Turnbull Islands - Last Day of July and Last Night of Anchoring

July 31 

We’re both a little sad because this segment of our trip is about to end. It’s our last night at anchor and it feels like our last night on the North Channel. Tomorrow we head farther west toward Lake Superior, and we’ll be in marinas most nights from now on.

We have loved the anchoring, the isolation, and the beauty of Georgian Bay and the North Channel. As hard as it is to believe, it really did get more gorgeous as we continued west. The colors got deeper and more intense, especially the sapphire blue waters and the dark green pine trees.

July and August are the busy times up here in the Canadian waters, and most of the anchorages have had several boats in them. Last night there were eight of us in beautiful Hotham. Here at our anchorage in the Turnbull Islands, there are no other boats in sight. As isolated as we feel, however, we know that there are two sailboats anchored on the other side of the island. Once in a while we see a plane fly overhead and we’ve heard a train go by. While we were traveling this morning we saw a ferry, and yesterday we saw a gravel quarry. But it is wonderful to experience, in some way, the feeling of total isolation in these northern islands and bays.

We took a short dinghy ride around the tiny islands. They would be the tops of mountains if the water weren’t here. It was a short ride because the wind made it pretty rough. The ride emphasized how isolated and remote this place is, but it’s exactly what we’ve been looking for. It also emphasized how dependent we are on our boat as our home and shelter. Right now "The Most Important Thing on the Boat” is, without a doubt, the anchor. It can be a challenge to set it just right, but once we do, it keeps us secure throughout the night.

We saw the full moon last night and again this morning before sunrise. It was so beautiful. Brian claims that he saw a glow in the north from the northern lights but the bright moon drowned it out … hmmm… The moon rose in the south and set this morning in the west. It is very confusing.

The water here is 27 inches above normal this summer, which is wonderful for us on our boat. The Illinois River and the Mississippi River were closed for pleasure boaters for a couple of weeks due to high water, but they have reopened. There will be debris in the rivers, but we won’t be there until September, so they could be clear by then.

I have big horse-fly bites on my legs and mosquito bites on my arms, but luckily not too many. We close up early to keep the bugs out after dusk.

No matter how hard we tried to complete everything before we left, reality keeps forcing itself into our lives. When we get back to America, we have to work on questions from insurance companies, questions from EZ Pass, even questions about watering our grass. I thought we had resolved all these issues before we left, but I guess people just have to look for work to do.

Tonight we’re having locally made sausages and acorn squash. We’re still hoping to see the Northern Lights, plus any kind of wild animal. Pretty soon we’re putting the dinghy back up on top of the boat and won’t get it down again for many days. And even though we’re sad about leaving, we’re also excited about the next segments coming up: a brief trip into Lake Superior and visits to both Sault Sainte Maries, then a month exploring Lake Michigan and visiting friends. I’m also looking forward to having internet, cellphone service, messaging and cash again.

This place is always here. When we are gone, it will still be here. When we are home again, it will be here.

My View of Hotham Bay

The view from my window.

Blue Bay, Blue Moon

 Brian swimming in Hotham Bay

Blue moon over the blue bay.

At Anchor in Hotham Bay

This is Hotham Bay with 9 boats at anchor and one little house where we had "docktails".

Hotham Bay, North Channel

Wednesday and Thursday, July 29 and 30

Hotham Bay, North Channel, Ontario, Canada

It is absolutely beautiful here. The sky is like El Paso’s - big and open, gorgeous blue with puffy clouds. When we’re here on the water, the trees do not block the sky like they do at home in Connecticut. The harbor reminds us of Montana out west, except the base of the mountains is covered with blue water instead of land. 

A retired couple lives here during the summer months, and each afternoon around 5:00 they invite the visiting boaters who are anchored in the harbor to “docktails” on their deck. What a nice thing to do! Yesterday, after four tries at anchoring, we were quite tired, but we went to their deck and met six other pairs of boaters. Some are out for the summer, some are passing through, and we were the only Loopers. Coincidentally, all the other boats are from Michigan.

