July 9 2025 – Catch Up Post

July 9, 2025

Slip E 21 – Bay Port Yachting Center
Midland, Ontario – 44°52’03.5″N 79°46’48.9″W

Ahoy!

It’s been a few days since our last blog entry. We’ve been hard at work on the boat, checking off lots of odds and ends. Unfortunately we are still waiting for work to begin in the engine compartment – hopefully that will happen this week. On Monday a service technician from the marina came to the boat and went over our “below decks” project list with me. We have prioritized the items on the list into two main categories – to be done immediately and can wait until September.

This morning I was up at 5:00am to answer the call of nature. We are not using the toilets on board but the washrooms here at the marina are only a few steps away, so it is not a hardship – we just have to get dressed in order to go to the loo. The sunrise was so beautiful that I decided to stay up and treat myself to a cup of coffee on the flybridge and contemplate the day ahead.

Sunrise Over Bay Port Yachting Center, Midland, ON

We are getting quite familiar with the Town of Midland and know our way around to all of the “essential” business locations – Canadian Tire, Home Hardware, Home Depot, Walmart, Loblaws, Salvation Army Community Store (roughly equivalent to the Goodwill stores/donation centers in London) and a wide variety of other businesses. Midland is a really nice town and with a population of about 18,000 it has lots of amenities. Catherine has even joined the YMCA here to make use of the indoor pool and the gym. It’s a good way for her to escape from me and the chaos of the boat for an hour or two several times a week.

Midland YMCA Pool (photo copied from YMCA website)

This past Saturday we went to a Strawberry Tea at St. Paul’s United Church on the main street in Midland. The church is massive and almost 125 years old. The Order of the Eastern Star ladies served tea in delicate China cups, pink lemonade, crustless and pinwheel sandwiches followed by strawberry shortcake.  It brought back a lot of childhood memories for both of us from the 1960s and early 70s – me thinking about mom and dad at our church teas in St. Andrews, NB and Catherine thinking about her Aunt Glenda in London.

Strawberry Tea – Midland United Church

The weather has been hot for the past week with only a few breaks in the heat. Thankfully the boat has air conditioning and that helps quite a bit for sleeping. Older boats are hard to cool and heat because there are so many large windows and very little insulation so the AC was having a very hard time keeping up. Our position on the dock has us facing directly into the mid to late afternoon sun so we are keeping the blue sunbrella coverings on the windshield.

Even with the coverings in place we could still feel the intense heat radiating inside the boat so we removed the sunbrella, covered the windows with tinfoil and then put the sunbrella coverings back in place. That made a huge difference for the AC. Our neighbours were probably wondering what we were doing with the tinfoil – perhaps we should have made some tinfoil hats for ourselves while we were at it. After all, there could be aliens out there trying to probe our brains!

Tinfoil Heat Sunblocker (perhaps Alien mind probes too?)

While we are waiting for work below decks to begin we have been doing some exterior and interior renovations. We also rented a small storage locker at a location close to the marina. We have a lot of stuff onboard that we don’t need right now so getting it out of the way makes it easier for us to get things done. Plus we removed things we don’t want at all.

Chaos On The Flybridge

Chaos In The Aft Cabin

One of our neighbours on the dock asked Catherine if we have anything left onboard – as all he has seen us do is cart loads of stuff off the boat – old microwave, TV, propane stove, cushions, dingy davits, rusted out BBQ, side curtains off flybridge bimini, lawn chairs, etc, etc.

Chaos Exported To Temporary Storage Locker In Midland – More To Come

This week I removed the propane range/oven and replaced it with an electric induction cooktop. For safety reasons we are not comfortable using propane appliances inside the boat – especially when the fuel tank setup does not meet current code and it would cost a lot of money to remedy. The boat has a diesel generator onboard so we basically have “shore power” no matter where we are. As a result it was an easy decision to make the switch to electric.

Propane Stove – Original Installation

Propane Stove Extracted Ready For The Trip To The Storage Locker – For Sale Sign Comes Next!

Our New Electric Induction Cooktop – Sleek & Modern!

I made a set of sliding “drawers” to fit inside the space where the oven used to be. The galley is really nice but there is not much pantry space. Some people may wonder why we would choose to do without an oven on board. My philosophy is that if the food we want can’t be fried, boiled or BBQ’d – then we don’t need it or we can always find a restaurant or a bakery where we can get it!

Our New Pantry Begins Service – I Still Have Drawer Fronts To Make – Maybe Next Week?

Yesterday Catherine decided she wanted to wash the exterior of the boat. She has gone as far as she can (for now) washing the interior so she felt it was time to spruce up the outside. I warned her that washing a boat this size is like scrubbing 10 cars. But hey, who am I to refuse when someone volunteers? She wanted to get going on it while I was doing my cabinet work in the galley.

