Comox Harbour Pit Stop: Silver Lining

We had an unscheduled stop in Comox to have our raw water pump rebuilt. The pump is part of our engine’s cooling system. We noticed water dripping from it and realized it needed work.

We were bummed that it happened so early in the trip but it was fortunate that we were close to Comox. It is one of the larger cities in the area, has a good harbour and has good marine facilities.

The silver lining to the whole affair is that we were able to catch up with some old friends. We lived just up the road in Campbell River for several years when our kids were young. We messaged some friends when we arrived to let them know we were in the neighbourhood. We told them we didn’t have a car to go to them but they were welcome to come see us! The first night Cindy, whom Rob taught with for many years, came by for a visit. It was great to catch up.

A few days later Laurel and Richard Cronk visited us on Cambria and the next day took us kayaking on the Campbell River. Laurel and Richard own and operate Island Joyrides. Their company organizes bicycle tours in the region. They also run kayak trips on the Campbell River estuary. Campbell River is well known for its salmon fishing. The Campbell River flows through the town and is an important salmon spawning river. It also has a long history of industrial use. In recent years concerted efforts have been made to rehabilitate the river and clean up the industrial damage done in the past. In a relatively short time, the birds and animal life have returned and continue to grow. We enjoyed a leisurely paddle down the river and snaking our way back up one of the quiet channels to our launch site.

The kayak trip and catching up with friends was the silver lining to the cloud of our water pump breaking. I’m almost glad the water pump broke.