The kind of postcard, Nanaimo should sell.

The ferry ride over to Nanaimo was amazing

Bathtub Weekend in Nanaimo, B.C., Canada:
The Bathtub Capital of the World

• World's Largest Bathtub on display in the Home Depot parking lot
• Bathtub Pet Parade, 1 p.m. Saturday
• Sacrifice to the Bathtub Gods, 9 p.m. Saturday, night before the race

My eyes widened with giddy delight as I read pre-bathtub race festivities listed on the Loyal Nanaimo Bathtub Society's website. All this and a World Championship Bathtub Race, too. This has to be too good to be true, I thought.

On the Friday, July 25, 2003, I caught the ferry from Vancouver B.C.'s Horseshoe Bay for Vancouver Island to the town of Nanaimo for their busiest weekend of the year, the so-called Bathtub Weekend. Once a year, the whole town, pays homage to the bathtub with the "Great" International World Championship Bathtub Race." I just love saying that, it sounds so official. And it is.

The race is in its 37th year, and people, or "tubbers" come from all over the world (especially Australia) to compete in these small motor boats with fiberglass tubs mounted into them. Up until 5 years ago the tubbers raced through the George Straight to Vancouver, but now the entire race takes place in Nanaimo, starting in Nanaimo Harbor and ending in Departure Bay. This year's race was set for Sunday, July 27th, but I wanted to come up a day ahead so I could catch all the pre-race festivities.


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