Off the Big Waters

We've crossed the big lake (Huron) and big bay (Georgian) and worked our way down through some beautiful anchorages to Severn and the start of the Trent-Severn Waterway which will take us to Lake Ontario.

Georgian Bay is amazing. The waters are dotted with islands, mostly made up of granite rock, some with trees and some just bare, many with delightful cottages built upon them. It has the same vegetation as the Boundary Waters in northern Minnesota and the Adirondacks. We've heard loons and found some pink lady slippers (the state flower of MN!).










 We had dinner on Tuesday night at Henry's Fish Restaurant - we were the only ones there till two fishermen arrived late.

The weather's been good and everything is working well: boat and crew. Sally

And on to the Trent-Severn

Wow, we are ahead of schedule and everything still works, even our new TV antenna system so we might even be able to watch some of the Olympics. Yesterday we were in yet another picture perfect anchorage in Georgian Bay, the kind of idyllic spot that would have had six boats already there in high season. Today we are docked just above the first lock in Severn, ready to do the transit to Trent. 

But, the big news is just how well my new buddy Wes is working out. He took the helm more than his share during our two big crossings and agrees with me almost all the time about important boat stuff like filter micron size, sail vs. power, anchor types, cruising weapons, one engine vs. two, etc. He even got a little jealous when I told him how much I cared about my worms, just to show how close we have become. He’s just about perfect, and look how happy he is! I still miss Jennifer, David and Adam, though. No one will ever take their places, not even Wes. Capt. Jeff

Oh Canada!

Well, we made it across Lake Huron to Tobermory, a cute little town at the tip of the Bruce Peninsula, where we are anchored in a beautiful little bay. The weather forecast for the crossing was a little dicey, but didn't include any big waves so we went for it. A storm chased us for a while, then apparently lost interest and passed south of us, leaving us only sprinkles. All of the boat parts are still functioning, including the new water pump that Westin helped me install the other day. Oops, I should say "Wes," not Westin. He hates to be referred to as Westin because his full name, Westin Marne makes him sound so much like a commercial for WEST MARINE, the most well known and respected boating supply company in the world, with almost 400 stores in the US and Canada. He doesn't want to toot their horn, so he's asked us to call him "Wes." Maybe he will work out. At least he doesn't eat much. Capt. Jeff

Off to Harrisville, MI!

The boats were ready and the crews of Odyssey and Adirondack were ready and the weather cooperated - so early this morning we motored out the marina near AuGres and headed out onto Lake Huron.

 It started out coolish, but the sun came out and we had no waves and a good run north to Harrisville where we topped off with diesel fuel and will spend the night before heading 80 miles across the lake to Canada tomorrow.

 Jeff is warming up to Westin. Jeff worked hard the past few days installing a new bike rack on the port side and scuba tank holders on the swim step on the back. His designs all worked out well with a minimum of frustration and off-color language. Yesterday he decided to replace the water pump and it did not go smoothly. There are only two bolts, but they were difficult to see and despite a large number of tools on the boat (tools come on a boat and never go off), we didn't have a 15 mm socket wrench. A large set of sockets came with a 14 mm and a 17 mm, but not the two in between. Luckily Greg had a 16 mm which worked (and we'll be looking for a 15 mm to have in stock). Westin was a great help - he is small and could get into the tight places in the engine room and his feet light up - very handy. So Jeff is warming up to the idea of having a crew member. He says he still has some reservations though. Sally

Moving Aboard

Adirondack is in the water and we're just about done cleaning him up and putting away all the stuff and things we brought with us. Tonight we'll sleep on board - sheets are on the bed in the back cabin with the pine tree quilt, the water tank is full, all systems seem to be working. Tomorrow we'll go grocery shopping to provision the larder. The plan is to move north to Harrisville on Saturday and if the weather is good, to cross Lake Huron on Sunday. We've had a lovely stay at Spyglass - Greg and Sally Odyssey's beautiful house on the lake. We're excited they'll be cruising with us to Quebec City. Sally

New Wrinkle

We're in AuGres, Michigan getting "Adirondack" ready for the big journey. This includes cleaning, provisioning, testing, fixing things and installing the new bike rack and scuba tank rack. We hope to get going on Saturday where we'll stage at Harrisville. But that's not all that interesting.

What has really got us thinking is a possible crew addition. Westin Marne, the guy who modeled for the cake at our party, showed up yesterday and wants to go along. He has a fairly impressive resume, having piloted for some guy named Robert Wagner and a cruise ship company in the Mediterranean. Sally is pretty excited about it, thinking that extra hands will be really handy in the locks. He seems nice, but I'm having reservations. Take a look at his photo. If you ever saw this guy on a wanted poster in a post office, let us know.
Capt. Jeff

Triple Celebration

Last Sunday we had a great get together. We celebrated our combined birthday age of 125 years, Sally's retirement after 37 years in pediatrics and Bon Voyage for our upcoming trip. The weather was beautiful and it was great to see so many friends. The carrot cake was delicious and well decorated with a Lego boater and Playmobile pediatrician! David and Adam both came home for the weekend to help out, making it a wonderful Mother's Day. Our home, Dry Dock, got cleaned and the bedroom floor was finally visible all the way to the edges. The piles of stuff are migrating into boxes and duffles - my yarn collection out weighs my clothes, which just shows what is really important.  Sally

Getting Ready

The study is filling up with charts, cruising guides, bedding, bags, lists and more piles. We will be heading over to the boat at the end of the month to get him in the water and ready for our next adventure - the Down East Loop! Last fall we moved Adirondack, our Monk 36 trawler, from Bayfield, WI in the beautiful Apostle Islands of Lake Superior to Au Gres, MI on Lake Huron. He spent the winter in a lovely big barn with lots of other boats, will get new bottom paint and be ready to be put in the water when we arrive. Then it's across Lake Huron, through Ontario on the Trent-Severn Waterway to Lake Ontario, out the St Lawrence, around the Maritime Provinces and down the coast of Maine. We plan to continue down the East Coast and leave the boat down South in late fall. It will be a whole new adventure! Sally