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May 3, 2007.
Ahoy Bob,
We and two other boats were cruising the Broughtons last year and experienced an unfortunate incident. It was one that can be easily avoided if it were better posted and written about in marine publications. We talked about the incident and felt that we needed to do something positive to hopefully better inform all boaters who travel this waterway. The Waggoner came up and my name was volunteered to tell you about it.
Here is what happened:
On the way home our three boats were traveling southbound through Chatham Channel at about 9.5 knots. At this speed a wake is being produced. Not particularly large, but a wake. The Chatham Channel Lodge and small dock are on the south side of the channel passage. After passing the lodge, we all received a call on the VHF radio. It was not friendly. The caller was very upset about our wakes and included a lot of rough language to describe us Yankees being here. We said that we were very sorry and would stop and pay for any damage. He wanted no part of that and asked us very rudely to not return. We did see a “SLOW” sign on the shore after passing his lodge, for boats going the opposite direction. We all feel very disappointed that this incident occurred and would appreciate if you could possibly write something in the Waggoner about this channel passage. This area is a "NO WAKE ZONE."
We passed other boaters heading to Chatham Channel and heard this man exchange similar words with them. Thank you for reading this note and we hope that you may help this lodge owner out.
Sincerely,
A fellow cruiser
Response
Chatham Channel is a well-traveled passage that gets boats off Johnstone Strait on their way to or from the Broughtons. The historic Minstrel Island facility is at the north end of the channel, and Lagoon Cove Marina—probably the most popular marina in the Broughtons—is just off Chatham Channel.
The above note says all that needs saying about slow speeds past the lodge. It brings up, however, two more universal matters:
- All of us need to be aware of the damaging wakes our boats throw at speeds above 6 knots, and we need to slow to that speed whenever we pass marinas, lodges and docks. This also applies when we pass kayaks, canoes and dinghies, and boats that are drifting along, fishing. Yes, slowing down is a huge inconvenience, especially for Type-A personalities who didn’t get where they are by slowing down for anything. It’s even more difficult when a water taxi or crew boat flies by at 30 knots, indifferent to its wake. But slow down we must, regardless of what others do.
- The second is the sad existence of an anti-Yankee bias in some people. We’ve bumped into it a couple times, and it says more about the person with the bias than it says about the recipient of their venom. Since many of the summertime cruising boats in B.C. are American, it follows that many of the problems will come from boats flying a U.S. flag. This makes it even more important to be mindful that we are guests in another country, and that we should conduct ourselves as good guests. The fact that we leave a lot of money behind does not buy special privileges. (Neither, unfortunately, is it apt to change the bias of someone who needs someone or something to blame for his own troubles.)
We have traveled and cruised in coastal British Columbia for decades, now, and we’ve been rewarded with many warm friendships. Our Canadian neighbors want us to come, and they’re eager to make our stays enjoyable. Except for the lesson in the above note—SLOW DOWN!—we shouldn’t let the very occasional sourpusses keep us away. On the other hand, we shouldn’t give them any added reasons to be sour.
--Bob Hale
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