 

Happily for me washing the exterior of the boat has now officially joined the “pink” job list. For non boaters, “pink” jobs are traditionally done by the ladies and “blue” jobs are done by the guys. The blue jobs are typically the most glamorous – crawling around on your hands and knees inside the engine compartment, fixing leaky plumbing, unplugging blocked toilets, searching for stuff inside storage lockers, etc.

Multitasking – Plumbing In The Galley & Renovations Below Deck

Its been a lot of work getting the boat back into shape but we are enjoying ourselves, or at least we are trying to convince ourselves of that and it is very rewarding at the end of each day to take a step back and feel satisfied with our accomplishments and progress.

Once in a while we take a wee break from our long list of tasks and celebrate the simple things in life. Even after all these years I still know how to show my best gal a good time!

Now, if we can only get out on the water and do some cruising – fingers crossed!

Cheers!

First Cruise – June 26,2025

Slip E 21

Bay Port Yachting Center

Midland, Ontario

44°52’03.5″N 79°46’48.9″W

Ahoy!

Well, today was our first (mini) cruise aboard our “new to us” boat.

She was located at South Bay Cove Marina which is near Port Severn, ON. This marina is about 41 kilometers (by road) to Midland.

Bay Port Marina in Midland is where we will get a mini overhaul of the boat prior to heading off on our summer cruise.

We basically need to replace every hose on the boat for the engines, fuel supply & plumbing. We will also get the engines & all systems thoroughly checked over to ensure full safety & reliability for extended travelling.

Our journey from South Bay  to Midland took us about 90 minutes – to travel around 8 nautical miles. No speed records broken here but none the less, it was very exciting!

The screenshot above shows our route. Even though the traveling distance is considerably shorter by water it took us almost 3 times as long to make the journey.

Fun fact – today was the first time I ever drove this boat!  During the sea trial a few weeks ago I let the previous owner do all the “driving” while I followed the surveyor around as he was checking out all the systems!

It was a bit intimidating backing the boat out of our slip for the first time at South Bay Marina & heading for Midland – especially driving a twin engine boat for the very first time ever, but it wasn’t long before I felt comfortable at the helm & Catherine was there to help me keep an eye on the navigation & boat systems.

Photo above – at the helm for the very first time.

Photo above – slow passage through a “no wake” zone.

The weather on our little voyage was fine. It had been raining pretty steady all day but by the time we started out the rain was over. The sky was overcast  but the winds were relatively light & the water was reasonably calm.

We arrived at the marina slightly ahead of schedule.  It was pretty breezy while we were  docking but Declan, our boat broker was there to greet us along with a couple of other boaters. With their help we were able to get safely tied up without any incident.

All in all we can consider our first journey to be a success. Hopefully there will be many more to follow.

Cheers!

Wally

A New Adventure Begins

South Bay Cove Marina

Port Severn , Ontario

44°52’03.5″N 79°46’48.9″W

Ahoy!

Well, it may be a bit hard to believe but today we acquired a “new-to-us boat”. When we sold “Santosha”, the 34′ Marine Trader trawler I thought that the rest of my boating days would be through occasional self-drive boat charters in different parts of Europe. We did that in France in 2023 and 2024 and we had wonderful adventures each time but the one week boating experience each year left me longing for much more. It’s a hard habit to get over!

In the fall of 2024 I started “casually” looking for another boat. We found a couple that looked promising but they both ended up having problems that we were not willing to take on. And then finally we found a very nice boat in Georgian Bay that was just right for us. It’s a 1987 Albin Trawler, 37′ long. Double cabins, each with their own head and a really well laid out flybridge.

We just took possession of her today (June 23) and are pretty excited about this new adventure. The boat is currently located near Midland, Ontario on Georgian Bay. We have some updating work that needs to be completed prior to starting to cruise with her. Hopefully we can get that work done in the next 7-10 days, then we will be spending the summer exploring the Trent-Severn Waterway.

I’ll be blogging about our work on the boat for the next couple of weeks – including a proper introduction to the boat and then we will start to head “south” from Georgian Bay towards Lake Ontario.

Cheers!

Tuesday,  October 1

Hotel Max Paris 14
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48°49’40.6452″N, 2°19’47.6976″E

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Boulangerie (Bakery) Near Hotel Max
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48°49’40.5480″N, 2°19’49.4652″E

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Charles de Gaulle Paris Terminal 2C
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49°0’8.7804″N, 2°34’37.8624″E

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Air Canada Toronto Pearson Airport
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43°40’38.4708″N, 79°38’3.1020″W

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Via Rail Toronto Union Station
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43°38’44.1744″N, 79°22’45.2280″W

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Via Rail Station London
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42°58’52.8096″N, 81°14’48.5268″W
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Home – 914 Country Club Crescent
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42°56’59.4852″N, 81°14’55.6908″W

Today we head home to London. It’s been a wonderful trip. A bit of a whirlwind on some fronts, but we thoroughly enjoyed our adventures.

