June-July 2002 … first “cruise” to 1000 Islands.
We packed a lot into 2 weeks including near disaster. Departure from Etobicoke Yacht club June 22 in calm but threatening weather. This trip we are carrying a laptop to use “The Cap’n Voyager” as nav tool for the first time. Getting components to communicate takes some patience and trouble-shooting. Peter Evans, captain of Quismat, RVYC Vancouver, with us for early part of trip.
First stop: Frenchman’s Bay, Pickering, anchorage. The bay is shallow, but buoyed, with great holding and one of the few natural anchorages on Lake Ontario. Excellent spot for some early morning painting.
June 23 arrive in Cobourg. From here we take the “inside” route: Brighton Bay, Murray Canal, Bay of Quinte, Long Reach, Prinyers Cove to Kingston.
A visit to Kingston not complete without dinner at Chez Piggy and lunch at PanChancho. Old Fort Henry historic enactments and mascot David above. Once in the 1000 Islands group the number and assortment of boats increases dramatically.
While there are small docks at provincial parks designated islands we anchor off what we affectionately call MacPherson Is. summer home of wonderful friend and dancer, Susan MacPherson. Instead of venturing further into the Islands we back-track to pastoral Howe and Amherst Islands.
Our first night, July 6, in Stokes Bay, Amherst we rafted with a Nonsuch at the small fish dock but had to retreat to cabin with all hatches and ports closed because of furious mosquitoes: there is a beautiful marsh nearby. Effects of a forest fire in northern Quebec made the sun a dim globe and the air acrid. Our second day we anchored in good sand bottom away from mozzies for swimming and fishing.
Route from Amherst to Waupoos, Prince Edward County was a beat into 20-25kn with the stay sail deployed. Fresh eggs and fruit available from nearby farms but we didn’t make it to the any vineyards developing in the “county”. We anchored in gravely South Bay July 9 while preparing for trip to Main Duck our last planned stop before turning back for outside route return to Lake Ontario.
The lighthouse at Long Point Hbr. marks the top end of Prince Edward County.
Main Duck is an exposed limestone island dividing the shipping channel as it nears the St Lawrence River. At the western point of the island the bridge of a sunken ship can be seen and onshore the abandoned estate of John Foster Dulles. After a mostly foggy passage we arrived at Main Duck in sun and southwesterlies. The water is transparent and reflective green, the limestone shoals clearly visible.
The recommended anchorage is Schoolhouse Bay a small but protected spot. A fisherman we met there recommended tying off a tree on a small island in the entrance considering the forecast was 30kn veering to the NE at midnight making the bay just north, where we had anchored, a lee shore in a spot with bad holding. He told stories of pulling boats off that shingle beach. We spent the afternoon swimming and visiting with an American flagged C&C that had been here many times (and claimed to have known Dulles). They seemed unconcerned by the forecast. We set the radar and noted coordinates for leaving if necessary.
WHAT WERE WE THINKING? True to forecast the wind veered and went to 30kn; we were deep in the little bay with another sail boat a bit further out. We spent a very anxious night with the engine running in case we dragged. We turned the radar alarm off since the wave noise caused it to sound constantly. The photo below is at 5:30am after the blow but with significant waves still in the bay as seen by the angle of the mast at top. We watched the C&C circle several times trying to release their anchor and found ours also terribly fouled.
Filled diesel at 11:20 July 12 and left Cobourg for return to EYC.
17:50 Jayne, in cockpit, notes lost all instruments. Mike checks engine panel and no readings…pulls engine stop. Opening up engine compartment reveals engine harness MELTDOWN! Jayne sets sails in very light wind off Oshawa; Mike shuts down all batteries. This is our Bermuda Triangle since 2 years earlier we had lost the rudder off Smoke our C&C 27 just east of here. For much of the next 12 hours we are becalmed but for the last 15nm we hitch “Little’Un along side in a hip position and motor our way right up to our dock. This hook up worked extremely well and with the dingy engine centered and a line running from the engine stop into the cockpit we were able to use Phantasia’s steering.
The starter, panel and wiring were fortunately covered by our insurance company who responded quickly to our emergency. Getting estimates and then repairs took about a month to complete with the final bill coming in over $4,000. We were still living on the boat at this time and were unable to use most of the AC or DC systems. The fridge wiring was undamaged and of course the stove uses propane so we spent a several weeks dining by candlelight and describing our first summer’s sailing adventure to our neighbours at Etobicoke Yacht Club.
We decided to delay our planned world cruise until we had some more experience with the new boat and purchased a small townhouse on Frenchman’s Bay in Pickering.