Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX, Vancouver Island’s most advanced real estate business network, since 1996, marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, and recreational investment and project-development real estate. Ian has received several awards recognizing his exceptional community commitment locally, as well as awards for outstanding performance and achievement from both RE/MAX International and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. You’ll find true real estate professionals at IanLindsay.ca.

Eddie Van Haddock & The Rockfish: In a little town by the sea, where the stories never end, lived Captain Dave and his crew—every child’s favourite friend. With a smile as wide as the ocean and a heart full of dreams, he sails a mellow submarine where magic gleams and beams. Every morning at sunrise, when the world awakes anew, Captain Dave and his crew set sail in waters deep and blue. Through the ticking clock of time, where adventures come alive, they laugh, learn, and play each day in their underwater dive.

Dave Graham: “Captain Dave! Captain Dave!” Larry the lobster called out. “Do you know what day it is today?”

“Well, good morning, Larry,” came Captain Dave’s reply. “Let me think… It’s Tuesday. The sun is shining, and we’re anchored in beautiful Departure Bay near Nanaimo. What’s so special about today?”

Larry clicked his claws together excitedly. “It’s the Mellow Submarine’s birthday! She was launched exactly 10 years ago today!”

Captain Dave’s eyes lit up with delight. “Larry, you’re absolutely right. I can’t believe I almost forgot. Ten years ago today, the Mellow Submarine first touched the waters of the Salish Sea. That definitely calls for a celebration!”

Larry scuttled around the control room, his claws clicking on the metal floor. “I’ve been thinking, Captain. I know the Mellow Submarine pretty well—I know where we keep the maps, where the periscope is, how to read the depth gauge—but I don’t really understand how she works. How does a submarine dive and surface? How do we stay safe under all that water pressure? How does the engine work?”

Captain Dave smiled warmly. “Those are excellent questions, Larry. And what better way to celebrate the Mellow Submarine’s birthday than to learn all about how she works? Let me give you the grand tour— a complete vessel inspection and engineering lesson.”

Captain Dave pulled out a clipboard and pen. “Every good submarine inspection starts with a checklist. We are going to examine every major system on the Mellow Submarine, and I’ll explain how each one works. Are you ready?”

“Ready, Captain!” Larry saluted with a claw.

Captain Dave led Larry to the front of the submarine, where large windows looked out into the blue-green water of Departure Bay. Small fish swam past, and rays of sunlight filtered down from the surface above.

“Let’s start with the most important question,” Captain Dave said. “How does a submarine sink and rise in the water?”

Larry thought for a moment. “Magic?”

Captain Dave chuckled. “Not quite, my friend. It’s science—specifically buoyancy. Do you know what that means?”

“Not really,” Larry admitted.

“Buoyancy is the force that makes things float or sink,” Captain Dave explained. “When something is in water, the water pushes up on it. If the object is lighter than the water it displaces—meaning it takes up space where water used to be—then it floats. If it’s heavier, it sinks.”

Larry clicked his claws thoughtfully. “So the Mellow Submarine can be light or heavy?”

“Exactly. And we control that with something called ballast tanks. Follow me—I’ll show you.”

Captain Dave led Larry down a narrow corridor to a section of the submarine where large tanks were visible through inspection panels. The tanks were currently empty, filled only with air.

“These are the ballast tanks,” Captain Dave explained. “When we want to dive, we open valves that let seawater flow into these tanks. Water is heavy, so it makes the whole submarine heavier. When the submarine becomes heavier than the water around it, we sink.”

Larry peered through the inspection panel. “And when we want to come back up?”

“We use compressed air—air that’s been squeezed into a very small space, so it’s under high pressure. We blow that air into the ballast tanks, and it pushes the water out. When the tanks fill with air again, the submarine becomes lighter and rises to the surface.”

“That’s brilliant!” Larry clicked his claws with delight. “What else should we inspect?”

They moved to a section of the submarine where various pipes, gauges, and machines were visible behind access panels.

“Life-support systems are what keep us alive underwater,” Captain Dave explained. “The most important one is our air-recycling system. Larry, what do humans need to breathe?”

“Oxygen,” Larry said confidently.

“Right. And what do humans breathe out?”

