With Ontario’s weather heating up for summer – yesterday it was 37 Celsius, our house renovations, painting etc. have been put on hold, that can wait until fall when things cool down, now is the time to escape the heat and go sailing.
(insert photo gallery) We spent 5 days lazily cruising from Picton, we are based at Prince Edward Cruising Club this year, up Long Reach to anchor at Grassy Point near Deseronto for Canada Day. Deseronto is an interesting, and somewhat overlooked destination. The town and surrounding area was granted to New York State Mohawk supporters of the United Empire Loyalists who moved there after the American Revolution. They put on an amazing fire works display, one of the best we’ve ever seen anywhere. Sadly their marina is now closed, the slips sit empty and the travel lift hovers at the waters edge where is must have stopped after placing the last boat in the water. With the huge up swing in the number of boats in PEC and area we can’t help but wonder if it will be open again soon.
We explored the broad bay where we were anchored by dinghy, it occupies the area from Forrester’s Island to Grassy Point and a long way back into the reeds. We stopped, Jayne painted and I photographed the beautiful blue dragon flys that seem to be abundant this summer. At dusk we battled a wall of mosquitos as we sat in the boats cockpit, finally giving up to retire below where each port is well screened. I think the moon rise from Ram Island anchorage was equal to Canada Day’s fireworks and so much quieter.
Next we took 9 days to make the 60 mile round trip from PECC to Waupoos on the county’s South East shore. Not exactly a hectic pace but we managed to find lots to do and the time passed too quickly. Picton is a great port to sail from, excellent for provisioning as is near by Wellington, also good access to services, this trip begins at picture #11 in the photo gallery, “Rose Bud”. We decided to stop the first day out at Adolphustown, just east of Glenora. It’s another historic loyalist landing site. Creeping in behind Lyons Island we anchored in 10-12 feet, not bothering to try and set the anchor, the best thing is to let it sink into the deep weeds.
The wind got up the following afternoon and pushed us down Adolphus Reach, around Cressy Point and “The Rock” right into the anchorage on the north side of Waupoos Island. We immediately jumped into the cool water, instantly refreshed after a long day under the hot sun. Spaghetti was on the menu accompanied by a fine PEC red!
Hotter days followed hot days as the mid July temperature soared, 28, 29, 30 – 33 that feels like 40. Swimming is superb here, the water is clear and cool, a school of pickerel took up residence under the boat, sheltering from the heat, I watched them watching me as I swam with my mask and snorkel Jayne happily paddled about in her “water wings.”
After 11 years of living and sailing on Phantasia we finally ran out of propane and had to take the tank into Picton to exchange, a nice couple, John and Anne on an Alberg 29 were kind enough to give us a ride into town and back. The orange tin sided Waupoos Marina building used to be a cannery and they display some of the old canning machines along the south wall. We walked up to the Waupoos Cider House for lunch, and a cider, colorful hollyhocks line the road and behind are blue berry fields leading down to the lake.
We spent a final day exploring the Black River, that’s me in picture #25, not Pa Kettle, tying up at the Black River Cheese Factory and then walking up Morrison Point Road to a farm gate market, what colorful mail boxes, there is an artist in that neighborhood.
Please look at the “before and after” pictures, numbers 38 & 39, to see the wonders Jayne and 6 coats of varnish can work on a 35 year old boats floor!
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