Last Update
October 8th, 2005
Don't forget to press 'refresh'
to view any changes!
Our
Adventure Began on September 12th, 2005 as we left Georgian Bay heading South
for
the Caribbean!
We've gone live with our new satellite system and will be
posting updates
with position information as we travel.
Be Sure and Check Back Often!
If you want us to add you to our mailing list to receive the updates in your email, just send us a request here.
September 8th, 2005
He Said:
4 Days and counting…
I must admit, I never anticipated the sadness that would begin to envelope me as our grand adventure drew near. It has been such an amazing summer and Penetanguishene has grown on me so fast… the people, the place, the marina, the dockmaster… it has just been such a good experience overall. Terri & I ventured down the bay tonight for what is possibly our last night anchored out alone together and set in behind Magazine Island in Discovery Harbour for the night. We saw yet another spectacular sunset behind the island… watched another sailboat follow in our wake and anchor beside us to enjoy the same sunset… we barbequed one of Terri’s favorite salmon recipes with rice and grilled Zucchini on the side (covered in fresh Parmesan cheese, no less)… it was definitely time for that best bottle of wine hidden beneath the floorboards… what a way to end a day!
Penetanguishene just felt safe… I mentioned that to Terri tonight… when was the last time we even saw our washboards? Penetanguishene is the first place I’ve spent an entire season and been able to sleep at night without keeping one eye open. It’s that simple… it just feels safe. We never had any instances of feeling danger from someone on the docks at night or otherwise. As much as I’ve been anticipating our next adventure, I’m surprised by how much I feel I’ll miss Penetang. I had a great long weekend with my boys… we went out on a guys weekend… had it’s typical ups and downs, but I think overall, they had a good time and I’m grateful for that. I’ll miss them in the days to come, but I know that the time I spend with them in the future will become even more precious. I will definitely look forward to holidays in February back in Canada… as odd as that sounds!
Our crew is all set to go on Monday morning… everyone is excited and filled with anticipation… it just feels surreal that we have only one more cruise to do this weekend then our season here is over. I’m looking forward to meeting our guests this weekend… I must admit, that is my favorite part of this venture… introducing people to our lifestyle and seeing how they embrace it… everyone seems to gain something positive from it and that is very rewarding!
I am looking forward to beginning the next leg of our journey… but I will miss Penetang.
4 days and counting…
Cheers,
Rick
She Said:
The scent and feel of fall is in the air. Its undeniable, you know that melancholy feeling of the end of the long sweet warm days of summer and the beginning of crisp days that make you feel like you should be preparing for something. You are not even sure what. Used to be school and back to the reality of real life but now its just change I guess, just change from holiday and freedom to schedules and clocks. Even when that is not happening as in our case it’s still that feeling of fall. Unexplainable but a definite feeling we all know.
We are gearing down and very near the end of our charters – our last one is this weekend and its feels strange to have it all end. We just seemed to settle into Penetanguishene and the rhythm of the bay, our favorite islands and anchorages and sailing back and forth. We loved it here. It’s so beautiful and peaceful and safe and cozy in our bay. We decided to sail out and anchor tonight, our last night alone in Penetang before we leave. As we pulled away from the dock and motored down the bay we both just stood and looked around at what we have called home. We both shed a few tears and felt a true sense of sadness and an end to a really good thing. I guess we have been looking forward and working on all the things coming up and we haven’t stopped to look at what we are leaving till now. It feels like one leg of this great journey is over and it was a good one. I wish we had 10 months of summer here in Canada and we could just stay and continue sailing in Georgian Bay. It feels like home and its familiar in its distinctive” Canadian ness”.
The next leg of our journey is so unknown, so new and unfamiliar to us both that it is daunting even as we look forward to it. Even though we have done everything we could to prepare for crossing the border and going through all the locks there is still so much we have no control over that could alter our journey. We are both feeling the stress of the “what ifs” and each trying to come to terms with our own fears and concerns. Ricks are very practical and well thought out issues and mine of course are emotional and feeling based but as we talk and try to understand each others worries it helps in some way to make them not so frightening and all encompassing. It is surprisingly comforting to know that Rick has fears because it makes me feel less alone in mine.
