A Few More Days

More hiking: Bob and Warren stop to check out the root ball of a fallen tree.

Hiking along the rocky shore at  Lost  Bay 

We had a productive couple of days at home and drove back to "our" marina in Penetang last Thursday morning. We left Toronto at 7:20 a.m. and by 1:00 pm we had dropped the hook  at
Lost Bay: another of the anchorages on Beausoleil Island. That seemed like quick time to go from home to a lovely little cove surrounded by trees, the usual rock :-) and clear water. The Goodyears joined us there and we wasted no time in getting caught up on all that had happened since we were last together.

The Lost Bay anchorage was one of the nicest we've been in: it was very pretty, the water was warm for swimming and we were close to more of the Beausoleil hiking trails that we'd sampled a couple of weeks before. By Saturday, there were 7 boats anchored so even though the anchorage is small, still not a lot of boats for a Labour Day weekend. One fellow who was walking his dog on shore told me that the number of boats on the water this year in the Bay was down considerably. We'd heard the same thing while in the North Channel. This has been a cooler summer and the low water level at the beginning of the season may have put some boaters off (?) (Currently the water level is  above datum.)

 

Massasauga Rattlesnake on the path: 
very poisonous but also very shy - this one slithered away
while we were taking pictures but not before shaking its rattler
and making us all jump.

The only flies in the anchorage "ointment" were two power boats rafted together close to both Sea Change and Sand Castle that ran generators for several hours each day. Bob asked at one point if the generator of the bigger boat would be going off soon (this was just after dinner) and the reply was - maybe not until movies ending at 11:00. I guess we're a little naive: we keep expecting more awareness of others in these small spaces but that doesn't to be the norm. At least - that's been our experience so far.

We left the Goodyears at Lost Bay yesterday and sailed to 3 islands clustered together in the south part of the Bay - Beckwith, Christian and Hope. Our preference would have been to anchor at Hope - the Goodyears had been there earlier in the week and had good things to say but the direction of wind and coming rain and storms dictated that we choose Beckwith.  Since the islands are within striking distance of Midland and Penetang, this is where the weekend party people were. It was to be expected. Bob spent most of the afternoon watching the the goings on. Someone had a "Flyboard" - a short fat board you stand on which is attached by tube to a Seadoo. Jets of water shoot out the bottom of the board and push the person up several feet in the air. We weren't sure who controlled the height (probably the person on the Seadoo) but it was amusing to watch someone wheeling about in the air, now higher up, now lower, now tumbling into the water and the accompanying screams, yells and laughter. There were several rafts of boats, some quiet and some extremely noisy - but as dark approached a number of boats left and with the rising wind and cooling temps, the anchorage became blessedly still. I guess this emphasis on "quiet" goes along with our age (or so I heard it said on a radio talk show). We do like to sit in a quietly peaceful space!

We're back at the marina. The weather is not good. We'll return to anchor at Hope Island tomorrow or the next day if the weather improves but otherwise - this may be it for our summer sailing in Georgian Bay! We want to get to work on the boat - get it ready for the winter - have it taken out of the water - wax the hull and get the cover on before the weather turns cold. We'll do some research and planning this winter for another summer of sailing in the Bay and for a return trip to the North Channel. This will likely be my last post to the blog.

Sunset at Cedar Springs, Beausoleil Island

..... to be continued, June of 2014.

One Week In the Thirty Thousand

Before Bob and I brought our sailboat to Georgian Bay, we had little experience with or knowledge of the Bay. We had visited Penetanguishene and Midland and spent a few days at a lodge near Honey Harbour but that was about it. Should I admit that when someone mentioned the Thirty Thousand Islands, I thought she had misspoken and was talking about the Thousand Islands (as in Lake Ontario)? By the time we were preparing to sail across the Bay to the east side and the home of the Thirty Thousand Islands, we were better informed although still not sure what to expect. Now, from our limited vantage point after a week of poking about, we've experienced an area similar to the Thousand Islands but with more of everything: more islands, more anchorages, more and bigger park islands where you can anchor and find a place to hike, a more beautiful, more varied landscape and clearer, cleaner water. However, there is also more opportunity for hitting a rock, grounding your boat on a rock ledge and any other rock encounter you might imagine.

