Sounds

The sound of a loon calling its mate at sunset is a haunting sound of which we never tire on Georgian Bay. 

Common Loon

"What's that noise I hear", is a question that sparks a hunt for the new sound until it's at least identified and with luck eliminated!

Personally, I can live with, and sleep through, a lot of noises on the boat, as long as I know their origins. 

So, for those not used to living on a platform suspended between water and wind I offer a sample of a few sounds we hear on the boat and their meaning and emotional impact:

• Wavelets lapping against the hull are soothing, an indicator of benign conditions.
• If we are swinging at anchor to the sounds of waves slapping on the hull and it all of a sudden goes quiet, it may mean we are dragging anchor and travelling with the waves. All hands on  deck!
• Wind whistling through the rigging, likely accompanied by vigorous flapping of the burgees or towels left out last evening cause a little tightening of the abdomen and a heightened vigilance that our anchor is not dragging.
• Flapping of imperfectly trimmed sails and our canvas cockpit enclosure while sailing in stronger winds tend to add to our perception of the severity of the conditions.
• Rain illicits mixed feelings. At night, listening to it drumming on the deck while we are warm and dry down below is wonderful (especially because the ports don't leak on this boat like they did on old Trekker).  Passing through downpours with severely reduced visibility and all the cracks in the canvas leaking like we did between Tobermory and Kincardine and again on the way to Goderich is stressful and uncomfortable!
• At the dock, docklines creak as they tighten and loosen against the wind and our fenders tend to squeek against the hull when compressed between the hull and the dock. Noisy but at least we don't have to worry about dragging! Karen puts in her earplugs and I burrow under my second pillow.  
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  Trekker docked in Kincardine

•  Neighbour's halyards (ropes that raise the sails up the mast) slapping on their mast are noisy and a sad indication of how inconsiderate we can be to one another. Smarten up people, tie your halyards away from the mast overnight!
• Waterfowl; the calls of sea gulls, ducks, Canada Geese and even swans are constantly in the background.
• Our new fridge and freezer exhaust fans are noisier than expected, but after a few weeks they have become white noise.  They have the added benefit of drowning out the sounds of the fridge and freezer compressors, so I do not lie awake at night trying to judge whether they are running more or less than normal!
• Sound travels surprising distances across the water. It's too bad that others in an anchorage don't realize this, or don't care, or just think that we really enjoy their taste in music!
• Rail lines often run along the shoreline. Consequently we get to hear the lonesome whistles of passing trains which I enjoy, reminding me of work terms in Thunder Bay.
• On the water, we're always attuned to any new sounds. In particular the engine, saildrive and "Helmut" our autopilot.  Right now Helmut is making a groaning sound every now and then, but it doesn't seem to be consistent, so that one is still in the "identify" phase!
• During our first two seasons on the boat, whenever we heeled to 14 degrees we would hear a clanging in the compression post that supports the mast in the cabin. We swore there was something inside the compression post, said to be impossible by the technical rep at Hanse.  This year? Silence.  Aren't boats fun?

A quick update and Pics

A good friend of ours, Diane, told us that when you are on a trip like this you need to be very flexible with plans and timing. So we have kept this in mind so far and made adjustments accordingly.
Yesterday was no exception. Our intent was to anchor at Long Point, somewhere we have heard about from people who boat on Lake Erie. But with high water levels this summer, when we got there the Bluff Bar, which is usually above water and gives protection in the bay, was completely submerged, and the wind and waves were blowing directly into the anchorage. Not a good sign for staying overnight on an anchor.
So change of plans (at 5pm, and we left at 6:30am) and we called Port Dover Harbour Marina who had one slip left for us. We arrived at 6:30pm ... a very long day!!
There are a few advantages of staying on a dock though ... including no worry about your anchor dragging, hot water and power since we are plugged into shore, and a walk into town for some much needed dinner!
Today we arrived in  Port Colborne, our last Canadian port for awhile. We will stay here for a couple of days to do laundry, get groceries, and get ready for our entrance into the US, which included taking down the mast in Buffalo to prepare for the Erie Canal journey.
Good bye to the Great Lakes ... it's been a challenge, and they certainly are "big and great". You don't realize how really great they are until you have crossed them by water!! 
Below are some pictures that I couldn't put into my last blog. 

