Book Review: "Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind" by Yvonne Maximchuk

The author/artist in action at our float cabin.

This month I'm reviewing a new book by my favourite local author, Yvonne Maximchuk. I've read all her non-fiction books about the people and places near her off-grid home in Echo Bay on Gilford Island in Coastal British Columbia. Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind is her first novel.

Yvonne is an author and artist. She's a master at capturing the beauty of Coastal BC in images and words. You can see more at her website.

Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind is set in Echo Bay, nearby islands and North Vancouver Island. If you've read any of Yvonne's other books, you'll recognize her inspiration from real-life people and places like the Echo Bay Marina and Lodge and legendary Billy Proctor.

Review of Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind

Echo Bay is a small hamlet of cabins in a protected cove cut off from Vancouver Island by kilometres of sometimes dangerous ocean. Like all small villages, everyone knows everyone, sometimes too well. Woody's lodge and marina is the heart of the community. It's usually a quiet place, except when summer boaters come to cruise the nearby scenic waterways. In all seasons, it supplies residents and fishermen with fuel, mail, supplies and gossip.

Tim is a colourful character. He's settled into being a government agent checking prawn boats for legal catches. He has conflicting love interests, Margaret an RCMP Sargent in Port McNeill on Vancouver Island, and Kit who runs a boat taxi service out of Echo Bay. There's also a tangled web of other characters from Echo Bay, the First Nations village, and recent arrivals to this isolated region.

Several story lines unfold to introduce the characters and the beautiful land and sea. They come together crashing together when a body is discovered washed up on the shore of a neighbouring island. The big question, is it murder or something else.

Yvonne knows this area well.  It's been her home for many years. Her extensive knowledge of boating, off-grid living, commercial fishing, logging, painting, First Nations, hiking and exploring shows in her descriptive narration. I'm amazed at how much I have learned over the years by living in the region. For some readers, a few terms might be unfamiliar, but add to the authenticity. 

Congratulations to Yvonne on an exciting novel. You are a master of words to paint pictures in the minds of your readers.

Murder Rides a Gale Force Wind is available in e-book and print formats from a variety of online booksellers plus several Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland bookstores. Watch her Facebook page for upcoming in-person readings and presentations.

Posts I've written about Yvonne and her books:

Yvonne Maximchuk: Painter, Potter, Author and her visit to our Powell Lake float cabin

Her memoir Drawn to Sea

Books co-authored with Bill Proctor: Full Moon, Flood Tide and Tide Rips and Back Eddies

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Would you like to own a piece of historic and scenic Echo Bay? Yvonne's custom, state-of-the-art off grid waterfront home is for sale. For details visit Realtor.ca.

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Visit the monthly Book Review Club for teen/young adult and adult fiction over at Barrie Summy's blog.

Also shared with Your the Star at Stone Cottage Adventures.

"River for My Sidewalk" by Gilean Douglas

Between our float cabin and the granite wall there's a protected pool. In summer, the water is warmed by the reflect sun, making a natural heated swimming pool. 

The water can reach 24ºC (76ºF). It's a perfect spot to sit in a floating chair to read. I usually read on my Kindle, but in this watery environment I choose print backs. I find a good selection of at our local used bookstores, thrift shops and the Powell River Kiwanis Club book sales.

A memorable read from this summer was River for My Sidewalk (Sono Nis Press, 1984) a memoir by Gilean Douglas. It was first printed by J.M. Dent and Sons in 1953 under the male pseudonym Grant Madison. They thought customers wouldn't believe a woman could live alone in the wilderness and wouldn't buy the book. Gilean continued as Grant Madison until 1983, with the majority of her works first printed under that pseudonym.

Gilean was born in 1990 in Toronto into a privileged life. That changed dramatically when she was orphaned at sixteen. She married several times, traveled extensively and worked as a photo-journalist. In 1939 she moved to British Columbia and began living off-the-grid in remote cabins. There she continued working as a journalist, author and poet.

I got a signed book.

River for My Sidewalk is about her years living in an old miner's cabin on the Teal River near Duncan on Vancouver Island. She gardened, fished and gathered foods from the land. Few visitors were invited to stay, and her elevated hand pulley river crossing kept most fishermen and hunters away. She shared her land and life with animals including Grampa Cougar.

