There are two small marine parks on Quadra Island near our home but they have been separated for years by a parcel of private land owned by a logging company. The local community has been wanting to preserve this entire area to no avail. Finally, the logging company said enough. If the community didn’t raise the cash SOON! the trees were getting cut. So a movement began and somehow in all the fundraising, the idea was spawned that if a person donated $1000.00 they would join the “Thousand Dollar Club” an honour that included a free one day tour of the area aboard . . .  you guessed it, the COLUMBIA III. The idea worked so well, people were calling and asking how they could sign up for  their “free tour” on the COLUMBIA III.

Thus, shortly after we finally got home from our summer season we were back  out with 44 guests for two days running seeing the sights, including the hopefully soon to be protected Octopus Islands/Waiatt Bay corridor to Small Inlet Marine Park. There was even a short TV news piece on the tours

The indefatigable Jeanette Taylor helped to organize the 44 donors for the park purchase and all we had to do was show up at the right time at the right place and start serving tea and coffee. Now that is something I know how to do!

I labeled this as “skipper  in training” but a good skipper has to learn how to be at home working in the galley sink. Here, grandson Theo, is already learning the fine art of galley duty whilst catering to the local philanthropist group