Colin Ming!

[Guest]

I received a very enjoyable email from Colin today and would like to share a portion of it with you (with Colin's permission);

You’re quite right I’m exceedingly busy these days getting the boat ready for my great expedition of 2007. Nothing is ever set in stone, and I may be changing my plans a little. As you recall I was going to Alaska, however since I made the plans I’ve been invited, by the organizers, to attend many wooden boat festivals that are organized along the BC coast throughout the summer. This would mean a shorter trip of only about 500 nautical miles in each direction, but perhaps a more interesting one, since on a couple of the journey’s legs, I’ll be in the company of several other classic sailing craft. The trip will still include sailing through open waters and also along some of BC’s most scenic and rugged coastline.

I’ll be taking my camera equipment and laptop computer with me and will be able to send the occasional message when within the bounds of civilization. If you’re interested, you might want to place some of my photos and letters in an area of GTOL as the trip progresses. It might go well with a Homecoming year!

Colin extends his warm greetings to all.
Don

[Jacki]

My bestest wishes to ya Colin and am sure that the trips you will be making will be well worth every moment. i have bene out to the coast a couple of times and the memories I have collected remain with me still. Would love to see your pics as you take these journeys and hope that they will be posted as soon as rec'd by Don or whom ever or how ever you will put them here !!!
Happy trails

[Jimmer1]

I was just thinking on the weekend about how Colin was doing. Glad to see he is enjoying himself and wish a great summer on the coast!!!

Jimmer

[Guest]

Thanks for the good wishes. My only complaint since retiring; I never have enough hours in a day anymore, even though I’m an early riser and seldom go to bed before midnight. I’m really looking forward to the coming summer. The complete refit of my boat has been my only daytime activity for the last three months. Most evenings are spent browsing charts, re-reading my west coast pilot guides, adding items to an ever growing list of must-haves that I know I’ll re-edit and delete numerous times, and generally getting things Bristol Fashion for the coming summer’s adventure.

A couple of highlights of the summer will be: the Sunshine Coast Wooden Boat Festival in August. Most of the boats will be met by a Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary boat on the north end of Skookumchuck Narrows at about 10:00 hrs. to take advantage of the slack water at Sechelt Rapids then lead the fleet the 16 miles (about 2.5 hrs) to Porpoise Bay and the festival.

The final festival is held in Port Townsend WA in September; it is without doubt the finest on the Pacific side of the continent; usually about 400 – 500 wooden boats are on display throughout the three day event. I, along with a group of fellow sailors and classic boat owners, from as far away as Oregon and Northern BC, will be meeting several miles from Port Townsend the day prior to the festival’s opening and sail to the festival (assuming the wind is blowing) as a small fleet of between 20 – 30 boats and all under 25 ft.

I’ll be attending numerous events throughout the summer including four, possibly five, classic boat shows and sailing through some of the worlds most spectacular and untouched scenery

Cheers....