Ambassador Bridge, Windsor

Downtown Detroit

Passing a freighter on the St. Clair River

Point Pelee

Bass fishing derby, Erieau

Lift bridge, Port Stanley

Karen's knitting under way!

Lake Erie adventures

It's been a long time since I have posted, so I am warning you, its gonna be a long one!! (Pictures to follow when we get some wi-fi!)
We spent two nights in Sarnia at the Sarnia Bay Marina. The first night we met two American boats who were traveling together and heading north. They couldn't decide whether to go to the North Channel or Georgian Bay. I think we convinced them to go to  Georgian Bay, not that we're biased!! Lol  It was as a lovely marina and we decided since we had never ever been to Sarnia we would take a day to explore. They have a beautiful waterfront with a lovely little boardwalk. The town is small, and we did managed to find it's only brewpub for lunch!
We left Sarnia and went under our first bridge. Yikes that looked close, even though I know there is lots of room above our mast! 


I really had no idea what to expect while going down the river, but once we left the main towns of Sarnia on the Canadian side and Port Huron on the American side it really was quite lovely. Beautiful cottages on both sides, and lush green lawns. It's very strange  as you go down the invisible border between the two countries, and we had been warned to stay on the Canadian side as much as possible. The only way we could tell we were on the "right" side was by our chart plotter.  But there were some areas where we had no choice but to drift over the border ... no worries, no one bothered us!!
Boat traffic was fairly light going down the river,  and we only encountered a few freighters coming towards us. They certainly look huge when heading straight for you! But it was no problem, we kept out of their way!


Once through the St. Clair River we entered into Lake St. Clair. It's a large, shallow lake with one big shipping lane going through the middle. No freighters were encountered through there!!
Our next stop was Windsor. Because the marina we stayed in was quite far from downtown we had a quiet night and left the next morning. Another bridge and then down the Detroit River. It's quite different scenery from the St. Clair, very industrial and a little stinky!! But it was just a short way down and then we were in Lake Erie. Another Great Lake to check off our list! 
We were told Leamington was a good place to stop so we headed there. I might add that since our wild sailing down Huron we have mostly been motoring ... a big change!! Also , it has turned hot and humid ... did I complain about the cool earlier? So sorry!!
After almost being run over,again, by a car ferry on its way to Pelee Island, we arrived at the marina. Another new town to explore, as well as Point Pelee and Pelee Island not too far away. 
Despite it being super hot, we decided to take the next morning and do boat chores. Hugh cleans the decks and I clean below (I think I get the short stick!).  Then it was decision time ... go to Pelee Island for the night or stay and go to Point Pelee. We are not very good at making decisions sometimes, so after some  "humming and hawing" we decided to take the dinghy to Point Pelee, right to the southern most tip of Canada. How smart are we?? Not very! It was not as calm as we thought out there and it was at least an hour ride ... so after some bumps and lumps we turned around. On our way back to the marina we noticed a small power boat up against the rock sea wall leading into the marina with its engine stalled. So off to the rescue we went and towed them in. Our good deed for the day!!
By now the afternoon was ticking by, so we decided to take a taxi into the park, because we were so close and yet so far!! We were told by the girl in the marina that the ride would be $16 ... and since entrance was free (thanks Justin) off we went. But, once finally there (it's farther than we thought!) the taxi man wanted $24! What?? We only brought so much cash. 
By now it was 4pm and the visitor centre closed at 5pm. So we quickly jumped on the shuttle to the "tip", took a couple of selfies, and back to the centre. 

Closed! We really should have thought that out better! Feeling cheap and really not wanting to pay another $24 to get back (we could have rented a car for that money) so we started asking people for a ride!! The first couple hesitated, they wanted to stop at a beach on the way out, but a lady standing by overheard us and offered us a ride in her van with her three grandchildren and daughter! So we all squeezed in and they took us right to the marina. Such nice people!! Another new experience that I'm sure will happen again. 
The next day we were planning on heading east but the forecast was for thunderstorms all day, so decided to hang out in Leamington one more day. Took a bus into town, went to the Farmers Market, went for ice cream (!), all very lazy, and of course no thunderstorms!! 
The next morning we were off to  Erieau, a small town by Rondeau Provincial Park. We motored all the way there and when we arrived we found ourselves right in the middle of a Bass Fishing Tournament. Eighty five boats all coming in to weigh up their catch and get the prize for the heaviest catch (five fish total) and for the biggest fish. Quite the sight!! 