It is great to talk to our kids and hear how the new teachers are and how each new day at school is. To hear they are settling into their routines and classes, that for them it is both awful and somewhat wonderful to be back in school. Although I feel slightly disconnected this year because we are to leave soon, hearing their daily stories and thoughts connects me to their world.
I have always loved fall and all its colors, its freshness and the bittersweet feelings it always brings. I guess this year will be different in a lot of ways but maybe only in the sense that I will be experiencing it floating along the shores as we head south slowly and hopefully peacefully. For in my thoughts and heart I bring all of my friends and the ones I love.
Cheers,
Terri
Summary of Summer 2005:
HE SAID:
I can’t believe it’s so hard to summarize this summer; it all seems like such a blur already, lol. We had a spectacular sail around the Great Lakes in the first week of June and arrived in Penetanguishene Bay without a hitch. It was a bit of an easy trip, 800 miles and the weather was almost too light… we motored through Lake Erie after a perfect all-night trek through the Welland Canal, and then transited the Detroit River and the St Clair River at night as well… that was interesting! Our dodger has proven to be the only challenging thing we’ve had to endure during the course of the entire summer so far! The small size and the tinted windows are definitely not conducive to the amount of night transiting we do. We got through after a few stressful moments wondering where the next marker was… and where that ship came from! Lol We had excellent crew aboard… Kory, David, Brian and Bill all made very easy work of the 24/7 schedule that we imposed on them. We made the transit in record time and once we arrived in Tobermory we slowed down to ‘smell the roses’ as we came into the splendor of Georgian Bay.
Lake Huron was abnormally calm but still offered enough wind to allow us to sail in the direction we wanted go… that was a nice treat. Tobermory was absolutely spectacular… again! We just love that little town, it is so special, and we wish we had more time to spend there this year. The small shops, the galleries, the people… everything about it just makes you feel like you’ve entered a small ‘sea-side’ community in Cape Breton or something. We stopped at Flowerpot Island this time and left ‘Sophisticated Lady’ at anchor while we went ashore to explore this fascinating coastline. It is amazing how unique it truly is… you would swear you were exploring Mayan ruins or something… certainly not walking on a small island in Ontario!
We arrived in Penentang Bay and sorrowfully said good-bye to our crew, but then it was time to start out on a whole new leaf! We immediately got to work on the boat… sanding, scrubbing, polishing, waxing… she looked so good! We spent the month of June just working on the boat and taking out friends and family so we could get used to sailing her… and talking to people on the dock and showing them through the boat. Whatever we were doing seemed to be attracting positive attention and it was all working, in July we started doing a lot of cruises, and by August we were completely booked for the rest of the season! That’s where we kind of dropped off… it would have been nice to post updates, but since we were just working, it would have been quite repetitive… “yes, it was another beautiful day on Georgian Bay again, we went to Beausoleil Island again, then out to Beckwith Island again, then to Hope Island again…” you get the idea, lol. We had such unbelievably great weather this summer… it’s hard to imagine how lucky we were!
Terri managed to completely catch me off guard with a surprise party on my birthday… apparently my parents were in on the whole scheme, lol. It was great… I remember showing up at Scully’s in Midland and meeting Brian who just ‘happened’ to be there hangin out with my parents… like I shouldn’t have clued in by now, lol. I still proceeded upstairs only to find a whole pile of my friends all sitting around a table and I thought it was amazing that we all happened to be there at the same time! Everyone thought it was hilarious how long it took me to clue in that they were all there for me… it was actually! Lol Thanks guys, (you know who you are). That was a good day!
We never did get to the North Channel this summer, that was a bit disappointing but we certainly can’t complain about being booked in Southern Georgian Bay, there are so many beautiful anchorages here it just never gets boring. Next year we’re just going to allocate the whole month of August to the North Channel and take bookings for that area… there is so much of interest and beauty up there that we just can’t go another year without a visit!
We met so many fantastic people this summer… the question we were asked most often was “what do you do if you have someone aboard you can’t stand?”… Well we’re happy to report that was never even close to being an issue. Funny thing is that the people attracted to this type of holiday seem to be very like minded souls. We never met anyone that we wouldn’t go cruising with again. There was such a vast variety of personalities… that was what actually kept it interesting! We had such a variety of people aboard… from families, to couples, to groups that just wanted to party! All were enjoyable in their own way and we are so appreciative that they chose us to come and spend their holiday time with! We had some large groups come out for cruises this summer too which introduced the problem of getting them all home safe after a day of partying… We found out one of our friends has a Greyhound bus so we put him to work too! He picks up our clients at their locations, they get to party and watch movies on the way to ‘Sophisticated Lady’, then he picks them up and takes them home at the end of the day… how cool is that! Lol Our guests loved it, so we’ll definitely be using his services again next year!