We had trouble anchoring here because we dropped the anchor into grass twice and had to start over, then we anchored a little too close to another boat and again decided to start over. We finally chose a beautiful spot and the anchor held and we are here for two nights. The winds are gusting to 30 mph today so we’re staying put. It’s not a storm or anything, just high winds. The boat swings back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, on its anchor, so that in the early morning, when the brilliant sun is still low, it shines into the starboard windows, then the stern windows, then around to the port windows, and then back again, over and over. We have to keep the shades drawn until the sun gets high enough. 

By Wednesday night, we were laughing because we had done just about everything there is to do on our trip, all in one day. Still in Kagawong, we had a leisurely morning of reading, crossword puzzles, Cruisers’ Net radio, tea and coffee. Then we rode the tandem bike back to the Esso station to buy a souvenir. From there we rode to the farmers’ market, visited the little museum and stopped at the art gallery to buy a print that we had debated about the day before. After that Brian had a long business call, and I cleaned up the boat and got rid of the trash. We refilled our water tank and bought ice cream to put in the freezer so we could have it later with our fresh raspberries. We departed around noon and traveled for about three hours to Hotham Bay. The wind had picked up and the crossing was rocky. I actually had to lie down for a while - all the biking had worn me out. In Hotham we did our four anchoring drills (ha ha) and Brian went swimming in the bay. We made a snack to take to the docktails, and I prepared everything for dinner so it would be ready when we returned. We dinghied over to the dock, and after visiting for a couple of hours, we went back to our boat and had dinner. Shortly after supper, two boaters came over to show us some excellent places to visit in northern Michigan (the mitten part) after we leave Mackinac Island. Then I just had to stop, I was so tired, although we still had to swat mosquitos for a while before sleeping.

Some of the Loopers we have traveled with are already back in America at the northern tip of Michigan. We estimate that we have another five days in Canada, including a visit to Sault St. Marie in Canada and a trip through the Soo Lock into Lake Superior. Then we plan to enter the U.S. at Sault St. Marie, Michigan. We seldom show up where we think we are heading, however, so our real itinerary remains to be seen.

A popular breakfast meat here is called peameal bacon. It’s a ham that’s been pickled and rolled in cornmeal. We had it at a restaurant, then bought some in Little Current for the boat. You grill it in a skillet and it is so good. We also had toast with homemade raspberry jam from the local farmer’s market.

An anchorage is the best place in the world to relax. Brian went back to sleep several hours ago. Another boat has arrived in our bay and I am watching them anchor. That is the usual entertainment in an anchorage.

Boats at Anchor in The Benjamins

Bridal Veil Falls on a hot day - can you find Brian?

Kagawong, North Channel

Tuesday night, July 28  

We are at a tiny marina in Kagawong, Ontario, on Manitoulin Island, which is about the size of Long Island. In this marina we can get sketchy wi-fi, plus electricity to run the air conditioning. We are having a short heat wave (they call it 33 degrees in Canada, 98 for us). This afternoon we rode our bike to Bridal Veil Falls. It’s a lovely waterfall with a very shallow pool. Lots of other people were there enjoying the water. Brian went under the falls, but I didn’t. Now we’re back at the boat with the A/C on and there are lots of teenagers on our dock, jumping into the water and swimming back — they have been doing this all afternoon. It doesn’t get dark until after 9:30, so they might be here all night!

Three Nordic Tugs Meet at Amedroz

Tug'N, Melinda B and Pearl 

Amedroz to Eagle Bay

Monday, July 27 

It’s just your average Monday morning on the North Channel - an absolutely beautiful day with sparkling sapphire blue water, pale blue skies, deep green pine-covered islands widely spaced so the sailboats have room to move. We had an excellent lunch of ripe tomatoes and avocados, and in a few minutes we plan to drop the anchor in Eagle Bay. We’ll dangle our feet in the icy water and bop around a bit in our dinghy.

We’re out for about eight days. The challenge this time is to eat the vegetables and fruit in ripening order. Usually we plan our meals around the meat, but now we have to plan them around the vegetables. We have to eat everything before crossing the border because the U.S. doesn’t allow them to enter. Tonight we’ll have the corn on the cob.

We had two social activities this weekend - twelve boaters had dinner at the Anchor Inn in Little Current on Saturday and fourteen boaters gathered on a large trawler in Amedroz Bay Sunday evening. The first was a spontaneous dinner, because we all kept inviting others until it became a party. We put the six men at one end of the table and the six women at the other. It was a great opportunity to get to talk with the other women. 

