Although friends for almost 10 years, Ward and I really got to know each other on our 2010 trip to BurningMan. For 6 days we lived and travelled together in the most fantastic playground of friendly interesting people, food, music and art. Life together in Black Rock City gave us immediate insight into our personalities, thoughts and actions. Clearly we both loved to design and build stuff. In 2017, we returned to BurningMan for our 4th adventure together with a larger Camp Carnivore family. As a community art contribution with early entry benefits, we designed, built and installed 6 car sized, interactive art pieces - creating The Automata Menagerie art installation by Camp Carnivore. At night, for safety and way cool color effects, we had to illuminate our art. Considering use at Burning Man and on Hull Island, Ward designed and built this 4 panel, two battery solar system. For re-use on Hull Island, we upgraded the inverter capacity to handle my chop saw. Once installed, Hull Island will be fossil free for electricity. Off the grid and GREEN.
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| June 27th 2018 |
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| New toilet for Hull Island. Complete island bathroom remodel for about $10. |
2018 - 1 Hull Island
We have a big year ahead. The footings were set almost a year ago and it's time to start building.
Over the winter, I worked with Cliff Rosback from Shoprite Marine and his younger sister Catherine from RONA Hardware in Port McNeill to order all the building materials. These two found the most beautiful straight fir beams, dimensional framing lumber, and clear cedar siding I have ever seen. I contracted with Inlet Navigation out of Campbell River to pick up the materials up in Port McNeill and deliver to Hull around July 8th. I'm sorry I wasn't there to see the materials delivered and loaded in Port McNeill. Thanks to all who handled it.
Before the transporter arrived I needed to create a landing ramp capable of offloading a large 4 wheel drive forklift carrying the materials, so I called Mike Buttle. Mike has a perfect set of tools for the job - a huge excavator with expert operator: The Buttle Shuttle - that can carry the load, and Mike Buttle himself, with the personal grit to pull this off in a narrow channel up against a steep wet rock face.
I wanted to be on the island a few days before the wood arrived, so on July 5th I loaded up the truck and headed north. I was going to be there by myself for the first time in 3 years when I spent two nights surveying before buying. This time I was hauling a ton of equipment using our own boat. The journey and time alone is wild. Very invigorating, scary at times, totally adventurous. Thrilling. I hauled the distance and carried the load from Woodinville to Hull: the solar system and two very heavy batteries, the heavy COSTCO 10' by 20' carport, chop saw, circular saws, boxes of building tools and food and drinks for a week. Beaching BRNR on The Landing made life so much easier. Thank you Christopher Geiger and rock crew.
Loading and unloading all the gear then setting up camp was completely exhausting. I spent the next day around camp clearing brush and setting up for what was going to happen next. As delivery day drew near I became anxious. Buttle was on another job, so the ramp wasn't ready and still no word from the ship. On July 6th, The captain called to say they were still up north and running a week or so late. From this logistics hold up, I gained deeper understanding, respect and appreciation for the strength of our local network. I was nervous about the delay, but aware of the situation. So cool to see everyone working together. Greatly appreciated!
On July 11th, The Buttle Shuttle arrives from the north east end of the channel. The sun is out, the air is clear, and shit's about to happen. It's even more exciting with a lower tide that makes the excavator offload even harrier. It was crazy! At one point with the spikes on the bucket trying to grab hold of the rock, the entire excavator starts to slip back and go partially underwater while Buttle is giving his ferry full throttle and raising the ramp to provide a boost. For a minute or two I thought it was over and wondering how we would recover a sunken excavator and whether or not the operator was wearing a life jacket.
In the end, everything worked out well. What a total rush to see these guys work: spectacular unload, efficient clearing then back on board, gone and all quiet again in less than 50 minutes. Thanks Mike and Mr. Operator!
I spent the next few days doing what all real burners do, more clearing and burning brush from around camp. Being alone on the island that week was so calm and relaxing. Very peaceful. I felt transcendent living so immersed in such pristine nature.
