We got up around 8:00am and began preparing for our departure. Our plan was to head east to Gananoque for the day and then decide what to do once we arrived in that area. Things always take a bit longer to do than you think they would so it was pressing up against noon by the time we cast off from the dock. The hot weather was continuing so there was not enough wind to make putting up the sails worthwhile. We motored through the channel between Wolfe Island and the mainland and stayed in the outside channel to Gananoque.

We arrived at our destination about 3:30. Thunderstorm warnings were being forecast for the area so we decided to check in to the Town Marina for the night. Gananoque has a great marina, it is very clean, with long finger docks (that’s important to anyone with a boat over 25’ long) and friendly and helpful staff. There are a lot of marinas (Kingston included) that only have short finger docks and it is hard to dock up to them in a wind and to keep the back end of the boat from bumping up against your neighbor.

Once the boat was secured we set out towards the local boating supply store—for what else, but more boating supplies! We arrived there just in time to meet the owner heading towards his car. Closed for the day—see you tomorrow. As it turns out they do not carry what I was looking for anyway. Well, we needed the exercise after “being at sea” all day. We walked through the town and found the downtown area. It had been quite a while since I was in Gananoque so I could not remember at all what it was like. The downtown was small but really nicely done. Lots of small and very interesting stores. We found a small country market store and Rachel bought this awesome raspberry pie. You know me, I have never met a desert that I didn’t like J. We took another walking route back to the marina and went past the Town Hall, which was the former home of the founder of the Town and then past a beautiful little park with a small pond, a fountain and swans.

The evening weather turned out to be ideal. Light winds and clear skies. We BBQ’d supper and dined on the aft deck. After dinner Brent presented me with another surprise—a beautiful cigar humidor full of fabulous cigars. We cracked open another bottle of wine and I had a wonderful after-dinner cigar. After the sun went down we also discovered that the mosquitoes were looking for dinner too. We had armed ourselves with Deep Woods Off, a large citronella candle and mosquito coils—but we forgot that we were dealing with tough country insects. They went past all of our barriers like they didn’t even exist and prepared to burrow in. After swatting for 20 minutes we gave up and headed inside the cabin for the night. Time for bed anyways, more adventure beckons tomorrow!  

Still anchored in Navy Bay. I intended to stay there another night until a late afternoon squall blew through Kingston and just about layed Ananda over on her side. This was the wildest thing I had ever been in on any boat. I had been staining and varnishing in the galley all day so there were lots of things out of the cupboards, etc.

What a mess after the wind hit! Pounding rain, hail and wind gusts over 30 knots. On the 2^nd or 3^rd major gust Ananda’s anchor lost it’s hold, cupboard doors in the galley flew open and I started drifting towards the shore. I immediately started up the engine and began to slowly motor away from the shore and towards the center of the little bay. My anchor was all on chain (rather than rope) so I was not too worried about getting it caught up in the propeller because any slack chain that resulted from me moving Ananda would immediately settle to the bottom and I could pass over it without difficulty.

After about 15-20 minutes (which seemed like forever!) the storm finally passed on and the wind dropped to next to nothing. The marine weather radio continued to issue additional severe thunderstorm warnings for the area and they were talking about tornado warnings in the Cornwall area – about 90 miles east of Kingston. That was enough for me. I pulled up the anchor and headed to the City marina. I had had all the excitement I wanted for one day. Plus, I needed the night to clean up the mess!

Still anchored in Navy Bay. Today was quite pleasant, with light winds and lots of sunshine. I spent the day cleaning up the boat and getting ready for Brent and Rachel Temmer’s arrival. CFB Kingston operates a cadet camp at the base on Navy Harbour. Part of the cadet camp includes a sailing school. It was fun watching all of the kids out in their dinghies sailing around marker buoys, capsizing occasionally and generally having a ball. I was very tempted to call over to them and ask if I could join in on the fun. Across the harbour is Old Fort Henry.

Today is Catherine’s birthday. I’ll keep the number a secret but I can tell you that she is just more beautiful to me as each day goes by. On June 15 we celebrated our 19^th wedding anniversary and we have been together as a couple since 1986. Other than my business trips to Australia and the UAE, this trip will be the longest stretch of time we have ever been apart—and up until the end of July we’re both still in the same province! We had a lot of fun together in Toronto for the Canada Day weekend but that’s probably it until I reach Nova Scotia or New Brunswick. Catherine and I have always supported each other in our individual pursuits. Her personal passion is yoga and mine is sailing. It means a great deal to me that Catherine is supporting me in accomplishing my sailing dreams. Happy Birthday, my love!

 

Today is a double-whammy day. I am missing Catherine’s birthday and Steve has to leave for Ottawa today in order to catch his flight home on Friday. We got up early and showered and did laundry. After that we walked up to the boating store to buy some hardware supplies that I needed to help stabilize the dingy davits.

Steve rented a car and drove me to the local Home Depot to return some plumbing parts that I had bought in Coburg and ended up not needing to complete the installation of the new heads. Then he brought me back to the marina and headed off to Ottawa. We had an awesome time together. The only thing that would have made it better would have been if he could have stayed a few days longer and brought his daughter (and my grand daughter) Zoe with him. Oh well, we can always plan on next year’s journey & Zoe will be ready to visit a castle!