“Um… carbon dioxide?”

“Exactly. So if we’re sealed inside a submarine, we’d quickly use up all the oxygen and fill the air with carbon dioxide. That could be very dangerous. So we need a way to remove carbon dioxide and add fresh oxygen.”

Captain Dave opened an access panel to show Larry a complex system of fans, filters, and devices.

“These machines pull air through special chemicals that absorb carbon dioxide,” he explained. “Then we add fresh oxygen from tanks we keep stored on board. The fans keep the air circulating throughout the submarine so everyone gets fresh air to breathe.”

Larry looked impressed. “It’s like the submarine is breathing!”

“In a way, yes. We also have systems that remove moisture from the air, control temperature, and filter out smells or contaminants. When everything is working properly, the air inside the submarine is actually cleaner than the air in most buildings on land.”

“What about water?” Larry asked. “Do we have enough drinking water for long trips?”

“Another excellent question,” Captain Dave said. “We have fresh-water tanks, of course, but we also have a system that can turn seawater into drinking water by removing the salt. And we recycle water whenever possible—the moisture we remove from the air, for instance, can be purified and used again.”

Larry’s eyes were wide with wonder. “The Mellow Submarine is like… a tiny world that takes care of itself!”

“That’s a beautiful way to put it,” Captain Dave said. “A submarine has to be self-sufficient, because once we’re underwater, we can’t just run to the store if we need something. Everything we need has to be on board, or created from what we have.”

They continued their inspection, moving toward the engine room. The space was filled with the gentle hum of machinery, and various gauges showed everything was operating normally.

“Now we come to propulsion,” Captain Dave said. “That means how we move through the water. The Mellow Submarine uses an electric motor powered by batteries.”

Larry looked at the large battery banks. “Why batteries instead of a regular engine like cars have?”

“Excellent question. Regular engines—like the kind in cars and boats—burn fuel, and burning fuel requires oxygen. If we ran an engine like that underwater, we would use up our oxygen very quickly. Electric motors don’t need oxygen, so they’re perfect for submarines.”

“How do we charge the batteries?” Larry asked.

“When we’re at the surface, we can run a diesel generator that charges the batteries, or we can plug into shore power when we’re docked. The batteries store enough energy for us to travel underwater for many hours.”

Captain Dave showed Larry the propeller shaft running through the back of the submarine.

“The electric motor spins this shaft, which spins the propeller outside. The propeller pushes water backward, which moves the submarine forward. It’s the same principle as swimming—when you push water one way, you move the other way.”

Larry nodded eagerly. “Like when I push water backward with my tail to swim forward!”

“Exactly.”

They moved on to the control room, where Captain Dave showed Larry the various instruments and controls.

“This is the helm,” Captain Dave said, placing his hands on the steering controls. “These control what we call planes—small wings on the outside of the submarine. They help us steer up, down, left, and right.”

Larry examined the depth gauge, compass, speed indicator, and battery-charge meter. “There are so many instruments. How do you keep track of everything?”

Captain Dave pulled out a folder. “Here’s the Mellow Submarine’s logbook. Every day we record where we went, what we saw, any maintenance we performed, and any issues we noticed. This helps us track the submarine’s condition over time.”

Larry looked at the logbook with reverence. “Ten years of adventures are written in here.”

“They are indeed. The Mellow Submarine has taken us to amazing places. We’ve explored underwater caves, visited seal colonies, discovered ancient clam gardens, and met wonderful people all over Vancouver Island. She’s been reliable, safe, and true.”

Captain Dave showed Larry entries from different years. “Here’s the day we first met you, Larry. And here’s the day we rescued that tangled seal. Oh, and look—here’s the first time we visited the glowing plankton in Nanoose Bay.”

Larry felt tears forming in his eyes. “The Mellow Submarine has given us so many gifts.”

“She has,” Captain Dave agreed. “And we give her gifts too—our care, our attention, our maintenance, and our respect. It’s a partnership.”

Larry looked around the control room with new appreciation. “I understand her so much better now. Every system working together—the ballast tanks for buoyancy, the pressure hull for safety, the life-support systems for breathing, the batteries for power, the propeller for movement, and all the instruments to keep track of everything.”

