Ontario – The Voyages of Nine Lives

August 1 to 15, 2019 – Henry’s Fish Camp to Gore Bay

Henry’s Fish Restaurant, on Frying Pan Island, is considered a must stop on the Great Loop. We knew it would get crowded, so we set off in good time and arrived around 11am. It was quite something watching all the arrivals, including seaplanes, a large charter group, and pleasure boats as large as 50 feet and as small as wave runners. Arrivals were wrangled by the new owner’s father acting as dockmaster, and wrangled is the right word. Only the larger pleasure boats call on the radio and ask for dock assignments, the smaller boats just zoom in and park wherever they please, regardless of whether they are blocking other boats. The docks are long fingers, designed to hold several boats one behind the other, so it matters who ties up where! Henry’s is on an island, and typically serves about 350 meals on a weekday, and over 700 every day on weekends. Lunch is busier than dinner.

Henrys 3 — The busy dock at Henry’s, before the lunch rush begins

We met a few Loopers who stopped for a meal and then anchored elsewhere. Carefully timing our dinner for a less busy period, we enjoyed our fish, although portions were huge and we certainly didn’t need the appetizers! Something strange is going on with the reviews. The owners took over the restaurant last year, and locals have been trashing the place on both Trip Advisor and Active Captain, and even spreading unfounded rumours at nearby marinas. We enjoyed our visit very much, and felt bad for the owners, who are certainly putting great efforts into making it a great experience.

Henrys fish chowder — Dick enjoyed fish chowder to start

Henrys smoked fish — A large portion of smoked salmon with cream cheese was too much with what was to come!

Henrys fish and chips — Fish and Chips at Henry’s, battered pickerel, chips, coleslaw, and baked beans!

Henrys dock — After dinner at Henry’s you can sit on the dock and watch the world go by

Leaving Henry’s, we had a pretty trip to Parry Sound. Georgian Bay was unusually calm, so we chose to avoid the white-knuckle channels and go around outside. In Parry Sound there were 8 Looper boats in the first evening, and a get-together for docktails on the shore. Among the stories exchanged was an experience with Canada Customs. The wife happened to have some CBD oil on board, which she declared when asked. They were immediately told to stay on the boat and wait for an inspection. Said CBD oil was confiscated. What made everyone laugh, was the helpful Customs inspector told the lady she could buy a replacement at a shop less than half a block from where they were tied up! The chuckles were not over, we next heard that upon arriving in the store, the husband noticed pre-rolled joints for sale. Suddenly feeling nostalgic for his student days, he decided to buy one. Returning to the boat, he smoked a little of it, concluded that the experience was not quite the same as his memories, and tried to put it out. He had us all laughing as he described trying to get this thing to go out, without success. A great storyteller! He concluded “they don’t make ‘em like they used to!”

Parry Sound marina — Stormy skies over Parry Sound Marina

Parry Sound sunset — The sun sets behind one of Georgian Bay’s distinctive tall pines on Parry Sound.

While in Parry Sound we booked a meal at Log Cabin Fine Dining. Dick discovered that Trip Advisor had the location wrong, instead of a .8-mile bike ride it was 4 miles away. For only the second time in our Looping travels we had to call a taxi. We were joined by our friends Brenda and Bruce from B-Side, and the meal was worth the taxi and then some. In fact, we are booked to stay there when we travel south later in the month to attend Mum’s birthday party. The next day was occupied with general maintenance, Dick changed the oil on the generator and replaced a burned-out fan, while I did the laundry.

Log Cabin elk carpaccio — Elk carpaccio at Log Cabin Inn

Parry Sound waterfront 2 — The trestle bridge that crosses the river in Parry Sound is the longest east of the Rockies. Built in 1907, it is 1695 feet long and 105 feet high. It is still in regular use. A tall ship can be seen leaving the docks.

Parry Sound tall ship — Another look at the tall ship leaving Parry Sound. It left the docks entirely under sail, no engine.

Monday was a holiday, so we continued our stay in Parry Sound. Boat cleaning day, inside and out, and then Dick did a provision run on his bike while I scrubbed the white ball fenders of all the grunge that had accumulated in the locks. The barrel fenders got their covers back on (we take them off for locks, because we find the knit fabric hangs up on the rough lock walls), and Nine Lives again looks shipshape! In the afternoon we took a seaplane tour of the 30,000 islands. It was an interesting experience seeing where we had been from the air, including flying over Henry’s, but we both agreed that the very limited sight lines of a Cessna compared to a helicopter make it not really worth the trip. I have never been in a seaplane before though, so it was a new experience.

Parry Sound refuelling seaplane — Refuelling our seaplane before we got on board.

Georgian Bay from the air 1 — Georgian Bay from the air. Note the boats rafted up in one of the many anchorages.

Georgian Bay from the air 2 — You can see all the small islands of Georgian Bay

Georgian Bay from the air 3 — Some of the protected bays and inlets of the 30,000 Islands

Georgian Bay from the air 4 — From the air you can see how clear the water is, and how many rocks lie just below to catch the unwary boater!

Georgian Bay from the air 5 — Many of the islands have large homes on them, often built and maintained at great cost and only visited for two or three weeks a year.

Georgian Bay from the air 6 — A last look at 30,000 Islands!

I have been musing over boat names lately. It is interesting to speculate on why someone names their boat as they do. Some are clever, such as our friends Brenda and Bruce on their catamaran B-Side (you gotta be old enough to remember 45rpm records). Last year we met Loopers whose boat was Fun. When calling marinas or bridges, they of course follow protocol, repeating the boat name 3 times. They told us half the people who hear something like “Lock 23, Lock 23, Lock 23, this is Fun Fun Fun” have trouble responding they are laughing so hard. (Not to mention hearing The Beach Boys in their heads for the rest of the day). Apres Sail ensures that everyone knows there are former sailors on board, and of course Nine Lives is named because she is a CATamaran. Red Boat is a beautifully kept sailboat with a bright red hull and matching dinghy. Some names clearly have meaning to their owners, but are not so obvious to the observer. A boat called French Toast? Sailboats are often evocative, North Star, Windrunner, Orion. But I could not believe the one I saw at Henry’s. This was a large, sleek, fast motor yacht, about 45 feet, (the kind that throws us around as they speed past us, throwing wakes that rock our boat madly from side to side), with a middle-aged couple on board. The name? Grand Wazoo. Now I realize there is a recording by Frank Zappa by that name (quite nasty lyrics), but I cannot imagine the owner has actually looked up the meaning of Wazoo. And what’s more, he is boasting that he is a really big one! (my gentle readers are going to have to look this up for themselves).

