Coastal Multibeam Sonar Training Course
1998

Held in the Oak Bay Beach Hotel (Diane Tames photo), 40 participants and four instructors laboured from 08:30 until 16:30 for eight days. This year's students came from eight countries (other than Canada); namely, England, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, Sweden, The Netherlands, and the United States. The participants seemed to appreciate the hotel's amenities, the wonderful service from the staff, the food, oh, yes, and the course, of course. So much so, in fact, that a second, West Coast, course is being considered.

Below are scenes from a typical meal, all of which were produced under the imaginative supervision of Chef Michael French, often referred to as Your Majesty. (Wendy Wells photos, 7 March 1998)

Chef Michael French and a lobster on its way to the cooking pot.

Chef wins the battle with the lobster as Tim Reugemer (sea trout specialist) looks on.

A selection of the seafood that was literally fit for a king (salmon, mussels, clams, oysters, shrimp, sea trout, lobster, etc.).

Anna McHale, invaluable chieftain of the nourishment brigade, tending to last minute arrangements for the seafood bash.

Andy Stewart shucking oysters behind a medly of seafood. The oysters were a last minute replacement for out-of-season corn on the cob!!!

Group photo of the course participants, unfortunately too far away to really identify who is who.