“And don’t forget the most important system of all,” Captain Dave added.

“What’s that?”

“The crew,” Captain Dave said, placing his hand on Larry’s shell. “A submarine is just a machine without people to operate her, care for her, and give her purpose. You and I are part of the Mellow Submarine.”

They stood together in the control room, feeling the gentle rocking of the submarine in the water, hearing the soft hum of the systems, and watching the beautiful underwater world through the windows.

“Captain Dave?” Larry said quietly.

“Yes, Larry?”

“Thank you for the tour. I learned so much today. But most importantly, I learned that engineering isn’t just about machines and systems—it’s about taking care of something, understanding how it works, and working with it as a partner.”

Captain Dave smiled. “Larry, that might be the wisest thing you’ve ever said. Real engineering is about relationships—between humans and machines, between design and purpose, between maintenance and reliability.”

Larry suddenly had an idea. “Captain, we should do something special to celebrate the Mellow Submarine’s birthday! What if we give her a complete cleaning and polish—make her shine like she did on her first day?”

“That’s a wonderful idea, Larry. Let’s get the cleaning supplies.”

For the next two hours, Captain Dave and Larry worked together. They polished the brass fittings until they gleamed. They cleaned the windows until they were crystal clear. They organized tools and supplies, checked every gauge, tightened every bolt, swept the floors, and dusted the instruments.

As the sun began to set over Departure Bay, they stood back to admire their work. The Mellow Submarine’s interior sparkled in the golden light filtering through the water.

“She looks brand new,” Larry said with satisfaction.

“She looks loved,” Captain Dave corrected gently. “That’s even better than new.”

Captain Dave went to his storage locker and pulled out a small cake in a waterproof container.

“I didn’t forget the birthday completely,” he said with a grin. “I brought cake.”

Larry’s eyes widened. “You did?”

“Of course! It’s lemon cake—yellow, like the Mellow Submarine.”

They sat together in the control room, sharing cake and watching the underwater world through the windows. Fish swam past, their scales catching the last rays of sunlight. The water glowed with a soft, peaceful light.

“Happy birthday, Mellow Submarine,” Larry said softly. “Thank you for 10 years of keeping us safe, taking us on adventures, and being our home on the water.”

Captain Dave raised his cup of tea to the Mellow Submarine. “May she have many more years of exploration ahead.”

As darkness fell and stars appeared above the water, Larry lay in his bunk thinking about everything he’d learned.

“Captain Dave?” Larry called softly.

“Yes, Larry?”

“I used to think submarines were just machines that went underwater. But now I understand—they’re brilliant examples of humans working with science and engineering to explore places they couldn’t otherwise go. The Mellow Submarine doesn’t fight against the water—she works with it, uses it, understands it.”

Captain Dave came to sit beside Larry’s bunk. “That’s exactly right. The best engineering doesn’t conquer nature—it cooperates with nature. We use buoyancy instead of fighting it. We respect pressure instead of ignoring it. We work with the properties of water instead of pretending they don’t exist. And we take care of her so she can take care of us.”

“Always,” Larry added.

“Always,” Captain Dave agreed.

Larry yawned, his claws relaxing. “This was the best birthday celebration—not just because of the cake, but because I learned to really appreciate the Mellow Submarine. I’ll never take her for granted again.”

“Neither will I, Larry. Neither will I.”

As Larry drifted off to sleep, he dreamed of ballast tanks filling and emptying, of propellers turning smoothly through water, of pressure hulls standing strong against the deep, and of two friends—a human and a lobster—caring for a yellow submarine that carried them safely through the wonders of the Salish Sea.

Eddie Van Haddock & The Rockfish: When the night falls softly and stars light up the sky, Captain Dave tucks his crew in with a gentle lullaby. Dreams of whales and mermaids, of treasures lush and green, await each little sailor aboard the Mellow Submarine.

 Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Lindsay and Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX, Vancouver Island’s most advanced real estate business network, since 1996, marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, and recreational investment and project-development real estate. Ian has received several awards recognizing his exceptional community commitment locally, as well as awards for outstanding performance and achievement from both RE/MAX International and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. You’ll find true real estate professionals at IanLindsay.ca.