One sunny windy afternoon, while sitting in the shade of the kitchen entrance, a beautiful young deer walked into camp. The deer moved quietly through the trail into Hull's Kitchen. It appeared at times to be looking back towards me and the highway. I later learned why, as 10 minutes later a medium-sized brown bear (aka Grizzly) emerged from the woods and headed my way. The bear saw me at the same time I saw him. In the instant we caught each others eyes, I don't think either of us felt threatened. We came in peace. Quickly, I grabbed a can of bear spray and slowly stood up. When I stood, the bear stopped and slowly turned around and started to walk away from camp. I sat down excited and relaxed. Phew! The bear then stopped, looked over its shoulder, saw me sitting and apparently felt it was safe to come back into camp for a closer look. Oh No! I remained seated, grabbed my camera, took a photo and a short video. I stopped filming and got more cautious as the bear seemed to be hiding behind the "Hampton Inn" tent about 35' away. Eventually, I saw the bear leave camp headed south up the hill, then through the woods and out of camp.
One of the most frequently asked questions is, "Are there any bears on Hull Island?" Until today my answer was: We live in a region called The Great Bear Rainforest. I had seen both brown and black bear on other islands nearby and all my neighbors reported seeing bears on Hull. However, I had not seen any bears on Hull so I was not 100% certain. Now we all know! Finally a real-life in person, close bear encounter, and no harm done. I was elated and yelled with joy and relief. Nature is incredible.
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| Monday July 9th |
Chris Geiger led the effort to clear "the landing zone" a perfect place to launch kayaks or park a boat for unloading.
What a nice surprise to find gifts left from previous campers!
Sitting in the kitchen, relaxing when a smaller brown bear walked into camp. I think we were both surprised to see each other.
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| Wednesday July 11th The BRNR floating as it should... pink marks the ramp location |
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| Wednesday July 11th. Mike Buttle, The Buttle Shuttle and a very large excavator |
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| Excavator pulling stumps and clearing path fr wood delivery |
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| natural art |
I had been living alone on Hull for 7 days before Heidi arrived. This time we tested air routes. I recommend Kenmore Air float plane service from Seattle or Kirkland to either Port McNeill or Lagoon Cove. Lagoon Cove is about 30 minutes by boat from Hull, Port McNeill about 2 hours away.
This time I met Heidi in Port McNeill as I needed to do laundry and restock supplies. We put the laundry in, went for lunch, then put clothes in dryer and went shopping. All pretty efficient except the lack of quarters. I had to go back to the IGA store where they sold me a roll.
While waiting for the building materials to arrive, we spent the week on Hull clearing more camp area, crabbing, kayaking, relaxing, enjoying fine food and building. The solar system was now up and running, so we had reliable clean electrical to power tools and music. As an anniversary present, I used the wood cut last year by Correll and Nolan to build a large and fairly sturdy camp table that can comfortable seat 8. Thanks to Christen Geyer Geiger for the timeless table design.
One day after the table was built, Len the Woodman (aka Timber Mac Construction) stopped by on his boat. From the water he could see the flower arrangement on the table and remarked, "there must be a woman in camp." Good eye, right on.
Mike Buttle stopped by early one morning to take Heidi and me over to his place to look at docks. Mike buys fish farming docks and walkways and converts them to boat docks that work great, are much lower cost, easier to install and move. Before picking out the dock, we measured the distance needed for the ramp so we could see where the dock might be at low tide. Mike had several in inventory, so we chose the one that looked in best condition. After coffee in his camp dining room and kitchen, Mike loaded us up with sausages that his wife Linda makes. The sausages were outstanding!
One day we took a break from Hull to explore new areas north of here and meet Bill Proctor a local legend who grew up in the area. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate and we had heavy rain on and off most of the day. We headed north through Chatham Channel, then past Minstrel Island on the left and across Knights inlet. Bill was living in Echo Bay on Gifford Island so we circumnavigated the island counter clockwise. What a beautiful area, even more remote than Hull. Rugged hills, steep faces, waterfalls and channels. After looking around for an hour in the rain and fog, we finally found Bill's dock and headed up to his small museum and bookstore. It was great to meet Bill and look around. We bought all three of his books. I definitely recommend his book Tide Rips and Back Eddies, Bill Proctors Tales of Blackfish Sound. Easy reading and great insight to fishing and frontier lifestyle in the early 1900's to current days. The weather made the trip particularly exhausting but still well worth a day's journey, ~ 100 miles in 6 hours.
On the morning of July 22nd, the Inlet Transport II arrived. It was very exciting to see such a large boat expertly navigate the narrow channel. Like clockwork the ramp went down and the forklift started unloading. In less than 30 minutes all materials were in the camp and the boat gone.
Heidi and I got to work immediately. First order of business was to set the beams on the footings. Working together we were able to move the large 6" by 12" by 10" beams into place on the footings. The beams had to be notched a 1/2 inch as the footing brackets were designed for the typical 6" beams that actually measure only 5 1/2 wide. Getting the beams in place went fast and was super rewarding as the foundations were very well aligned and the wood straight and square.