Our season this year is just about wrapped up, we have until next weekend when we finish our last cruise, then the following Monday (September 12th) we depart Georgian Bay for our return trip around the Great Lakes back to Toronto. We have our crew booked for the passage and we’ll be running it 24/7 again just like when we came down in the spring. Once back in Toronto we have a Team Building cruise booked for a stock broker agency, we’ll be taking out a bunch of their top brokers… that should be fun… we’ll get ‘em whipped into shape! lol
We’ve been getting enquiries from our website from all over the place and sending out our brochures and DVD commercials all over the US! It’s amazing to us how much interest we’ve attracted… once we started booking off the website our summer filled up very quickly… we’ve been turning people away for over 2 weeks now and even booking into next summer already! If the winter in the Caribbean goes even half as well, there’s talk we’ll be putting a second boat in the water by next year! Only trouble will be finding another couple to run the boat that can do what we do, lol.
It seems hard to fathom, but we have logged over 4000 miles already since May! We still have to do the Great Lakes passage in September, which is good for another 800 miles, then the trip South which should be good for about 3000 miles… it’s been a very busy year! We joined the Caribbean 1500 Cruisers Rally which departs from Hampton, Virginia on November 7th and heads out towards Bermuda, then straight South to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. That cruise has been a dream of mine for many years. I’ve followed the Rally since I first heard about it 8 years ago. It was such a thrill to talk to Steve Black this year and actually register us for the passage! You can check out their website at www.carib1500.com and you’ll also be able to track our progress on the Atlantic Ocean along with all the other boats during the passage from the website… very exciting! We’ll have long range communications aboard so we’ll be in touch with the other boats twice a day to report on position and weather information. We also now have satellite telephone and internet onboard so we’ll be able to send out our own progress reports and stay in touch with family… even while we’re at sea!
We’ve had a very distinctive lack of internet access while in Penetang, so that hasn’t helped in keeping our website up-to-date, but once we’re in Toronto we’ll have high-speed wireless again for a week or so, so that’s when we’re planning on finishing the updates (among the other 100 things to do on the boat, lol). We just finished uploading a ton of pictures to the website, by the time you read this I should have updated the ships log pages with links to them as slideshows.
Well, that’s it for now but keep an eye out for more regular posts as we begin our great adventure South to the Caribbean! We’ll post more regular now that we should have more time… lol Our project list on the boat hasn’t gotten much smaller… but I keep working on stuff! It’s amazing how much ‘stuff’ there is to look after on a 50 footer, lol. One way or another, we’ll be in Virginia by the first of November!!
Cheers,
Rick
SHE SAID:
Yikes, this summer has been so “full to the brim” and has flown by so very fast, its hard not to feel dizzy! We had idealistically and somewhat naively thought we would write our logs and update our site every few days as we went along. But life and sailing has taken all our time and energy – not that we are complaining!!
Where to start? ……..well it seems like a very long time ago that we set out in our boat from Lake Ontario to do our second Great Lakes trip. We had only had 2 days between our back to back trips and it really didn’t feel like nearly enough! The crew we had: Brian, Bill, Kory and David –all guys again, of course (poor me!) were great and we had lots of fun and bonding time. I felt very safe and protected with all those very capable sailors manning the helm. All the Lakes were very very calm and it was a smooth and gentle trip with lots of time to relax, read and even bask in the warm sun. I was very happy but I think the boys were sad there was no action packed storm or rough seas to battle! I felt more comfortable and capable having just made the trip and knowing what to expect.
Along the way we stopped and anchored at Flower Pot Island and we were all impressed by the sheer beauty of the landscape. The turquoise waters and rock formations left us feeling like we had somehow taken a wrong turn and were suddenly in Greece. I was more then happy to finally get to Tobermory as I was getting a little antsy to be on land after almost 12 straight days on water! It felt great to eat in a little breakfast joint, to wander in the quaint shops and to have a long hot shower.
