Days on cruise: 118
We won’t bother documenting the rest of Thursday’s statistics because it’s almost embarrassing to admit we traveled a whole 0.25 miles and 7 minutes for the day!
We slept in late (7:00) then sat drinking coffee, reading news online, and catching up on emails for much of the morning. That’s how we normally spend 1.5 to 2 hours each morning at home, but we sure haven’t been able to do that on the Loop. It felt mighty relaxing and pleasurable, especially since it was sunny and 70 degrees with only a light breeze.
Finally about noon our ambition grew, and we took off in the dinghy to the head of Covered Portage Cove. There we beached the dinghy and took a hike up a trail to the top of the nearby cliffs. It was only 1/2 mile and 400 – 500 feet of elevation gain, but it felt good, and the views from the top were spectacular. We’d heard the blueberry picking is fantastic there, but we’re a good month too early. The blueberries are the size of BBs and still hard. We doubt (but aren’t certain) we’ll still be here in a month to try again.
On returning from our hike, and having listened to the weather forecast calling for 20 knot winds from the north tonight, we decided to move the boat for more protection. We were close to a large sailboat who was putting out more scope in anticipation of the weather, and there was room still available inside the Cove, protected by tall hills and cliffs on all sides. Hence our piddly little trip for the day.
As we were pulling our anchor, another trawler came into sight, also headed for the inside of the Cove, and it was sporting a Great Loop burghee, the first one we’ve seen in two weeks since we left ‘Bama Belle at the end of the Trent-Severn Waterway. We called “Time and Tide” on the VHF radio and invited them to come for cocktails.
At 6:00 Gary and Christelle from Time & Tide arrived on our boat. They live in Trenton, Ontario at the east end of the Trent-Severn Waterway and just began their Loop a month ago when Gary retired.
Gary is the most experienced mechanic we’ve yet met, and Christelle was born and raised in South Africa and emigrated to Canada as a young adult. Because we spent time in South Africa on vacation in 2008, and our middle child and her husband are there right now on vacation, that gave us an added topic for discussion. We enjoyed Gary and Christelle’s company so much we all sat on the sundeck talking until 11:00, more than an hour past our usual bedtime! And, of course, the appetizers that went along with cocktails ended up being dinner.
We won’t bother documenting the rest of Thursday’s statistics because it’s almost embarrassing to admit we traveled a whole 0.25 miles and 7 minutes for the day!
We slept in late (7:00) then sat drinking coffee, reading news online, and catching up on emails for much of the morning. That’s how we normally spend 1.5 to 2 hours each morning at home, but we sure haven’t been able to do that on the Loop. It felt mighty relaxing and pleasurable, especially since it was sunny and 70 degrees with only a light breeze.
Finally about noon our ambition grew, and we took off in the dinghy to the head of Covered Portage Cove. There we beached the dinghy and took a hike up a trail to the top of the nearby cliffs. It was only 1/2 mile and 400 – 500 feet of elevation gain, but it felt good, and the views from the top were spectacular. We’d heard the blueberry picking is fantastic there, but we’re a good month too early. The blueberries are the size of BBs and still hard. We doubt (but aren’t certain) we’ll still be here in a month to try again.
On returning from our hike, and having listened to the weather forecast calling for 20 knot winds from the north tonight, we decided to move the boat for more protection. We were close to a large sailboat who was putting out more scope in anticipation of the weather, and there was room still available inside the Cove, protected by tall hills and cliffs on all sides. Hence our piddly little trip for the day.
As we were pulling our anchor, another trawler came into sight, also headed for the inside of the Cove, and it was sporting a Great Loop burghee, the first one we’ve seen in two weeks since we left ‘Bama Belle at the end of the Trent-Severn Waterway. We called “Time and Tide” on the VHF radio and invited them to come for cocktails.
At 6:00 Gary and Christelle from Time & Tide arrived on our boat. They live in Trenton, Ontario at the east end of the Trent-Severn Waterway and just began their Loop a month ago when Gary retired.
Gary is the most experienced mechanic we’ve yet met, and Christelle was born and raised in South Africa and emigrated to Canada as a young adult. Because we spent time in South Africa on vacation in 2008, and our middle child and her husband are there right now on vacation, that gave us an added topic for discussion. We enjoyed Gary and Christelle’s company so much we all sat on the sundeck talking until 11:00, more than an hour past our usual bedtime! And, of course, the appetizers that went along with cocktails ended up being dinner.
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