Saturday, August 18, 2007 (about 25 miles today)
Port Elgin (N44 26.620 x W8124.223) to Kincardine (N44 10.597 x W81 38.380)

Well, the wind calmed this morning but looking out on the horizon, it looked like a ragged line, so we decided to wait a bit for it to calm down. I called Kincardine (I hate the phones here - had to try 4 different times before I got it right) to see if they'd have something for us and they said no problem. I figured we should call and verify since it looked like they don't have a lot of transient slips and with no anchorage in the area (it's a lee shore) it seemed like the prudent thing to do.

We finally left Port Elgin sometime after eleven a.m. but before noon-o-clock. I didn't note what time we pulled out because we all got to chatting (do we go now or wait?!?!) But there were 4 boats grouped together waiting out the weather, for the past 3 days, each itching to get out of Port Elgin. One boat was from Bayfield, Renewal (the boat next to us here) is from Port Clinton, and the one across from us - called Laura Lyn. I guess Laura Lyn (Ty and Peter) tried to leave yesterday but turned around and came back in before the squall line of 40mph winds hit. After chatting, we were the first to pull out (the guinea pigs), and Laura Lyn followed us out. It was a bit bumpy at first, and a couple of waves left my stomach 4 ft above me, but it settled down once we got the Yankee and Main up. 3 miles out, Renewal hailed us to see what the conditions were like. We told them "come on out the water's fine (heh, heh, heh...kidding it was fine) They were going to follow us out in another hour or so - after breakfast. We motor sailed and made pretty good time. We got in and tied up at 3:30. The sails managed to boost our speed so we were traveling between 6.1-6.9 knots. It felt like we were buddy sailing with Laura Lyn and I was able to take some pictures of her. Ty reciprocated and took pictures of us also (with the nuclear power plant in the background - do we look green? oops you can't see until I get my website up LOL), so we traded when we got into port. We now officially have a picture of us under sail. Thank you Ty and Peter :-) I Can't wait till we can finally get one of us with all our sails up. Peter kidded me and said "ya know, to get that ya need to swing out on the halyard with your camera". I said I don't think I could get it all in which made him laugh because, wellll, he was kidding... Hey, I'd have probably tried it (duhhh).

Kincardine is really a cute little place. Scottish or Gaelic in origins. The Phantom Piper of Kincardine comes out in kilt, at sunset, on top of the lighthouse (see picture) each night to guide boaters to shelter. It's a tradition. The story goes (and I quote Ports):

In 1856, Donald Sinclair, a scot, set out on the lake with his family to settle Penetangore (now called Kincardine). When bad weather set in and darkness approached, the family feared they wouldn't find the harbour. Sinclair fetched his bagpipes and played a lament. Another settler on land, hearing the bagpipes, grabbed his pipes and played in return, guiding them into safe harbour. So at dusk in the summer, the piper appears at dusk, when the sun is setting to pipe it down.

Tomorrow - on to Bayfield... weather permitting...