It is not uncommon when reading through a council meeting agenda to find, in the letters at the very bottom, to find a plea or two from a customer of the English Bay Launch water taxi service asking for municipal support to keep the service running. This week, the municipality recieved two such letters, one from Tara Kane‐Vaziri and another from Andrea Derban. English Bay Launch customer Vince Knudsen says he too considered writing a letter, or joining a committee in order to support the service, but in the end he found another way to help out: he’s taken on the job of Skipper for one of the company boats.
“I could see that Mike [Shannon - English Bay Launch owner] was having a hard time finding reliable drivers so it seemed like a good way to help make the business more stable,” says Knudsen. “I consider myself a reliable, thoughtful person and I have to go in every day anyway, so why not? Also, because I live on Bowen, it saves Mike a couple of deadhead runs every day.”
Originally from Ontario, Knudsen says that prior to taking this job as skipper, he had driven a 16-foot aluminum boat while on vacation, on a lake. In order to drive a water taxi across Howe Sound, Knudsen had to take a week off work to take Transport Canada’s Marine Emergency Duties course and Small Vessell Operator Proficiency Course.
To assist with the learning curve in his first weeks on the job, Mike Shannon co-piloted alongside Knudsen. Since he’s been on his own, however, Knudsen has switched from driving the Bowen Belle, which seats 12 people inside, to the slightly smaller Guardian.
“One of the things to get used to is dealing with the wash from the ferry,” says Knudsen. “It can really push a small boat around. I’m facing a learning curve, of course, but it’s a good time of year for it.”
When asked if he intends to keep driving the water taxi into the winter season, Knudsen says yes, in fact, he sees himself skippering for years to come.
“In my field, the work will always be in Vancouver which means I will likely be commuting for the next 20 years or so,” he explains. “With the water taxi running, I can travel between Bowen and my office near Granville Island in less than 50 minutes. This means I can actually have dinner with my family, and without this, the commute would be unbearable. I would likely move off Bowen. So, if I have to drive the boat to keep the service going, then that’s what I will do.”
