Masterminding Repairs

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FROM AMA LOG: Friday, 8/18/17

Port McNeil



WEATHER: Foggy & lite drizzle in am. Clear, sunny afternoon with light winds, temp. about 70˙



Port McNeil is a town we love but are starting to hate. I take the third, and last, road for my walk this morning. Now I have officially walked the town, up the south and west hillsides and north out along the spit past the noisy, logging, cement & gravel operations. This business is probably the earliest riser with groaning tugs, whining saws and shouts heard even above the truck roars from the steep climb up and back from timber forests to the sea.



Between the two of us, we have frequented the shops enough to know at least one clerk, usually the owner, in every business. We are on first name basis with the Port McNeil Harbor master and we’ve welcomed at least 12 boats on our dock since our arrival. They bring us tales of the sea, and we eat up their stories of places they’ve traveled many returning from summer adventures. We talk a lot about the Inside Passage Decarbonization Project and steer folks to the new website, www.decarbthepassage.net. Everyone seems to have a story of their own, very exciting stuff going on here!



Of course the part we were waiting for never arrived, DHL blamed Amazon who blamed DHL. Either way, it never arrived and Peter made a fast dash up to Port Hardy by bus to pick up a lesser, but adequate part. He never made it on the bus though because kind sailors picked him up and gave him free rides both ways (and the return trip was in a Prius!).



The one exciting thing happening in Port McNeil is the Orca Fest that starts tonight with live theater, the Wild, Wild, West Show at the local Gatehouse Theater. Of course, Peter arrived back with the part about 30 minutes before the play started so instead we don our coveralls and head down into the engine room (actually just lifting out Ama’s floors).





Despite Peter’s claims to having a weak spot when it comes to electricity, a new inverter is installed before we know it. He decides to wait until a real marine electrician looks it over before turning it on so we don’t know for sure when we’re leaving still.





The docks are quiet and the sunset gorgeous while we finish our night walking the commercial fishing docks, an old habit we rarely do anymore.

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