Since we got the boat and cradle ready for haul out a couple of weeks ago, we took the opportunity to take a road trip to the US Boat Show in Annapolis, Maryland. We left Friday morning and 10 hours later, arrived in Annapolis. Saturday, we ran into a bunch of people from QCYC who had also made the trip, and joined them at Pusser's for their famous Painkillers (not me - designated driver), and dinner at Phillip's Crab Shack.
The boat show was great with an opportunity to see boats we'd never see here in Toronto. I finally got to see a Morris Ocean series 46, but didn't actually like the interior layout. With a base price of over $1 million, it's probably customizable. My favourite was the Outbound 46, and at about $600,000, it seemed very reasonably priced compared to some of the boats we saw.
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| David |
On Sunday, we had breakfast at Chick & Ruth's Delly, a place with lots of character, where I had an amazing crab omelette. We wanted to tour the US Naval Academy in town, but didn't have our passports with us, which were required id for foreigners. Later in the afternoon, David picked us up in his dinghy, and brought us and a few other QCYC folks over to his boat Anahata, anchored in Back Creek. We had seen David during our cruise this summer, and he is now on his way south, before sailing off into the sunset. We've added a link to his blog, Floating Classroom. While Ed and David sorted out some electrical problems, the rest of us lounged around in the cockpit. Dinner with David was at a local place - Davis Pub - which had been featured on an episode of triple D. A bit of a change from the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, but what a great trip.
On September 6th and 7th, we had a couple of the best sailing days of the season. On Saturday, we thought we'd try to get to Bronte, but the wind started to die out, and as we were deciding whether we should stop at Mimico Cruising Club or Etobicoke Yacht Club, the wind shifted, and we decided to enjoy a fast sail home. The wind was so brisk that we had to put a reef in the main and roll up part of the headsail, and were still making 7 knots, which is really fast for our boat.
On Sunday we went out again, and enjoyed another 5 hours on the water with beautiful sunshine and a good breeze. It was great to close out the season with such a great time on the water, because we didn't really get much sailing time this year. We did get to visit one more yacht club, though. Andrew and his friend Chris sailed in to Lakeshore Yacht Club this past weekend, and since we had a car, we dropped by to visit. We'll definitely have to visit there next season. As I write this, the sails have been taken down, the mast has been taken down, and the cradle is ready for haul out. Just in time, too, because curling season starts in less than a week!
My cousin Zaza has come from France to visit her daughter, Lucie, who moved here a couple of years ago. Before this visit, I hadn't seen her in over 35 years, since my only visit to France when I was 14 years old. Zaza had spent a year in Canada when she was in her late teens. It's been wonderful getting to spend time with her, and what could be more relaxing than an evening sail at the end of the work week. My niece Magda and her boyfriend Alec also joined us.
We headed out on a beautiful, sunny, late afternoon. We raised the sails just after going through the eastern gap, and turned off the engine. There was little wind, but our guests were happy to be on the water. While I was below preparing some snacks, Ed said I should come up to see the mist rolling in. We don't get a lot of fog in Toronto, so this was strange. The wind picked up just enough that we could actually feel that we were moving, and we thought we could still stay out on the lake, when suddenly, we were enveloped in really thick fog. Visibility went down to a few dozen feet almost instantly. We started the engine, got the sails down, and I went forward with the air horn to keep an eye out for shore and other boats, and to signal our position.
We started up the handheld GPS, and while it was acquiring a signal, we motored as slowly as we could in what we thought was the right direction for the channel. Ed spotted the green buoy near the island, and the fog lifted enough so that we made it through the gap and into the harbour. We were debating whether it would be safe to stay out a little longer when the fog thickened again. Decision made. We got back without incident and enjoyed some refreshments aboard before heading up to the club restaurant for dinner. During dinner, the fog rolled in again, so thickly that we could hardly see the other side of the lagoon, but by the time we were done, the skies cleared and we got a great view of the Toronto skyline.
On Sunday, Derek, Hayley, and Emily came out for a sail. Derek and Hayley had taken sailing lessons at Humber in June just before their vacation, and were happy to have a good breeze for a sailing day. This was probably one of the best weekends we've had this summer, weatherwise, with sunshine, warm temps and a nice breeze.
Afterwards, as we were enjoying a refreshment in the cockpit, a couple of kayakers were paddling by, and Emily recognized Scott and Louise from the curling club. We invited them to stop for a drink, and gave them a little tour of the clubhouse. They're considering buying a boat, and are looking for a yacht club with a comfortable atmosphere. Maybe QCYC will fit the bill.
What a great Labour Day weekend! On Friday night, we gorged ourselves on corn and hotdogs as the pigs were being prepared for Saturday's pig roast. 
Emily and her friend joined us for the pig roast, and after a morning thunder storm, the weather was great. 
On Sunday, the forecast had originally not been very favourable. Monica and Dave had arranged to come for the day, and after a cloudy start, we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon and evening. We had a good wind and warm weather, and our sail brought us to a great position to watch the Snow Birds at the airshow. I never get tired of the view from the water, especially when the planes come right overhead as they are turning.