We ventured through the narrow channel known as Hole in the Wall as we left Parry Sound.

On August 6 we were again underway, this time hoping to tie up at what was called a “Government Dock” in Point au Baril Station. After traveling a long way up the channel, we arrived in what looked like an interesting village to find no evidence of the so-called government dock, and a clear sign on the public dock saying that boats longer than 30 feet are strictly forbidden from docking. Retracing our steps part way, we found a very pleasant anchorage in Kitsilano Bay for the night.

Kitsilano Bay anchorage — Our anchorage in pretty Kitsilano Bay in early morning.

Heading out the next morning we passed one of the iconic lighthouses of Georgian Bay. In fact, almost all of the Canadian lighthouses I have seen follow a similar design. Instead of the tall round tower that is more familiar in the USA or Britain, Canadian lighthouses are often a fairly short clapboard structure that tapers to the light. They are painted white, with distinctive red trim. Many are still in use, although most are unmanned.

Pointe au Baril Lighthouse 3 — Pointe au Baril Lighthouse

A closer look at Pointe au Baril Lighthouse

The next day our destination was Britt, up Byng Inlet. We planned to stay just one night, but high winds in the Bay kept us there for 5 nights. Not really complaining, it was only our second weather delay of this year’s voyage, compared to how much time we were stormbound in previous years. Unfortunately, there isn’t much to Britt. We rode our bikes into “town” to visit the post office, and ate a meal at the only restaurant on the way back. We got together with other Loopers the first evening for docktails. A few boats left the next morning, but we didn’t like the forecast. Instead we spent a most enjoyable afternoon playing bridge with Brenda and Bruce and listened to the wind howling around us. Saturday morning one of the remaining Loopers left at 7am, but were back an hour later reporting 4-foot waves (instead of the 1.5 foot that were predicted) and double-digit winds. We had been just about to start our engines, but we shut everything down and made another afternoon bridge date. Finally, Sunday with a 6:30am start we were able to say goodbye to Byng Inlet. We are too large for the so-called small craft channel, especially on windy days, so we ran outside at our top speed of 18 knots. It was unpleasant at first, but gradually the waves settled down. We were glad we had taken the picture off the salon wall and generally prepared for rough seas. We had forgotten that when it is very rough the water actually splashes up into the bathroom sinks. Dick thinks this is an excellent way of clearing the U-trap of any accumulated crud.

We turned off Georgian Bay into Beaverstone Inlet and then made our way along Collins Inlet. This was one of the most scenic routes we have seen. It was a geology lesson in miniature, more rugged than further south, but stunning.

Collins Inlet 2 — High water has killed many small trees at the water’s edge in Ontario this year

Collins Inlet 3 — Spectacular scenery of Collins Inlet

Collins Inlet 6 — A sailboat leaves the narrowest part of Collins Inlet.

Collins Inlet 8 — A geology lesson from the waters of Collins Inlet

Collins Inlet 9 — Approaching one of the narrow channels of Collins Inlet

Collins Inlet 10 — When the channel is this narrow, it is important to “colour between the lines!”

In Killarney we tied up at Killarney Mountain Lodge. The marina has good docks but inconvenient showers and unusable wi-fi. Nevertheless, it is an enjoyable stop and I always like watching the boat traffic. Docks there are long, requiring boats to be moored two-deep. We arrived and were trying to tie up behind another boat, with a very strong current pushing us off the dock and dockhands who were very young, confused, and incapable of taking instructions. The owner of the large boat in front of us was also trying to explain to us that he would be leaving in the morning and we should tie up elsewhere. Apparently the Dockmaster had left for the day, and the young lady in charge was clearly inexperienced. Announcing ourselves before arrival as a 44-foot catamaran with a 19-foot beam was apparently unclear to her. Eventually we were moved to a more suitable slip. Meanwhile, the other captain proved to be a very friendly and chatty individual. He entertained us with his story of the morning before. He had bought a muffin at the small kiosk on the shore, and was eating it when he noticed a small dinghy coming into the dock. Helpful chap that he is, he stepped up and took the line and was just starting to tie it up when the Labrador on board lunged forward, snatched the rest of the muffin out of his hand and wolfed it down! Apparently, the dog’s owner was desperately embarrassed and insisted on replacing the muffin.

Killarney Mountain Lodge 2 — Killarney Mountain Lodge

We ate at the nearby Sportsman Inn that evening. Nice aspect overlooking another marina in the channel, food very tasty but rather overcooked. The next morning Dick prepared one of his special breakfasts on board. Later, I began working on the blog and became aware that someone else obviously likes Scottish music. The music got louder, and I looked up to see the tall ship Madeline moving majestically down the channel with a piper on the foredeck!

Killarney Sportsman Inn 2 — Fish supper at Sportsman Inn, tasty, but sadly overcooked.

Killarney is a small village about 25 miles from the mining city of Sudbury. It relies mainly on tourism, including fishing camps, boating, and general wilderness pursuits. It was first settled in 1820 by a French Canadian fur trader and his Anishinaabe wife, who established a trading post. Road access to the small community did not arrive until 1962. The town population is less than 500, but between the 4 marinas and two large hotels, it is bustling in the short summer season.

Killarney breakfast 1 — Dick begins to prepare breakfast on board

Killarney breakfast 2 — It’s ready, dishing it out!

Killarney breakfast 3 — English bacon, two eggs (lots of pepper), mushrooms, hash browns and toast, yummy!

Killarney tall ship 2 — Tall ship Madeline cruising through Killarney Channel. A piper plays bagpipes on the foredeck.

Killarney tall ship — Another look at Madeline

Killarney channel tugboat — A beautifully restored tugboat passing through Killarney Channel.

Killarney workboat — One of the large fishing vessels we have been seeing on Georgian Bay

We were delighted to see Brenda and Bruce arrive on B-Side the next day. We keep saying goodbye and then find ourselves once again in the same place. One of the great joys of Looping! We relaxed in the shade on the very comfortable chairs and then repaired to Nine Lives foredeck for docktails.

Killarney Mountain Lodge docks — That’s B-Side on the left. Nine lives is behind on the right hand dock.

