June 26

We cut across the waves, the swells were deep and the bow broke heavily through the troughs. Water crashed over the helm and soaked my shirt. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as we headed for shelter from the wind. I trusted my boat and my skill, yet fear was there on the edges of awareness. I turned toward the boat slip but knew that was not an option this evening. We would need to seek temporary shelter from the onrushing storm.

The day started out by living the dream. I rode my motorcycle to the Manteo Resort where our boat lives on a lift in the Eldorado marina. I had my first tour of the season on Serendipity and I was looking forward to being on the water. 

I picked up my guests at the Water Street boat launch. They were a nice family of seven from Edmonton, two sisters, their sons, two grandchildren along with their mother. I donned a mask as they entered the boat and found a comfortable place to perch. I could tell right away that the matriarch of the family was far more afraid of the water than she was of any viral infection. They were all seated and I removed my facial protection. We proceeded on an easy cruise of the monster homes that line Okanagan Lake.

I dropped my guests off back at the launch after a relaxing two-hour cruise. They had fun and the ladies were happy to be back onshore. I felt a peace being on the water again and started for home.

I called my wife and we discussed the idea of me picking her and the kids up in Westbank for an evening cruise. The weather was a little blustery and the decision was made to go another day.

I wasn’t ready to park our vessel yet so instead, I stopped at my friend Lee’s who lives on the water. He has been very fortunate to live lakefront for the past fifteen years. The city owns his home and he pays cheap rent to be able to put his toes in the sand every day. His wife Jacinta was going to be home soon and he had some bad news to share. They were being evicted. After years of indecision, the city of Kelowna has finally decided to tear down the six houses that line the lake and turn them into a park. It was a sad day for my friend, so we felt they needed a distraction.

We jumped on to Serendipity for a quick float in front of their home. They have one more summer to enjoy, a boat ride would be a good distraction from the sad news of their imminent eviction.  Once out on the water, the weather had vastly improved and only a ripple disturbed the surface of the lake. I called Brad and Krista and we all agreed an evening cruise would be fun. I kidnapped my friends from the waterfront pad and headed to the Westbank boat launch to pick up my wife, Brad, and Rhonda.

It was a magnificent evening for a ride across the lake and within twenty-five minutes we were floating in Gellately Bay in front of the launch.

Then the wind began.

It started suddenly over the mountains above West Kelowna. It blew down the water and started to create a chop. We could see white caps forming in the middle of the lake. Consternation and anxiety boiled under the surface of my mind. Should we bolt and leave our friends? Should we head for shelter from the oncoming storm?

At that moment our crew from Westbank pulled into the boat launch ready to be picked up. Lee and I looked at each other, shrugged, and hoped the storm would blow over. At least it wasn’t raining. The wind pushed Serendipity around as we entered the sheltered docks of the boat launch and scrambled to get everyone aboard.

Floating in the bay it soon became apparent the wind was picking up. Sitting in an open boat in a windstorm was exciting for a short time. Then it became uncomfortable. We bailed on the plan for a relaxing cruise on the lake and headed for shelter.

After we dropped off Brad and Rhonda, my wife and my kidnap victims headed for the relative safety of the boat slip and my boat’s parking place. In my mind, I knew that getting on the boat lift would be very unlikely.  Undeterred we powered up and went with the wind towards Kelowna.

I thrilled with the energy of the water beneath my boat as we stayed on top of the three-foot swells cresting in the middle of the Okanagan Lake. We were all impressed at the smoothness of the ride and part of me wanted to slow down and drop a hook in. Fishing would be easy, catching and landing a fish in the large water was another matter altogether.

It was an exhilarating thirty-minute cruise back to Lee’s waterfront pad.  We came in as close as we dared with waves crashing around us. Jacinta leaped from the bow of the boat and courageously got wet to head into their home and get Lee his shoes and wallet. We would meet her at the Eldorado.

We pulled up to the dock on the inside of the El marina. The swells in the marina were two feet and rolling. We didn’t even try to put the boat on the slip. I steered the bow toward the dock, and missed. Rapidly throttling up in reverse we backed off and came again. Lee was ready and he jumped on the dock and held the boat. The waves rocked the vessel and we tied up to secure her to a safe resting place for the night.

Jacinta was there waiting to help and we breathed easy knowing we were safely moored. We decided to sit in the Eldorado and relax after our harrowing ride across the lake. Safety from a storm can take all forms and we were glad to be sheltered from the wind that suddenly erupted.