"Fairy" Trail at Frying Pan Bay

 The small craft channel which weaves it's way through the islands is marked by red and green channel markers and leads you through safe water. The zigs and zags of the channels are more frequent and the routes more circuitous than we've experienced elsewhere - in the Thousand Islands, on the St. Lawrence and all down through the Intracoastal Waterway. There's an intensity of focus required here. On our first day in the channel, we traveled only half a day - but there were high winds and in places open to the Bay, the waves hitting our boat were rather large - all of which added to the challenge. A couple of near mistakes made us acutely aware of possibilities for error - a kind of a trial by fire.

Fairy Lake, Beausoleil Island

On the next day,we traveled another short distance from the safe haven of our small marina to our first anchorage in the Thirty Thousand. We chose Frying Pan Bay because we had passed it the day before and it was easy to get to! We learned later that Frying Pan was one several anchorages on the perimeter of Beausoleil, the largest island in the Georgian Bay National Park system. We anchored in the small well protected bay and dinghied in to explore. We found outhouses (good to have!), receptacles for garbage and recyclables and a well marked system of hiking trails leading in various directions. We chose the "Fairy" trail and walked through a wooded area and then over rock outcroppings eventually ending up at Fairy Lake. The trail continued but since we didn't have a map, we decided to retrace our steps. A couple of days later, we returned to the island, this time with the Fletchers, and anchored further south at Cedar Springs, a much larger anchorage and home to the centre for the Georgian Bay National Park. Here, we were able to get a map that showed the many anchorages and hiking trails around the island There are also camp grounds and small cottages, newly built and available for rent.

David and Linda Fletcher

After rough weather on the Bay kept our friends, David and Linda, from meeting up with us, we finally resolved to rendezvous at "Methodist". Bob thought we were going to Methodist Island near Port McNicholl. David had intended that we meet at Methodist Point on the mainland coast north west of Penetanguishene. There followed a day of miscommunications which had Bob and I confused about where one could possibly anchor at Methodist Island and David and Linda wondering why we would suggest an alternate anchorage (at Beausoleil) which made their sailing day even longer. Even after the Fletchers arrived, anchored and were sitting in our cockpit having a drink with us, it took a while to unravel the web of misunderstandings. We had been confusing each other all day with strange communications. The fortunate part of it all was that we were now located very close to Penetang and Discovery Harbour where we would anchor the next day and go ashore to have dinner and attend the theater - something the Fletchers suggested and arranged for us.

The night we went to the theatre, we returned to our boat in our dinghy to find Sea Change secured to one of two power boats rafted together. The owners of the two boats told us that just before the theatre performance ended, they heard our boat knocking against theirs. We apologized and proceded to pull up our anchor along with a bushel of weed. We anchored again and had to pull up the anchor again - and Bob again cleaned still more weed off the chain - in the dark! Finally we put the anchor down and it grabbed. It was a tense time for me manoeuvering the boat in the dark and taking care to avoid other boats and shallow water at the edges of the bay. After it was all over, when Bob had a moment to think, he began to wonder how we could have dragged into boats that were in front of us. We looked back to where the two boats now sat. They were no longer in their original position but were sitting where we had been anchored. In other words, it was they who had dragged anchor (one anchor for the two boats) and it was they who had bumped into us. We had a short conversation with the captains the next day. Bob explained that we had 80 feet of chain down and had been dug in. When I noted the quick defensiveness of the two men, under my breath, I told Bob, "Don't say any more".  There was no winning an argument on this one. When we pulled away later - on our way finally to the now infamous, anchorage at Methodist Point - one of the two boats was re-anchoring "to better face the sun", they told Linda - but we couldn't help but wonder if they had finally looked around and noticed how far they down the bay they had traveled during the night!
 

A quiet morning at Methodist Bay

We last visited with  Linda and David while anchored at Methodist Point - a large anchorage on the edge of the Awenda Provincial Park. Thanks to the Fletchers we had experienced new anchorages and done something we would never have thought to do - anchored our boat and gone to see some great musical theatre.

Marguerite, Art and their grandson, Evan

The marina here at Penetang, where we have a dock and where we'll leave our boat this winter, has supplied us with a barbecue and a picnic table. Today our friends Art and Marguerite drove over from Midland to take us to lunch after which they drove us around to buy groceries, a propane tank and a fake wasp nest - in prep for our children's visit this weekend.  After the weekend, we'll have a very short visit at home. (Sean and Michelle will drive us back.)  We'll return with a car and then head out sailing to meet up with the Goodyears and hopefully also the Fletchers and to see more of the Thirty Thousand.

