October 10, 2022 Wind Warning.

The fall weather has been some of the warmest I have seen in the Okanagan. Sunshine and record temperatures have blessed us, so it wasn’t surprising when the phone rang and the person on the other end of the line said they wanted to get out on the lake for a tour. 

Thanksgiving Monday and a family from Manitoba was excited to get on the lake and experience all the Okanagan had to offer. I received their payment and booked them for an afternoon lake tour out of West Kelowna. I was thrilled to be working at a time when things were looking pretty sparse.

I looked at the weather forecast in the morning and there it was in bold letters “Wind Warning for the interior of British Columbia. Late afternoon winds expected to blow across the province.”

I called up my guests and suggested we go out on the lake as early as possible. They said they couldn’t make it until the arranged time of 2:00 pm. I warned them there was a forecast for wind.

But the sun was shining and it was warm. At 1:00 pm the breeze was stiff out of the west but not too bad, so we agreed to push through and meet at the launch in Westbank. 

I went to the dock in Peachland and got some fuel for my trip before I set out. I’d had my doubts if the tour would go but I was eager to try because I knew there weren’t many days left to enjoy the water of my Okanagan home. The wind was steady out of the southwest even though the forecast called for winds out of the northwest. I had a sinking feeling inside but lately, it’s been hard to trust the experts on anything. So why trust the forecasters now?

The choppy water skimmed beneath my pontoon boat and I cruised to the pickup location to get my group and take them for an hour-long tour on the lake. I arrived a few minutes early and hoped they would too. It was 2:00 pm and the lake was rough, the wind was steady I wonder if they would want to cancel. 

My group showed up late and it was a process getting them on board. I strapped in the lady on the wheelchair – yes, a wheelchair… I was concerned that the water would be too rough for her but they insisted she would be fine. I used ratchet straps and made sure her chair was secure and wouldn’t move. 

The wind began to howl.

The lake was still fairly calm in the bay so we set out on the water. My stomach fluttered with trepidation yet I knew the boat was solid and felt confident in my abilities. The guests were excited to be out on the lake and I didn’t want to cancel. 

I also didn’t want to get them wet. 

I started up the lake and turned before the point at the end of the bay and went with the wind. Going with the wind, the sun was shining down on us; it felt downright balmy. Except for the rolling water, it would have been a perfect October day. 

Until a big wave pushed us from behind and the bow dipped into the water. 

At that point, I got the guy in the front of the boat to move to the back and redistribute the weight. I had to be on my toes and keep the bow up on top of the waves as we cruised across Gellatly Bay. For a moment I considered returning to the dock but everyone seemed to be having fun and I knew I needed to just stay close to shore and stay in the shelter of the bay. I regaled my guests with tales of the Okanagan and kept the boat in the calm waters along the shore.

Three laps later and their hour was up.

I dropped off my smiling group back at the dock. The lady in the wheelchair was simply beaming with the pleasure of the moment and I felt glad we pushed through and went on the water. They even invited me for Thanksgiving dinner. I declined their gracious invitation with a smile.

I knew my real challenge was ahead of me.

It was time to return to Peachland and park my boat in its sheltered home. I wondered if I should call my wife and get her to pick me up. I would and then go home to grab the truck and trailer, and tow the boat home. It felt like a lot of work, getting her to drive down, then drive home, then drive back, and back again, and finally, a drive to Peachland. I tried calling her but she didn’t answer. I made up my mind and headed out into the choppy waters of Lake Okanagan. 

Choppy was an understatement.

The forecast did call for a wind warning. Here it was. The wind howled and the lake was a churning mass of white water and rolling waves.

I grabbed a life jacket and put it on, then took one of the ratchet straps and wrapped it around myself like a seatbelt. There was no one on the lake and the water was 60 degrees Fahrenheit. I didn’t want to risk ending up in the frigid water.

The bay was still fairly calm and as steered my boat toward the open water my phone rang. It was honey wanting to know if I needed her help. I’ve spent too much time sheltering from the storms, viral or otherwise, this time I would place myself in the teeth of the storm and ride it out. I told her I would call when I got to Peachland.

The water swelled up and the boat pounded down. I thought to myself, take my time and keep the bow into the waves, I would be fine. 

The boat shuddered with every wave and I slowed down to keep from rattling my teeth out and battering my vessel into bits. I couldn’t help but think of some of the YouTube videos I’d watched where the boat breaks apart from the force of the waves.

I sat in my captain’s chair and held on, I cranked up my favourite playlist and eased my three-hulled vessel into the howling winds and crashing waves. Ten minutes into my journey, I questioned my decision and my sanity.

But it was too late to turn back.

Forward I went, patiently navigating the waves. I turned and accelerated at each calm moment until one time a wave crashed over the bow and soaked me. Don’t turn that way again, and I didn’t.

It was a fourty-five minute cruise into the wailing winds and waves. When I made it to the dock I did a little happy dance and let out a howl of victory.

What a difference a day made. The day before it was a glassy calm lake – this Thanksgiving Monday – not so much.

Just as I parked The Triple Or Nuthin, my phone let out a chirp at me. It was my buddy Cookster, checking to see if I was alright. I chuckled to myself, how did he know I was on the lake? He was there the day before when I got the request for the tour. Nice that he was thinking of me.

It warmed my heart to know that I had a friend who cared enough to make sure I was safe in such a wicked storm. I let him know I was safe and sound, and back at the dock. 

It was a thrilling end to a wicked ride on a howling lake. A ride I don’t want to repeat any time soon. Next time I would probably take the ride from my wife and play it safe – maybe…