Monday, July 7, 2014

Monday July 7 it’s my birthday and I get to do all manner of things without following direct orders from the Admiral. I consult with her and we weigh anchor. I have done this before and with her watchful eye I perform the task with only token flaws. Destination… SHEARWATER. My priority is the BOAT CANDY STORE. We did not make it here last year.

They have made many improvements, well water on the docks, a new spectacular wall mural on the old hanger wall, a new upscale patio deck for dining, and the VERY COOL PARK. The feature is a large wind vane model of a WW11 FLYING BOAT. At the opening ceremony for this there were 300 hundred guests in attendance. These flying boats during WW11 flew missions against U boats and did patrol against German and Japanese invasion on the west coast. The huge hangar here now services commercial and pleasure craft. SHEARWATER is the last outpost before Prince Rupert. If you must have a breakdown this is where you want to plan it (HA!).. It also has the good fuel, groceries, pub, restaurant, and sea bus to Bella Bella (Waglisa), sawmill, Large Coast Guard Station, and helicopter landing pad. The small B.C. Ferry services local communities all the way to Ocean Falls, Bella Coola and Klemtu (Indian Reserve).

History Mural

It has a runway for small and medium sized aircraft (no tower and unsupervised). Mike “Shaman 11” and I several years ago had fun chasing after a twin engine aircraft (Convair)on our motor bikes as we wanted to be in the prop wash to experience the power and smell the good fumes of spent aviation fuel (it is an acquired taste). When you have done it once, it’s like a dog chasing cars, as it is hard habit to break. This is the same fun as being in the prop wash (in your tender) of a BEAVER FLOAT plane taking off. Weird or WHAT..DONT KNOCK IT TILL YOU HAVE TRYED IT.

WW11 Aircraft Model

I should explain a little more, my brother TOM THOMPSON was an executive pilot on the coast flying all sorts of aircraft. Much of the time BEAVERS ON FLOATS and he would find us when we were boating north and from on high flip down scare us and bring us special little care packages, like today’s newspaper, a bottle of rum or a repaired alternator.

He’s let us know of a special event at the Stuart Island Pub (which he and his boys owned.) He would always turn the prop wash of the aircraft to us and GIVE HER. This would leave us in a whirlwind and the roar of the tips of the prop going through the sound barrier and smell of that big thumping radial aircraft engine at full bore and a puff of spent oil and he was GONE………………. I miss that. He’s gone now for good on his endless flight path with clear skies with no particular destination and no worries. Maybe he and I can go flying in a future time together, I would like that.

Shearwater