Jayne and I departed Picton and the Prince Edward Cruising Club under an unusually drizzly sky, it had been so far this summer baking hot and dry all over South Eastern Ontario. We motor sailed 30 miles East to Kingston, anchoring in Navy Bay which lies between the Royal Military College and Fort Henry.
Along with the sailing school the sun was out the following day and we upped anchor and sailed past Cedar Island to enter the St Lawrence River, aided by a slight down stream current. Our destination: The 1000 Islands and the private island and cottage of our friends Susan & Robert, we had last visited almost 10 years ago to the day, the first summer we owned Phantasia.
As the temperature soared to 30 then 35+ we spent idyllic days on the island or on Phanty anchored just off shore, swimming, lounging and enjoying the excellent company. Robert took us in the their aluminum skiff the few miles into Gananoque to do some provisioning and look around town. Evenings were spent over dinner, we brought corn from Prince Edward County and fresh salmon from St. Lawrence Market in Toronto, so we took turns making dinners. When the evening meals were over Robert brought out his guitar and entertained, now 6 of us, Larry and Peggy from Toronto having arrived.
After 4 wonderful, relaxing days at the island we sailed to Wolfe Island, anchoring at Irvine Bay. Initially there were a couple of other boats there, but they soon departed leaving the bay ours to explore and enjoy alone. Walking to the south side of the island we discovered an abandoned farm over run with milk weed and monarch butterflies and a lovely stone church set among groves of bitternut and shagbark hickory trees.
Overnight a praying mantis took refuge on Phanty’s stern and we carefully carried him ashore at Barrett Bay, Marysville on Wolfe Islands south side, Jayne gently released him on a green bush matching his colour, I think he smiled at us. Marysville was a fun stop, a bit like the West Coast of B.C. used to be before it became so “jet-set”. From the boat we enjoyed the music, drifting across the harbour, from a local acoustic duo performing at the Island Grill, oddly almost no one was anchored here, they’re missing out.
A windy, bouncy night spent at anchor off of Simcoe Islands south side and a blustery sail to Kerr Bay where we spent a final night before returning to Picton.