Over the next two days, Heidi and I finished the floor joists and covered the deck with 1" plywood. We used construction screws only, no nails. Using only screws made for more peace and quiet during the build and a cabin that could be easy to take apart (if necessary). Now the base was solid enough for an elephant to stand on without any wobble and ready for framing.
Our week together went off without a hitch. The weather was fine, food delicious, and building true. BRNR operated and anchored flawlessly. I was totally impressed by Heidi's construction results. The work accomplished and time together was an emotionally positive life experience..
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| Lagoon Cove about 8 miles away, float plane airport, gas and ice! |
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| Sunday July 15 |
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| Monday July 16th, Jeff and Pam Krueger cruise by |
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| Tuesday July 17th, rebuilding the camp table |
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| Hull Island on right, Triangle Island in center, mainland Canada in back |
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| Anniversary dinner July 17th. |
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| Rainwater filtration. Thank you Therese and Travis Goin for the retirement gift of clean water! |
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| Sunday July 22nd Inlet Navigation arrives with cabin materials |
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| First beam set. Foundation crew nailed it! |
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| 16' by 20' frame |
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| Full 6" wide beam had to be notched for 5 1/2" standard brackets. |
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| Flat and level adjusted for tidal effects to within +/- .025" |
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| Tuesday July 24th |
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cutting the beams to length. Wednesday July 25th
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| Wednesday July 25 |
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| Cocktails on the deck - classic combination. |
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| View looking north from The Landing |
Catherine was arriving for a week of construction on Hull Island, and I was anxious about the reliability of my truck. I bought it used a few years ago for $1,600, spent thousands of dollars in repairs and still the brakes would seize up on occasion when overheated. We had a lot riding on this trip and I didn't want to take the risk when I knew it was easily mitigated. I hadn't bought a new car for myself in over 30 years. It was time.
Leslie Lauer and I met at Boeing in the early 1980's and over 36 years at Boeing we stayed in touch, often working together, always collaborating. Leslie's husband Doug used to run the Ford Dealer in Everett and offered to help. I picked Doug up in Marysville and we made the trip north to Dwyane Lane Ford in Cedro Wooley. In less than two hours we had picked out a truck, traded in my truck, signed a bunch of paperwork, wrote a check and were headed home. What a wonderful day spent together. Thank you Doug and Leslie.
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My new 2018 Ford F150 RAIL
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August 2nd
Our family of five: Phillip, Audrey, Catherine, Heidi and I have always been close. We almost always ate dinner together, travelled together and shared our lives together. In all those years, I don't ever recall spending more than a day or two alone with any one of our children. Catherine and I alone for a week for the first time ever, building a cabin on a remote island was a lifetime opportunity.
Catherine wrote an excellent in depth review and blog story about her experience. I recommend her account of the journey.
I had one of the best times of my life. I can't put in words how much I enjoyed the experience. Catherine was on task and created efficiently from early morning to late night. Her near fervent propensity to doing was epic and pulled me enthusiastically along. For 6 days we ate breakfast, lunch and dinners together outdoors surrounded by a beautiful Canadian environment. Fantastic food and setting.
On the first night we started boiling sea water over the fire to make salt. Throughout the week we boiled seawater, then filtered it through coffee filters and spread the condensed solution on a large black plastic coated pan to dry in the sun. Catherine the Scientist researched, supervised, managed, directed and handled salt operations. I carried the water and helped where needed. After five days, our operations yielded 1 pound of Hull Island Sea Salt Batch #1. The ice cold clear seawater and sun crystallization produce a salt so pure, fresh and delicious that it instantly became a legend in our minds.
Starting day one and everyday after, Catherine was up early. While Heidi and I accomplished a lot, with Catherine I had to step it up even more. The aggressive build pace and seamless team effort got results. In 5 days working 9 to 5 we framed, raised and sheathed the walls, built a 24' by 4" by 12" long laminated ridge beam, leveraged it up top then cut and installed the first third of the rafters. At the end of the week, we raised the requisite pine tree on the ridge, then covered the cabin skeleton with large tarps to keep it dry. The structure came off really straight and I'm definitely proud of our build quality. I was particularly pleased with Catherine's eye to safety, she made sure we both came home without an accident. Catherine is a joy to work with and the days pass quickly working, playing and enjoying life. We slept in the cabin for the first time on the last night of camp just as a light rain came down for the first time in weeks. I fell asleep filled with wonder.