At Amedroz, there were seven trawlers anchored in the bay (plus two sailboats). It was a day to celebrate for Richard, the captain of Adria. A year ago he had had a heart attack on board, but he survived and yesterday he celebrated his Alive Day. They invited all of us onto their boat for refreshments, and it gave us another opportunity to meet more boaters on the North Channel. They are not all doing the Great Loop. Some spend the summer up here on their boats, moving each week to new anchorages. Some live nearby in Michigan or Canada and are only traveling short distances, and some are nearing the end of their Loop. 

Monday afternoon: Now we are anchored in a beautiful spot - Eagle Bay. There’s tall grass in the bay, at least 20 feet long and it almost reaches the surface. You have to be careful that your anchor is actually sunk into the bottom, not just around the grass, or else it won’t hold. As isolated as it is, perhaps the bears and moose will come to the edge of the land so we can see them, and perhaps the Northern Lights will put on a show. Chances for seeing these things are diminishing, but we are still hopeful.

In Amedroz Bay

Sunday July 26

Brian and Pearl

Entering Little Current

Canadian style lighthouse

For what it's worth -- Little Current is a misnomer.  Having watched boats bouncing off each other due to the massive current swatting them around -- the term "little" doesn't seem quite right!

Collins Inlet

This is the most spectacular so far.  We both believe it should be a mandatory path if you're doing the loop.  

The Bustards

After fighting 40 mph winds and 5 foot seas for 3 hours we were

rewarded with this anchorage. Wow!

What were you thinking?

There were many homes on small, windswept islands.  Why would you do that?  What were you thinking?

Mayfly hatch at Snug Harbor

Geese and seagulls rushing to catch the mayflies

Exploring Five Mile Bay

Sunset at Port Rawson

Morning at Go Home Bay

Little Current

Saturday, July 25, 2015

We think it’s Saturday, but we’re no longer sure. We went to the farmers’ market here in Little Current this morning, so it's probably Saturday.

After Pentanguishene, we wanted to see how long our water supply and pump-out would last. We carry almost 150 gallons of fresh water and the waste tank holds 32 gallons. So far we’ve made it past ten days. Even so, tomorrow we’ll fill up and pump out before we head off for another ten days in the North Channel all the way to Sault St. Marie, Canada. It is a good way to learn to conserve.  

People tell us that the North Channel is even prettier than Georgian bay, and we are almost ready to believe them. If you like blues and greens (and you know I do), you will love it up here. The scenery really has become more beautiful as we travel northwest, but the most beautiful place we have seen so far is Collins Inlet. It’s a narrow river through a granite gorge, with sparkling dark blue water and pines that grow right to the water’s edge. 

We are at a marina in Little Current for two nights. That means groceries, laundry, wash the boat, tidy up, vacuum, put out the trash and recycling, catch up on e-mail and do online things. Brian is putting Clorox in our air conditioners. This morning at 9:00 we went to the Little Current Cruisers’ Net radio program on VHF channel 71. First Roy gives the weather forecast and the news. It’s the first news I’ve heard in several weeks, other than the NY murderers on the loose, and it was mostly Canadian news anyway. Then all the boats within hailing distance call in to give their names and locations. About 148 boats called in this morning, and Roy keeps a log in case the Coast Guard needs to locate anyone. We called in on Friday and we’ll call in again tomorrow morning at 9:00 when we are under way. 

We’re having dinner with ten other Loopers/Nordic Tug owners tonight. 

Hopewell Bay to The Bustard Islands, Gun Barrel Bay

Wednesday, July 22

It’s noon and we are very glad to be here. We left around 6:30 this morning to cross the Georgian Bay “on the outside” before the winds pick up this afternoon, but it was a very choppy crossing with swells up to 5 feet. It’s still windy here in this anchorage, but the anchor is dug-in well and we are set for the rest of the day. 

From where I sit on our boat, the waves seem to have three layers - the big rolling swells underneath, the crests that rise up to make the whitecaps, and tiny wavelets on top that add texture to the surface of the sea. When the swell and the crest coincide, they collide on the boat and burst over the top.

