There is an Island in the Salish Sea, where people have been creating an incredible treasure for more than 80 years. That Island is Wallace Island, and that treasure is why I wanted to return.

One of the many artifacts that came with Trouper 2 when mom and dad passed her on to me, was a driftwood sign that Dad had made. On the sign, he had written "Trouper II '81".  I have always presumed that dad had visited Wallace Island shortly after launching T2 back in '81, and that he'd hung the sign on the old Wallace Island store. The store, once a fixture of the Conover Summer Resort, is still standing, but is now overflowing with boat signs and messages that visitors to the island have added over the past 80 years. But why did he retrieve the sign? Or, did he ever hang it at all?

Anyway, I added my two cents worth to the sign. I updated it to read; "Trouper II '81 - '21". It's long been my desire to return Dad's sign to Wallace Island and update T2's continuing history. It's hard, neigh almost impossible to believe that Trouper 2 has been visiting these Islands for forty years! I am NOT going to say; "Where did the time go". I promise.

After researching this log, the only (possible?) reference to his sign was from September 6, 2005, when he wrote;

"Anchor 20'. Well up on 4 boats at anchor. No stern. Will plant names in shack. Phoned Cora." 

Even stranger is the fact that his first visit to Wallace Island, according to his log, was in the summer of 1987. So, it's a mystery. A mystery that, given dad's dimentia will not likely be solved. In this lifetime.

Insert dramatic music here.

For whatever reason, consciousness found me at 05:00. I stayed in bed for as long as I could before relenting to the call of coffee. It ain’t gonna’ make itself. I left Newcastle shortly after 06:00 while Barnucka slumbered on.

It was a long, cold voyage here to Wallace Island. I arrived just before 11:00 and promptly had a nap. Barnucka arrived eventually and dropped his hook at the head of the bay. We, ‘re-patriated’ dad’s original Trouper 2 driftwood sign. Thomson’s have been coming here for over 40 years. Hard to wrap my head around that.

My original itinerary included a visit to Horton Bay, Mayne Island but I’ve had enough. I’m going to split the journey home tomorrow into two parts. I’ll get up early and ride the morning ebb, stop in Sidney Spit for lunch, and then catch the afternoon flood the rest of the way home.

Wallace Island

Click for chart view