When cabin work ended at 5 each day, I made time for a cocktail or two to ease the stress and strains while Catherine went to work on more projects. She built our first shower on the island with a beautiful stone floor and hot water provided by a sun-heated hose with spray nozzle, all gravity run from the water tank 300' away. When the sun is strong there is plenty of hot water for an amazing fresh air shower with an epic wilderness view all around and across the sound.
From a solid plank of clear cedar chainsaw harvested nearby Catherine worked late into the night carving the cabin address sign for 1 Hull Island. Salt drying table, paper holder rack, landscaping, fire building, wood splitting - it was non stop! We even caught some monster crabs and Catherine cooked up the best crab cakes to date - crazy how well everything went.
What could possibly get better? On the way home in a narrow channel less than 50' deep we came upon a large humpback whale swimming lazily less than two hundred feet away. We stopped and watched a while before sneaking past and heading home. Thanks Catherine for making such a positively huge impact on my life and on Hull Island.
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| August 5th Port McNeill |
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| Glacial silt turns the water green as tide ebbs in Baronet Passage |
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| Catherine's first night on Hull Island |
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| Sunset over East and West Cracroft Islands. |
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| Monday August 6th, South wall ready to raise |
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| Raising the south wall. |
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| Thursday August 9th |
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| Making salt Tuesday August 7th |
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| Outdoor shower with stone floor |
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| Catherine's Crab Cakes. Absolutely delicious |
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| Walls are up |
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| Wood carving by headlamp |
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| Friday August 10th |
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| Solid work platform thanks to Catherine. |
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| We got a lot done! |
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| Wall and roof framing |
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| First batch of Hull Island Sea Salt |
August 15th, 2018
I first met Bill Platt in 1972 when he and his family moved from Berwyn Pennsylvania to Wayland MA. We have been good friends ever since. In High School we built an underground fort as a home base for our escapades and ventured off on several epic camping, canoeing and climbing trips where our passion for outdoors was solidified. Apparently Bill still longed for the outdoor life but had been unable to get a group together to rough it camping. I was completely excited he showed interest in a trip to Hull and was coming out west to explore.
Bill packed along his special crab spices, a carton or two of cigars and a small stash of recreational food and drinks. When you're with Bill some things have to be just so and I wasn't about to argue. Bill loves cooking and eating great food, he moves methodically and with focus. While we planned work on the cabin, this was NOT going to be a hellacious build week effort but instead some time to relax and enjoy the ride. In all the times I've been to Hull, work seemed to predominate our time. I was all in for a more vacation-like week.
But first we had to get the 400 pound cast iron wood stove in a shipping crate and two 150 pound barn doors from truck to boat and boat to cabin. This was no easy task and took some good fortune, ingenuity and perseverance to succeed. In Port McNeill, we were lucky to be aided by a couple of big strong friendly guys who were loading a boat nearby. They took pity on us older folks and stepped in at just the right moment to help heave the stove in the boat. On the island end, we screwed together boards to make a gangplank from boat to shore, then tipping, wiggling, pushing and pulling we slid the stove to the shore by Hull's Kitchen. We worked ourselves to exhaustion trying to take the stove the last 500 feet. In the end we realized that in a few weeks 5 strong guys were showing up, so we stopped halfway, hid the crate in the salal and covered it for protection. Archimedes was our 12th man.
Living in one of the best salmon fishing areas in the world, Bill was aghast we hadn't spent more time fishing the local waters. After making some improvised fishing rod holders in Woodinville, and with Bill's expertise at the helm of BRNR, we set off trolling in Baronet Passage. Within an hour or two we hooked our first locally caught salmon big enough to keep. We cooked it over the fire that night and it was truly delicious. Sea to table in just hours.
We caught Dungeness crab about two miles away in Boughey Bay and cooked the crab in Bill's specially prepared crab pot. This cooking method is now standard on Hull. Bill laid small flat stones in the bottom of the pot, then added water to just below the top of the rocks. In this way the crab would be steamed, but never touch the water. Cooked with a heavy dose of Bill's special crabs spices, the food was fantastic. Steak, salmon, crab, chicken... a typical Hull Island week of fine dining!
When we got tired of eating and relaxing, we went to work. Bill wanted to be sure he made a lasting contribution to Hull. He petitioned hard to remove the logs we step over between the landing and the camp but I wasn't ready. The logs define the north entry and that was it, for now.
