Small Boats, Big Fun

The waves washed over AERO’s decks with white-capped ferocity, tugging at her hull with all the force of a winter storm. AERO was lost in the troughs, each wave rising higher than the gunwales and threatening to overwhelm her. Her fine hull looked light and delicate, more suited to racing than braving the winter elements, but she persevered, maintaining a remarkable lightness of movement despite the conditions and cresting each wave with spirited determination.

Her skipper, Martin Herbert, was remarkably dry, all things considered. He stood on the seaplane dock in Ganges Harbour on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, watching AERO with glee as he guided her up and over the waves with a small radio controller. The seaplane pilots watched with interest; their flights had all been canceled due to the inclement conditions, and they were having a hard time believing their eyes as the tiny radio-controlled boat charged playfully past them. It was blowing over 40 knots, and Martin and AERO were, unsurprisingly, the only active figures in the usually busy harbor. Later, after Martin returned home with AERO tucked safely under his arm, he would hear that the wind and waves had been strong enough to cause several boats to drag anchor.