Dinner that evening at the Lodge was excellent, such a contrast to the experience at Sportsman Inn, even though they are under the same ownership. Afterwards we went to the lounge to listen to the live entertainment. This was a young man, who brought with him at least 10 instruments. His music was a mix of Celtic and Canadian folk, with a few light rock thrown in for variety. He was a very talented player. What made his performance absolutely fascinating was a machine he called a “looper”. He would begin playing an instrument, and the looper recorded it. He would then play back the recording and accompany/harmonize, laying a new recording over the first. It was quite an amazing presentation, especially when he would switch instruments to add to the mix. He sang one song a capella, using two mikes, and gradually building up the chorus while singing the verses with the single voice. A most enjoyable evening!

Killarney Lodge crab cakes — Crab Cakes at Killarney Mountain Lodge

Killarney Lodge venison — The special was venison en croute, Dick said it was delicious!

Killarney entertainment — Evening entertainment at Killarney Mountain Lodge

Killarney channel 2 — The well stocked general store in Killarney, you can drive up by car, or by boat!

Killarney channel — Passing the Sportsman Inn as we leave Killarney

The next morning, we set off for Little Current on Manitoulin Island. One must pass under a bridge, formerly a railroad bridge, now converted to a single lane highway bridge. It opens only on the hour, but normally we would easily pass under its 20-foot height when closed. We still approached very carefully, knowing that this year’s high water is at least 5 feet above chart datum, and were preparing to ease under when the bridge tender kindly stepped out of his hut and called down that the bridge height is 13 feet. That would be 1.5 feet lower than we can duck under, so Dick had to reverse and wait for the opening, fortunately only 10 minutes later. Not an easy job, the current under the bridge in Little Current is not so little!

lighthouse near Little Current — Lighthouse on the point as we approach Little Current

Little Current bridge — Once a railway bridge, now a single lane highway bridge at Little Current. It opens only on the hour to allow boaters to pass.

Little Current was first settled in the late 1860’s, and is the main town on Manitoulin Island. An important port for Great Lakes shipping taking on wood for fuel in the 19^th century, today lumber is still an important part of the economy, along with agriculture and tourism. It is a well-kept village, with an outstanding municipal waterfront facility. The town wall is available for short term docking, and several floating docks make up the marina. Dick reports that the washroom/shower facilities are excellent, and well-spaced for access from all part of the marina. This should be obvious, but believe me, in so many places it isn’t. We were docked right beside the boardwalk. It is always enjoyable to watch people and boats coming and going and chat with passers-by.

Our next stop was Gore Bay, a deep V-shaped bay on the north side of Manitoulin. Docks at the marina are so long that the dockhands ride bicycles to get to the slip and help tie up. It is interesting how different people have different perspectives and reactions to the places we visit on the Loop. One Gold Looper we met waxed lyrical about Georgian Bay’s North Channel, telling us it is the most beautiful place he has ever cruised. In addition to completing the Great Loop, his usual cruising ground is the San Juan Islands off the west coast, and he spent last summer in Alaskan waters. To be honest, once we left Killarney and entered the North Channel, Dick and I are still waiting to see this amazing scenery he was talking about! So far it is attractive, but by no means the most beautiful we have seen since beginning the Great Loop! Another couple who cruise these waters most summers, when asked for recommendations by Dick, suggested spending two nights in Gore Bay. Once again, we are wondering why!

The next afternoon we rode our bikes the 3 kilometers to Janet Head Lighthouse, at the top of Gore Bay. The lighthouse is in private ownership, but it is open to visitors during summer months. Janet Head Lighthouse was built in 1879. The light, still operational, although now unmanned, can be seen for 11 miles into the North Channel. The building was built as a combination light station and home for the keeper and his family. The first keeper had 11 children. We wandered around inside, and found it surprisingly spacious, with 4 reasonable bedrooms, parlour, kitchen, and another front room. We could see that there is also a cellar, which would have been used as a cool room. During summer months the lighthouse was a warning beacon for Great Lakes shipping. In winter months it also directed sleighs carrying the mail along an ice highway from Gore Bay to Spanish between 1910 and 1924. This 35 kilometer route is still followed by snowmobiles in winter.

Janet Head Lighthouse 1 — Afternoon bike ride to Janet Head Lighthouse on Gore Bay

After visiting the lighthouse, we retraced our route and followed the bay around to its southern end. There is an important wetland and salmon run, and a boardwalk with interpretive signs offers visitors a chance to enjoy nature. We finished the day with excellent pizza at the restaurant near the marina.

Gore Bay wetlands — Wetlands at the southern end of Gore Bay

This update will likely be the last for a few weeks. Upon arrival next week in Sault Ste Marie, we will be taking 10 days to return to Brighton for Dick’s mother’s 90th birthday party. Returning to the boat, we will visit Sault Ste Marie and then make our way to Drummond Island, where Nine Lives will enjoy a well-earned rest for the winter.

July 16 to 31, 2019 – Peterborough to Wani Bay

Our return to the Trent Severn and initial travel up the Peterborough Lift Lock was uneventful. This year it was executed in bright sunshine, good for pictures and a thus a more enjoyable experience than last year.

This picture of our approach to the lift lock is also a good visual for the “blue line” that I have mentioned occasionally. In Canada, lock keepers do not use radios. Instead, when you are ready to go through the lock, you move and tie up to the blue line that is painted on one or both sides of the lock wall. The lock attendants see you and will then prepare the lock for you to transit.

Trent University spans both sides of the canal

Our first stop was Lakefield, home of Cassis Bistro and The Chocolate Rabbit. No problem finding a suitable tie up along the lock wall, and we headed into town, looking forward to buying what we consider the best chocolate we have ever eaten. All offerings are made daily in house, using the best Lindt chocolate from Switzerland. Their beautiful and delicious liqueur chocolates are the best, colourfully decorated and filled with a creamy (and alcoholic) filling that is such an improvement over the more traditional hard coating over a liquid centre. We made the owner (who remembered us from our two visits last year) laugh as we failed to agree on how many of the amazing treats we were going to need to carry us forward on our summer voyage. Two boxes later, and a brief stop for more mundane groceries, we were able to return to the boat with our loot. A double-check confirmed our fears for dinner plans. The Bistro, which seems to be exactly our kind of place, has now been closed for all 3 of our 3 visits to the town.