Bill set to work improving the stone stairs that had been started a year earlier then found a perfectly shaped piece of driftwood that he fashioned into a handrail and we attached firmly to a tree. A great improvement. Thanks Bill! We next designed the deck substructure, cut and installed the pressure treated lumber for the cabin's outside deck. Bill's expertise in construction really helped and we soon had the frame built and covered with temporary plywood until we could take the time to finish it off. For safety Bill added a temporary rope rail complete with marking tape and LED night lighting repurposed from BurningMan. That afternoon, we broke the deck in and realized what a fantastic addition it was. Great view of camp and surroundings and a much-needed covered area to get out of the sun or rain.
The ride back to Port McNeill was harrowing. Thick fog laden with heavy smoke from all the forest fires made the visibility in Johnstone Strait really bad. For most of the trip we couldn't see more than 50' to 100' ahead. Out on the water, in thick fog with a plane-to-catch deadline was a recipe for disaster. We were lucky. I vowed then and there that my next major purchase will be a boat with radar! We navigated slowly using the GPS system and craned our eyes and ears for other boats. Particularly nerve wracking were the two or three times we came across boat wakes in the otherwise glass flat ocean. We both hoped that the other boats out there had radar and could avoid us. About 10 miles from Port a very large 60' fishing trawler emerged eerily from the fog off our port side about 80' away - shrouded in fog, like a surreal ghost ship coming to take us to the bottom of the sound. Bill and I were psyched to make it home safely and very pleased with the week together. Thanks Bill, I really appreciate your friendship and I look forward to doing it again!
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| Skillet steak and potatoes - no green veggies. |
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| Home made rod holders, BRNR trolling in Baronet Passage |
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| fresh salmon |
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| Stair improvement and handrail thanks to Bill |
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| Master builder Bill |
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| Plenty of crab this week. |
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Delicious Dungeness crab with spices, raised above water on rocks.
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First week of September 2018
My cousin Matt and his friend Nate Wilmont were making the trip to Hull. Nate is a professional carpenter and builder from Maine, a super guy and a total pleasure to be around. Chris and Henry joined the expedition and we were well set to get stuff done. This was Chris and Henry's third trip, Matt's second, and Nate's first. The call to arms had gone out and the guys showed up. Excellent!
In a matter of days, fueled by great food, coffee and chocolate we finished the rafters, sheathed the roof in 3/8 exterior plywood, covered it with a water tight membrane and installed the tin roof. A huge amount of work accomplished by a great team. Cutting lumber, passing up plywood, cutting metal, peeling the protective layer from the metal roof pieces, and managing to survive the installation of the steep slippery roof was done very well and safely. As I get older, I am less confident moving on very steep slopes: climbing, skiing or roofs. What a blessing that Nate was with us to handle the roof top metal. He was solid and sure underfoot.
In between cabin work, Chris, Matt and Henry also worked on rebuilding the cairn by the landing and moved the wood stove into the cabin, tore apart the wooden crate and burned it to ashes. Heavy lifting all around. At breaks and after work Nate graced us with his hand rolled tobacco cigarettes that he called rollies. Chris and I loved the rollies! It was such a pleasure hanging out with the guys, eating crab, huge steaks, tons of food and drinks while building, exploring and living life to our fullest. For the first time we now had a solid dry structure to protect ourselves from the elements. The cabin is a major accomplishment achieved by a lot of people. I will forever appreciate the hard work and dedication from all the volunteers who have brought us this far. Thank you all.
We finally took a day to rest and see the Island. We spent time exploring the woods, climbing on, over and under fallen logs while looking for the largest trees and making our way to the southern tip of Hull. Somewhere about two thirds of the way south along the east side of Hull we found a massive old fir tree. We rested and took pictures. The woods of Hull are an adventure land of nature, hiking, climbing and exploring. Very healthy exercise in pristinely clean oxygen-rich air.
BRNR and The Rail were put to the test of getting 5 large people and equipment to Hull and back. Well done we made it! On the trip home we learned two valuable lessons. 1) When running on a tight schedule, don't stop for a slow lunch at the Thai restaurant in Campbell River. And 2) if you're late for the ferry have Nate drive! We made up a lot of time on the last stretch and arrived just before the gate closed on the ferry dock.
A huge shout-out to Matt, Chris and Nate coming from the east coast and Henry from California to help this project along. The amount of work you guys put out and the time we spent together was inspirational. You and your families are always welcome back to Hull Island. Come enjoy the fruits of your labor.