Hike at Cedar Spring on Beausoleil Island

Long Time - No Internet! (Killarney and Covered Portage Cove)

We've been a long time without WiFi or at least without a sustained signal and time to write email and post to the blog.

The night before we left Tobermory, we changed our plans (we sailors seem to do that a lot!) and decided to continue on with the Goodyears for a taste of the North Channel. The next day we sailed with them to Club Island where we anchored for the night. Our destination the following day was an anchorage in Covered Portage Cove off of Killarney Bay. To get to the Bay, we would be traversing a narrow channel between George Island and the mainland and would be passing the town of Killarney which is spread along the northern shore of the channel. As we were nearing Killarney, Warren hailed us on the VHF and asked if we would like to stop there for lunch at Herbert's (famous) Fish and Chips (AKA Herbert's Fisheries' Mister Perch). Mister Perch is run out of an old bus and there are picnic tables set up nearby overlooking the channel and beside a public "dock" (actually a rough timbered wall). After some hunting about, we located the dock and tied up. Sandcastle arrived soon after. Once tied up, it appeared that no one cared how long we stayed so we ate our lunch - stuffed ourselves, that is, with a big order of fish and chips - and then visited the small grocery store, the bakery and Herbert's fresh fish counter.

An hour after leaving the town, we were anchored in Covered Portage Cove surrounded by the beauty and drama of chiseled stone rising out of the water and covered with stands of tall fir and pine. To get there, we'd passed through a larger outer bay where several boats were anchored and then gone through a narrow shallow cut into the also very shallow cove. Sandcastle had preceded us, testing out the depths with their more shallow draft keel and calling out depths to us over the VHF. We hunted around for somewhere with "enough" water, but settled, at last, for anchoring in about 5 feet - with our 4'10' keel! In Big Tub at Tobermory, we anchored for 2 days in 38' of water. Fortunately, both Sandcastle and Sea Change carry lots of anchor chain and rode. What a contrast to this low water spot! On the other hand the cove is protected from virtually all sides and our anchor easily sank into the mushy mud bottom. We were secure.

What a beautiful spot! We hiked up to the top of the promontory and looked down on our tiny boats below. We picked sweet wild blueberries and back at the boat we went swimming off the side of the boat. The water was cool but once in it felt good enough to stay. It's wonderful to swim in clean clear water where on a calm day you can see to the bottom at 10 feet or more.

Our weather this past while has a fall feel to it. The wind is cool even on the warm days and temps are falling low at night. In preparation for our aborted sailing trip to Nova Scotia, Warren installed an Espar heater in Sandcastle. Little did he know how glad he and Karen would be to have it while Sandcastle sat at anchor in the North Channel!

We left the Goodyears in Covered Portage Cove and started south. The first night we anchored near the tip of the Bruce Peninsula and then, to take advantage of calm water and favourable weather, we crossed Georgian Bay to Sans Souci on the east side of the Bay. So - we're now in the "30 Thousand Islands". To be sure, we are finding this maize of rocks and small and big islands a bit intimating. "No room for error" warns our Georgian Bay Ports book. We'll get used to it - eventually....

Tomorrow, we are sailing to an anchorage further south where we meet up with our friends David and Linda Fletcher on their sailboat, Camp David.

Anchored in Big Tub Bay, Tobermory!

On our last evening in Goderich, we checked all of our various sources of weather information (the weather channel on VHF, general weather websites and websites with wind and wave height info). For the following two days, wind would be coming from the south and wave height would be modest to manageable. On Monday, winds would be light; on Tuesday, winds and wave height would build until mid-day and then decrease. It sounded like a go to us. The next day we set out, bypassed Kincardine and went straight to Port Elgin (some motoring, some sailing - 57 nm); on Tuesday, we motor-sailed to the top of the Bruce Peninsula, around the tip, through the Hurd Straight and into Tobermory where we anchored in Big Tub Bay for the night (56 nm). I can remember the days when a marathon sailing day for me was 40 nm: 56 and 57 nm may not sound like much but by sailboat it's a more than respectable distance to travel in a day.

