Visiting Billy

Before setting out on this season's cruising, we bought and read the book 'Full Moon, Flood Tide' by Bill Proctor and Yvonne Maximchuk. Once we reached the Broughtons we also purchased 'Heart of the Raincoast' by Alexandra Morton and Billy Proctor, and 'Tide Rips & Back Eddies' by Bill Proctor and Yvonne Maximchuk. 

One of our top 'must visit' stops this summer was to meet Billy Proctor, icon of the Broughtons.

Billy's boat, Ocean Dawn, at the dock in Proctor Bay.

If you look closely, you can see the mouthful of insects Mama is ready to feed her quite patient babies.

They've still got some baby fuzz.

Up the ramp and to the left, and there he is -- holding court! He's even smiling for the camera.
His dog, Buster, is less impressed.

Billy has quite a collection! One of my favorites are the trading beads. I have never seen any before.

There is a fish pond out back.

And a logger's cabin Billy built from a single drift cedar log.

Inside. Spartan furnishings, but being full-time boat dwellers ourselves,
we can see there is room for everything that is necessary.

From here, we walk the trail to Pierre's Echo Bay Marina and fetch a few groceries. That is one busy place! There is a lot of traffic (people). Billy says 50-60 people a day visit him at this time of year. Still, since I saw a photo of a black bear at the doorstop of the cabin, I make sure lots of conversation takes place on the trail, just in case.