It is surprising how many summer cottages and people there are up here. We expected it to be more isolated, but every anchorage has at least one or two boats in it and every island (there are 30,000) has a tiny house on it. Some of them raise the question, "What were you thinking?” when you put your house here? Some of the houses are built on isolated, windswept boulders with just a few scraggly pines leaning heavily away from the prevailing wind. No way.

The days up here don’t get any shorter, even though in Connecticut we passed the longest day a month ago. Daybreak is around 4:30 and darkness is around 9:30. Perhaps our northerly course is keeping up with the sun’s course, but I cannot figure this out.

From Snug Harbor to Hopewell Bay, Ontario

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Today we awoke to thousands of mayflies covering the boat. It rained several times yesterday evening, but it had stopped before it got dark. Mayflies hatch at sundown, which is around 9:30 up here, and we were already tucked inside by then so we didn’t notice anything until we got up this morning. Since they live for only one day, it seemed a shame to hose them off immediately, but around 10:30 Brian finally went out and hosed them off. Seagulls and Canadian geese swarmed around the boat to nip them off the surface of the water. A real feast! The good thing is that the mayflies stayed outside. They got into and under everything, but they don’t bite and can easily be picked off and thrown into the water. 

In Snug Harbor, we went in the dinghy to an excellent restaurant called Gilly’s. I had fish chowder and a berry salad, and Brian had fish and chips. It was well worth the trip; probably the best restaurant-meal we’ve had on this trip. The man there told us that this was the first day of the annual week-long Mayfly hatch (but luckily as we traveled northwest, they did not travel with us). 

Five Mile Bay, Ontario, Canada

Sunday afternoon, July 19, 2015

Scenery, scenery, scenery. It’s everywhere and there’s no escape. It’s ooh and aah scenery that you just want to hold in your eyes and keep forever. This afternoon it’s boulders covered by pine trees peeking out of clear blue water with blue skies above and puffy white clouds. There’s a turtle sunning himself on a rock and a beaver den on the shore. The birds are chirping, a cicada is singing, and the wind is swooshing through the leaves. Today was cloudy and dreary until the late afternoon, but then the brilliant sun came out. There are no filters in the air; just pure sunshine. If it stays clear tonight, it will be an excellent time to see the zillion stars.

We are anchored in a pretty little bay off Five Mile Bay off Georgian Bay in Ontario. The only downer is the abundance of flies, big ones, little ones, and medium-sized ones. We closed the screens the moment we stopped to keep them out. If they do get in, we have this cool zapper that looks like a tennis racket and fries the little pests in its net. A fellow-looper gave it to us yesterday in exchange for a snubber. 

Now that it’s evening, the only civilization we can see is a short dock with a blue boat and a red canoe. Sunday afternoon on the water in Canada is like Sunday afternoon on the roads in America, except the vehicles are fast little shallow-draft boats instead of motorcycles. They don’t have to use charts to dodge the rocks like we do; they just enjoy the ride. 

I am looking forward to having wi-fi so I can communicate again. Our daughters are painting their apartment walls on the east coast and on the west coast. We are reading lots of books.

Go Home Bay

Saturday, July 18, 2015

I am writing this while we’re traveling on the boat, but won’t post it for several days because we are anchoring in gorgeous harbors until next weekend.

Rain and high winds were in the forecast on Thursday, so we found a small inlet and anchored for two nights. At first it was another beautiful day and we thought we might have stopped too soon, but by Friday morning, it was raining continuously. It never got as windy as predicted, but we were glad to be in a sheltered spot anyway. 

During our rain delay, the challenge was to stay occupied. The complicating factor for me in the early morning was that Brian slept until 10:30 - after going to bed at 9:30 the night before! I think he may have reached another plateau of relaxation and I hope he can maintain it. I was very quiet until he got up. During the day I pulled out every activity I had packed: magazines, crossword puzzles, books, drawing, crocheting. Brian washed the windows outside and inside, letting the rain rinse the soap off the outside windows. He collected all the spiders and their webs and threw them overboard. We have heard that we should only get spiders on board when we’re at a dock, not when we’re at anchor. Brian had just enough reception on his cellphone to be able to take a conference call at 5:00.  I defrosted the fridge and made a good dinner of turkey-burgers and ramen slaw. The slaw recipe is big enough for a dozen people, however, so we might have to eat it for several days.

