7 Men, alone on the Island
There is a very exclusive club. The members are seven full-grown men who meet once a year for an extended weekend in a log cabin on Hornby Island. As of this year, I am one of those full-grown members of the Hornby crew. What an honor that is. But, how did it come about ?
Well. My boss is the founder of the club, son-in-law of the log cabin owners, and also my best friend here. So when I was invited to join the club, I just could not say no. The general conditions island, sea, log cabin, no internet, maybe some alcoholic drinks and quietness just convince.
The membership fee consists of a contribution to the food supply and the preparation of a lunch or dinner for the entire crew. The membership ends as soon as one cannot attend the annual meeting in one year. In that case, you go back on the waiting list. All very very strict!
The way to go
To get to Hornby Island, you have to get up early. Because if you get up early - we're talking 4:30 a.m., which is exactly my time - you get the first ferry to Vancouver Island and have enough time to catch the second ferry to Denman Island, which is then also timed so that you can reach the third ferry to Hornby Island relaxed. If you get up later, the whole project is delayed considerably, because the ferries are not fully coordinated.
But the Hornby crew is competent and includes family fathers for whom a 5:00-departure already means sleep long. We travel with two cars and catch the 6:15 ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo as planned, where we fill a shopping cart with all the necessities for the planned four days. In the end, the costs are divided equally among all crew members. Fair enough!
Relax, relax, relax
What do you do here? Nothing! And that is the wonderful thing. You talk, you read, you cook and eat, you drink and laugh and you sauna and relax. All in all, perfect to tune down and recharge the batteries.
The property on Hornby Island is located right on the beach and is stunning. A large main house with kitchen and living area, a smaller dormitory with bunk beds and a sauna with wood stove.
Culinary delights included fresh Eggs Benedigt, a delicate onion soup, a melt-in-your-mouth roast with Yorkshire pudding and tender BBQ ribs with Coleslaw.
Every morning, one was assigned to light the small wood sauna and was also responsible for keeping the fire burning.
I manage to read a whole book, doze off in one of the many resting places or we wander around the island a bit. One evening we set fire to a campfire on the beach. Wonderful at 5 degrees! And that's it. On Monday we clean up everything and go back to Vancouver. Honestly: I'm already looking forward to the next annual meeting.