After a quiet night with a small thunderstorm in the distance, we left Erieau in cooler weather and wind. Big wind! The forecast was for 15 knots from the northwest. Perfect for going to Port Stanley. But once we got out there, winds picked up to 20-25 knots with gusts of 30!! I can honestly say I have not been out in winds that big before. But we put in a double reef (made the main sail small) and off we went. The boat can certainly handle that, and "Helmut" did a wonderful job steering. I find if I keep busy knitting I am fine!! So we made it to Port Stanley in one piece and had a quiet night! 
This morning  we left under the 6:30am lift bridge and are on our way to Long Point. We are going to anchor out!! We are looking forward to it as we are not used to being at a marina every night. I might even have a swim!!
We are almost done Lake Erie ... next adventure Buffalo and the Erie Canal. 
One day at a time. 

C.A.S. Marine and Suzuki

Karen suggested that I would bore you with the details of our Suzuki outboard, so I won't disappoint!

In 2016 we decided we needed a new dinghy for the Bahamas. Everyone says "It's like your car! You'll use it for visiting, snorkelling, groceries, water ...!"

After much research I decided on a Highfield Classic 310 for the dinghy.  It is an aluminum rigid bottom inflatable and is lighter than comparable fibreglass RIBs. 

For the motor, I was looking for the lightest motor I could find because we have to lift the dinghy and motor on our dinghy lift when we travel.  

Dinghy & motor stowed for sailing

I have to admit to a soft spot for Honda products which are reliable, and in the case of our old 8 hp, started on the first pull just about every time.  At the boat show though I noticed the Suzuki 20 hp that was lighter than any other 20 hp  and even lighter than many competitor's 15 hp motors. It also had Electronic Fuel Injection, the only motor in it's class so equipped. Plus it was very competitively priced! So just following the 2016 boat show, we bought one from Chris Sellner at C.A.S. Marine in Ayr. Unfortunately our unit burned oil from day 1. In the fall of 2016 C.A.S. took it in and Suzuki authorized a complete rebuild including a new block. 

2017, and while we were breaking it in, it would hesitate at part throttle and did not have the power it had in 2016. After a couple of hours running I took off the cowling and checked the oil to discover that it looked like your double-double coffee! 

Plus there was water dribbling out of a plug on the head ... not good!  So since this was one week into our trip we were very concerned about how C.A.S. and Suzuki might handle it.  I am very pleased to report that they went above and beyond, replacing our 2016 with a 2017! All we had to do was get the motor back to Ayr, which in the end turned out to be a blessing since we got to do laundry and our new OHIP and NEXUS cards were in the mail! Turns out the NEXUS cards had to be authorized within 30 days so we would have missed the window if we had waited until our return in October for Karen's nephew's wedding.

As Karen's Mom would say "things always work out for the best"!

We have conquered Lake Huron!

There is a lot to  be said about Lake Huron. The most beautiful sunsets in Ontario. Great beaches and camping grounds that even I have camped in. Cute little towns with amazing restaurants and shops. Lovely clean water and great fishing. But ...
I have always had this fear of sailing down Lake Huron. We have been spoiled by sailing Georgian Bay all these years with the 30,000 Islands, pristine waters and anchorages behind little uninhabited islands where there is just us and the loons.  Bad weather? Tuck into one of thousands of little bays and you are safe and sound. But where do you go on Lake Huron? I don't think  I saw one Island along the east shore the whole way down. And it's BIG.  If the winds are blowing, the waves can get pretty spectacular. Why does anyone have a sailboat here??
So it was with much trepidation that I headed into Lake Huron. No choice if we want to get to Lake Erie. And it didn't disappoint.
Our first leg from Tobermory to Kincardine was a wild and sometimes scary ride ( Hugh loved it, me, not so much!) . The winds were more than predicted, big waves and blinding rain. Yikes! And yes, we survived. (See Hugh's post).
The reason we went to Kincardine so quickly was we had to rent a car and get home. Home??  Yep, our outboard motor had died and we needed to get it back to the dealer because it was under warranty. But apparently Kincardine is a smaller town than we thought and no rental cars were available. So... back out to Lake Huron to sail down to Goderich. We left bright and early with nice winds and some waves. Just as we got out I noticed a huge bank of " rain" coming right towards us ... so we quickly buttoned up the canvas and prepared to go into another downpour, only to find it was FOG!! Luckily it didn't last too long and we were able to find our way into the treacherous entrance to the marina.
Goderich is a lovely town and extremely nice people who were very helpful in getting us a rental car. So off we went ... on a lovely drive through the countryside ... home. 

