There are some pretty wonderful people in the world and a lot of them are here in Canada!
Lou and I have spent the last week exploring the Broughton Archipelago while we wait for our son Daniel to arrive for our voyage around Vancouver Island.
On the last leg of our passage back to Port McNeill to retrieve my "lost camera" left in a grocery store, we anchored in a familiar place called "Potts Lagoon". When we arrived in the late afternoon we found about 7 boats anchored in the small lagoon as well as numerous commercial crab traps. Commercial crab traps are attached to a continuous line with a float attached to each trap with as many of 20 traps per line. Needless to say this can create a quagmire beneath the surface especially at low tide in shallow water. We were in such a position and thus snagged a line around our shaft and propeller. We were able to cut and untangle the line enough to get underway but it was evident that there was still some line attached indicated by a rubbing sound and a bit of vibration at higher RP M's.
When we limped into Port McNeill we were greeted with the familiar faces of the two gals that run the dock. I asked if they knew of a diver that could take a look at our problem. They recommended someone living in a blue float house on "X" dock.
We were just about to leave to hunt him down when a handsome young man approached the boat and asked if we needed a diver. We told him our tale of woe and he offered to take a look.
I asked what he charged and he said he didn't. He returned to a boat just across the dock and suited up in his diving gear.
On my way to "Super Value Grocery Store" to check on my lost camera I asked what kind of beer he drank and he said he didn't drink.
Meet "Dave" our Hero!
He dove into the frigid water out of the kindness of his heart and untangled the remaining line then removed a piece that had fused to the shaft from the heat of the friction against the propeller. He had just overheard us when we pulled in and volunteered to help us! He was not the diver from the blue float house on X dock.
This piece fused into a solid ring.
This is the remaining tangled line removed from the shaft.
READ ON IT GETS BETTER!
Dave is in the Canadian Air Force and Helicopter Navigator. He lives aboard his boat "Making Waves" between deployments. In two weeks he will be sent to AFGHANISTAN! We asked him to join us for dinner at a local restaurant. He entertained us with his world wide adventures and especially his interesting experiences in the Middle East as he has been in the Canadian Air Force for about 20 years. We came back to Seventh Heaven and chatted until 12:30 AM.
In the morning about 11am I wanted to invite him over for a Latte and just as he appeared out of nowhere he was gone. His slip was empty . . . .
"Dave, wherever you are we wish you well!
We Thank You for your kindness!
Be safe in all you do and may the "Force" be with you!
We look forward to seeing you again soon!
As if that is not enough kindness for one day, I returned to the grocery store where they cheerfully returned my precious camera and "Thanked me for shopping there!"
"Why do we love Canada? Let us count the ways!!!"
No comments:
Post a Comment