Gilean was an adventurer willing to give up an easy life to experience the wonders of nature. The tales of her experiences cut across time. There are still places where you can live a simple life, if you are willing. 

In 1947 her cabin burned. She married again and moved to Cortes Island, up the coast from my Powell River home. After her marriage ended, she remained on her 138 acre waterfront off-the-grid homestead and lived there until her passing in 1993.

Uganda Passage near the location of Gilean's Cortes homestead.

Do you like to look for old and unique books in used book and thrift stores? What are some of your best discoveries? -- Margy

Do you have a kicker?

Lund fuel dock.

Not everything goes as planned. After morning fog, we headed out in our ocean boat to go to Heriot Bay. Originally we wanted to go to Campbell River, but calm slack water in Discovery Passage was too early.

We got gas at Lund and Wayne delivered Coastal BC Stories books to Tug Guhm Gallery. Despite Covid-19, Deborah had a good summer and sold out.

Almost to Heriot Bay we heard a weird ping and then a banging sound. We stopped and checked the propeller to see if we'd picked up any floating debris. Nope.

Departing Lund with historic hotel in the middle.

Wayne examined the engine compartment but didn’t see anything amiss and all of the gauges were normal. We started again and the periodic bang had changed into a constant thump, so Wayne shut us down.

Putting along at 4.5 knots with the kicker.

Heriot Bay was close but they don't have maintenance, so we started the kicker (our emergency outboard) and headed home at 2:15. At 4.5 knots it was slow. At least the sea was calm. Typically, it's an hour and fifteen to get to Heriot Bay. Wayne estimated between 5-7 hours to get back with the kicker.

All our boats have emergency kickers.

All was well until the kicker quit. Wayne found the fuel line sucked dry. He pumped it back up, only to have it stop a few minutes later. He briefly restarted the main engine to get fuel flowing again and that did the trick.

It sure was a good feeling when we were back moving again. 

Passing Lund hours later and the sun is getting low.

Sunset caught us an hour from the marina. We’ve never arrived after dark. At least we had a track on the GPS to follow. When we got to the breakwater it was 8:30. Wayne started the main engine to have more control. It was the lesser of two evils. Wayne’s window kept fogging so I went out on the back deck and yelled left, right, straight. Good thing there wasn’t a crowd to hear us arrive.

An hour away and it's getting dark.

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And so our cruising season came to an end. We contacted Jeff at Valley Marine and they sent their truck to pull us out. The diagnosis was a damaged sterndrive that would have to be replaced, but like lots of things during the Covid-19 pandemic it is on back order.

We were lucky to have an emergency kicker ready to use. It's the same in all aspects of life. Plan for the best, but be prepared. What kinds of "kickers" do you have and use to get you out of tight situations? -- Margy

Come to Powell Lake for Fall Foliage

Leaves turning on Goat Island.

People go east on expensive fall foliage trips. It's a region well known for trees in spectacular hues of yellow, orange, red, purple and brown. Like the Atlantic Provinces, broadleaf trees around Powell Lake change colour.

In front of our cabin, Goat Island has a glorious display of maples, dogwoods and alders. The swaths of colour paint the hillsides along stream carved gullies and slopes.



Have you wondered how this colourful display occurs? Chlorophyll, the pigment that gives leaves their green colour, gets energy from sunlight to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates (sugars and starch). Leaves also have yellow to orange pigments called carotene and xanthophyll, but they are overpowered by chlorophyll most of the year. When fall arrives, things change.

Days are shorter and deciduous trees, ones that lose their leaves, get ready for winter. Chlorophyll, and its green colour, begins to diminish. This allows the yellow and orange colours to become more dominant.

Reds and purples are created when glucose (sugars) are trapped in leaves after photosynthesis stops. Bright sunny days and cool nights in autumn cause leaves to turn the glucose into red to purple colours. A brown colour is from wastes left behind in the leaves.



As winter approaches, leaves begin to fall. Where the stem of a leaf is attached to the tree there is a special layer of cells. This layer gradually breaks down until it can no longer support the weight of the leaf. When storm winds blow, leaves drop. Trees become dormant and live off the food they have stored over the summer. Their stems, twigs and buds are equipped to survive extreme cold until the following spring.