As we sailed into Penetanguishene Bay on our floating home, I looked around at our new home port and tried to imagine what it would be like. Adventures surely awaited us. As much as I was happy to be there it was also sad to say bye to the crew. Thank you to our wonderful motley crew of sailors for getting us to our new home safely. You guys are the best!
Well, there we were ready with our new, big boat, our new business, our new port…….now what? Would people really want to sail with us? Would they find us? I was having trouble getting my head wrapped around the fact that we had sold everything, cast off our ties to land and was making this boat and business our soul focus. It felt right, wrong and totally radical and scary all at the same time! What about our friends, our families, our pets and most important of all, our kids? Would it all be ok for everyone? For us? As we put out our brochures, and our fresh new signs and banners I grappled with my inner fears, uncertainty and guilt. I tried to put on a brave face, but in my heart I felt real doubt and fear and sometimes just longed to be “normal” in a house with all the everyday nine to five stuff we all know so well. But then I would look around our beautiful boat and gaze at the scenery in my “backyard” and think ‘how can I not do this?” I would be crazy not to.
I still don’t have all the answers to a lot of my questions but I am trying to let life unfold and reveal itself as we go. And to deal with each day as it comes. I am trusting that I have given my daughter Madison the love, the grounding, life skills, trust and morals she will need to begin her own journey in this world and that she knows how loved she is. And that I am always there for her no matter where each of us is. Before my mom passed away she said “ Live your life and be happy. Its as simple as that”. I’m trying to do that.
If any of you have ever been trapped in a limited space for long, long periods of time with a loved one you may have some idea of what me and Rick have been through ! No matter how much you love someone they will eventually drive you nuts. LOL! Then add into the mix the fact that we just both left our jobs, moved to a city neither of us knew, were gearing up to leave everyone we knew, starting a brand new business and the fact that we are constantly together 24 hours a day, every day and it gets really interesting!! I don’t think we could have thrown in any other life altering changes-we had them all. There have definitely good and bad days and times we both thought we were “losing it” but we are still together and there are many moments of pure bliss.
I am sitting here trying to think back on how each day went and what we did. Every day seemed busy and very full. The first month and a half in Penetang we really spent trying to promote the business, taking friends and family out and talking to anyone who stopped by our boat. I think our enthusiasm and willingness to openly share our life and our journey won us many friends and clients. Huge amounts of time were spent cleaning, waxing and tweaking the boat. And working on our on-going and large list of projects and up-grades. Just learning how it felt to live on and sail a 50ft vessel was interesting. One day I remember in particular, not exactly fondly but with much pride was the day I spent 8 hours in 35 degree temperatures sanding the cockpit and transom. Its looked amazing and a cold shower never felt so good! Huge globs of time were eaten up figuring out where to put and store stuff in our enormous maze of cupboards, shelves and floor storage. To keep things interesting we seemed to continually move each item several times to a “better spot” and then have no idea where that ideal spot was when we needed it! This continues to be the case as we revamp and find the best and most workable place for everything. Its amazing how boats just keep swallowing the bags and bags of stuff one continually bring on board!
We often anchored out and took every opportunity to tour the 30,000 islands and learned the best places to take our clients. I remember boating here with my family as a kid and loving the islands, the rocks and the sheer breathtaking beauty of the Canadian Shield scenery. It really is like traveling in a living breathing Group of Seven painting. No matter how many times we sail in and around Georgian Bay, I am always humbled and touched by its absolute beauty. I feel sorry for all those who will never get to see this – it really is majestic and soul inspiring. Even the Huron Indian legend of how Georgian Bay came to be appeals to me. The legend is that the Huron giant Kitchikiwana was spurned by his love the Princess Wanakita. In his grief and heart break, he scooped up a handful of rocks and earth in his great hands and scattered it, forming the 30,000 islands. He is said to be buried on the island named ‘Giants Tomb’ which has the distinct shape of a giant laying in his tomb. When you sail amongst the thousands of rocky islands with wind swept pines, narrow passages and hidden rocks and shoals, this feels like the perfect explanation. It just fits.
I can remember our excitement and sheer joy of booking our first real live charter that wasn’t friends or family. What a rush of excitement, fear and “ oh man, we really did it!’. Being a fly on our wall that day would have been amusing! Figuring out how much to provision, what to cook, where to go- all seemed to get worked out. Having 4 bathrooms and four cabins is great but cleaning them all is not quite as fun! LOL.
