4 - Wednesday, January 8, 1992 - North Shore News Columbus, make my day! THE TIMES in life when you bog down are when you stop and wait for somebody to do something for you that you could have done yourself. Beware. Our destined vessel, the Sea Shepher.!, was bobbing about on the horizon a couple of miles off- shore from the Turks and Caicos, its anchor lost, its sole functioning Zodiac masked, its skipper impa- tient to carry on trying to in- tercept the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, while my companero, Ron George, and I paced up and down the beach, waiting to be picked up. Distant breakers revealed a deadly reef between us and the protest ship. Everything was being destroyed thanks to us being stuck here. Ron was there as a politician, me as media, but we had unex- pectedly become a kind of relief - squad going to the rescue of the dozen anti-Columbus native ac- tivists on board, who were being forced to survive on a vegetarian diet because the Sea Shepherd’s cook and regular crew were mili- tant ‘“‘vegan’’ animal-lovers. In response to a desperate plea from the beleaguered omnivores, who had been aboard since Nassau a few days before, Ron had purchased seven heavy plastic bags worth of meat, a lot of it in cans and plastic packages, but mostly frozen. The problem, as we waited and ’ waited, was that the frozen stuff kept thawing in the tropical temperatures. We moved it back and forth from the hotel’s freezer (which had to be locked and unlocked every time) to the beach in an- ticipation of the Sea Shepherd’s Zodiac being repaired and sent ashore for us at any moment, only to find each time that there was a new technical glitch. There were a lot of people hanging arcund the beachfront bar by then, including a half- dozen retired ladies from Ken- Bob Hunter a STRICTLY PERSONAL tucky, and their dentist, real estate and manufacturer husbands. It was from one of them, | believe, that the idea of chartering the parasailing boat to take us out to the Sea Shepherd came. When the bartender shook his head, the lady dismissed him with a wave of her imperial American hand and winked broadly at us. Next thing you knew, the mighty parasailing launch was skipping across the shore towards us, somebody having made a phone call. The launch couldn't get in too close because of the waves, so Ron and | waded out and got hauled on board by a deckhand. The retired Keniucky ladies made a human chain, splashing feariessly into the three- and four-foot whitecaps, passing the packages of meat up to us, along with our knapsacks, and cheerful- lv waving goodbye, while the guy at the bar just shook his head. Out through the killer reef we zig-zagged, taking such big ones over the bow that I had to hide my Handycam in its bag. Scrambting on board the Sea Shepherd was an intriguing task, what with the launch dropping down some 20 ieet at a time be- fore rushing upward, bringing the Sea Shepherd’s ladder within brief reach — the launch’s owner natu- tally screaming and yelling, not wanting to have his fibreglass hull caved in. Before trying to scramble aboard, we tossed up the meat supply. A happy circle of native guys greeted Ron and me with cheers and hugs and Revolu- tionary Handshakes, while a gang of skinny militant vegetarians milled about in the background, staring in horror at the decapitated chickens, sawed-up chucks of cows and pigs and cans of actual Spam clunking about on the deck. The natives quickly scooped up the precious stuff and rushed it below to a freezer. I overheard talk of posting a guard outside the door. My cameraman, Dina Elissat-Winlaw, who had been on board since Nassau, quickly brief- ed me on the political situation: the veggies had total control of the engine room and the galley. Since they were all volunteers — the only people he could get -— Captain Watson was powerless to resist their hard-line no-meat feeding policy. All he could do was retreat to his own quarters and dig into his private stash of canned meats and seafood. The dozen natives had arrived unprepared, thinking they would be provided with real food. Most of them were seasick, but the promise of meat was bringing them up one by one from below, where they had been lying in their bunks for days. These were all Interior Indians, like Wet’Suwet'un, Gitksan, Nicola and Carrier. Not tradi- tional seafarers, you understand. This was the crew as the Sea Shepherd ran for the open water. One of the Gitksan hereditary chiefs, Wii Seeks, stond groggily but bravely at the bow, looking ahead, and said: ‘Columbus, make my day!’’ Before chucking over the side. Rutley e& Payette Effective Short Term Counselling Dr. Srooke Mitchell, ons is pleased to announce that Dr. Michael Wade ons is joining our Dental Practice starting on January 6, 1992 #300-1200 Lynn Valley Road, North Vazicouver (above McDonald's Restaurant) Appointments: 988-5014 DIANE PAYETTE, M.A. REGISTEKED CLINICAL COUNSELLOR Do you struggle with: G QUITTING SMOKING O) WEIGHT CONTROL O FEELING DEPRESSED 0 RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS The use of hypnosis & counselling can help you overcome your difficulties and reach your goals. As experienced counsellors, we are with you every step of the way. CALL TODAY! 986-9204 — Cncal Hypnotherapy ¢ FREE CONSULTATION ‘ NOTICE TO MOTORISTS LIONS GATE BRIDGE SINGLE LANE TRAFFIC The Ministry of Transportation and Highways announces that there will be single lane, alternating traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge from Sunday January 5 until Friday February 13. Single lane, alternating traffic is needed to allow replacement of the expansion joints on the OUR FAMOUS JANUARY bridge and will be in effect as follows: SALE EVENT IS CN NOw! UP TO ON OUR ENTIRE FALL AND WINTER DESIGNER COLLECTIONS COME IN WHILE THE SELECTION IS BEST West Vancouver 926-2113 © Kerrisdale 269-621) ® Robson Street 681-6612 West 4th Avenue 736-9499 © White Rock 538-6683 Sunday to Thursday 11:30 PM - 5:00 AM Motorists should expect delays or plan to use an alternate route. For further information, please call the Ministry of Transportation and Highways 24-Hour Road Report at 525-4997 (Greater Vancouver), 938-4997 (Whistler); 371-4997 (Kamloops), 860-4997 (Kelowna), 855-4997 (Abbotsford), 380-4997 (Victoria), * 4997 (Cellular). In all other areas, please call 1-800-663-4997. Province of ZA British Columbia Ministry of Transportation and Highways