Its almost over...

August is over????

I am late again, my bad. This is going to be an entry worth 2 weeks of work, as I am currently on holidays. Funny that even though I am on holidays, I am spending most of my time floating on a dock which is exactly what I do at work. These last couple weeks have seen some miserable people hitting the docks, who I have had the pleasure of dealing with. These individuals have been incredibly upset with our policies...things like if you come to a marina, spend the night, and use our shore power services it is ludicrous that you would then have to pay for that. People say some really shameful things, and things that I cannot reprint here, because I think I would get in trouble for typing them in. Otherwise things are quite good, and the holidays are nice. We are having an end of summer work dinner this Saturday, and also a game of golf, but the golf is at Fairwinds, and that is almost $80.00 for green fees, so I think I will be skipping that, as there will be textbooks to buy soon.
Today I was offered a winter position at the Port, which is an awesome development, as it means I don’t have to look for another job for the school year. I am interested to see the different things that happen during the off-season at the port, and the changes that will come during the slower months. One thing is for sure, there will definitely be more studying in the winter months than the summer ones! See you all in a few weeks...maybe less!

Almost the end...

Hey all,

So, things are just ducky down at the Port. Been very busy, and finding myself using lots of event management material in my day to day doings. This week we also had the Snowbirds performing on Wednesday. Our large breakwater, or VVP (Visiting Vessel Peir) was home base for both their radio operations as well as their announcer. They flew for 55 minutes almost, and I was actually out on the VVP keeping people from going down onto the peir. It was closed and gated, so I was able to actually sit and watch the planes fly for the whole show, and it was awesome. No matter how professional they are, a person can't help but cringe a little bit knowing how close they pass each other going 1000 km/h. An awesome show nonetheless, with crowd estimations at around 18-20,000 people coming down to the harbour to watch. I think that Matt and I had almost the best seats in the house, next to our boat crew, who were actually out on the water watching for vessels who were ignoring the harbour closure. Another good week, plus the surf was up this week, and I was Ukee bound on my days off! Gotta love it! See ya.

Couple weeks to go...

It is mid-August, and summer is almost over. Work has been busy, and the promise of rougher weather is bringing people into shelter which means that I have to get wet! Had an exciting Friday. I was working on the Harbour Patrol boat, and we had to take RCMP to Newcastle Island to do a patrol. On the way across to the island one of the cops asked us to circle back around past a boat. WE did, and the cops ended up confiscating a large amount of marijuana from a guy's boat. I never though that I would ever be the guy operating the vehicle in a police drug bust. Otherwise the Port hasn't had to much weird stuff this week, just one drug bust. Stay dry!

August?

Another week gone, and summer is quickly running out! It is already August, and I feel like I am just getting some summer stuff in now. The weather has been ridiculously nice, so there has been a huge amount of boats on the water. Work as been excellent, we have been smoking busy, and never getting dull. Th day-to-day tasks are becoming things that just happen, without much thought. This leaves room for all of our random police incidents and other community issues that can exist in the downtown. It has been good, e are still packed to capacity every night and have had to turn away a few boats who we just did not have any space for. I have worked on Cameron Island a few times, and it is a nice change. Quieter in a sense, but when it gets busy, you are absolutely running. We are having a couple new people start, and we had a guy from the same crew I work on leave or be asked to leave, I try to ignore all the other stuff and gossip that happens. New people will be good. Otherwise I have been hiking, camping and boating which is awesome. See you guys soon!

Bathtubs!

Well, It was just Bathtub weekend, and it was kind of a Gong show! I saw Micki this week for my mid-summer meeting, and I got to hear some feedback, and it also made me contemplate my accomplishments as well as the areas which I need to continue to focus, and try harder to achieve more. The meeting went well though, so that was a positive start to a very busy week. Lots of preparing to do, and lots of dock management, as we have been filled to essentially capacity for the last week and a half now, and expect to stay that way for another 4-5 weeks. No rest for the wicked right? I am writing a couple days late as I spent Monday working on Cameron Island. For anyone unfamiliar Cameron Island used to be an actual island, but it has since become a man-made peninsula, and is the area where the Gabriola Ferry docks, and also where I think Nananimo's only really fancy apartments and condos exist. Cameron Island is a different beast, as it generally houses only 50' + boats, which makes it a stressful day, because for 1; People take boats seriously, and these are serious boats. I would say the average cost of a boat that moors on Cameron Island is probably 1-3 million dollars ( i know!), with some probably reaching excesses of 5 or 6 million. It is a ridiculous amount of money to float around, but one of our recent Cameron Island boats had a built in salt water aquarium on one of the OUTSIDE decks! More money than I can even imagine. Also, I am not (you guys can vouch) a very sooty sophisticated person. It was an excercise in restraint for me to spend a day dealing with really really, rich people. Good day though. Bathtubs were very good, and I had a great vantage for the fireworks which were made memorable by the lightning which really was a much more awe inspiring show. I think Mother Nature was just letting us know that she can out do humans any time she wants. The picture is me with the S.S. Minnow and I am clearly pretending to work (I am really good at the pretending to work thing). Gilligan`s actual boat, and I got to tie it`s lines up. Awesome. Catch you guys next week.