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| Pre launch dinner. Left to right. Nate Wilmont, Stefi Geiger, Matt Chambers, Audrey Geiger, Heidi, Jon and Henry Hattemer. Friday August 31st |
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| Audrey getting indoctrination into Hull life |
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| Nate all smiles before he realized the challenges ahead |
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| How will it end? When will Stefi visit Hull? |
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| My cousin Matt Chambers. Shaaaaa. |
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Saturday September 1st The crew ready to go
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Sunday September 3rd
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| Lots of pieces to cut and install on the gable roof. |
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| When the cutting boards get too dirty they get recycled into heat |
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| Sea to table in an hour - traditional Hull Crab Feast |
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| Chris the Cairn Builder - total focus |
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| Roof sheathing done! Tuesday September 4th |
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| Rock Star Henry Hattemer, West Cracroft Island in the distance |
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| Wednesday September 5th, 2018 We're definitely not lost. We're right here on the GPS |
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| The pro's from Maine surveying the scene |
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| Matt overcoming all obstacles |
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| Lumberjacks checking out the inventory |
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| Nate on the high wire. |
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| Southern tip of Hull with Mistake Island and Canada Mainland in background |
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Front to back, Hull Island, Mistake Island, Mainland Canada, Vancouver Island |
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| Plenty of salt and pepper for 10 pounds of steak. Henry is on it! |
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| Nice shirt! |
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| Cleaning crab at the landing |
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| Happy hour in Hull's Kitchen, Matilpi on mainland Canada in background |
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| Thursday September 6th, Henry cutting the roof to size |
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| Chris on crab cleaning duty. Must taste regularly to assure quality |
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| Waterproof membrane installed. Time to quit for the day |
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| Nate makes it look easy. It wasn't. |
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| The fire man built a beauty. |
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| Brothers in arms |
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| Cairn fire and torches ablaze. |
End of September 2018 with Liz. Trip #5 for me this year.
Due to heavy wind and rain we chose not to leave the safety of Port McNeill and instead took a one-day delay to visit some of the local sights. In Port McNeill ,we checked out the local small museum to learn more of the logging history of Port McNeill. We drove 25 miles north to Port Hardy, original home of the Kwakiutl First Nation tribe and the surrounding Quatsino and Gwa'sala Nakwaxda'xw tribes. In town by the tribal waterfront were some beautiful totem poles and native art on the front of the school building. Well worth the visit although in the pouring rain we didn't venture out much.
Thanks to my sister Liz a new island tradition is started: the end of season camp shutdown week. Modeled after Camp Ogichi and Camp Koochiching, after all the visitors have left and the place is quiet, time is devoted to cleaning up and organizing the camp before leaving for the winter. Wood is stacked, tools stored, and everything battened down for the strong winds and heavy weather ahead. A time to reflect on all the past experiences.
But first we have more building to do and who better to get things going than Liz? Liz is right up there with Catherine for motivating results. Up early, quick breakfast then on to the matters at hand.
Job one was finishing the front deck. We cut, trimmed and screwed down the 6' wide composite floor boards. I learned from experience not to use real wood on Pacific Northwest decks as it's expensive to maintain and rots quickly. Composite decking is a solid investment and it comes out looking great. Solid. Together we installed water and ice barriers around the windows and doors, wrapped the cabin with an air and vapor barrier like a fancy gift, then installed the windows and front door. With me above and Liz below we added the last piece to the roof, the ridge cap. Done! What a huge relief to have the cabin totally dry and sealed from the weather.
Our last two days brought great joy. We spent hours sorting and reorganizing the entire camps worth of gear; building materials, tools and equipment, kitchen and camping - inside, outside and around the camp. We leveled and re-stacked the lumber and the firewood piles, then covered them with good tarps weighted down with rocks. It was tight!
We even had time for crabs. We learned another key lesson, a no brainer really, but in the excitement of the open waters and fresh crab potential, a novice might forget to check the tide before dropping traps in deep water. We learned that a rising tide doesn't lift a heavy trap on a short line. We had to return at low tide with our humility in check.
The camp was buttoned up and we left knowing it was secure for the winter. A very nice feeling!
Life with Liz on Hull was absolutely enjoyable and a perfect way to spend a week. I look forward to the next adventure together.
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| Tsawwassen Ferry terminal, Thursday September 20th 2018 |
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| Hearty breakfast for two, Monday September 24th |
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| Leveled, stacked, and covered, Tuesday September 25th 2018 |
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