thought we were hitchhikers
Wondering: can you have a friend and not remember their name?
That's rude I suppose.
But I am not sure I understand all people anyway, so
08-04 Port Hardy BC to Bellingham WA
Two new friends were Jill and John a couple of Vancouver young people who needed a lift down to the nanaimo Ferry from Port Hardy... they and their two bikes.
We had a fine ride and some insightful discussions and I learned some... for example "Eskimo" is not politically correct. "Inuit" is the proper choice.
The world belongs to the young.
My country of birth.. the country I love.
Just sayin
08-05 Bellingham WA to Yakima WA
So here I sit.. time for some beer (SLASH) WINE and a cigar.
Its all about to close soon, this act.
Congradulations in putting this together thus far.
ReplyDeleteYour wry wit and keen observances have made this trip or yours fun to read about.
Congradulations also on painting the northwest to its truest light thus far, which is to say I welcome an American viewpoint with thought and poetry and the ghusto of beers and cigars.
Linda Realm
Mr Ron,
ReplyDeleteThanks for allowing us to view your blog which is most interesting and informative. I particularly admire your writing style and your sense of humor. Will be making the trip to Alaska with two other Egg owners next summer and you have provided us with lots of very helpful information. We will go from June through the end of August and will take our time to take in as much as we can. Again thank you for your thoughtfulness. Keep up the good spirit and stay healthy. Ranger Duke