How weird that felt when I had already said goodbye to my house and left it in the good care of our son, Trevor. But, it was so great to do four loads of laundry, (for free!) watch some TV (we do have one on board but channels are few and far between!) and a long shower. It was great!  I won't bore you with the outboard details as I'm sure Hugh will, but I can say it was worth the trip to KW!
So back to Goderich, and spent the next day there with the company of our great friends Bruce and Laurie who drove over from Stratford for a visit and lunch in town. Another unexpected but great treat!
And yesterday we finished sailing Lake Huron. We left Goderich with a lovely north wind, even put up our bright orange spinnaker, until the wind died and we had to motor the rest of the way to Sarnia.
We also had our first encounter with Great Lakes Freighters. Yikes ... they are big! You can't miss them, but they can sure miss us so a new thing to look out for.

And just as we were arriving, the sun came out for the first time in days! A very nice welcome!!
Bye, bye Lake Huron ! You certainly lived up to my expectations!! 
And so we start the next leg of our journey ... St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair and the Detroit River to Windsor. And then into Lake Erie.
More adventures to come ... One day at a time!

New Ports

We've had a couple of boisterous sails since leaving friends and family in Hopewell Bay near Pointe au Baril on the east coast of Georgian Bay yesterday.

Yesterday we sailed from Hopewell Bay to Tobermory, west southwest across Georgian Bay.  Winds were from the northeast at 15 to 20 knots, right on our stern.  We tucked in a reef as we raised the main in sheltered waters before leaving Pointe au Baril and while we started with the jib out, it was blanketed by the main so we eventually rolled it in. In spite of only having a single reefed main up we still averaged 6 knots across the Bay. Waves were probably a metre and very confused as we approached Tobermory.  Just as we were approaching Little Tub Harbour the Chi Cheemaun, a passenger/ vehicle ferry 
poked her nose out of the harbour.

Not being sure how maneuverable she is I called the captain on the VHF radio to confirm we could sail across his bow, to which he agreed. Once in the harbour we took our assigned slip. Hot showers and local whitefish, fries and beer for dinner rounded out a long day.  

0530 the alarm went off this morning (as well as yesterday!)  We were off the dock by 0630. Environment Canada had forecast 15 knots out of the east, which we thought would make for a pleasant sail to Kincardine, unfortunately we never saw less than 20, and up to 25 knots until it died all together around 1430 this afternoon. Waves were 1 to 2 metres. I  learned that Trekker doesn't like a lot of heel as she was quite a handful with the jib and single reefed main. When Karen convinced me to put in a 2nd reef she sat up and became much more comfortable and manageable. After a couple of downpours we arrived at Kincardine and were helped into our slip by the very welcoming staff at the Kincardine Marina. Hot showers and an incredible dinner at The Harbour Street Brasserie would have been a perfect finish to another long day, but as we left the Brasserie we heard the Phantom Piper pĺaying his bagpipes atop the lighthouse.

Apparently this tradition commemorates the piping into the harbour, in 1856, of Donald Sinclair and his family, during foul weather.

Tomorrow we plan a short hop down the coast to Goderich.

One week since casting off

One week since casting off and all is well ... sort of!!

Living on board full time certainly takes some getting used to. We are slowly getting it figured out, but it will take a little while to get into the swing of things. It's been so nice to be able to take it slowly for our first couple of weeks and enjoy Georgian Bay and some of its wonderful anchorages.

