Maria Canton
Northern News Services

NNSL (Sep 03/99) - What started out as a day trip on Stagg Lake turned into a 15-hour epic return journey home for two Yellowknife hunters.

Prepared for a day of spotting and hunting moose, Terry Ostrom and Clayton Balsillie motored up the Stagg River from Highway 3 just after 6 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21.

By late afternoon and deep into Stagg Lake, the two decided to head back, a trip that would normally take four hours in their power boat.

With the Mercury 9.8 outboard motor unknowingly labouring, it was running wide open when the drive shaft broke.

"I had already fixed the carburetor while we were out there because we had been having some problems earlier," said Ostrom.

"As soon as it stopped we started paddling to a cabin we knew was on the way out of the lake."

It was at the cabin that the two decided they had to make some quick decisions about getting home. With darkness coming, southernly winds blowing, a motor that was irreparable on the water and only prepared for a day trip -- the two designed a makeshift sail from a curtain, broomsticks and rope.

"It took us half an hour to paddle to the cabin and then we put the sail together in about 20 minutes," said Ostrom, adding, "We knew we had to get on the water right away or else spend the night."

A gate hinge mounted on top of the sail allowed them to raise and lower it.

While Ostrom stayed in the bow of the boat, keeping the sail in place and adjusting its height, Balsillie steered with makeshift reins from the motor position.

"I had never built a sail before," said Balsillie.

"But I knew there would be material in the cabin and I had packed extra rope."

Until 3 a.m., the two sailed across a small lake with no current, finally stopping after reaching the Stagg River.

"It was so dark by that time that we were hitting reeds and we couldn't see anything," said Ostrom.

"We stopped and built a fire and stayed for three hours, until it got light again."

With no sleep in over 24 hours, they were able to spend another exhausting seven hours paddling, bringing them to their launch near the highway and their wives.

"I was going back and forth between what may have happened and that they were OK and had just spent the night somewhere," said Carol Ostrom, Terry's wife.