Fulford Harbour Landmark
Fuzzy smelly piling bottoms
Bit close to the dock - right
A few more people arrived all watching with bated breath, what the bargemen were doing. One of them assured me 'We are professionals' when his tuggy boat was pressed against the marina wharf and the behemoth came within barge pole distance.
The Windmill House next to the marina
Fulford Harbour Marina, Saltspring Island
I am tied to A dock at the Fulford Harbour Marina, where Maple Bay Yacht Club (my home club) maintains an outstation, meaning, one can tie up gratis. First time in almost three weeks that am connected to REAL electricity.
A penetrating stench greeted me, when I came alongside, where the Harbour Master waited to take my lines. Well, I thought, there must be a plague of otters taking up residence under the dock. Not so, informed me the Harbour Master.
Fuzzy smelly piling bottoms
'The old wooden pilings of the BC Ferry Terminal next door are being removed to be replaced with new metal ones', he said, ' and the thousands of barnacles, mussels, oysters, sea anemones, kelp, starfish are coming up with the pilings to die and slowly decay. It has been hot for a while, and they have been stacking those pilings of a thousand deaths sky high on the barge, it has been smelly since weeks.'
Well, one has to pinch ones nostrils...maybe it's part of an economic stimulus package.
No sooner had I made my arrangements at the marina, when that monstrosity of a odiforous mountain was starting to move, propelled by these lawnmower sized tuggy boats.
Bit close to the dock - right
Great, I get here, and the stink is clearing out!
However, with currents winds and a rather hard to manoeuvre pile of junk near the docks, I was getting a little concerned. This thing was heading right for me. I had visions of Millennium being crushed by a derelict Ferry Wharf. Things were getting pretty tight, even the Harbour Master got a little nervous. 'I just put that new dock in a week ago', he said.
Barge Attack
A few more people arrived all watching with bated breath, what the bargemen were doing. One of them assured me 'We are professionals' when his tuggy boat was pressed against the marina wharf and the behemoth came within barge pole distance.
After a while, the floating golf carts with the help of a real tug, nudged the whole business out into the bay, by which time it was already a tandem barge - two of the monsters tied together.
Ha, a breath of fresh air! I hiked around Fulford Harbour, a small seaside village with tarot shops, a little transcendental meditation cafe, the ferry wharf, a B&B, a hat and bead shop, a tie die shop and kayak rental, a restaurant, a small catholic chapel, and a pub and restaurant. Pretty laid back.
The Windmill House next to the marina
View down Fulford Harbour
Low Tide at the Head of the Bay
Stone Men on the Shore
