We started the winter cruises to get connected with locals who knew and loved the Columbia III from her earlier mission/hospital ship days, but now just about everyone wants to join us for our annual Christmas Cruises. We provide the tea, coffee, cookies and the vessel, you just show up and pay $10 if you have the money, and come for free if you don’t.
I ended up with dozens and dozens of calls waiting on my voice mail, all requesting reservations for 2-10 guests . . . I finally just couldn’t keep up with the flood of interest. Oops! Next year I will change my voice mail message when the boat is full and it will take some of the confusion out of the process. I am always taken aback by how many people want to join these humble cruises. We took about 88 passengers over two days but I think I turned many more than that away! . . . . .
It was a nice winter day when we pulled the Columbia III out of the shed in preparation for this year’s Christmas cruises.
But it was snowing by the time we made it to Campbell River and overnighted. It certainly looked like a “Christmas Cruise” when the guests arrived in falling snow.
The docks were slippery but I kept a salt water pump running to keep the decks ice-free and safe.
Fern and Tavish spent several days baking literally buckets of cookies for the cruises.
The weather was snowy but calm enough to venture down to the Cape Mudge lighthouse.
Pastor Tom has joined us several times. We seem to get a lot of repeat “Christmas Cruisers”
A nice Christmasy scene! Lots of snow for one of the two days.
MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE, and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!