Boating was a great escape in challenging summer

• KYC Commodore says it offers perfect isolation
• Smoky summer didn't prevent boating
• Winterizing is important

Despite the summer smoky skies and the constant presence of COVID-19, a local boating enthusiast says it’s been an excellent time to be on the water. It also has a great appeal as a home away from home.

“During forest fires, the middle of the lake is a pretty safe place to be,” Tillman Hodgson, Vice Commodore at Kelowna Yacht Club (KYC) told Kelowna10 in September.

Hodgson described this summer as not being much worse than other years for boating.

According to him, major weather events that directly impact boating are things like floods and big storms, neither of which occurred this year. This allowed him to spend plenty of time on his boat in the KYC marina and on the lake.

Although Hodgson has the private dock to BBQ on his vessel or read a book, most of his time is spent doing boat chores. He said part of the fun in owning a boat is appreciating the work that goes into keeping it in top shape.

Social connection and isolation

For Hodgson, being a member of the yacht club is more than just a place to keep his boat.

“It’s a way to meet other people and do things with them and have a place in common to gather. Kind of like a second living room combined with a lake,” he said.

Some social events at the club such as dances have been put on hold due to the pandemic. However, Hodgson has a positive outlook surrounding boating during COVID.

“There’s not much better that you can do for social isolation than being a mile from the nearest person in the middle of the lake, so that part actually worked out quite well,” he explained.

After a long summer of boating, Hodgson said it’s important to winterize things properly. There is a long list of tasks, but the most important part is draining all the lake water from the engine and other systems. If water stays in the systems during winter and freezes, it can cause plenty of damage. The Kelowna Yacht Club says if boats are staying at their marina, make sure it’s tied up properly and that batteries onboard are fully charged.

For Hodgson, his winterizing isn’t coming until November which gives him plenty more time to enjoy what he sees as a very special lifestyle.

“We’ll have our friends from the other Okanagan yacht clubs… come to visit us… they spend the night on their boats at our docks. Or if we go to their yacht clubs the same thing will happen. It’s sort of that comradery and that shared love of boating in the lake that I really enjoy,” he said.