Nine Weeks...

So, nine weeks in and things are just flying. This weekend was the Silly boat Regatta, which brings a lot of people down to the Harbour. We also had our first major Yacht club come through, which was the Seattle Yacht club. They had 900 feet of dock space reserved, and the Straight of Georgia was blowing in excess of 25 knots. This made boaters refuse to leave the docks, even though we didn't have room. It took quite a few hours of creative boat tying, but we were able to fit all of the boats in. Quite a way to make a day go flying by I must say. Also, we have been having some illegal incidents at the Port, and just today I got to spend about 45 minutes tailing a guy who assaulted someone on our docks! It was rad! I followed him from about 30 feet back all the up Albert St. to almost Prideaux, so that the Police could come and arrest him. I was totally in my James Bond moment or something. At least if Tourism doesn't work, I can't be a spy! Anywho, I am finding that when things are really busy that I enjoy the pressure of running the docks, tying boats, squeezing people in and doing everything at a full gallop. Plus, the tips are actually pretty good. Tomorrow is the start of my weekend, and I can't wait to rest up. The picture that I posted is of our southern docks at night, and I belive that I took this shot either one day before or after the full moon. The clouds were great, and I thought they would make for a kind of cool picture. Cody is out.

Eight Weeks in...

Good afternoon peeps! All is well in the Port of Nanaimo this week, and time is flying! We have been filled nearly to capacity for the last two weeks, and things are only just getting going. I am really starting to catch on (you guys know how long it can take me too FINALLY understand something!) to just how busy we can get. We have had some Dodd's rushes that will keep us on the dock's for 3 or 4 hours, which can amazingly feel like no more than 20 or 30 minutes. We have had to a lot of dock managing to make everyone fit, and I actually thought back to Aggie's class, because managing ahead of time is not my specialty at all. We have had all sorts of "interesting" events, from fistfights to locking boat to the docks who haven't paid, to people requesting a channel opening so that they could land their private floatplane. Never a dull moment, and I am really enjoying helping people find what they are looking for in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, or where ever they are heading next. Weather is beautiful, hiking trails are plentiful, finally got back my Internet, and work is good. Can't complain about summer this year!

Seven Weeks...

Oh Jeez, typing seven weeks just made me realize that summer is almost over already. Life at the Port is just dandy, with the busy factor really ramping up now that elementary and high school kids are out, and people are in vacation mode. The weather is still ridiculously good, although I have to say that I hope we get rain soon, as we really need it. No major exciting things, although the other night there may have been an "amateur" film being shot at the Bastion that we had some reports of, which is, to be honest, the strangest phone call I have heard. I have been fielding lots of questions about what there is to do in Nanaimo, and I am finding that if people don't like to hike, or walk, then I am useless to them. I saw Melanie the other day sitting down by the docks on her lunch break, so I sat and we chatted for about 20 minutes, catching up on what each other has been doing this summer. I promise that pictures are coming soon, but as I am fairly not technical, I am still figuring that out. It has been a good week, and today is my one year wedding anniversary which I am pumped about. As good as school is, and as much as I enjoy it, there is no way I could do it without her, so I am taking a quick opportunity to say that she is the best. Cody is out!

Week 6!

Oh my goodness, it’s been 6 weeks! Things are really starting to pick up at the Port, and it is really making time fly. We have been getting busier every day, and certain times are really hopping! To the south of Nanaimo’s harbour is a very narrow channel called Dodd’s Narrows and it is one of the more treacherous passages on the inside of Southern Vancouver Island. Most boaters decide to wait until “slack tide” (boat talk for the time between ebb and flow, or when the tide isn’t changing), and this generally means that about 40- 50 minutes after slack we have a rush of boats; anywhere from 2-10 boats showing up within minutes of each other. It is a really fun time because we are on the verge of running on the docks to tie up gigantic, $100,000.00+ boats as fast as possible. When we are on a Dodd’s run, two hours can be over in what feels like minutes. Things are definitely getting exciting, plus I get to see some of you guys sometimes which is just an added bonus! See you in a week!

Week Five

Summertime and the livin's easy. Bradley's on the microphone with Ras-MG. All the people in the dance will agree that, we're well qualified to represent the...oh jeez. Sorry, it's summertime, and that means that I break into random acts of Sublime. All is well at the Port, things are starting to get busier, which is good. This week has been good, closing up shop at night has been another new one, with lots of "interesting" people and scenarios to keep us busy (and entertained) through the night. Our schedule is changing to a 3 on 3 off rotation, which means that this weekend I am going to the Tragically Hip, and the next two weekends I will be camping on Newcastle and at Elk Falls. We deal with a large number of tourists, which is awesome for me, and I have actually been able to help people find destinations and attractions that they never would have known about otherwise. Exciting times!

Week four is through...