We’ve noticed boats, plants and animals unique to each area we’ve visited. Here in Georgian Bay, beautiful tall pines grow right out of the boulders. There are summer cottages on many of the boulders, with lots of common orange daylilies and Queen Anne’s Lace surrounding the houses. The boats are small fishing boats with shallow keels that zip around without any regard for the scary rocks below. We see lots of loons in the water (they sound exactly like Katherine Hepburn). There are also bullfrogs that sing in the night.

Today it’s very foggy with about 1/4 mile visibility. Brian has to steer by radar through these islands, with or without fog, because unless you are a native to the area, you have to rely on the radar to see what’s underneath as well as what’s nearby. I do not like the fog. It is tummy-clenching and heart-stopping, slow going and nerve-wracking. A local cruiser called “Refuge” offered to guide us through the narrow passages, and we took him up on it. Many of the channels are so narrow that only one boat at a time can go through; you wait in one of the larger areas until it’s clear.

Georgian Bay

We're off to spend the next few weeks on the Georgian Bay.  It's the largest fresh water bay in the world and is said to have over 40,000 islands, and more than that in rocks that call for you to bounce off!  A new friend we've met since arriving told us that the saying on the Georgian Bay is that boaters are divided into those who have hit bottom and those that will!  We're hoping to be among the lucky few who can say they never did.  Our plan is to anchor every night and find the most desolate anchorages possible.  Ellen wants to see the Northern Lights and I'm hoping to see skies filled with stars.

While at the Beacon Bay Marina these past three nights we have met some wonderful local folks.  Their willingness to share their experience, loan us their car for groceries or just sit around for with a cocktail and share stories has been incredible.  If the rest of Georgian Bay is like this -- we're in for quite an adventure in deed.

Pearl cruising down the Trent Severn

Ellen's birthday!

Lock 21 -- Peterborough Lift Lock

First month now over :(

June 30 - July 4

Brandon, Hermione and Ellen joined us on June 30 at Picton, Ontario. The next day Brandon and Hermione went off in their car to explore while we took Ellen with us on the boat to Trenton. No locks that day. That was the day we saw the full rainbow over Trenton harbor, Venus and Jupiter together in the night sky, a huge full moon, and fireworks. Couldn’t have been better. 

The next day we did the first 8 locks of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Brandon and Hermione stayed on board, and we were all pretty tired by the end of the day. The other two days they went exploring in their car while Brian and I traveled alone, but they joined us in the afternoons to spend the evenings on the boat.


Friday, July 3, 2015 - Percy Reach (Lock 8) to Hastings (Lock 18)

For some reason, July 3 was awful. Lots of little things went wrong. It started between locks 8 and 9 when we discovered that one of our red ball fenders was missing ($80). Don’t know how that happened. Around noon we stopped in Campbellford, a nice little town, but we should not have gone into the grocery store there. It’s a very small store, and everyone in the whole town was there. We bought just a few things, but the lines were long and we were both tied in knots by the time we left. At the next lock there was a 45 minute delay while we waited for another boat - that never came. At another lock, there were already two boats waiting, so we had to wait a complete cycle before we could go through.

At another lock, NINE Seadoos were already in the lock, tied onto the starboard side. Pearl “prop-walks” to starboard, so we prefer to tie up on that side too, but we had to tie up on port. Before I could secure the boat onto the metal line, she started to pull away from the wall. Brian put it into gear, but our stern swung into the middle of the lock. It was a scary moment, but we quickly got it under control and no one was crushed, thank goodness! I know I screamed, but I keep hoping that no one heard me. Later in the day the current pushed our starboard side into the jetty that separates the dam from the canal, making an enormous noise but not damaging the boat. The current is very swift there, and it got us. Finally, at the very end of the day, as I was getting into bed, I banged my head on the low overhang, and at that point I just wanted the day to end. 