Just as important as fuel and fresh water, pump outs are part of our weekly routine and need to be planned, as not all marinas offer the service. Peterborough’s machine seems to be permanently broken, and the town fathers in their wisdom have decided they will neither repair nor replace the system. Instead a large truck appears at the dock by appointment. The dockmaster strongly recommended finding another solution, as the oversize hose and high suction on the truck has been known to collapse holding tanks on pleasure boats. I don’t even want to think about the consequences of that! Our next opportunity was to be Lakefield Marina. Dick phoned the night before, and was assured that their pump out was working and there would be space kept free on the fuel dock for us to come in the next morning. On arriving and making a radio call we were told, sorry, the dock is full, we can’t help you. We could see a number of large boats along the dock, but they were placed with large spaces between and could easily have been better positioned to leave the fuel and pump out facility free. Onward to Young’s Point, and a completely different experience. As soon as the dockhand saw that we were going to have trouble fitting into the gap, he asked the trawler beside the space if they would mind moving along to let us fit in. Not only did the captain move his boat, he also helped catch our lines. Happens it was a Looper, who we had met before, but I believe any boater would have obliged.

Hells Gate 2 — The narrow channel known as Hell’s Gate in the Kawarthas

A narrow channel on the aptly named Stoney Lake

Our next stop was the lock wall above Burleigh Falls. It is a pretty spot, very popular with picnickers and boaters, but quiet as evening falls. Dick went walkabout and visited the falls that give the location its name. From Burleigh Falls to Bobcaygeon was a short run, but the spaces on the lower wall that have power were already filled, so we transited the lock and tied up on the upper wall and used the generator. Bobcaygeon is a bustling small town in the heart of Toronto’s cottage country. It is the location of the first lock to be built on the Trent Severn Waterway, in 1833, and yet the village was not incorporated until 1876. The history goes back quite a bit more, the site being visited by Samuel de Champlain in 1615. It was not until the early 1800’s that the area began to attract settlers. The lock, a sawmill, and a gristmill, followed by lumbering business, ensured further development of the village through the 19^th century. The railway arrived with passenger service in 1904. Today the village serves as a hub for tourism and a location for services unavailable in the smaller communities around the Kawartha Lakes area.

One more overnight was required before Lake Simcoe. Last year we stopped at the bottom of the second lift lock on the system, Kirkfield. It was a fascinating stop, and we had thought to stay there again this year. A look at the wind forecast for Lake Simcoe suggested travelling on further that day, so that the next morning we would be able to get off the shallow lake before the wind came up in the afternoon. Consulting our various sources suggested Lock 40 as the ideal stop, but on arrival at Lock 37 we were told Lock 40 was already full, both top and bottom. Instead we tied up above Lock 38, in a residential area that turned out to be just delightful. Cottages line the waterfront, with some natural area along the calm water of the small bay. One home with beautifully landscaped grounds features a distinctive red British telephone box. Close examination through binoculars reveals a life-size blow-up doll in a bikini making a phone call inside. A very British sense of humour!

Kirkfield Lift Lock 2 — In the chamber at Kirkfield Lift Lock

Looking waaay down before the Kirkfield Lift Lock chamber descends

Hole in the Wall 3 — We approach Hole in the Wall

Hole in the Wall from Aisling Gheal — A fellow Looper and Endeavourcat owner took this picture of Nine Lives just past Hole in the Wall

After setting off the next morning we could see that our various books and information were out of date, and there were further options to tie up closer to the lake and avoid having to transit 4 locks in the morning. However, none of the options were nearly as pretty as our stop, and all the alternates seemed to be home to more than a fair share of horseflies. Arriving in a timely manner at Lake Simcoe, but not liking the look of the dark cloud all around, we ran fast to Orillia and arrived just after noon.

Orillia has a very pleasant town marina, nearly as good as the one in Trenton, just lacking in a fuel and pump out facility. The marina is in the centre of town, so very convenient for shops and restaurants, including an excellent grocery store and the all-important liquor store. It is a popular stop for Loopers, especially those who have learned the lesson about weekends. What is that lesson you ask? STAY PUT. Weekends bring what seems like vast numbers of boaters who lack even the smallest sense of courtesy or consequences of their wakes. In fact, we can only conclude that all too many think it is “fun” to come as close as possible. If one is thinking the best, one assumes they are merely curious (as well as ignorant of the discomfort caused by their wakes), if one is not assuming innocence it does seem as though many of these boaters think bouncing and swaying of a wake is both fun and a desirable aspect of being on a boat.

There were at least 15 Looper boats in the marina in Orillia that weekend. Friday evening, 30 of us gathered for docktails in the welcome air conditioning of the marina building. This was the largest gathering of Loopers we have been part of since Norfolk last spring. Interesting snacks were produced and many boat cards exchanged along with stories and plans.

Orillia bicycles collage — Some of the art installations on Orillia’s streets on a theme of bicycles.

Orillia mural — A colourful mural showing the history of Orillia.

Saturday morning after a quick vacuum and clean-up we were ready to entertain visitors. Erika and Holger arrived first. We had corresponded with them on several occasions. They are also Endeavour 44 owners, and we were interested to hear that in fact they saw our Nine Lives some time before we did, when she was briefly for sale with a broker on Florida’s east coast. Holger told us that timing was not right for them to buy (lucky for us!) but from then on, all boats they saw were compared to our Nine Lives, unfavourably as it happened! (If you are wondering, we do not mention the previous boat name, having gone through the important de-naming and renaming ceremony one should not remind the gods of wind and waves that there was ever a different name). As Erika and Holger left, Martin and Louise arrived. They have been friends for many years. Dick worked with Martin even before we all moved to Calgary back in the dim and distant past of their careers. It was lovely to see them and have a chance to catch up. We will hope for more chances to get together now that Louise has also retired.

That evening, at cocktail hour, Dick decided to pour himself a Caesar (a refreshing long drink made from vodka and clamato juice, not dissimilar to a Bloody Mary). Several lip-smacking sips later, he chanced to examine the can of clamato juice, only to discover that it is actually a pre-mixed Caesar in a can, with the vodka already in it. Nobody would ever accuse Dick of preparing a weak adult beverage, so his libation had double or perhaps quadruple the normal ratio of alcohol to juice. No wonder it was so delicious! Later we walked (one of us with a bit of a roll in his step) to the nearby Thai restaurant with our new friends from Visions and Second Princess. Sadly, this was possibly our last get-together with them, as we are now past Second Princess’s final destination, and I have heard from Visions that they are many miles ahead of us on the voyage.