We have been accompanied by our great sailing friends Don and Sharon, and Mac and Diane as crew on Don and Sharon's boat Symmetry II. We have all traveled together for many years and it has been so great to have them join us at the beginning of our adventure.

After Twelve Mile Bay we sailed to Three Finger Bay where we spent a couple of nights.

Then we motored and sailed to Hale Bay, an anchorage closer to Parry Sound and then to Parry Sound where we met my sister Janette and her husband Rob.

But of course there are always little things that crop up while on the way. The first thing was that the valve on our propane tank would not close. We use propane for the stove and for the fireplace. Because Hugh is very cautious, we always turn the tank on and off for each use, so this was a bit of a safety concern. We do have a solenoid (a little control in the boat that also turns it off/on) so we had to rely on that until we could get the tank fixed in Parry Sound.
Then Hugh was working one morning on his computer in the cockpit (not a bad office setting)! He was plugged into our 12volt socket with a portable inverter (changes from 12v to 110) when it blew a fuse. Not a big deal, except do you think he could find which fuse was blown??  So that needed to get fixed as we charge our cell phones with the 12v plug.
Then poor Hugh woke up with an extremely swollen finger. He had been scrubbing the decks and had  cut his knuckle slightly, but had obviously gotten something in there as it was at least twice it's normal size.

So once in Parry Sound my sister and husband became our wonderful taxi service. Propane tank got revalved and fixed, groceries bought, fuse figured out, and Hugh took a trip to emergency (he will live)! We even had time for a lovely dinner out with all eight of us and a great visit. Thanks again Janette and Rob!!

We are getting better at remembering where we put everything and routines for going sailing (every thing stowed, cupboards closed and locked, ports and hatches closed, instruments on and charts out!)

The weather has been fairly good for most of the week, cooler than normal which makes the water "refreshing" for swimming. A little rain here and there but nothing big until last night when we were hit with quite a thunderstorm with big winds, heavy rain and blinding lightning. Hugh sat in the cockpit to make sure all was well while I hid in my "happy place" (the guest cabin)!! We were fine but I still don't like them!!

So we are now just south of Pointe au Baril in Hopewell Bay where we will sit for a few days (and get Hugh's finger better with his antibiotics)  until we hop across the Bay and head to Tobermory. That will be the true start of our trip as we will be on our own as we say goodbye to Symmetry II, and once we get to Tobermory  everyplace and everywhere will be new and unexplored by us.

All very exciting and scary as we continue on our journey  ... one day at a time.

marinetraffic.com

Since our AIS is new, we have been tracking ourselves on Marinetraffic.com and have told everyone who cares to do likewise.  Presently we appear to be frozen north of the Minos Bank near Beausoleil Island.  

Several folks have let us know about this anomally as well.

So I have checked our AIS diagnostics and we are transmitting. We can also see other AIS equipped vessels.

From the marinetraffic.com website, I have learned that they use independent folks with AIS receivers to transmit AIS data to marinetraffic and then marinetraffic posts the data on their website. It doesn't appear that they have any receivers near us, which doesn't surprise me as a receiver needs a stable internet connection to transmit the AIS data.

So, stay tuned, maybe when we get closer to civilization we'll thaw and show up in our true location!

MBSC 50th Anniversary - 12 Mile Bay

July 1st Canada celebrated 150 years since confederation and Midland Bay Sailing Club celebrated its 50th Anniversary. 

We cleaned the decks and down below, sat out a short downpour and left Beausoleil Bay for the sailing club early in the afternoon. We motored much of the way but did get a short sail under jib alone in 18 to 20 knots on the beam.

MBSC's Anniversary was a great party with dinner and dancing and lot's of camaraderie. Many of MBSC's members have been south and kindly shared their tips and encouragement. 

This morning we went out for a hearty breakfast with friends and left the dock about 1230 hrs accompanied by our friends Don, Sharon, Mac and Diane aboard Don and Sharon's Catalina 36 Mk II Symmetry II. Unfortunately the 15 knots out of the southwest that Environment Canada had forecast never materialized so we motored all the way to 12 Mile Bay where we have anchored for the night. 

After another downpour the sun has come out and it looks like it will be a beautiful evening!