Boaters on the Salish Sea can take comfort in the knowledge that if they run into trouble, there are highly trained rescue technicians ready, willing and able to get them out of a jam.
That training doesn’t happen by accident, as this year’s crop of SAR graduates would be more than happy to tell you as they take part in their graduation ceremony at 19 Wing Comox.
The graduation ceremony kicks off today (Thursday) with the graduates parachuting onto the parade ground and immediately going on parade, which will be reviewed by Colonel Blaise Frawley, Commander of 17 Wing Winnipeg and the Air Force Training Centre.
• Speaking of rescue, things looked pretty sketchy for a Vancouver family who found themselves trapped in a burning pleasure boat in the middle of the Strait of Georgia Saturday.
The family of four had gone on a fishing trip near the south end of Gabriola Island on their 40-foot power boat when a fire started in the engine room.
The family was rescued by the crew of a whale watching boat and were later transferred to a rescue boat dispatched from Nanaimo Marine Search and Rescue.
• The Race Around the Rocks may be over, but that doesn’t mean the skippers and crew at the Schooner Cove Yacht Club are dockbound — far from it.
Richard Hudson reports that several Schooner Cove boats compete in distance races and regattas around the Pacific Northwest.
At the recent Thetis Island Regatta, which is a race staged by the Ladysmith Yacht Club around Thetis and Reid Islands, Tim Rann’s Amazing Grace took second place in her division. As well, Neal Berger’s Shingebiss took fourth place in her division, Ken Lott’s Sea Lion was fourth in her Division and Brian Robinson’s “Flight” took sixth in her Division.
In the Oregon Offshore International Yacht Race staged by the Corinthinan Yacht Club of Portland Oregon, Richard Hudson’s Freewind took third place in her division and 16th overall among the 27 registered boats. This is a 193 nautical mile ocean race from Astoria, Oregon to Victoria.
The Freewind crew were entertained by porpoises playing in the boat’s bow wave while sailing along the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Three Schooner Cove Yacht Club boats competed in the 45 NM Round Saltspring Island race staged by the Saltpring Island Sailing Club. Challenged by light airs and strong currents during the night on the southern side of Saltspring Island, Brian Robinson’s Flight took third place in her Division and Tim Rann’s Amazing Grace and Richard Hudson’s Freewind each took fifth place in their Divisions.
• Cruise ship passengers to Nanimo will get a boost from the Regional District of Nanaimo.
Directors have reached an agreement with the Nanaimo Port Authority to agreed to provide a shuttle bus between the ship and the downtown on Sept. 15 — at the Port Authority’s expense.
• The Deep Bay Yacht Club had been scheduled to hold one of their signature races on Sunday, but fleet captain Don Manness reports there simply wasn’t enough wind.
“The race on Sunday was a dead one,” he said. “We just didn’t have any wind.”
The next race is in two weeks, by which time Manness hopes the breeze will have picked up a bit and the race will go ahead.