After a relaxing weekend in Orillia we left with a slight detour back to the boatyard at the south end of Lake Couchiching for a pump out. This is the boatyard where we came to grief last year due to a combination of strong current, winds, and too many small boats ignoring all the rules of the road. We slammed into the corner of their dock and punched a hole in one pontoon, fortunately well above the waterline (and beautifully and invisibly repaired this winter). The dockhands remembered us, and the incident! I was interested to observe (and why would I be surprised?) that girls do the best pump outs. There was great care taken at all stages, and zero spillage. Somehow it just isn’t in boy DNA to take such care!

After transiting Lake Couchiching we arrived at a railroad bridge that is just 6” too low for us to pass under when closed. It is known for being very busy, with long waits for boaters to pass through because of the amount of freight carried by that line. On arrival we were advised that the bridge was not working, and the attendant was waiting for someone to come out and look at it. He took my phone number and promised to call. That part of the river has a current and nowhere for us to tie up, so we backtracked into the lake and anchored along with 4 other Looper boats. The nice young man did call me, so I spread the word and we started to haul the anchor. It seemed as though half the weeds on Lake Couchiching had attached themselves to our chain and anchor, so we were well behind the other boats as we returned to the canal. I got another call from the attendant to ask how far out we were, and he was very sorry to tell me that he had trains coming and would be unlikely to be able to hold the bridge for us. When we got there, he had held it after all, which was very kind. The delay cost us more than two hours on what was going to be quite a long day, so we realized we would not get to our destination, Big Chute, that afternoon.

We stopped above the lock at Swift Rapids. There were quite a few other boats, so it was not exactly a peaceful stop, but the scenery was lovely and being on a lock wall meant that Dick was able to grill some of the steaks he had bought at the meat shop in Peterborough. He also took the opportunity to install the part for the generator that had been delivered to us in Orillia. More than a few sighs and occasional muttering later, the replacement hose was installed, and so far, the generator is running perfectly with no more leaking of coolant.

Swift Rapids dinner — Dick took the chance to grill at Swift Rapids. Most marinas will not allow you to grill at their docks.

fixing the generator — Dick repairs the generator

Swift Rapids is the highest of the conventional locks on the system, 47 feet. On arrival at the bottom we were glad we had stopped above where it was much prettier and with a cool breeze to keep away insects. From there it was a short drive to Big Chute. There were originally intended to be a flight of 3 locks to take boats from the Trent River down the escarpment into the Severn River, but a problem with sea lampreys in the Great Lakes required an alternative solution that would keep them from getting into the Trent River. A marine railway, or canal inclined plane, was proposed and built in 1919. It operated successfully until 1978, when a new, larger railway replaced the original.

This was our second transit of Big Chute, so we didn’t need to tie up and watch, and we knew we would not need the slings. There was nobody ahead of us, so we headed straight in after a very brief stop on the blue line. Big Chute is the only marine railway still operational in North America. It is basically an open railway carriage, 80 feet long by 26 feet wide, that drops into the water so that boats drive on, then the railway comes up out of the water and down the steep hill (a 60 foot drop) to the Severn River at the bottom. The carriage travels on a dual track, with the front and back of the car on different tracks that allow it to remain level. At the bottom, the carriage drives into the water until the boat is floating again, and the boat then simply drives away. Most larger boats require slings similar to the sort that are used to take them out of the water at a boatyard, but fortunately Nine Lives has fully protected props and rudder, allowing us to rest nicely on the bottom with no requirement to swing precariously in the slings. It is still something of a knuckle biting ride, as the carriage shakes and rattles and you try not to look to hard at the rust on the supports. Interesting thought it may be, we are glad to drive off at the bottom after a safe transit!

Big Chute 1 — Big Chute Marine Railway. The carriage rises out of the water and crosses the road. Nine Lives is sitting on the floor of the carriage. You can see fellow Loopers in the observation platform, watching to see the operation before they trust their own boats to the contraption.

Big Chute 3 — We are across the road and approaching the top of the slope.

Big Chute 5 — Nearly down, looking back up the slope.

A short ride and transit through two more locks and several extremely narrow channels brought us into Georgian Bay, with a quick trip across in very calm seas to Victoria Harbour. Here we enjoyed docktails on Nine Lives, followed by dinner at the nearby restaurant with Loopers on another catamaran. B-Side is a PDQ, a Canadian builder, unfortunately no longer in business. Their cats are both narrower and taller than ours, having a fly bridge. It is always interesting to look at other boats on the loop, and we have all enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences between the boats. Victoria Harbour also offers an excellent briefing for travel in Georgian Bay. Dick attended and took his charts along to allow for annotations. He said it was interesting, although with mostly the same information that had been presented at the session in Norfolk last year. Not surprising, the Canadian Shield, being rock, tends not to change the way the sands of the ICW move around to catch unwary boaters!

The next day took us to Penetanguishene. Last year we visited Midland, so we thought we would investigate the next bay over this time. Although quite a lot has been spent on new sidewalks, parks, cycle paths, and an array of hanging baskets, the village itself has little to offer visitors, with few restaurants and all the stores being more repair depots than actual shops. Dick rode his bike to the grocery store. Brenda and Bruce on B-Side had a much more positive experience of the area. They got tickets and went to the local live theatre production of Beauty and the Beast. They tell us it was a very professional production, with excellent singers, actors and sets. The town seems to attract a great many visitors, if the numbers of people walking around on the docks is anything to go by. On our way in we passed many beautiful homes on the waterfront, so it was a surprise that the village looked so run down in spite of the money spent on the town marina and infrastructure. So different from what we saw when we were in Quebec towns last year.

Penetanguishene main street — Penetanguishene Main Street. Expensive new sidewalks and pretty hanging baskets, but no real shops or interesting restaurants for visitors.

We enjoyed looking at H.M.S. Badger, a replica gunboat from the “golden age of sail”, the time of Nelson’s navy. Capable of being moved by both sail and oars, these gunboats would carry at least one and up to three cannon on board. Being small and manoeuvrable, they could operate in shallow or restricted areas, and could be used in stealth attacks on shoreline defences or larger ships. They were quick to build, and were often used in swarm tactics in a naval battle. H.M.S. Badger was lovingly built from a Great Lakes lifeboat over two years of research and now sails regularly in the Penetanguishene area. Badger went out one evening during our visit, but sadly I didn’t catch sight of them away from the dock.

Badger and B Side — Gunboat H.M.S. Badger at the dock, and that’s B-Side behind.

