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.