Well, it’s happened. We’ve acquired a new mothership, and the “twins” (our Necky Gannets) are now resting comfortably on her deck, awaiting adventures to come. Mothership meandering has returned to our lives.

It wasn’t supposed to happen so quickly, but a boat that was first owned many years ago by Laurie’s parents suddenly became available and we just couldn’t say no. Emotional factors shouldn’t dominate important decisions, but let’s face it, they often do.

The vast majority of my boating experience (other than paddling) has been under sail, and I’d been leaning towards us eventually getting a sailing mothership, but our new vessel will do very nicely. She’s a fuel efficient, 32 foot diesel-powered fiberglass cruiser, capable of running on bio-diesel and of transporting us and our kayaks safely to explore isolated locales up and down the coast.

Tsehum Lady (see-um), as she is called, was named by Laurie’s parents for their moorage in Tsehum Harbour near Sidney, BC, an area of large intertidal flats. “Tsehum” is believed to be the native name for “always clay place,” a source of diatomaceous earth they used in cleansing animal skins.

This sudden shift for us back to boating all came about because of an evening paddle last summer. Under a glorious sunset, Laurie and I, along with my then 86-year-old father, paddled into Taylor Bay at the north end of Gabriola, innocent of what was about to transpire. Laurie pointed to a lone boat lying at anchor, saying it was similar to her parents’ old boat. As we paddled closer she called out excitedly, “Hey, that’s Tsehum Lady!”

We paddled over and spoke to the owner, who turned out to be the second owner since Laurie’s father, who had originally imported her from Denmark in 1976. As we paddled away, Laurie tossed off the fateful words... “If you ever think of selling, you might give us a call.”
Well, he did. And within a couple of weeks, there we were, surging along in the boat past Entrance Island Lighthouse on our way to Silva Bay, near our home at the south end of Gabriola. Thanks to our friends Ron and Diana Mumford, who were off in August, loafing about on their boat Loafer II, we had temporary dock space for a few weeks. This was a big help, letting us juggle our time, split between a burgeoning garden, Laurie’s work duties, and an array of fix-it items on the boat.

As cottage gardeners (read cucumbers coming out of our ears and zucchinis the size of paddles) we had to wait till the pantry was full and the winter garden planted before we could go cruising. Fortunately, Tsehum Lady is a hardy boat with an enclosed wheelhouse and a good cabin heater, allowing comfortable off-season gunkholing while most boats remain tied to the dock till spring.

And our home waters, within the protection of the contiguous chain of Gulf Islands from Gabriola to Saturna, are ideal for winter mothershipping. Here are ample anchorages, placid waters to paddle and a plethora of over-wintering seabirds to photograph.

Take a look at a map of the these Islands and adjacent San Juan Islands to see the area to be explored, much of it with beautiful forested shores, sheltered anchorages, secure docks, year round services for visitors, good restaurants and small communities replete with talented artists. Yet in the off-season it often feels like we have these waters to ourselves.

We’ve often wondered why most boaters abandon this area over the winter. Yes, it can be wet and sometimes stormy, but not often frigid. And on calm days it’s pure bliss to be alone among the wildlife without another person in sight. (Maybe we should keep that our little secret.)

So a new era of mothership paddling has opened for us, and a new career begun for Tsehum Lady in her fourth decade. We hope to take her on lengthy trips up the coast in future summers and regale you with our paddling discoveries, hither and yon. Until then, happy winter paddling!

PS: The return of “Mothership Meandering” is sponsored by Silva Bay Resort and Marina, where our boat is tied up between trips. Silva Bay is a beautiful spot, right on the edge of open Georgia Strait, protected by the Flat Top Islands (and just a hop from Vancouver). When conditions on the Strait are inclement, you can slip through Gabriola Pass to enjoy the more protected inner waterway created by the Gulf Islands, leading south to the US San Juan Islands. The Bay sports three marinas, regularly scheduled float plane service, two fuel docks, a good pub restaurant, liquor store, showers, laundromat, motel, campsite, and a small but well stocked general store with internet access—it’s a great winter destination for both paddlers and boaters.