Dick spent the afternoon taking another run at diagnosing what might be wrong with the fridge. It is a mysterious problem, with the freezer section working perfectly while the fridge section just seems to get less and less cooling. The new part that Dick installed in Trenton (and removing some of the wooden slatting to allow more air circulation) made no difference. Dick again pulled the fridge out from its slot (no trivial task) and by means of alligator clips he was able to determine that the problem is not with the thermostat. A pity, because that would have been an easy fix, so we are almost certainly looking at replacing the fridge this coming winter. Strangely, the messing about does seem to have had some effect, because while the fridge is still not working acceptably, it is definitely about 10 degrees F cooler than it was, so once again useable for many items.

Penetanguishene bay — A seaplane takes off in Penetanguishene Bay

In a bit of scenic one-upmanship, this part of Georgian Bay is called the 30,000 islands (as compared to the 1000 islands of the St Lawrence). This is the largest freshwater archipelago in the world, stretching across the eastern part of Georgian Bay north to Parry Sound. The area boasts 8 Provincial Parks and a National Park, and is a mecca for boaters, campers, hikers, and cottagers. The area was much loved by the artists from the Group of Seven, and the distinctive windswept pines on rocky outcroppings are part of the stunning scenery. Legend tells of a god called Kitchikewana, known for his great temper. Disappointed when he was turned down by the woman he wished to marry, he grabbed a handful of soil and flung it into the Great Lakes, creating the 30,000 islands. The finger marks he left behind became the five bays. He then lay down to sleep, and is still there to this day as Giant’s Tomb Island. Probably just as well.

Penetanguishine park — A pretty town park in Penetanguishene with a statue of Kitchikewana.

Georgian Bay scenery 2 — Some of the 30,000 islands in Georgian Bay

Georgian Bay scenery — More of Georgian Bay’s beautiful scenery. It is important to stay in the channel here, that rock is Canadian Shield, and you do not want to be bumping into it below the waterline!

Our first destination was Honey Harbour, a long inlet with several quite narrow and shallow channels, made more challenging by speeding local boaters. We were amused to hear over the radio, “to the cruiser who just crossed my bow, are you new to boating?” We chuckled, and sympathized. South Cove Marina is almost exclusively large boats, and has a restaurant on site. It is very much a full service marina, with both tie up and cast off help from dock hands, hourly trash pickup from dockside, and even collection at your car and transport to the boat for your provisions and suitcases! It is also a very dog friendly marina, with lots and lots of tail-waggers to watch going to and from the boats. We were especially charmed by an 8 week old golden retriever pup on the boat behind us, reminding us very much of our long gone Sam. We enjoyed docktails with Brenda and Bruce on B-Side before heading to the restaurant for supper. They left Sunday morning, braving the weekenders, but we are looking forward to meeting them again, probably in Parry Sound.

Honey Harbour 2 — Scenery in Honey Harbour

Honey Harbour 4 — Evening light near South Bay Marina in Honey Harbour

Honey Harbour 5 — Still water in early morning

Honey Harbour 3 — One way to get to and from your cottage from the city… no question, the rich are different!

July 29 found us at anchor in Longuissa Bay, a long narrow inlet off Musquash Channel. Dick barely had time for a swim before his uncle Hans and aunt Cathy came chugging into the anchorage on their houseboat. We rafted up for the night, and enjoyed a convivial afternoon of swimming and naps for the old fogies (that would be everyone but me), followed by docktails and dinner on board Nine Lives. Major squall warnings were being broadcast almost continuously over the radio for part of the afternoon and during dinner. Even in our sheltered anchorage, Nine Lives swung continuously around the anchor and the trees on shore swayed and bent wildly in the winds. We were very pleased that the anchor held fast, even with the added weight and windage of the houseboat. 180 feet of chain certainly offers a lot of strength, even though there is some suggestion that a mix of chain and rope is the preferable rode.

rafted up 2 — Hans and Cathy rafted up in Longuissa Bay

rafted up — Cathy swam out with her camera to get a water level view!

The next day we continued our slow meander north, stopping for the night in Indian Harbour. It was very pretty, especially at sunset, but surprisingly windy. Other boats had trouble setting their anchors, and I never entirely trusted that we were not dragging. I woke up many times in the night to check the anchor app on my phone to make sure we were still where we were supposed to be.

It was a short step to Wani Bay, off Twelve Mile Bay. The suggested anchorage near O’Donnell Point seemed both unprotected from the wind and full of a lot of rocks in overly deep water. We were joined in Wani Bay by 2 other Looper boats including Bella Gatto, an Endeavour 36. We all enjoyed docktails on the big foredeck on Nine Lives.

In the next couple of weeks, we will continue making our way north through Georgian Bay and the North Channel towards Sault Ste Marie.

July 1 to 15, 2019 – Bath to Peterborough

A relatively short hop on a calm day took us from Kingston to Bath, Ontario, a historic community settled in 1784 by United Empire Loyalists. A sheltered harbour and road access to the important town of Kingston helped the town to become prosperous. United Empire Loyalists moved north to British North America during and after the American Revolution. Many settled in what are now the Maritime provinces and Quebec, but some started new towns in Upper Canada, that eventually became the province of Ontario. The Crown gave the Loyalists land grants of 200 acres, to encourage settlement, and this began the first major influx of English-speaking immigrants to Canada. Not all stayed, many returned to the new United States, and others retained close ties, including commercial interests, with those they left behind. Initially a bustling lakefront manufacturing centre, Bath began to lose importance as it was bypassed by important rail and road connections, until in 1998 it was disincorporated and added to Loyalist Township. Today it is a sleepy village with some surprising subdivisions of prosperous looking middle class homes, presumably occupied by commuters to Kingston and retirees seeking a relatively quiet waterfront community. We arrived on Canada Day, the July 1^st celebration of Canada’s birthday. The town puts on an outstanding fireworks display, which we enjoyed from the cockpit of the boat, only slightly obscured by an inconvenient tree. We later learned that Bath’s display is well known, and considered far better than the one put on by the much larger town of Kingston.

The marina we stayed in had a boatyard, so Dick asked them to see if they could solve the problem with the dinghy motor failing to start. I unfortunately missed the photo opportunity as Dick launched it and paddled it away to be hauled out. The technician spent quite some time, but ultimately failed to diagnose the problem. He did, however, suggest a work-around until Dick can find a Yamaha specialist. This low-tech solution involves taking the cowling off the motor and stuffing a rag into the air intake. A certain finesse is required to get the right moment to pull the rag out and replace the cowling while still keeping the motor running. All this to be accomplished without falling out of the admittedly somewhat tippy craft, and preferably before untying the painter (that’s the rope that secures the boat to a dock or mooring) and risking an unplanned voyage! Dick was surprised when it came time to settle the bill, as the technician felt badly that he could not solve the problem and charged for only one hour, even though he worked on it for several. Excellent customer service.

