Canadian Yachting June 2021 - 38

Photo by Valentin Bacalu

MY CPS-ECP STORY: A NAUTICAL CLOSE
CALL OPENED THE DOOR
- BY DONALD MACINTOSH, NAO, CPS-ECP

For 50 years, crossing from the mainland to our island cot- After taking the course, I volunteered for all manner of
tage was a regular event.
CPS-ECP tasks and activities. One after the other there were
consecutive roles - newsletter editor, course instructor and
Neither the hour of the day or night nor the weather - clear, many other positions. Twenty years later, I am very grateful
calm or stormy - deterred the two-mile crossing. Cross- for my being a member of CPS-ECP.
ing the open lake was a common occurrence from April
to December. Most often the crossing was routine, save As a CPS-ECP member, I've learned plenty about boats and
for one trip.
boating. As a volunteer, I've met many similarly interested
people, often from other squadrons and districts as well as
Late in the season, it was raining and nightfall was immi- from across the country. There have been many different
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hardtop with a deep V hull. Its ample dead rise made it a now, it has been simply good fun.
serious rough water boat.
Additionally, over the years, there have been many CPSWe were travelling with the wind, plowing repeatedly into (&3IULHQGV6TXDGURQGLVWULFWDQG$*0HYHQWVZHUHIXQ
moderate sized waves. For protection the camper top and and enjoyable. Many times I was invited aboard all manner
side curtains were in place. There were life jackets for all, of other members' boats, both sail and power, large and
and the running lights and windscreen wipers were on.
small. The largest boat was the 110-foot Prescotont and
the smallest boat was a 12-foot 'rubber duck.' Both were
I was at the helm. The throttle was at about half as my thrilling rides for much different reasons.
elderly parents were aboard. Stowed away was a moderate
amount of food for the weekend with only a little luggage. By being a CPS-ECP member, there have been, and still are,
Despite the rain and the windblown spray the island's land- many learning moments and an equal number of wonderful
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from the boathouse. Almost there!
each experience was valuable in one way or another.
Suddenly a small open boat appeared. It was approaching
rapidly on the port quarter. It was very close and running
at a high rate of knots. Quickly pulling the helm hard over
to starboard and pulling back on the throttle caused our
boat to turn very sharply before it settled.
As the open boat, without running lights, raced across our
course it was less than a boat length from our bow. The two
people aboard, their heads down, kept right on their track.
Unbelievably it did not slow down. It was, and remains,
an absolute certainty neither the driver nor the passenger
were remotely aware of how narrowly a serious boating
accident had been averted. The following week I signed
up for CPS-ECP's Basic Boating course.

CANADIAN YACHTING | JUNE 2021

CPS-ECP has provided me various ways to support worthy
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well as my community. Such things are very important to
me.
My CPS-ECP friendships have provided me with unique
role models, social support and some riotous occasions. I
believe this to be a two-way street. My sense of voluntarism
is very rewarding, helping keep me focused while providing
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With this well in mind, I wholeheartedly encourage all
manner of boaters to not just become a CPS-ECP member
but to also become actively engaged by volunteering. J

Canadian Yachting June 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Yachting June 2021