Looking back as we round the corner into Big Tub Bay.
Here at last!

We've phoned into the marina at Tobermory. They're full - likely due to poor weather predicted for today. We're happy to hang on the hook for another night as we're well protected in this long and narrow bay - the scenery is pleasant - in spite of tour boats passing by to the site of an underground wreck at the end of the bay - and we're enjoying the fresh smell of evergreens on each side of the water. This afternoon we'll take our dinghies into town (weather permitting!), have a look around and talk about our plans for the next few days. The Goodyears are going into the North Channel for a week or so. We intend to start south into the Thirty Thousand Islands of Georgian Bay. As part of our "wintering over" package, we have the use of a dock at the Beacon Cove Marina in Penetanguishene and we'll be meeting our kids there in a couple of weeks.

Goderich

Karen and city planted flower triangle sitting in the middle of a Goderich residential street.

 Our last night in Bayfield, we not only discussed how far we would go the following day, but would we leave at all. Yesterday was predicted to be sunny with moderate NW winds. The problem was wave height - 1 to 1 1/2 metres. We paused to convert that into feet - kinda high! We resolved to start out for Goderich, about 10 miles north, and if the conditions were more favourable than predicted (better wind direction, smaller waves), we would keep going the 40 miles to our preferred destination, Kincardine.

When we started out, it immediately became clear that the ride was too uncomfortable to continue for 40 miles - Goderich it would be. Bob called the Goodyears on the VHF and asked them whether or not they thought we should continue to Kindardine. "We want to stop at Goderich," said Warren. Bob had a smile a mile wide on his face when he asked Warren, "Did you say that you want to keep going?" "No," said Warren - now in a definite very articulated voice "We do not want to keep going". "Oh," Bob went on, "I'm kind of tempted to go on. You get used to the wave action - it kind of lulls you to sleep."  There was no reply to that. Then it was back to channel 16 for both. (For the non boaters, channel 16 is the calling channel. Conversations are conducted on other channels.) A few minutes later, we heard Karen calling us. Bob switched up one to 17 as requested and the conversation continued,  "We don't want to hold you back," said Karen, "It's OK with us if you keep going but we won't be going on."  "No," said Bob, reverting to one of his favourite lines when teasing, "we'll be going to Goderich too, but Carole, she's kind of tempted to keep going."

As pretty as Bayfield is, we're glad to be in Goderich. We've cut 2 hours off the "jump" to Kincardine and there's lots to do here - a town centre within walking distance where there's a farmer's market on Saturday, a great used book store, a good meat shop and a place for Bob and Warren to get their hair cut. Maitland Valley marina, where we're staying, is a well protected oasis of calm. The sailors and cruisers on the dock have been exceptionally welcoming and friendly and are a great source of information about the lake and the North Channel. Yesterday afternoon we borrowed the 2007 Suburban truck available for visitors. If no one else is using it, they give you the keys and off you go. Warren and Karen took the Suburban this morning to attend the Sunday Fireman's Breakfast. This afternoon we're to going to the Sunday flea market and then, following a tour pamphlet, we'll go walk around to see historic homes and buildings. Goderich is an attractively designed and vibrant town.

We came up the river on the right to get to the marina; the Sifto Salt Plant is on the left.

About now - what we've learned about Lake Huron: the prevailing winds are from the NW. How did we not know this? Waves are at their highest on the east side of the lake (where we are): they build as the west winds move across the lake. Since we're going north, frequent north winds are not advantageous, to say the least, but more significantly, winds out of the west have translated into lumpy seas. When we were sitting at picnic tables lined up for dinner last night and visiting with resident boaters, one of them told us that on Lake Huron, we wouldn't see the calm seas with the fair winds that we sometimes experience on Lake Ontario.  (Oh ---- well, that puts a different light on things and will have to be factored into our decisions hence forth!)

Tomorrow we set out again - to Kincardine - I think.  ;-)

Lake Huron Sailing

The beach near our boat. Lake Huron's water is a lovely blue.

