Last guest of the season

Michael from High Park came with Emily to join us for a sail during the Labour Day Air Show over the CNE.  As we got out onto the lake, dark clouds gathered in the west, and as a few fat raindrops fell, we headed back in without seeing much of the Air Show.  The scary looking weather didn't materialize, and we enjoyed a visit aboard safe at the dock. 

Sailing with Zaza

Lucie and Zaza

My cousin Elizabeth (Zaza) is visiting from France.  Her daughter Lucie moved here a few years ago, so we get to see Zaza more often now.  Zaza's last summer visit was 4 years ago, when we had an unusual fog roll in while we were on the water.  Sunday was hot, humid and cloudy with a brisk wind, and we watched the weather as we headed out for a sail. 

Emily, Lucie, and Zaza each took a turn at the helm before we headed back to the club.  After a little refreshment, we took a break from the heat by taking a walk along the boardwalk on the lake side of the island, where the wind was welcome.

When we had been returning to the club after our sail, we had seen a boat coming in behind us dragging its mast.  Our friend Andrew, of Serica, had been out on the lake when the damaged boat crashed into another and lost its mast.  He snapped a photo just after the accident and stayed in the area until the police boat came out to offer assistance.

An unexpected journey

The August long weekend was another scorcher.  The club had a cruise to 50 Point YC, but we didn't sign up for this one.  Instead we stayed at QCYC and looked after some club chores.  On Sunday morning, a visiting boat couldn't get the engine started.  Ed and Paul worked in the heat to try to get it going without success, so Paul towed Paprika out the Eastern Gap, then went for a sail.  When he returned, Paul confirmed that the breeze was blowing on the lake, although it was quite calm at our dock.  Late in the afternoon, we dropped our lines, left the power cord on shore and headed off for a sail.

The wind was wonderful after the hot sticky weather at the club.  We were heading west, and after about a while, got talking about continuing on to the Lakeshore Yacht Club.  Ed called ahead, and we were assigned a slip.  We've never been to LSYC by boat, and with few landmarks, weren't quite sure what to look for on shore, but made it there just fine.

After checking in, the officer of the day was showing us around, and who was having dinner but Andrea of Paprika.  She invited us to join her and her friends for dinner.  They had mostly finished, but we got our burgers and veggies onto the club bbqs and joined them for an evening of good company.  At the end of the evening, Andrea introduced us to LSYC's 'Polish Navy' and invited us to join them for Polish Day on Aug 25.  

Monday morning, we took an easy 30 minute walk to the house on Third St. to check on the renovations.  The framing for the addition is mostly done, with the crew working on the roof.  Very exciting.

Last stop

Not quite ready to head home, we motored to Scarborough, and stayed at the Highland Yacht Club.  It's a relaxed place, with easily identifiable visitor slips and easy docking.  We took a walk around the park and snacked on fries and ice cream.  Great way to finish off vacation.





We actually sailed part way home on Sunday.  The wind was on the nose, but we did a few tacks to get us close to home before turning the engine on.  
Leaving Scarborough just ahead of us were Martin and Anne on Jeanette from QCYC. They sailed all the way, and we only caught up with them as we passed the Leslie Street Spit.

Retracing our steps

Rainy day in Picton

Having made the decision not to cross over into the US, the next decision was how to handle the forecast unsettled weather.  We didn't have a place to dock in Picton on Sunday evening, so after watching the forecast, we decided to make a late departure - close to noon - and head for Belleville.  The rain had mostly stopped except for a few brief showers, and the wind was forecast to ease later in the afternoon.  For the first part of the trip up Long Reach, we had a brisk wind on the nose, moving to our beam, with apparent wind readings topping 30 knots.  We hit some big waves breaking over the bow in the wider sections near Adolphus Reach and Hay Bay, but made it through unscathed.  West of Telegraph Narrows we unfurled the head sail, and had a great downwind sail until Belleville, and decided to continue on to Trenton.  The Port Trent Marina where we stayed a few days earlier seemed like a comfortable option for hanging out for a couple of days.  Again the staff who helped us dock were appreciated, as the wind was still blowing in the high teens. 

