This summer was very much a disappointment for me. We didn't go anywhere except to Tommy Thompson Park to anchor for a day and night. We did do some day sailing around Port Credit, but that was it. I took a couple friends out to show them what sailing is like but we did not go very far.
Next spring and summer, I intend to visit all our favorite spots on the western end of Lake Ontario. I hope to take us to Tommy Thompson Park again (it will be our third time so you know it is nice in spite of the smelly seagull colony a hundred yards westward!) Of course, Hamilton will be investigated thoroughly next summer sometime. Pickering, too. But a mandatory destination will be Port Dalhousie for a longer, second visit. Other boaters have mentioned 50 Mile Point that is a must to see. So, we'll take a look there, too.
So, because we didn't get much cruising in this past summer, I want to make up for it next summer. And if my boss wants to fire me for being too vacationy, then so be it.
Finally, for those of you who don't know, Lake Ontario had dropped about 3 feet this year. As a consequence, Gazebo Bay, near the gazebo itself, is high and dry for about 10 feet in some places. Some of Port Credit Harbour Marina's docks are sitting on the bottom! It is said that the severe lack of rain in comparison to other years has the Lake in very low levels. Maybe the predicted long winter will add lots of snow-melt later this spring.
Again, so show you part of our haul out adventure, here is a photo of the dockside at the mast crane in Port Credit Harbour Marina. Please note the fancy woodwork holding up the mast. (Thanks Zhang Zhen Bin for helping with the design.)
|
Comments [1]
Sunday, December 2, 2007, 1105, Port Credit Harbour Marina
The time has come to haul out. We didn't want to be stuck in the back of the pack like we were last year (which took us a month to get out of and into the water.) On November 30, there was a gale warning for the day. We were scheduled to be hauled out at 4 pm, local. That morning, having studied the weather sites all the preceding night, I went down and moved MYSFIT to the sea wall next to the mast crane. I am sure glad I did. Jude was scheduled to arrive from work at noon. When she walked up, I had already stowed the mast on deck (a new thing for us!) and greeted her with blowing snowflakes blasting about. And that was at the protected sea wall. Out in the turning basin near the RIDGETOWN, I had been struggling to keep from making leeway while approaching the fueling docks channel. I am so glad we got it done that day. The fellow at the sea wall laughed when I had come crunching and banging through the thin ice up to the mast crane dock, "Those metal hulls sure come in handy, eh?"
Last night, a winter storm was so bad that Jude had to take a taxi from the bus stand to our apartment! Less than a half mile. The busses had given up, I guess.
|
Tuesday, June 19, 2007, 0330, Port Credit Harbour
Jude and I decided to do a couple hours of night sailing just before midnight. When we got out past the Ridgetown we discovered the chop just wasn't conducive to romance; we headed back into port.
In the turning basin of Port Credit Harbour Marina I spotted a dark object at the entrance we had just come through. Out came my trusty 10 million candlepower flood light. I illuminated an inflatable dink under power towing another inflatable, both having passengers. Neither having lights. We waited for them to pass.
Slowly we circled while I attended to dock lines, etc., and then proceeded down the dock channel. Sure enough, there's this dark object coming back out the channel. Again, I fired up 10 million candlepower -- and believe me, most of the harbour gets lit up when that happens. Now, one inflatable, the one that had been doing the towing, was leaving. Still, no lights.
"Where's your lights, sir?"
Silence but for his quiet little putt-putt outboard.
Question: Was this just a stupid boater towing a distressed boater without lights or was this an illegal alien invasion?
The punishment for "stupidity" does include the death penalty -- even here in Canada.
|
Sunday, June 10, 2007, 0628, Port Credit Harbour (marina)
It's a miracle!
Look!
Mysfit is actually IN the water.
It was a beautiful day for launching, sailing, or just walking about and breathing the fresh -- clear, non-polluted -- air. I was at the marina around 7:00 and waited until around 2:00 in the afternoon. I had forgotten my hat in the apartment so...yep, I got royally toasted on my balding head. I jambed my foot on a dock cleat. But that's all the injuries. I'm apparently getting better at avoiding calamities, eh?
The two forestay turnbuckles are different from each other in thread size. We spend a few anxious moments discovering this. Blind luck, in years past, kept me from knowing it.
Nudge is at C docks because we had anticipated taking a temporary slip there. With Mysfit's horrible abilities at backing and turning, the crosswind and close proximity of other boats suggested that we take a slip on H docks. The photo above shows just that.
Finally, thank you God for the gorgeous Lake. Amen.
|
