Quebec City
We flew to Quebec City on May 21st but due to some
system problems at the airport in San Francisco we were tight in terms
of time to make our connecting flight out of Toronto. With only about 15
minutes to spare before take off we were passing through the metal detectors
when the security guard decided that Andy's carry on bag was too large.
We were just a bit confused since we had no trouble with its size in San
Francisco (maybe it grew). Andy was forced to go back to the Air Canada
ticket counter to get a waiver to carry the bag on the plane. I had already
passed through the detector so I went down to the gate to wait for him.
With only two minutes to go before take off Andy got on the plane. The
Air Canada people bent over backwards to help him back through security
when the person then decided that the SSB radio and tuner that were in
the bag were too dangerous to take on the plane. No power, no antenna,
and not even in the same box but the guard thought there still might be
a way Andy could bring the plane down if he transmitted on his radio. He
finally relented but made Andy get permission from the flight crew to bring
it on the plane.
We weren't sure how we were going to find Geoff's boat, the Inishfree,
once we got to Quebec City but that problem solved itself. As we were standing
at the baggage claim carousel we heard a voice behind us saying, "You must
be the guys from California. Only sailors would have bags that look that
look like yours!" With Geoff was a guy named André who was going
to drive us to the marina. It was our first taste of the hospitality that
we would experience the whole trip. André had been a river pilot
on the St. Lawrence most of his life and was just helping out by giving
people from the flotilla rides when they needed them.
The flotilla had already left Quebec City so only the Inishfree
and one other boat were left from the flotilla in the marina. Since it
was so early in the year there were almost no other boats in the water
so it was a pretty empty place that greeted us. Geoff got a real kick out
of the other boats name. He could not understand why anyone would name
their boat Blue Angel. In Canada a `blue angel' is what you get
when you light a fart! I wonder if our Navy's Blue Angel flight team knows
that? Geoff showed us around Inishfree, fed us dinner and put us
to bed early for a 0300 wake-up so we could be underway by 0400. |
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Andy's comments:
I guess the whole issue became some sort of "face saving"
exercise on the part of airport security. I think I saw in the guy's eyes
that he knew he was wrong from the moment he opened his mouth, but his
unwillingness to admit it almost made me miss my plane. All through the
exercise, Mary from Air Canada was telling me, "Don't argue with him, he
can take you off your plane". The moment the security guy relented and
agreed that I could go on the plane with the permission of the flight crew,
Mary had me on an electric cart heading for my gate. On the way, she explained
that the security guy would probably ask someone else later and find out
he was wrong, but there was no way he would admit it to me.
When we got to the plane, it was full and waiting for
me. Mary walked me up to the door of the plane, gave the flight attendant
a nod and quickly explained my story. The flight attendant just grinned
and joked, "Give me 20 dollars" and directed me to a seat, winking at Mary.
When my now-famous bag would not fit in the full overhead bins, he opened
a cupboard and asked me to put it there. This is one of those times when
I really regret not getting someone's full name so I could properly thank
them later. Mary of Air Canada, wherever you are, Thank YOU! |
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| Blue Angel was an interesting, and
sad, boat. It had apparently been burned in a past life, and the present
owner was intent on fixing it up for the trip. Geoff told us that he had
visited the owner and had seen the boat in January. At that time he didn't
feel that it was even close to being ready for the trip. When we saw it
in May it still looked pretty hastily prepared. The owner had mounted an
enormous wood and glass doghouse over the cockpit.
We visited Blue Angel the evening of our arrival.
Even climbing onboard we noticed loose stanchions and a somewhat unfinished
looking deck. Below decks she appeared very unfinished, with bare wood
everywhere and even a few signs of when she was burned. Her crew, apparently
recruited for the trip, also appeared nervous and unhappy. We would find
out later that they jumped ship just a little way down the river, after
both of Blue Angel's engines gave out, only a few miles from where
we started with them at Quebec City. They apparently left the boat with
the skipper exclaiming that he would do the trip alone.
We continued to hear news of Blue Angel as we progressed
down river. He was trying to follow the fleet but was continually plagued
with equipment failures - mostly in his engines. We guessed that at some
point he would have to turn back for Toronto, but we never heard what finally
happened to him.
There was a happy ending for two of his crew. A young
veterinarian and his wife, who had apparently given up their jobs in order
to be part of the trip, joined the powerboat Scotia Blue and continued
the trip. We saw them often, and shared more than a few beers wondering
the fate of Blue Angel. |
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