The next evening was the main event for our stay in Bath, a reservation at a farm-to-table restaurant in nearby Portsmouth. Dick had wanted to try it last year, but had decided it was too far from Kingston to ride bikes. So of course, this year we stayed even further away and had to take a taxi. It was an outstanding meal, the chef very involved with taking orders and serving. He seemed to particularly enjoy chatting with Dick about boating and the Great Loop, and even offered to drive us back to the marina! Dick may have ever so slightly regretted his gracious refusal when he paid for the taxi. To add insult to the injury to his wallet, his phone slipped off his belt and was left in the cab. A phone call the next morning was successful, the phone was found and they agreed to hold it for us at the depot for collection on the weekend.

Portsmouth appetizer — Beautiful presentation of a cheddar tart with tomatoes, shallots and arugula at Bayview Farm Restaurant in Portsmouth.

Portsmouth fish — Dick enjoyed a main course of Arctic Char

Portsmouth dessert — The dessert special was a maple cheesecake. Irresistible! And note the reasonable portion size.

Onward to Picton, a charming and artsy town in Prince Edward County. The art and sculpture offered in the galleries is to a high standard, and the town is very tidy and prosperous looking. Many of the historic buildings have been sympathetically repurposed, and there are interesting boutiques and restaurants. On our first evening we found an outstanding fine dining restaurant in a gorgeous old house. We had a wonderful meal, and hope to return at some point.

Picton restaurant — Merrill House in Picton

Picton vegetarian — I chose vegetarian, a delicious concoction of asparagus and chevre with quails eggs.

Picton dessert — Dessert was as glorious as the rest of the meal.

Prince Edward County is a beautiful peninsula, essentially an island, jutting out into Lake Ontario. In early years Picton was a schooner port, manufacturing and distribution centre, first settled in the late 1700’s by Loyalists. Today the County is known as region producing good wines, as well as being a mecca for tourism and the arts.

The next day we walked to the studio of a fantastic sculptor. Paul Verrall retired from a successful career in Graphic Art and Design in Montreal, and returned to his first love, sculpture. He carves wonderfully tactile pieces inspired mainly by Canadian wildlife, using the softer stones such as Soapstone, Serpentine, Alabaster, Cola and African Wonderstone (pyrophyllite). We were truly blown away by his work, and spend quite a long time chatting with him and his wife. For some reason Dick failed to correctly interpret my increasingly broad hints and eye movements, and we briefly left the studio empty handed. However, it took zero negotiation before I rushed back to discuss and arrange to buy the piece we had both agreed was the one we could not resist. A polar bear stands on the ice, with seals swimming below. Like many of Paul’s works, it can be lit from behind or below to give an entirely different impression of the piece as the light creates a soft glow through the stone.

Paul Verrall’s beautiful sculpture of a polar bear and seals under the ice floe.

Later that afternoon we were delighted to entertain Paul and his charming wife Donna on board Nine Lives for docktails and nibbles. We are looking forward to renewing acquaintance when we return in August to collect our piece.

Picton 5 — This year’s high water has had an impact on the marina, with some docks and even the new landscaping under water. But the ducks like it!

As we left Picton we passed a huge cement plant and quarry. It is quite an eyesore, visible from miles around from the water, and of course from the opposite shore. Cement has been used since the times of the Greeks and the Romans, and the world uses a lot of it. The total world production of cement in 2010 was 3,300 million tonnes (according to Wikipedia), and use continues to rise. It just seems rather sad that quarries and manufacturing plants seem to be located in some of the country’s great beauty spots.

Picton cement plant — The cement plant outside Picton

Picton quarry — Next to the cement plant is an enormous quarry

We arrived in familiar Trent Port Marina, happy to be located slightly closer to the showers this year. This is the town where Dick was born, and his Mom lives nearby in Brighton. We had hoped to dock in Brighton this year, but the high water has put so many docks under water that the only marina that would have been suitable is not available. Trenton is a convenient place, with an Enterprise car rental within walking distance and plenty of shops and restaurants. The first evening we took Mom to dinner at one of the Brighton restaurants that overlooks the waterfront. We returned to Trent Port to hear the sounds of celtic music floating over the marina. It was coming from a fellow Looper and Endeavourcat, Aisling Gheal (Bright Vision). Jeff and Barbie play banjo and flute in their cockpit in the evenings, a delightful sound for the rest of us to enjoy!

Trent Port 2 — I watched with interest as a large crane lowered a sailboat into the water in Trenton.

The next day we took the rented car to Brewerton (stopping on the way to collect Dick’s errant phone), and collected our vehicle that had been left in storage at the boat yard. We drove back in convoy, and then left the Range Rover in Mom’s unused parking space at her apartment for collection when we return next month for her birthday party. While in Trenton we also shopped at the Dutch delicatessen, picking up yet more goodies for docktail offerings. Dick borrowed some of his brother’s saw horses but unfortunately, they were just not quite the right size and height. The project was to take the fridge out of its slot and install a new part that the manufacturer had sent, in the hopes that it would solve our mysterious issue with cooling the fridge part of the side by side fridge freezer unit. Last year some fans were added to the rear of the unit to try to provide more air circulation around the coils, but that didn’t work. The new resistor should have worked, but sadly did not, even after Dick removed a couple of the wooden slats that were restricting air flow to the rear of the unit. For now, we are referring to it as our “warm fridge”, and keep only items that are happy being stored between 40 and 50 degrees F in there. We are very fortunate the Nine Lives has a lot of extra refrigeration space, so we can wait and try different solutions for this particular issue.

fixing the fridge — A shoulder is almost as good as saw horses at holding the fridge balanced on the counter while repairs are attempted!

Weeds are an ongoing problem in marinas. Trent Port has this very interesting floating machine that scoops the weed out of the water for later disposal.

Eventually it was time to start up the Trent Severn Waterway, repeating a part of last year’s voyage. We planned to stop again in the places that we liked, and also choose some alternatives along the way. The first glitch in the plan occurred the first night. To our vast surprise, the somewhat lonely, and particularly salubrious stop above Frankford Lock proved to be a great magnet for Loopers. Not only were there three boats that left Trent Port ahead of us who decided to stop, a further three boats that had arrived the previous day were enjoying themselves so much that they decided to stay a second night! Six boats filled up all the spaces and we were forced to find an alternative stopping point further up. Glen Ross was a safe if boring spot for the night, and the next day we continued on to Campbellford.

