2016.05.23
After a lost year we are back to cruising. First one is to 50 Point Conservation Area in Stony Creek.
2014.06.21
Stayed the night at Trident Yacht Club after a nice sail from McDonald Island. This morning we motored through the Bateaux Channel, which gave me the chance to fiddle with the auto pilot. It works much better now. After passing Kingston, the wind shifted south and we got a chance to sail. Today's picture is Annie's Song close reaching past Kingston.
2014.06.19
Spent the night anchored west of McDonald Island with Annie's Song. Got some pictures of both boats at anchor.
2014.06.17
Spent two nights on Endymion island which is in the Lake Fleet group with Jessica and Patrick. We tied up to a dock because we did not want any midnight anchoring dramas with the baby on board. Patrick spent some quality time smacking around his life jacket which kept him entertained for quite a while.
2014.06.15
Went out for a day sail this morning. Todays pictures are of the family on the boat. This was Patrick's first cruising experience and we wore all the appropriate gear.
2014.06.14
Ran most of the way to Gan wing on wing in about 5 hours. We sailed the entire way through the Bateaux channel for the first time. Met up with Jessica, Paul and Patrick in Ganaonoque.
2014.06.13
Tried to leave for Gan today but fog was thick. we hung around for a half hour to see if things would change. They did - the fog got thicker. We got our slipback and arranged to hook up with Jessie, Paul and Patrick. Today's picture is of Patrick's first visit to the boat.
2014.06.12
Sailed from Picton to Collins Bay in 4.5 hours with just a genoa. Yes ther was lots of wind.
2014.06.11
Bad weaather is keeping us in Picton. Todays pictures are the view of the harbour and us staying occupied through the rain.
2014.06.09
We anchored out for the night in Hay Bay and then decided to go to Picton for the night as the wind was right on the nose for Kingston. Todays picture is the view from the back of the boat in Picton Harbour.
2014.06.06
Left Cobourg today for Belleville. Used the main and spinnaker on the lake, engine in Presquille and the Murray Canal and Genoa from the Murray to Belleville. Great day today but long. Got to Belleville in time for Hamburgers and beer at BQYC. Today's pictures are of the spinaker and looking back at one of the swing bridges on the Murray Canal.
2014.06.04
We were thinking of going all the way on the US side but the wind is supposed to turn North for the next couple of days which would trap us in the corner of the lake. Today was forecast to be south in the morning switching to west at noon which makes for a good day to cross. By the time we left at 10:00 the wind had already turned west and we had a beam reach all the way across the lake. We did 6 knots most of the way but needed an assist from the engine starting about 10 miles out. It was a brisk sail but a damn cold one too. Today's picture is Wanderer and Sidekick on the wall in Cobourg.
2014.06.03
Another great day for wind. With just the Genoa out we touched 8.2 knots. We made the 30 miles Wilson to Oak Orchard in under 5 hours. Here Eileen is totally pumped at doing 5.6 knots with just The Genoa up. Not sure what the rush was though. Oak Orchard was quiet - like in we were the only people there. I did get some pictures of some turtles sunning on a log though.
2014.06.02
Left Port Dalhousie a little before 9:00 and were in Wilson, 25 miles away, clearing customs by 1:30. The wind was dead aft for the first hour and broad reach for most of the rest of the way save for the last hour when it came up to a beam reach. Turns out that a poled out Genny and spinnaker work quite well dead downwind on Wanderer. Going to the broad reach we rolled up the Genny went to the Spinnaker alone. It was quite gusty today and speeds were anywhere from 4.5 to 7.5 knots. Much excitement ocurred when the retriever line fell to the deck. Turns out that retrieving an asymetrical without a snuffer and a sail to blanket it causes much bad language. Sidekick is a nuisance in the harbour so today's picture shows how I plan to truss her up to get in and out of slips.
2014.06.01
The last thing any cruiser heading east wants is an east wind. That is what we got on the first day of our Thousand Islands cruise. As the old saying goes, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. We did just that setting a close hauled course for the south side of the lake. At times it looked like we might be able to lay Wilson or Niagara on the Lake but the gods gave us a header and we ended up having a great sail, making between 4 and 5.5 knots to Port Dalhousie. we got here about 1:30 and felt a little guilty about not using the afternoon to make more of a easting. We love Port Dalhousie and the guilt subsided in minutes. Today's picture is of Wanderer and Sidekick tied to the wall at DYC. The bonus picture is of seagulls cause you know how we love them.
April 27, 2014
Fooling around in a coffee shop with time exposures. Perspective achieved by pointing the camera from an angle from which the viewfinder could not be used. Autofocus helps here.
March 24
Uploading a couple of pictures of the kayak before it has surgery to allow access to flotation cells through the deck. This needs to be done to allow camping gear to be loaded.
September 30
Back in Bronte. Today's picture is a seagull. Shot with a 300mm lens and then cropped some more. I liked the backlighting on the wings
September 28th, 2013
Wind is from the east today about 12 knots and the water has hills all over it The boat seems to like to reach rather than run. We were seeing 7.2 knots reaching although not quite in the right direction. Running would get us about 5.5. I didn't check VMG because reaching was fun and I might not have liked the answer. Running was also very rolly while reaching had a much steadier motion. Instruments are starting to work better. The depth sounder is usually agrees with the chart plotter and the knot log is getting closer to the GPS. My theory is that they were inaccurate because of marine growth which is starting to slough off with increased use. The wheel, which was initially quite stiff, is definitely starting to loosen up. All those nasty things I said about chart plotters – that they are decadent sybaritic toys that no real sailor should depend on. They are still true but I am starting to love it anyway.
Today's pictures are of Eileen at the helm and the view from the cockpit at Ashbridges.
September 27, 2013
Left Cobourg early to take advantage of Northeast wind. We Tried wing on wing for an hour but the boat rolls downwind in a swell so that got irritating in a hurry. We came up to a broad reach, admittedly in not quite the direction we wanted to go, and sailed at between 5 and 6 knots most of the way to Whitby turning on the engine for the last hour's run in. I took a look at some of the rollers that were coming up from behind and realized some of them were close to 6 feet. They had not seemed significant enough to notice.
Today's picture is Jan Rap tied up in Whitby harbour
September 25, 2013
Once again we find ourselves in the black hole of Cobourg – that port that exerts an irresistible pull on boaters going east or west and causes them to stay longer than they intend. Another nice day on the lake , albeit with not much wind. We were able to sail about 3.5 knots for a couple of hours but Eileen has learned how to the read the ETA on the GPS and insisted that we turn on the engine. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing - for me. Motor sailed most of the day at 6 knots at 2800 rpm. Got some cool shots from the Bow today. The light was fabulous.
September 24 2013
Water was a little more rolling in the afternoon. Not an issue. Found out that we cannot leave butane tanks next to the autopilot. It objects by going round in circles. Employed the whisker pole to good effect. Had to motor in the morning but spent the last 2 hours wing on wing at 5 knots. Today's picture is of Eileen peering round the wheel.
September 18
We took delivery or our new boat, a C&C 32, in Hamilton and brought it to Oakville. Only ran aground twice in Bronte harbour. Feeling a bit conflicted about it. For years I have been advocated small, trailerable, shallow draft boats with outboards. This is none of those but, as we have more time to spend on the boat, creature comforts are becoming more important.
September 14
Chasing seagulls is just plain fun.
September 03
I took this shot at Bronte Rocks on a rolling windy day. I think it conveys the exhilaration of sailing downwind in those conditions. I sent it in to Good Old Boat for a potential cover. They said it was close but rejected it for the cover. They do want to use it inside though.
