CFB Trenton

We had a long motor from Picton to the Bay of Quinte.  We decided to bypass Belleville this year, if we could get into CFB Trenton Yacht Club.  They were able to accommodate us, although they generally have smaller boats at their club.  It`s a lovely location on Baker`s Island, adjacent to the base.  One of the staff recommended a visit to the National Air Force Museum, so off we went, as there isn`t much else to do.  There used to be a big open training field on the base, which now houses the Aerospace Warfare building,

and another large building under construction.  We watched a Hercules go around in circles, as it practiced take-off and landing.  It was a LONG walk to the museum, maybe 3 kms past the base airstrip, and we arrived half an hour before closing.  We took a quick walk around some of the model planes, and a lovely volunteer showed us a few key exhibits, including an Olympic Gold medal.  You might remember the RBC commercials during the Winter Olympics, which made reference to the year RBC sponsored a hockey team made up mostly of Air Force personnel.   

Familiar Faces

The wind was brisk today.  We sailed for the first couple of hours out of Waupoos, then turned the engine on, as the wind was right on the nose at about 13 - 18 knots.  As we were motoring west through Adolphus Reach, Ed spotted a QCYC burgee.  Ted on Comus was heading east.  Ted is 89 years old, and regularly sails his boat alone, around the lake.  Later we passed another boat which was heading the same way we were (but they were sailing), and came into Picton Marina just after us.  Margaret and Alan on Griffwn (PCYC) are good friends with Harry and Mandy, the previous (original) owners of our boat.  In Picton, Ed and I took a walk to the grocery store (and the Tim's, of course).  We spotted a group of cyclists in matching jerseys, and Ed mentioned that he had sponsored someone in the Friends for Life Bike Rally, from Toronto to Montreal, and he should keep an eye out.  A few seconds later, I heard Ed call to Ken, who turned around and waved, but kept riding.  There are over 400 people riding, and I'm sure they're spread out over some distance by now.  What are the chances that someone Ed knows happened to be on the same street in Picton, at the same time we were - amazing!

Waupoos

It's been a long time since Ed and I travelled to an unfamiliar harbour.  On Saturday we made the 40 nautical mile trip from Sackets Harbor, NY to Waupoos, ON, in Prince Edward County.  The wind was great, and in fact we had to put in a reef in the main sail, but still managed to top 7 knots!  There was a high wind warning for Eastern Lake Ontario for later in the afternoon, so we were glad to make good time.  The marina at Waupoos was busy, with a sail-in from Burlington, but we got a nice dock, and should be well protected from the south winds, by Waupoos Island.    On Sunday, we helped support the local economy - breakfast at the Blue Moose Café and lunch at The County Cider Company Estate Winery, We walked over to the Duke of Marysburgh for dinner, but they were closed :-(  We borrowed bikes from the marina for the ride to the Cider Company, and on the way back, stopped to buy local blueberries and raspberries.  Nice place - I think we'll be back.

Sackets Harbor - Tin Pan Galley

We've never yet sailed between Sackets Harbour and Oswego.  Wind seems to always be absent, or against us.  No different this trip.  Motored all the way there, on a beautiful summer day.  We enjoyed dinner at the Tin Pan Galley last year, and went back again.  Food was great, but some of the plating was a little odd.  For appetizer, Ed had an interesting take on french onion soup - wonton wrappers filled with sauted onions,  covered in cheese, floating in broth, with croutons.  I had the ahi tuna - very tasty, but the plate was too busy. 

Oswego Harborfest

We actually had a really good sail to Oswego.  Winds were building throughout the afternoon, and we were flying.  As usual, we arrived on Harborfest weekend.  I guess we're always here on the last weekend of July when this event is on, along with the regatta, which means no room at the inn - we were on the wall with no power for a very breezy night, but by morning, it was quite calm.  A free beer at the Oswego Yacht Club ($2 for the second one), dinner in the park overlooking the lake, and funnel cake in the midway for dessert.  Life is good. 

When we signed in at the yacht club, we noticed that the very first entry this year, was Steve Rose aboard T'ai Chi.  Steve and Liz passed through in May, on their way home to QCYC after a winter in the Bahamas.  A link to their blog (Adjusting Our Sails) is on the right.

Sodus Bay

Sometimes I feel like all we do is drive around the lake.  We had a bit of a sail to Sodus Bay, but mostly, the engine was on.  Sodus is a beautiful place.  Every time we're here, I look for real estate.  We had an uncomfortably breezy night, which carried on until the next day. While we were taking our usual 'we were here' photo, a woman came by and offered to take one of both of us.  We got chatting, and she recommended a good place for dinner.  Our walk took us past the Lighthouse Museum. Really cute, and you can see a long way from the top.  We walked past the Bay Street Hotel, the recommended restaurant where we would have dinner, and as we were warned, it doesn't look like much.  When you look in the window, you see a bar and pool table, but we were game to try the place.  Dinner was amazing.  The chef cooks here in the summer, and spends the winter cooking in Key West.  Chef Ramsey would have a field day with the décor in this place, but the food really was good.

An early start to our vacation

Or maybe it's a late start.  Ed and I were planning to leave Toronto on Friday late afternoon, but with a forecast of severe thunderstorms, we decided to wait until they were done, to make run for Rochester.  The severe weather was pretty dramatic, with high winds (while we sat having dinner in the clubhouse) and an amazing lightning display late in the evening.  It was still raining at 2:00 am, and any hopes of a really early morning departure went out the window, because we fell asleep and didn't get up until 5:00.  A quick check on the forecast, and we were off by 5:25 on Saturday morning.  We had a quick downwind sail for the first 3 or 4 hours, and then alternated between motoring and sailing, and made it to Rochester by about 7:30 pm.  On Sunday, Ajay, Kathy and Sara came for a visit to the Rochester Yacht Club, and then we went back to Webster for a barbeque dinner.  Our 'traditional' dinner at Schooners followed on Monday evening. 

Silent Auction Winners

In May, our friend Cathy's daughter, Diana, helped organize a fundraiser in support of Light the Night, a charity dedicated to ending blood cancers.  Although we were not able to attend the event, we offered an afternoon of sailing for the silent auction being held at the event.  Terry won the sailing trip, and invited her friends Laurie, Cindy, and Elaine.  Two of the ladies had gone to elementary school together, and three of them attended high school together - in Belleville.  They hadn't seen each other in decades, and got together at the fund raiser. 

After storms and flooding earlier in the week, the day we picked turned out to be perfect - sunny and warm, with enough wind to give us a good sail.  We did see some of the aftermath, with lots of debris floating in the lake. 

Canada Day weekend

We had some guests aboard this weekend, and for possibly the first time, I have no photos to show for it.  We didn't invite anyone for Saturday, since the forecast was for rain, but while there were big clouds over the city all day, on the island we had sunshine until past dinner time.  Derek, Hayley and Marysia came on Sunday, and although it was sunny and warm, the wind was fairly calm, and we only actually sailed for about an hour.  We mostly motored around the island, and went past IYC to show our guests where Katie is working this summer.  There was a great firework display just off Harbourfront in the evening, and we had a prime view from the QCYC lawn.  On Monday - Canada Day - Cora came with her husband Dwen, and children Alex and Olivia.  We had hoped to take them sailing, but it was overcast and cool, and there was a high wind warning in effect.  Instead we enjoyed some refreshments on board, took a walk around Algonquin Island, and fed the baby ducks...and the bigger ducks....and the little ducks....