Well, week four is complete (almost, I guess I still have one hour to go), and it has been another good one. More of the same I suppose, boaters needing moorage, ropes needing to be tied, and washroom needing to be cleaned. Micki came down and visited Jordan and myself this week, and we tried (unsuccessfully) to not squint during our AM photoshoot. I hope that we were able to capture a few images that will work out. Otherwise, it has been another good week at the port. We will be going to a three on three off schedule soon, which means that I can start trying to plan some camping/hiking trips around the island. Awesome. Catch you all in seven more!

Week three ya'll!

Boat Show! This week was really busy, full of things to do, and was punctuated by the 5th annual Floating Boat Show on the weekend. The Boat Show was really good, tons of people came down and checked it out, the weather was awesome, and VIU’s culinary department was cooking up some delicious seafood. The boat show was interesting to say the least. I spent most of the weekend selling tickets at for the boat down by Protection Island/Dinghy Dock ferry. No matter how many signs we put up, people still managed to walk past them all, and then be totally mad that they had to spend 3 dollars to come onto the docks for one weekend out of the year. Despite how miserable people could be through the weekend it was very enjoyable. Too much time in sun has given me an awesome case of heat stroke or sunstroke or something like that. See you guys next week!

Week two!

Week two is well under way. Weather is fantastic, blowing a slight sou’easter. Nautical themes have been infiltrating my daily life very subtly. Week two has been good. I am on day 5, and tomorrow will be the sixth day of the week! We are gearing up for our annual floating boat and marine trade show, which should be quite awesome. Also next weekend we are hosting the Van Isle 360, so it should be full-on. Work has been really good, and I am able to do all sorts of different things everyday. I spent a few hours on both Saturday and Sunday out with a fellow Tourism student, Jordan, canvassing the downtown with posters for our boat show. Overall a good week, plus we had a lovely seal come and visit us early in the week to entertain us for the a while one morning. See you all in week three!

Week one is done!

Last blog of week one! After the first week, I am feeling just peachy with my co-op at the Port Authority. The process that I went through was probably not the recommended, nor the best way to secure a co-op position. To be completely honest, I did the classic “all the eggs in one basket” and completely lucked out and actually got the job. I put my application in and...waited. I was nervous, and went into the office three times to see if any decisions had been made. On the third visit, I was given an interview, and after the interview I was offered a job. The wait was terrible, but the result is awesome. The port has been radical so far, and I have no complaints thus far (only a week, I know). The funny thing is that I already have a very good lead on a co-op position for next summer, apparently I am trying to not repeat the last minute one basket thing the second time around. I don’t really know exactly what my “dream job” is yet, although I have some ideas. Truthfully, I don’t know yet how directly my Port co-op will relate to my dream job, but I think that all the things that I learn will help me learn a lot in an indirect way. Week one done, week two, here I come!

Blog 2!

I will be spending this summer wandering the docks of the Port of Nanaimo, as a wharfinger for the Nanaimo Port Authority. Despite popular belief the Port of Nanaimo is not a government operated business. We operate under the umbrella of Transport Canada, but as an independent operator, so no...people who come into the office do not actually pay my wages and they don’t have a constitutional right to be mean. The Port is a fairly large organization that consists of roughly 8 wharfingers, 4 maintenance staff, about 4-6 harbour boat patrol people, and about 10 more people in the main office who range from secretaries, to accountants, to the harbour master. Initially I thought that this seemed to be a large amount of people at work, but once I actually realized how many different areas and locations that the Port of Nanaimo is responsible for the number of people justified itself. We deal mainly with transient boaters, most of whom (I have heard of a percentile around the 80% mark) are American boaters. We also have a commercial base, some local boaters who moor in the harbour annually, and the rough number says that roughly 450,000 people walk the boardwalk each year.

Week one!

Hello Tourism Studies, welcome to my summer blog! I will be spending this summer working right in Nanaimo’s downtown, patrolling the harbour as a Wharfinger (pronounced war-fin-gher!) for the Port of Nanaimo. Today was day one, and all I am sure of is that this summer is going be very interesting. The job entails everything from responding to radio call-ins requesting moorage in the harbour to getting out the scraper and cleaning barnacles off the dock posts. Throughout the summer I will be posting on my weekly experiences (good and bad), and telling the most interesting (good and bad) anecdotes from each week. My co-op is actually a late start as it is already the middle of May. My summer thus far has consisted of a trip to LA, and a trip to Lacombe...one is sunny, the other is in Alberta. On to the job itself; today was training day, and it was a lot to take in. I think that the tasks that I will be required to perform this summer will use some of my abilities, and will hopefully help me to develop some of my “weaker” skill sets. Everyone that I work with seems to be very cool, and they all seem to have a very good balance between having fun at work, and gettin’er done. I hope to be able to learn from everyone, and also to contribute my own little bit of unique input to the office. The port itself is very directly involved in the organization and management of the inner harbour. However, as a wharfinger I am involved much more in the tourism side of the port, helping guests plan trips, suggesting attractions and points of interest to visitors. By the end of this summer, I hope to have garnered some very solid experience helping tourists build itineraries that match their needs. Start of week one...I’ll keep you posted!