At the Sarnia Yacht Club we sat down with the Goodyears to discuss the next day's destination. 32 miles would bring us to Grand Bend; 45, to Bayfield. Later when Bob went to have a shower, he talked to someone who used to belong to the Grand Bend Yacht Club (the only place to stay there). The water is usually shallow, he told Bob, and is too often less than the 6 feet they claim. Since our keel is 5'10", that wasn't encouraging news. The recommendation was to go to Bayfield - "a straight shot" from Sarnia. So even though we'd had a rather long and tiring day the day before, Bob and I decided that it was best to go the 45nm to Bayfield - weather permitting. We weren't sure if the Goodyears would want to go so far so soon but we offered to wait at Bayfield for them if they wanted to do the shorter sail.

It was fairly bumpy out there but a NW wind from 15 to 20 knots allowed us to sail and make good time for the first few hours until it dwindled and then died. Karen and Warren had decided to follow and so joined us in another less than comfortable sail. The going was easier than on the day we left Put-In-Bay but, even so, I have to say that 8 hours of being tossed around is tiring and leaves us worn out. Is it our age? Couldn't be!


Our reward for making the longer sail was arriving in beautiful Bayfield. I think that this is one of the nicest ports that we've been in anywhere. The marina's river location is picturesque and peaceful and the main street of the village, which is a short walk from our boat, is wide and lined with tall old growth trees. There are quaint little stores and good restaurants - many just a little "unique". There's also a quite beautiful sandy beach just around the corner from where we're docked. We've staying for two nights and we'll definitely stop on our way back in 2015.


Not sure how far we'll go tomorrow. It all depends on what it's like when we get "out there". 

Bayview Yacht Club, Detroit

I ended my last post on Saturday wondering what "the waters" would be like on Sunday and if we would be setting out for the Detroit River Sunday morning. Well we did sail away with 16 - 20 knot winds on our beam and later in the morning on our forward quarter so - a good point of sail - and we were barreling along at over 7 knots, sometimes at or exceeding our 7.3 hull speed. That's the good news. The bad news is that the waves were 4 - 6 six feet and after about the first hour the wind began gusting to 26 knots. It was not the most comfortable ride and keeping the boat on course was difficult for me, at least, when I took my turn at the wheel. I have to say that I was glad to see the entrance to the Detroit river.

Our trip up the Detroit river was not difficult. In spite of the opposing prevailing current, we had wind pushing us for part of the way and even sailed for a while in wider parts of the river. We went right to the top of the river, just before the entrance to Lake St. Clarie and docked on the wall at the Bayview Yacht Club. After all that, we were tuckered out so glad to stay the extra night and give Warren time to do some sail repairs.
 
It so happens that my cousin Helen's son Peter lives just outside of Detroit and works in the city. On the Monday morning, Peter emailed to invite Bob and I and the Goodyears for dinner at his son Brandon's home in Grosse Pointe - a short drive from the club where were staying. It was a nice opportunity to get to know Peter better and to meet and visit with his wife and son Brandon. Sailing trips sometimes deliver surprises of the best kind.

Yesterday morning we went into Lake St. Claire and anchored in a small bay at Metro Beach. It was a short run and we had the afternoon to putter around and relax. We weren't exactly been pushing ourselves, were we? - another day of rest! - but one of Bob's "laundry buddies" (the ladies he got to know while waiting for our wash) told him about how nice it was to anchor at Metro Beach with the added benefit of shortening the run up the St. Claire river today by 3 hours. Today was a tedious and slow, especially after the rain began but we're at the Sarnia Yacht Club tonight and I have to say that we didn't find going up the St. Clarie river against the current all that bad.

We off again tomorrow at 7 pm for either Grand Bend or Bayfield. TBD tomorrow en route!

Put-In-Bay, South Bass Island OH

This picture of Put-In-Bay was taken from the top of the very tall tower commemorating Admiral Perry's victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Erie (also called the Battle of Put-In-Bay). For $3 each, we took the elevator to the top and as promised, we could see "clear to Canada".

After a two hour cruise from Sandusky, we arrived here before noon and chose a mooring ball close to and protected by Gibraltar Island (the cluster of trees, upper right). This location is protected from winds in any direction, including NE winds that can create a surge in other parts of the Bay. Today rain and possible thunder storms are predicted through the day and evening so we are glad to be tucked in here.