Here we enjoyed an excellent meal at Antonia’s, a lovely restaurant tucked away on a back street that we had visited twice last year. The chef retired from the Toronto restaurant scene, and was somewhat shocked at the lack of dining options in rural Ontario, so he and his wife opened their own restaurant. Summers are good, but he told us that the winter was very difficult. On our return to the dock we enjoyed some well played and very familiar sixties and seventies music by a great local family band in the gazebo in the park.

Campbellford 2 — Boats tied up on the wall by the park in Campbellford

Leaving Campbellford early to be first on the “Blue Line” for the lock, we managed to nip ahead of Visions, a beautiful boat that had been on the dock near us in Trenton and across the canal in Glen Ross. The captain came up, hoping to negotiate a fit into the lock with us and another large trawler, to no avail. However, we got talking, the usual stuff, “So are you really from Hilton Head? Where do you live? Wexford? Really? We lived in Wexford for 10 years!” It’s a small world. Jan and Bob Kossman were part timers in the plantation before we moved there. Later we got together with them in Hastings for docktails, and then again in Peterborough. One of the wonderful things about boating is that you meet such nice people, and then later you might well meet them again! After docktails on Visions, Dick and I headed for the dockside restaurant. It did not really seem like our kind of place, somewhat loud and a considerably younger crowd. We had arrived on Karaoke Night. Dick asked the friendly host to seat us “Somewhere away from this racket”, thus irredeemably relegating himself to Old Fogie status. He got that indulgent look that the young give to the old and very eccentric, and the nice young man (who honestly looked like an Amish biker if there is such a thing), seated us outside. We ate an indifferent meal and were in turn eaten by mosquitoes, but at least we weren’t deafened.

The next morning our friends on Visions were up and away at a seriously uncivilized hour to ensure that this time they would be first on the Blue Line. We chuckled and finished our coffee and then enjoyed a very nice breakfast across the canal at the excellent local eatery.

We had tried to make a reservation at the marina in Peterborough some time ahead. (Notwithstanding the requirement to avoid having a strict schedule, it does pay to make reservations in popular marinas for the weekends as soon as you can be reasonably sure that you will get there when you say you will). We were told that they were fully booked with several large boating groups coming in for the music festival, but if we didn’t mind being without power, they would “fit us in somewhere”. Upon arrival, we discovered that the “somewhere” is the free dock, at the far south end of Little Lake, that we were familiar with from last year when we met Dick’s uncle Hans and his wife there. This T-shaped concrete dock is in good deep water, but it is popular with fishermen and geese. The fishermen are not a problem, the geese, and their copious leavings, a bit more so. As the dockhands (who had transported themselves by golf cart) tied us up, I was, possibly, somewhat undiplomatic in my comments. Once we were settled, Dick rode his bicycle over to the marina, prepared with many arguments (including no security, power, water, or wifi) as to why he should be given a substantial discount, only to have the wind taken entirely out of his sails when he was told they don’t charge for that dock! We did get to move to the marina for our last night, allowing us to do laundry and take on water. Our spot on the free dock was immediately taken up by two other Looper trawlers. It is a pretty location, as long as you don’t mind the geese.

After an excellent meal at an Indian Restaurant, we returned to the boat in time for the outdoor concert that had the marina filled and people parked on the side streets for miles around. I gather the Crash Test Dummies were a very big Canadian band in the 90’s, and there was great excitement that they were reunited and performing at this concert. Their music is described as Alt Folk Rock, but, sadly, from our perspective, there is an awful lot of Alt and not so much folk or rock… Being a famous band with commercial success, they of course played entirely their own music. I could go to great lengths to describe and critique, at risk of sounding exactly like my parents, but suffice to say, not our scene. Not that we had any choice, in spite of the bandshell facing away from us and being behind a large building, the sound was such that even with the doors closed we could not watch TV below in the boat. Fortunately, nobody plays very late these days, so by about 9:30 everyone was leaving. Our dock was then infested by a different kind of pest, teenagers, girls huddling and flirting, boys loud and showing off. Eventually, the large gang left, but one of the boys stood swaying on the dock and asked, “Do you have a bathroom on board?” I passed that one to Dick for fielding, and he very diplomatically (I thought), said, “No one is allowed on the boat.” The fellow complemented Nine Lives and staggered away.

The next day we rode our bikes to several foodie shops. The first is a British food shop that we visited last year, where we stocked up on English style bacon and Warburton’s crumpets. Then on to a wonderful cheese shop. In addition to all sorts of interesting condiments, they offer hundreds of different cheeses, both local and imported. The shop owner is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and delights in offering tastings of all the cheeses. I spied the Ossau Iraty, a sheep’s milk from French Basque country that was a favourite of mine when we were in Paris. I said I just wanted to buy a big piece, didn’t need a tasting, and the owner was actually disappointed. We made up for it though, by sampling about 10 different cheeses and then of course buying quite a few! From the cheese shop it was a short step to a gourmet butcher and fishmonger. We do have quite a bit of meat already in the freezer, but Dick failed to resist some steaks for the grill. So far this year we have eaten very few meals on board, instead seeking out the nicest restaurants on our travels. Dick says that so far, our food budget is exceeding our marina budget! This will likely change and we will be working our way through our freezer hoard when we get into Georgian Bay and the North Channel, with many fewer towns and opportunities for eating out.

In the afternoon Dick’s uncle George came and spent a few hours with us on the boat. He retired from dairy farming some years ago, and now lives in Peterborough. It was great to see him, and Dick enjoyed reminiscing and conversation about dairy farming and how it has changed since his parents and grandparents first emigrated from Netherlands in the 50’s. Later on, Dick launched the dinghy and tested the low tech solution to starting the motor. It worked well. After a short tour around the harbour, Dick returned to the mother ship in a freshening wind. It took several tries to position the dink so that I could catch the line and secure it. I wanted to assure the audience (there is always an audience, especially when execution of a tricky maneuver is not quite flawless), that we are much slicker when we dock Nine Lives!

Peterborough Marina 2 — Dick taking Minnie, the dinghy, out for a spin in Peterborough

Peterborough Marina — Oh my! The wind came up!

The next morning we headed out towards the Peterborough Lift Lock and further adventures.