We enjoyed Trenton for 3 days while the winds blew and rain fell in the area.  We napped, read, cooked, watched the planes practice take off and landing at CFB Trenton, went to the movies, and took walks.  Very relaxing.

Then it was back to Cobourg - motoring yet again.  Since it was Wednesday race night, we went to the Cobourg Yacht Club for dinner.  Tony has apparently sold Abigail III.  At the club we ran into QCYC friends Linda and Chris from Doneva, and joined them for dinner.  They were on their way eastbound as they started vacation.

Thursday we motored to Whitby.  Thunderstorms blew through a couple of hours after we arrived, making for some dramatic photos. We planned to stay for a couple of days since the forecast for Friday was windy on the nose.  On Friday, we walked over to the Whitby Yacht Club, where we've never been before.  We enjoyed a walk around the grounds, and had a drink at the bar, where we ran into another QCYC member.  Yves was sailing Alice east to Kingston where his wife would meet him to cruise the Thousand Islands.  

Later that evening, Joanne and Keith dropped by the boat for a visit, and we watched the full moon rise, and a heron flying by. 

The best laid plans

Our plan was to cross over into the US from Kingston.  Given the weather forecast for later in the week, we planned to sail to Waupoos on Saturday, then travel in the rain to Sodus Bay on Sunday.  Thunderstorms were forecast for Monday and Tuesday, and Sodus seemed like a good place to sit them out.

We started out early with winds higher than we expected.  With only a partially rolled up headsail, we were making over 6 knots!  Instead of heading south of Amherst Island, we thought the conditions would be better in the channel north of it.  We had a brisk sail, and the waves were manageable.  Once we came to the west end of the island, we started heading southwest towards Waupoos.  We rolled up the sail, and motored into the wind with 3-5 foot waves crashing into the bow, as we listened to the Coast Guard speaking to a sailboat which had run aground just NE of Waupoos.  Our progress was slow, and with another 3 hours of similar conditions to go, we opted to change course for Picton.

This pretty much meant we wouldn't be heading to the US, as we only have a week left of our vacation.  With not a lot of dock space available in Picton, we could only secure a spot for one night.  With storms coming Sunday night, not sure where we'll end up.   

Kingston Pen - Outside and in

The first time we sailed to Kingston in 2008, we had looked at Portsmouth Olympic Marina as a place to stay, but it seemed weird to be moored beside a real penitentiary, so we continued on to downtown Kingston.  The penitentiary closed in 2013, so on this trip, we found a dock here.

Kingston Penitentiary (KP) first opened in 1835, had it's first major renovation in 1885, was designated a National Historic Site in 1990, and closed it's doors to inmates in 2013.  It is now open for public tours, but long term plans are unknown.

We took a tour of the pen in the afternoon.  In addition to our guide Amy, a number of retired staff who had worked at KP shared stories of life in the various areas of the complex - the main cell block, damaged in the last major riot in 1971, the school and work building where inmates could work towards completing their high school education and learn a trade, the treatment centre where inmates were treated for addiction, mental health, and age related illnesses.  The buildings are made of locally sourced limestone, and are quite imposing.  Some of the cells had artwork done by inmates, which was left when they were relocated.

Later in the day, we had dinner at the local pub - The Portsmouth Tavern.  We came across a group of cyclists from the Niagara area, who were participating in a cancer fundraising relay ride around Lake Ontario - the Wellspring Tour du Lac.  The group we met had just ridden in from near Trenton - 93 km into a headwind.  I think they earned their pint.

Planes, trains and automobiles

We started the day with glassy water and no wind.  We motored until we got to the east end of the the County.  Then between there and Amherst Island the wind finally kicked in.  We sailed with the headsail for a little while, but then raised the spinnaker again, and had a great sail to within a couple of miles of Collins Bay.

We've never been here before, usually opting to go into downtown Kingston.  Our friends Keith and Madeleine of Elan like it here, and we thought we'd give it a try.  