Fallen leaves are not wasted. They become part of the thick humus layer of the forest floor and decay to replenish the soil with nutrients. There also absorb rainfall, hold moisture and become food for organisms that are important to the forest ecosystem.

Here are some resources if you would like more details:

• SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Science Made Simple
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (pdf)

Next year when travel is safer, come to Powell River in Coastal BC to experience fall foliage. People here are friendly, the resorts are uncrowded and the restaurants are great. The opportunities are limitless. You won’t be sorry you chose to head north rather than east. -- Margy

September Cruisin'

Crossing the Strait of Georgia.

It's been an unusual year in so many ways. We were self isolating from March through July 15 in our Bellingham condo.

Then we decided it was better to head home to our float cabin on Powell Lake and completed our 14-day quarantine the end of July.

We finally got our Bayliner 2452 in the ocean at Powell River's Westview Harbour in August.

After almost a year stored on land there were a few issues that needed to be resolved.

Moored at the Discovery Harbour Marina dock in Campbell River.

We finally got out for a fair weather cruise on September 3. We decided to visit a few favourite marinas close to home.

A walk to the traditional burial grounds of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation.

Our first stop was Discovery Harbour Marina across the Strait of Georgia in Campbell River on Vancouver Island. To get there, it's easiest to go through Discovery Passage at slack water, either high or low tide. Tidal currents are strong south of nearby Seymour Narrows. Over two days we enjoyed local walks and outdoor dining at the Rip Tide Pub.

Tying up in a prime spot on the Heriot Bay Marina dock.

Next we headed to the Heriot Bay Marina on the east side of Quadra Island. Even though it was Labour Day weekend, there were spots at the dock and outdoor dining space at the Inn's Heron Restaurant. We enjoy eating out and it makes traveling by boat much easier for us.

The Gorge Harbour Marina and Resort is upscale and fun to visit.

Working our way east across the northern end of the Straight of Georgia we stopped in at the Gorge Harbour Marina. We originally planned to be here one night, but wind on the forecast extended our stay and the opportunity for two dinners at the Floathouse Restaurant. Don't have a boat? They offer camping, RV sites and cabins on Cortes Island.

The Squirrel Cover public dock with the store on the far shore.

Our next stop at the Squirrel Cove public dock was brief. Walking to the store I tripped in a pothole. I thought I was okay, but my little finger looked funny. Not ha ha funny, but weird broken funny. We cleaned up my scrapes and motored back to Powell River to get it set. We took a two night break up the lake before resuming our cruise.

My "broken wing" giving a thumbs up to the Refuge Cove Store.

Rather than returning to Squirrel Cove (no I don't hold a grudge), we went to our next planned stop, Refuge Cove. We needed gas, so it made sense to stay for the night. The restaurant didn't open this summer due to COVID-19, but the store had snacks to tide us over.

After Labour Day this popular marina had lots of first come, first serve dock space.

We didn't anticipate the severity of smoke arriving from the fires raging in the United States. It was a good thing we decided to head back to Powell River the next morning. We could see for about a mile, but the next day it was much worse.

Limited visibility traveling through Thulin Passage by the Copeland Islands.

Despite our two interruptions, it was a great September cruisin' excursion. And it will be one we'll remember for years to come.

Have you done any safe and responsible September excursions? -- Margy

"Wild Fierce Life" by Joanna Streetly

I find great books by local British Columbia authors in the retail shop on BC Ferries. It takes two ferries to travel between our home in Powell River to Bellingham.

Recently I purchased Wild Fierce Life: Dangerous Moments in the Outer Coast (Caitlin Press, 2018) by Joanna Streetly. If you've read my previous reviews, you know I enjoy books by and about women who live in remote locations, especially Coastal BC where I live.

Joanna Streetly grew up in Trinidad. At 18 she came to Vancouver to attend Capilano University to study Outdoor Recreation and Leadership. As a part of that program, she obtained a practicum position at the Wickaninnish (Kwisitis) Interpretive Centre in Pacific Rim National Park on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island.

Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park.

Following her practicum she moved 40 klicks north to Tofino, a fishing, logging, tourist and surfing hub. She put her outdoor skills to work as a kayak guide and on whale watching tours. She's lived in town, land cabins and what I like best, float cabins. Almost thirty years later she still lives in a Tofino floathome with her partner and daughter.

Tofino's float home community at Strawberry Island.

Wild Fierce Life is a memoir of memorable, exciting and sometimes life threatening experiences. Each chapter gives the reader a peak into what it's like growing and maturing in a rugged land and ocean environment. You can read more about Joanna at her website.

Vancouver Island's rugged west coast.

 I thoroughly enjoyed reading Wild Fierce Life while floating in the natural "swimming pool" at my float cabin on Powell Lake.  It's not as remote or rugged as her float cabin location in Maltby Sough, but the concept is similar. Joanna is an artist. Each chapter is illustrated with a map (which I wish more authors would do) and wildlife images. 

The Tofino coast, a surfers haven.

Read Wild Fierce Life for a glimpse of what love, life and wilderness exploration is like in a unique coastal environment. It's available in print and ebook formats online at the following booksellers. -- Margy

Caitlin Press - Her Publisher
Amazon.ca (print and Kindle apps and readers)
Amazon.com (print and Kindle apps and readers)
Barnes and Noble (print and Nook readers)
Apple Books (through the Books app)
Kobo (for Kobo apps and readers)

Other books by Joanna Streetly include:

Silent Inlet is a fictional story about a small town on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Paddling Through Time is the account of a kayak adventure through Clayoquot Sound.

Update: Float Cabins for Sale on Powell Lake BC

Our float cabin on Powell Lake.

Wayne and I love living in our float cabin home on Powell Lake in all seasons. Summer is back and we are really enjoying cabin life. We returned to Canada and completed our mandatory 14-day quarantine up the lake. I couldn't think of a better place to self isolate.

Right now there are still a few float cabins on the market, but don't wait too long. They could be gone in a flash. Purchasing our float cabin home was the best thing we ever did. Come up and see what Powell Lake has to offer.


Powell Lake Cabins and Properties

Are you interested in getting a cabin of your own? Here's an updated list of cabins and properties up the lake that are for sale. Some are through real estate agents, so you can get more information via their websites. Other cabins are for sale by the owners with information on Craigslist or Facebook pages.


Powell Lake Cabins and Properties For Sale

FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE LISTING: Twelve year old float cabin on Powell Lake. It has 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. These are the only details included in the posting, but the picture shows there's much more included. The asking price is $160,000.  Contact the seller on Facebook for more details.

FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE LISTING: Powell Lake lease for sale in Rainbow area. Beautiful deep spot with great views and sun exposure with the best place to swim. Decent breakwater and all onshore remediation taken care of. There is a cabin, but it’s in poor shape. A tear down in my opinion. Please message me for questions. The asking price is $60,000.  Contact the seller on Facebook for more details.

MLS LISTING: 9742 Powell Lake is a newly built float cabin on the first point past Henderson Bay that just needs a bit of finishing. Large covered walk around deck, great access to shore and bluffs. Two level with 1 bedroom on main and 2 bedrooms up plus a large loft. Wood stove, metal roof and loads of skylights. New "eco john" sewage waste combustion system plus an extra float to build a small shed. Reduced to $159,000. Click here for more information, or contact Dan Marusin of EstateBlock Realty at 250-984-8355.

MLS LISTING: 9428 Powell Lake is a two year old float cabin only 15 minutes by boat up the lake in popular Henderson Bay. All new from the cedar log float upwards: new cedar decking, anchors and ropes, 2 x 6 construction, insulation, wiring with full solar power, on demand hot water heater, tub with shower, composting toilet, wood stove for heat and a kitchen with a solar powered fridge and gas range. Cedar and metal siding, metal roof and thermal windows. The asking price is $164,000. Click here for more information.