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial

Here in Put-In-Bay, Admiral Perry is given a lot of credit for his role in bringing the War of 1812 to a successful conclusion after which "international peace was established along the world's longest undefended border".  At least that is what is implied in the film we viewed at the town visitors' center. There is a rather quick segue from the American victory in the Lake Erie naval battle to the end of the war and the settling of differences. The battle was, indeed, a turning point for the Americans and gave them back control of Lake Erie; however, the complexities of the war and the inconclusive victory of one side or the other are not part of the narrative at the visitors' center.

Put-In-Bay is a party town full of bars, restaurants and tourist attractions "for the whole family": The War of 18 Holes miniature golf course, the Butterfly House, the Antique Cars Barn and so on. Beyond the hoaky facades of the many town bars and restaurants and the innumerable shops selling Put-In-Bay T-shirts and souvenirs is a pretty little island with a National Park and a small community of families - most of them owners of businesses here.

Apparently we have managed to be here during the very busiest weekend of the summer. Why this weekend? - well because it's the end of the two week Christmas in July celebration. From the sounds of music, singing and yelling that were drifting across the bay to our more remote location night, I can attest to the hilarity and general exuberance of this end of season celebration.

The Boardwalk Taxi approaching Sand Castle 

On our first afternoon in town, we happened upon a very good band playing at the Roundhouse, decided to join the fun and managed to find an empty table and four stools. For the better part of 2 hours we whooped it up with all the other somewhat long in the tooth couples and unattached women who were dancing in front of the stage. The demographic of the audience probably had a lot to do with the type of music being played. There are crowds of younger people on the streets today - some in Santa hats; others, driving around in decorated golf carts.

The Roundhouse Bar

Thursday evening we met a couple on the Boardwalk Water Taxi and decided to join them in attending two lectures on Gibraltar Island (just behind where our boat is moored). The Stone Laboratories on Gibraltar and Put-In-Bay Islands are the center of Ohio State University’s teaching and research on Lake Erie. The center offers courses for students of ecology and the aquatic sciences (not sure if "aquatic sciences" is a term but it's the best I can come up with) and the students studying there were also attending the evening lectures. We learned a little about the center and found the lectures interesting. Just ask us now about how the personalities of native predators might affect their interaction with invasive species (i.e. - to eat or not to eat) or about the problem of Algal Bloom in not only Lake Erie but other lakes worldwide. We now know all about the effects of phosphorus run off from fertilizers and from "combined sewer overflow" both of which have been acerbated in recent years by increased severe weather incidents (think Toronto's over flowing sewers during the recent  rainstorm). It was an unexpected pleasure to get the brain cells working and to meet so many pleasant and interesting people.

The question now is - do we leave tomorrow as planned, cross over to the north side of the lake and start up the Detroit river? The winds will be pushing us in the right direction but presently the prediction is for gusts up to 25 knots. How much will these winds stir up the shallow Lake Erie waters?

The Best Part of Erie (So Far)

We had a short rolling ride from Cleveland to Vermilion - another day of motor sailing with more motor than sail happening. Swells on our beam made us inordinately glad that it was all over when we arrived at noon.

The part of Vermilion where the yacht club resides is a picture perfect community built around a lagoon. On each side of the channel there are white homes of various designs - all quite lovely and all with black roofs and trim - black and white only is the rule if you live in the "Vermilion Lagoons". As a member of the community, you have access to a private beach and also, I suspect, must submit to an unwritten directive to maintain perfectly beautiful and creatively designed gardens complete with expensive and novel lawn accessories - like distinctive post boxes, discreet lawn ornaments and very upscale cars. Which is to say that the community is a pleasure to behold and very pleasing to see as one dinghies around or goes for an evening walk.

We quite enjoyed the small but very comfortable and well kept yacht club and took our turn sitting in the rocking deck chairs assembled on the front porch. A very friendly fellow from a boat near by took Warren and Bob to West Marine in one of the golf carts rented in town for visitors to get around.  Later in the day, we took our dinghies into town to grocery shop and then, in spite of a torrential downpour that held little promise of letting up, we loaded our bags back into our dinghies and sloshed back through the rain.