It is a lovely spot, beautiful grounds, well protected, but.....

Just on the other side of the bay to the north is a road, and a busy railway.  We saw at least a dozen VIA and freight trains go by this afternoon. They aren't loud, but their whistles are, as there must be a level crossing close by.  Just to the south, there is the Kingston Airport.  The small planes weren't bad, but a few bigger Air Canada planes gave me a scare.  A couple of helicopters rounded out the excitement.  We were told the trains stop after 7:00pm, but heard them until after 10:0pm. We did have a good night's sleep though.  

Wonderful surprise in Picton

Leaving Trenton, we finally had wind - mostly on the nose.  With several sections of narrow navigable channels in the Bay of Quinte, we motored yet again.  We may have been able to sail in Big Bay, but it would have been a short sail before the next narrow section.  We finally tried the head sail on rounding the corner to Long Reach, only to find the wind was down to nothing.

When we made it to Picton, the next challenge was where to dock.  We tried the Prince Edward Yacht Club, but they only had mooring balls available.  With no dinghy, that wouldn't work.  We headed over to the park marina and tied up to the wall, only to be told we couldn't stay, because a cruise ship was coming in for the night.  The Tip of the Bay marina had no docks - maybe because of high water last year.  We called the Harbour Inn, as they have some docks, and after trying to confirm the location of the dock we were assigned, we tied up and were getting the boat snugged down, only to be told that we had stopped at a private dock, not the Harbour Inn docks.  One more try - we docked, checked in, and were just having a drink when someone knocked on the hull.

Harry and Mandy, the original owners of Prime Interest, heard the boat was in town, and dropped by for a visit.  How news travels in a small town!  A friend of theirs was having lunch at the Harbour Inn, heard us checking in, and called them.  Harry and Mandy have moved to Picton, and recently bought a trawler which they plan to rename Simple Interest.

We had dinner at the Acoustic Grill and enjoyed the Irish fiddle sound of The Fiddleheads.  After dinner, we dropped by the PEYC, looked in on Will and Bev's boathouse, and again ran into Harry and Mandy after race night.  We spent the evening catching up on the last 12 years since they sold us the boat.

  

Port Trent Marina

After motoring again with little wind, and trying the spinnaker again - this time for about 20 minutes - we rounded the corner to head north into Presqu'ile Bay, and ran into apparent winds of 18 - 22 knots - right on the nose.  No sailing here, as we kept a sharp eye out for the next buoys which mark the fairly narrow channel.  Heading through the Murray Canal, we were worried when no one responded to our hail as we approached the first swing bridge.  No need to have worried.  With construction going on, the bridge is left open.  

We had heard about a new marina that opened in Trenton a few years ago, and had a quick look at it when we drove through Trenton last year.  What an amazing facility!  Helpful staff when you arrive (needed that because of the wind), free laundry, beautiful private bathrooms, and a boater's lounge.  Worth every penny. 

Friends in Cobourg

Another windless day with 35 miles to go from Whitby to Cobourg.  We motored again except for about 10 minutes when the wind teased us and we raised the spinnaker.  Cobourg is always a favourite stop, with a pretty downtown area, and excellent marina facilities.  When we arrived, I contacted my friend Teresa, to see whether she and Patrick could drop by for a visit.

Teresa and Patrick

They came the next day, with a stop aboard Prime Interest for an appetizer and drink, then dinner at Corfu, and dessert at the ice cream place near the beach.  

Teresa and I were great friends during our elementary school days, attending Polish school together.  Although we attended the same high school, being a grade apart meant we moved in different circles.  Then life took us in different directions, and we only reconnected recently through facebook. It is always wonderful to reconnect with old friends.  I hope to be able to see each other more often, once we retire at the end of the year, and have more flexibility with our time.

Windless to Whitby

Vacation this year started eastbound with a planned clockwise route.  The day we left, there was no wind, with possible showers and thunderstorms forecast for the afternoon, so we motored on flat water to Whitby.  We had a very light sprinkle of rain, just as we were approaching the dock, of course.  As usual for us, we stayed at the beautiful Port Whitby Marina, where we have reciprocal privileges.  
There was a wedding in the club house that evening, with the ceremony taking place on the lawn just near our dock, so we got to see snatches of the festivities.