MLS LISTING: 9242 Powell Lake is a land cabin on a half acre waterfront lot with a beautiful sandy beach. It has two bedrooms, a bath with a shower, a large living room with a cozy woodstove. The little kitchen is a perfect .place to prepare meals to enjoy in the glassed-in breakfast room.  A covered front deck is the perfect place to relax on a warm summer evening. There's a lovely garden, a waterside deck and fire pit on the beach, plus a handy sheds for storage and firewood. It’s all ready and waiting for you to enjoy for $235,000. For more information contact Warren Behan of Royal LePage at 604-483-8173 or click here.

MLS LISTING: BC Land Professionals is offering a lakefront lodge. The property is 8.35 acres of Crown lease land (renewal due in 2021) with 1300 feet of lake frontage. There are 5 self contained cedar cottages: 3 two-bedroom and 2 one-bedroom. Each has a full bathroom with showers, sinks, toilets, and full kitchens with brand new appliances. Living and eating areas are fully furnished with wood stoves for heat. The fridge, stove, hot water and lighting are propane. Other buildings includes a wood fired Sauna and tool shed. The foreshore and docks are protected by log breakwater. The complete package is at a reduced price of $299,000. Click here for more information and pictures. For more information call toll free at 1-866-558-5263, the office at 604-694-7626 or mobile at 604-483-1605.

MLS LISTING: BC Land Professionals is offering a stunning 1.7 acre island with two cabins that's only a 20-30 minute boat ride from the Shingle Mill Marina. It includes a main cabin, guest cabin, outbuildings, foreshore license and dock. The asking price is $275,000. Click here for more information and pictures. For more information Jamie Zroback at (604) 483-1605 or Jason Zroback at (604) 414-5577.


Powell Lake Cabin Services

Powell Lake Cabin Services: Already have a cabin up the lake? We are always looking for help with projects around ours. Our good friend (and float cabin neighbour) Justin Behan offers services such as cargo delivery, lumber packages, cubes, propane tanks, wood stoves, and anchor and rope supply. In addition, Justin is now a distributor for Sun-Mar composting toilets just like the one we installed in our new bathroom addition. For more information, call Justin at (604) 483-6527.

Powell Lake Real Estate: Want a real estate agent that really knows float cabins? That's Harry Zroback (our man Harry who helped us get our cabin) from RE/MAX. Harry owns a cabin himself, so he's an excellent person to contact for all your "up the lake" real estate needs at 604-483-8333 or harry@powellriverrealestate.com.


Powell Lake Stories

Want to know more about life up the lake. Check out these books from Wayne's Coastal BC Stories series:

Up the Lake (Free for Kindle and e-books)
Farther Up the Lake
Cabin Number 5
Off the Grid
Off the Grid: Getting Started
Powell Lake by Barge and Quad

If you have any questions about Powell River, Powell Lake or cabin living, I'd be glad to help out. Just leave a comment or use the e-mail link in my profile to send me a message. -- Margy

Goin' home, I'm goin' home

Our Powell Lake float cabin home.

As the Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones lyrics go:

I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, bome, bome ...
Home, bome, bome ...
Back home,
Yes, I am.
Alright!

Wednesday Wayne and I drove to the Pacific Highway border crossing in Blaine. Because we became Canadian citizens in 2018 and Powell River, BC, is our home, we were allowed to cross the closed US/Canada border. It's closed to all non-essential travel for citizens from the US and other countries until July 31 and a Canadian quarantine requirement is extended until August 31.

BC Ferries recommended that everyone remain in their vehicles.

Rules are in flux right now because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so check before you go with the Canadian Border Service Agency and US Customs and Border Protection.

Back in our Hewscraft finally heading up the lake.

We'd hoped to wait until the quarantine requirement was lifted, but decided it was best to go now while there was still some summer left to enjoy our float cabin home up the lake. And there couldn't be a better place to isolate ourselves for the required 14-day period and beyond.

First Narrows on Powell Lake means we are almost home.

The border crossing was smooth and our BC Ferries connections worked perfectly even without reservations. We left the Bellingham condo at 8:12 am after loading the last of the groceries and arrived at our cabin deck at 6:15 pm. That's a little longer than normal to make the 260 kilometre (162 mile) trip because we built in extra time for border paperwork and early ferry terminal arrivals.

There's no place like home!

Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone worldwide. Wayne and I hope you and your family are doing as well as possible during these difficult times. -- Margy