From Vermilion we sailed (yes sailed) to Sandusky where we anchored for a night in the only anchorage anywhere near the town. It was marked on the chart as a "special anchorage area " and sits next to the parking lots for the huge Sandusky Amusement Park on Cedar Point.  We'd never seen so many varieties of truly scary looking roller coasters and torturous versions thereof. We didn't hear any screams from where we sat, but the sound of the rides traveling over the metal tracks was exactly like wind howling in rigging. Is there any wonder that there were no other boats anchored there? In point of fact, there was a lot of actual wind bouncing us about through the night and testing our mud encased anchors - so much so that we escaped yesterday to the Sandusky Yacht Club where we've been been able to walk through the town, grocery shop and do laundry.  Tomorrow we leave for the Bass Islands for some anchoring or perhaps to sit on a mooring ball in the much talked about Put-In Bay.

Touring the U.S.S. Cod

A big storm with lots of thunder and lightning raged through the night or so they tell me. I slept through it all. Bob was up a couple of times checking things and putting up the sides of the cockpit enclosure to keep the driving rain from coming into the cabin. Putting in the boards to close everything up would have kept out the rain - but also the much needed cooler air as well - so that wasn't an option. Somehow I managed to not hear a thing.



We so appreciated the cooler air today. This afternoon we walked a fair distance up the road to tour a submarine from the Second World War. The guys were generally interested in all the dials and levers and what might be required to operate a vessel like this but Karen and I were more focused on the narrow spaces to sleep, the size of the galley and the huge cans of vegetables, fruit and stew tucked in every available space (actually dummy cans - empty now).

 The water in the lake is still churned up from the winds last night and waves are supposed to be 5 ft. plus. We hope to find calmer waters tomorrow on our way to our next stop - Vermillion, Ohio.

Hot In Cleveland

Rock & Roll Hall of Fame:
Characters from Pink Floyd's The Wall

We've elected to stay another two days at the Riverside Yacht Club in Cleveland. It's more a marina than yacht club and it's not ideal - lots of noise from the nearby road and airport - cars whistling along not far from the boats and planes coming in overhead. The pool is picturesquely situated next a power station and the associated transformers and there is no shade - but the winds are rising and the prediction is for a break in the heat tomorrow as thunderstorms pass through. We plan to leave on Sunday when the temperature is supposed to drop from the current high 90s F and fair conditions are predicted.

Yesterday afternoon Karen, Warren, Bob and I spent the afternoon at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. We'd been told that it would take about two hours to see. What were we thinking? We arrived at 3:30 and at 5:00 we were still on the first level enjoying the collection of memorabilia, interactive displays and best of all, the old video footage of Rock and Roll's most influential and popular singers. The Hall closed at 5:30! so there was lots left to see. Bob, Warren and I went back today and spent another another four hours. I could easily go back and enjoy another day but we'll look for other entertainment tomorrow. One of these days we'll get back to sailing!

Cruising the South Side of Lake Erie

Since leaving Port Colborne, we’ve been cruising the south side of Lake Erie. We were wary of winds that might whip up the waters of this easily roiled shallow lake but so far we’ve had flat seas. That’s the good news but we’ve also had light to moderate winds on the nose so there’s been little or no sailing. That does seem to happen a little too often on a sailboat!  Since at this time of year winds are predominantly westerly on Erie, winds “on the nose” can be expected but one can always hope for something out of the ordinary!

We’ve also had sunny and reasonably comfortable weather until a couple of days ago when temps and humidity rose.  All cool breezes have vanished and we are melting. Yes we’re hot here like many of you are in Markham, Toronto and even Vermont (so our emails tell us).
 

At the Mentor Yacht Club, they raised a Canadian Flag
shortly after we arrived.

We’ve had a variety of overnight experiences.  There was our night on the municipal docks in Port Colborne – no services and no charge, two nights anchoring in the bay at Presquil Isle Park near Erie, one night at the small and friendly yacht club in Ashtabula (reciprocal and so free for us as members of the Interlake Yachting Association), and two nights at the ritzy Mentor-on-the-Lake Yachting Club (not free but worth paying for) – beautiful setting and a pool where we sat in the shade and swam to cool off. We’ve just arrived in Cleveland where we’ll stay at the Riverside Yacht Club for a night or two – we haven’t decided yet. Warren wants to tour the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and we’ll likely cab it there this afternoon.

Getting out of the heat: dinner 
in the Mentor Yachting Club Dining Room

So far this has been a bit like cruising on Lake on Ontario except that when we stop for the night, it’s all new -  and I guess that’s one of the reasons why we’re taking our boats to Georgian Bay.  It’s not just the destination that’s important but the “newness” of experiences and sights that we're looking for.