Visitor from France

My cousin Pierre's granddaughter, Elise is visiting from France.  Her sister Claire was here a few years ago.  Marysia and Elise joined us for a sail of a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  After our sail, we headed to the front lawn of the yacht club for this year's Lobsterfest.

This was a day of firsts for Elise - sailing and lobster.

NOTL Club Cruise

This season's first club cruise was to Niagara on the Lake Sailing Club.  We almost didn't go, because I forgot to sign up.  By the time I did, we were on the wait list.  Eriks offered to take us with him aboard Wild Jasmine, as he had been planning to single hand.  Within a few days, though, a couple of boats had dropped out, and Eriks decided that he wouldn't sail there after all.


We left on the Friday, and had a good sail about half way there.  Then the wind shifted before completely dying out.  We motored in a dead calm and got to NOTL just before dinner.  With scorching hot weather all weekend, we looked for ways to stay cool.  

On Saturday, we took a cab to Niagara Falls where we visited both the casino and the falls, and watched some people on the new zip line.  Back in town, we joined the rest of the QCYC cruisers for a pot luck dinner before taking in a play in the evening.  After church on Sunday (Canada Day), we managed to get the last 2 spots on the bus for a wine tour.  We visited 4 wineries, sampled a good variety of wines, and supported the local economy by taking home some of our favourites.   The sail home was perfect - consistent wind on the beam the whole way to Toronto Harbour.

Father's Day & Birthday

Our first visitors of the season came out on the Father's Day weekend.  Derek, Hayley, Adam and Kim came out for a sail on the Saturday.  Adam's office is in Queen's Quay Terminal, and he is able to watch the boats coming and going from the dock.  We had perfect sailing conditions, and a great visit afterwards.

On Sunday, Ed celebrated his birthday on Father's Day, and we had the rare pleasure of having both Emily and Katie out for a sail.  It's been maybe 5 years since they were both out together, and Katie hasn't even been to the island in 3 years.  Great way to spend the day.

A Royal Wedding and Sail Past

Before 0600 on the morning of May 19th, a group of us got up early, and thanks to Chef Simon and Sherry, enjoyed a great breakfast of fresh scones, clotted cream, smoked salmon and fruit as we watched Prince Harry and Megan's wedding in the Great Hall.  It was cold and dreary in Toronto, but beautiful and sunny at Windsor Castle.    

We were glad to have the mast up and actually be able to sail during Sail Past, unlike last season, when we were a long way from having our mast stepped.  Keith and Madeleine joined us since their boat wasn't launched yet.  We headed out just as the rain stopped, motor-sailed past Commodore Jacqui, then took some ribbing about having gone upwind instead of downwind.  Oh well.  If that's the worst thing that happens, then we're all good!

Wild Weather

This spring, we've had some wild weather days with strong winds.  Ed and I were heading over on Friday, and had to take the city ferry, because our tenders couldn't run due to high winds.  Once we got to the island, even the city ferry stopped running for a couple of hours until conditions improved.  We even had to pull out our rubber boots because the wind was driving water over the wall and flooding the area around the clubhouse.  Memories of 2017.

Old yellow dock was ripped off its mooring near the Rapids Queen, at least one boat broke a mooring line, and a few boats were bumping as they rolled in the wind and waves, but no major damage.

Catamarans big and small

Ed and I took a week to enjoy some warm weather in Cuba.  We've been to Cayo Santa Maria before, and find it very relaxing, although it's a bit of a drive from the airport.  The beach is beautiful, our room was clean, and the food was pretty good for Cuba.  The first couple of days were quite breezy, but then the wind calmed enough that we went out for great sails on the Hobie Cats every day.  

We also took an excursion on a big catamaran one day, with snorkeling, a dolphin experience and lobster lunch, but no actual sailing.