It was fitting on our last day in Paris that a miracle happened… Emily was out of bed at 6:00am & on the subway to join us for breakfast at our favourite boulangerie & then come to the airport with us to make sure we got there OK & to say goodbye for now.

Photo above  – we were the first ones in the bakery this morning – there just a couple of minutes after it was opened. The smell of freshly baked breads & pastry delights was amazing!

After our petit dejeuner we walked for  15 minutes from our hotel to the metro station Denfert-Rochereau to catch the RER B train for a 45 minute ride to Charles de Gaulle Airport. We waited for a couple of trains to go by as they were packed full of people going to work and we didn’t want to try to wrestle our suitcases on. Fortunately that train comes every 5 minutes and we were able to get on with our suitcases and get a seat.

We had checked in online yesterday so all we had to do was attach some tags to our checked bags & head on through security.

It was difficult to say goodbye to Emily, knowing that she is going to be living there for a while & not just coming home in a few weeks.

She is pursuing her dream & we are happy for her to have the opportunity to do that.  After all, Catherine & I each did something similar (i. e. moved far away from our parents) when we were around that age, so who are we to suggest that she shouldn’t do the same thing. Besides, Paris is certainly not the worst place to be & the logistics of getting there from London & not as complicated as getting out to Victoria,  BC or somewhere in the USA.

Photo above  – on the plane to Toronto.  I wonder if they’ll be serving us champagne & filet mignon on this flight.

No gastronomic delights on this flight but it arrived in Toronto a few minutes ahead of schedule & we were even able to catch an earlier train home to London.

We were happy to be at home to sleep in our own bed & think about all the wonderful things we have done over the past month.

Tomorrow we’re back to porridge, old clothes & a pile of laundry.

Maybe the day after that, I’ll spend some time taking a closer look at this brochure I picked up along the way.

Cheers!

Where to next?

Monday, September 30

Hotel Max Paris 14
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48°49’40.6452″N, 2°19’47.6976″E

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Emily’s Hotel @ Notre Dame
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48°51’8.8380″N, 2°20’49.4844″E

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Cafe Aux Tour des Notre-Dame
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48°51’13.0104″N, 2°20’58.1856″E

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Luxembourg Gardens Paris
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48°50’44.9700″N, 2°20’14.2332″E

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Restaurant Emily
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48°51’35.5212″N, 2°17’49.0992″E

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Eiffel Tower Photos
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48°51’35.3268″N, 2°17’35.3832″E

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Trocadero Photo Spot
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48°51’37.5588″N, 2°17’29.4828″E

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Hotel Max Paris 14
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48°49’40.6452″N, 2°19’47.6976″E

Today was our last full day in Paris. We took the subway to Notre-Dame to meet Emily. She wanted to show us some of her favourite spots.

Photo above  – Notre-Dame just down the street from Emily’s hotel. Much progress has been made on the restoration since we were here last year.

Photo above – we just missed the Lego tour boat!  Perhaps the next time.

Photo above – coffee at La Tour des Notre-Dame cafe right beside the cathedral.

Photo above  – Emily knows the staff & the owner well. We enjoyed one of their charcuterie plates with our coffee.

Photo above – one of the cathedral’s gargoyles was “spitting” on the tourists when it was raining so workers put a muzzle on it! 🙂

Photo above – we stopped in front of the cathedral for the “obligatory” selfie. It would be nice to have a Euro for every one taken during just one day!

Photo above – our next stop was at the Luxembourg Gardens to enjoy the flowers & the peace & tranquility compared to the hustle & bustle around Notre-Dame.

We all went back to our hotel to rest for a couple of hours prior to heading towards the Eiffel Tower area for an evening dinner & to view the night lights.

Photo above – we are getting quite adept & riding the subway here. People might even mistake us for locals!

Photo above  – it’s interesting to see that several of the renovated stations have installed special glass walls with sliding doors that prevent people from accessing the tracks. These doors only open when the subway train has stopped & opens its doors to let passengers on & off. I wonder if we will start to see this in North America.

Photo above – early in the evening we took the subway to the Eiffel Tower area & had dinner at cafe Emily!

Photo above – dinner was delicious & followed by creme brulee.

Photo above – the Eiffel Tower light show was very impressive. The crowd was unbelievably large & it was chaos getting through the subway station at the Trocadero. We were glad to get back to our hotel.

We have had a great time in Paris viewing the sights with Emily.

We will sleep well tonight & and tomorrow we fly home.

Cheers!