Saturday, July 4, 2015 - Hastings to Peterborough

On July 3, Nan and Brian traveled from Portland, Oregon, to Toronto to join us on the 4th - not a holiday in Canada. We met at the Peterborough Marina around 2:00. Brandon, Hermione and Ellen arrived, too, but they had a campsite nearby. We decided to walk to lock 21, the Peterborough lift lock, since we were going through it the next day. It raises and lowers boats 65 feet in two things like parallel bathtubs, adding water to make one heavier so it goes down while removing water from the other one so it rises. We climbed the stairs to the top. The lock master was very friendly, especially when he found out that it was almost my birthday, and he let us see everything up close. For me it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Later, to celebrate the Fourth of July, we had ice cream at supper time, then ate chalupies and sat on top of the boat to listen to the outdoor concert. The mosquitos chased us inside around 9:00.


Sunday, July 5, 2015

My birthday was wonderful. I got to have breakfast with Brandon, Hermione, Ellen, Nan, Brian, and of course, my Brian. We bought a new red fender. Brandon’s family left and the rest of us continued west in the canal- including the Peterborough lift lock. Late in the afternoon we had cake in Lakefield and Brian Wagner played his guitar for us on top of the boat. A perfect evening.


July 8, 2015 - Fenelon Falls, Ontario

Very little internet and plenty of company has kept us from posting on our blog lately. It’s hard to believe, but the first month of our trip is already over. It has been wonderful. We had visits with Nelson, then Brandon, Hermione and little Ellen, then Nan and Brian Wagner. We saw Lynn and Kevin Dempsey near Lake Ontario, and met lots of neat people who are also doing The Loop. We’ve traveled 814 miles and gone through 63 locks.

Tonight we are in Fenelon Falls, Ontario, above lock 33 on the Trent-Severn Waterway. Yesterday we dropped off Nan and Brian at Bobcaygeon (lock 32) - a really fun word to say - Bobcaygeon, Bobcaygeon. They were heading to Niagara Falls and on to Tanglewood. We continued on through pouring rain to this cute little town. It is full of happy Canadian vacationers and the canal is filled with houseboats full of big families. In Canada the lock masters help the houseboats tie up in the locks, while in America they are not allowed to give any advice or aid. I suspect, however, that most of the houseboat drivers are beginners, so Canada has decided that it is better to help them before anything goes wrong instead of after. The water is clear and cool and fresh. 

Two nights ago the mosquitos were HORRIBLE! We were at lock 30, Lovesick, sitting on top of the boat with Nan and Brian when it got dark around 8:45. On some sort of signal, all the mosquitos in Ontario came out to attack us! We raced inside and slammed all the doors, but many had already entered. Brian and Brian spent a couple of hours playing “swat the mosquitos”, and by then several other species had also come inside. Nan got the most bites. The next night we closed up every window and screen before 7:30 and successfully kept them out. The mosquitos are not bad here because they probably do mosquito control in the towns.

We have a few more days on the Trent-Severn Waterway, including Kirkfield, the second highest lift lock in the world and the highest point on the canal at 840 feet, plus the Big Chute where we will put the boat onto some kind of train to cross over the rocks. 


Friday, July 10, 2015 - Lake Simcoe

Lake Simcoe - one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Deep blue water, so clear we can see the fish below. Cool but not so cold that we couldn’t go swimming. Quiet, but lots of people are nearby in small boats for the weekend, spaced far apart. Naps, novels and a wonderful dinner of lamb chops, leftover pad Thai, corn on the cob, and fresh tomatoes. We are anchored in the southeast corner of the lake, loving it - but mindful that in a few months it will be frozen solid and probably covered with ten feet of snow.

Trent Severn Waterway Lock 8 -- our favorite so far!

Clouds over Lake Ontario

Idyllic

Life aboard Pearl is pretty amazing when Brian and Nan Wagner are aboard!

Canada Day Extraordinary Events July 1

 Canada Day in Canada!

Yesterday we witnessed a combination of the most extraordinary sights. After a cold and drizzly day, we had a rainbow in the late afternoon. Not just a sliver of a rainbow, but a full half-circle rainbow, reaching from one side of the harbor to the other and showing colors I have never seen. As evening came on, the full moon rose, so beautiful in the clear, cool summer sky. Then, as if a rainbow and a full moon weren’t enough, little Jupiter and big Venus were visible side by side in the night sky! Finally, to cap it all off, we watched a fabulous fireworks display to celebrate Canada Day! Oh Canada!

