No Sailing Waits
By Adrian Raeside
No Sailing Waits (Harbour Publishing) is a collection of 30 years of editorial cartoons critiquing BC Ferries; the book is interesting on a few levels. Mainly, it provides a fascinating and quick overview of 30 years of ferry-related blunders and political shenanigans. It’s also hilarious.
Sure, Raeside is hilarious in that way that will make your grandma say, “Oh, isn’t he bad?” but his cartoons do have some bite to them, and they don’t shy away from calling BC Ferries out on their often-contentious practices and follies.
Here, everything’s fair game: BC Ferries bigwig David Hahn, the food served on board, the shift over to privatization, cars being sent overboard. And Raeside’s comic timing and ability to throw in twists is dead-on, especially impressive considering most of the cartoons are simple one-panel designs.
The book is also utilitarian, acting as a release valve for islanders who have no choice but to deal with BC Ferries on a regular basis. If you can’t laugh at your misery, you’re gonna explode; Raeside helps us all get through the little indignities that life with BC Ferries manages to consistently—and sometimes subtly—push our way.
And you know what’s really funny? After reading this book, lots of locals will probably look at the mishaps of BC Ferries fondly: like your socially screwed cousin or deadbeat uncle, you shake your head at their behaviour but secretly look at it with a perverse fondness, and, because it’s all you’ve ever known, you would have it no other way.