We've made it to Canada

Tuesday, June 30, 2015 - Thousand Islands, NY, to Picton, Ontario

Over the weekend we were in the Thousand Islands area of New York on the St. Lawrence River. A beautiful place with water so clear you could see twenty feet down. Big puffy clouds over the river and a house on every inch of the shoreline. Clayton, NY, is the home of the Antique Boat Museum. Brian spent 4-1/2 hours there and I spent about 2. It’s filled with gorgeous wooden boats, canoes and skiffs. At their dock there’s a 1900 houseboat and in another building, there are boats that competed for the world’s speed record. We highly recommend this museum and the town. It’s where Thousand Island salad dressing was invented, so we bought some.

The biggest topic of conversation in the 1000 Islands was the two escaped murderers who were hiding out somewhere in upstate New York. We got all this news the old fashion way - through gossip in the laundromat and shops. It was the only thing anyone talked about. Thankfully it’s over.

We’ve gotten into a nice routine of cooking a scrumptious dinner on the boat, eating together, and cleaning up afterwards, but on Saturday evening we went to a nearby restaurant to get a pizza. It took more than an hour to get the pizza, but we sat at the bar and were entertained the whole time by the fleet of young people racing around, filling drink orders and serving customers. It was certainly more exciting than eating alone on the boat!

Monday we got an early start and headed up to Boldt Castle on Heart Island in the middle of the St. Lawrence River. Mr. Boldt started building the house for his wife around 1900, but she died in 1904 and he stopped abruptly. The exterior was finished, but the inside was only started. Now it’s owned by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority and in 1977 they began working on the interior. It is beautiful, but they finish only about one room each year. When you drive in Canada, this is where your toll money goes.

Pearl has been reliable and comfortable. Canadians LOVE our boat! We’ve had only two problems so far. One concerned the world’s tiniest toggle switch; it was in the wrong position and we were reading the battery power wrong, so we accidentally drained the solar batteries without knowing it. We got them back up and running. Another time the boat screamed when Brian turned it on. After turning everything off and reading lots of manuals, he discovered that the problem was that he had not started up the systems in the right order. So he restarted and everything was fine.

We arrived in Canada Monday afternoon around 2:30. You couldn’t tell any difference in the river and there was no boundary, but the chart said we were there. After we tied up at the marina, Brian called Canadian Customs on a pay phone inside and spoke with a young man. Within moments of giving our names, the young man knew our passport numbers and everything about us. The only thing he didn’t know was the hull number of our boat, so I had to run back down to the boat to get it. That’s all there was to it. 

I hadn’t really focused on the fact that we would be in a foreign country. My cell-phone plan is now $2 a minute. No more phone calls. Our credit card charges about $10 whenever we use it, so no more credit card charges. We have a certain amount of Canadian money, but not enough for a month of travel, so we’ll have to work that out. The people have that slight Canadian accent, and the three that we met on Monday were very friendly. When we attached our Canadian flag to the boat, our dock-neighbors sang their national anthem. Besides the American flag on its pole, we have only enough clips for one other flag, so we have had to temporarily remove Connecticut. We’ll put it back up when we leave, or we’ll get more clips. 

We’re back to wearing sweaters and sox, and sleeping under the big comforter. I don’t know if it’s because we’re so far north or just a cool weather pattern. It rains frequently. On the Erie Canal, a section is closed again due to high water - for two weeks! We are well past there, thank goodness, but I feel bad for those boaters.

We’ve left all ten fenders tied on ever since we entered the Erie Canal, so tying up at a wall or dock is quick and easy. The boat does not look as ship-shape as it should, but all the other Great Loop boats are like this too. Soon we’ll begin the Trent-Severn Waterway with its 43 locks, and with five fenders on either side, we are ready. 

Brian and I walked to the grocery store in Picton this afternoon. It rained, and then it rained some more. Brandon, Hermione and Ellen arrived around dinner-time. Tomorrow is Canada Day and we’re heading up to Trenton where the canal begins. 

Boldt Castle and a paddlewheeler visiting her.

Trenton, Ontario for Canada Day

Parallel parking on steroids!