Getting used to having different people on board, in our home daily was both strange and sort of easy at the same time. Now it seems very natural. Everyone we have had on board has been amazing- truly wonderful and interesting people who we enjoyed sharing a journey with, whether it was long or short. They say everyone you meet affects you, changes you slightly and adds to your life. I feel really lucky to be able to spend time sailing with so many amazing souls. Sailing seems to really allow people the time to slow down, to contemplate life, and realize the joy in living and the beauty of the world. And I get to share that with them, how cool is that!
Our week holiday with our kids held a lot of meaning and importance for me as a time to really spend with them and to devote to them before we go. It was a time spent laughing, swimming, eating and playing. I knew Rick’s boys would love it and they did! I also knew being stuck on a boat miles from land, from internet, tv, phones and shopping would not be too thrilling for my teenage daughter Madison and her friend Danielle! But I will never forget them bravely sitting out on the deck watching a movie on the little portable dvd player as huge rolling waves broke on the bow. They laughed as they got splashed and forgot about feeling queasy. They had fun reading, swimming, tubing and survived their first over night passage and even enjoyed it!
We couldn’t have asked for better weather this summer. Every day was a carbon copy of the one before: sunny and hot! July was busier and we talked to tons of people. August just burst at the seams and we were fully booked! We just kept looking at each other and grinning! All our hard work and planning accomplished in such a short period of time was paying off! We realized our website and the internet seemed to be the most successful of our advertising attempts. We have had a lot of American customers book charters off our site and it has been especially exciting to introduce them to a beautiful part of Canada.
Life aboard “Sophisticated Lady” has flowed into a rhythm. We are learning the best way to do things, how to balance our schedule so we have enough time between charters to clean and provision and re-energize our selves. A life lived on the water without clocks and calendars and the 9 to 5 grind is totally unique and freeing. A life lived at anchor disconnects you from a lot of the stress and worry that exists on land. We live by the weather, by the flow of water and the lay of the land. Time seems to stretch and curve in a different way and sometimes its hard to mesh it with our land based friends and family but it seems to work out in the end and continues to evolve as we journey.
The pressing deadline of our departure South looms very close and we have a project list way too long to finish. But we have set a date and what isn’t done will get done along the way. I am dreading saying goodbye to Madison but know in my heart we will both be fine and will talk daily just to stay close and say “how was your day”. I’m also looking forward to our journey through the States and to anchoring under the Statue of Liberty!
The thought of heading out from Virginia across 1500 miles of open ocean both terrifies and intrigues me. Ask me which it is on any give day and its never the same answer! Joining the Caribbean 1500 Rally which allows us to spend a week meeting, learning with and socializing with other cruisers doing what we are doing makes it bearable to me. I will also get to meet other women cruisers doing what I’m doing and that will be great. Knowing there are 30 other boats some where out there with us makes me feel not as small and not as alone. But part of something very special.
I still have good and bad days – its all part of the journey. I have really enjoyed everyone we have had on board and we learn something on every charter. Being able to provide Reiki treatments and spa services allows me to use my years of holistic healing and provides relaxation and stress relief for clients. It helps me feel grounded and connected to my past. Whenever I feel down or unsure I read the entries in our guest book and I realize what we are providing for people and how happy it makes them and I feel good. I feel like we are making a difference in the world and following our dreams and path at the same time.
Where that leads us we don’t know- although it's heading South very shortly!! I can't wait to see dolphins leaping off our bow and to leap into the warm turquoise waters of the Caribbean!! Hope to see you there.
Cheers,
Terri
Launch Day! - April 21, 2005
Hi Everyone!!
Those of you who have been following us have a pretty good idea what we’ve been through the last few months. Well it all finally came together today with the successful launch of ‘Sophisticated Lady’, our new Jeanneau International 50’ Sailboat. It’s not every day you decide to leave your land-based jobs, buy a big sailboat, and move full time into a venture that’s not only your passion, it’s full of excitement, friends, new places, and sunset after sunset on the water!! That’s exactly what we’re doing, and let me tell you, it was not easy getting here but we did it!
We had a fantastic day! The sun was shining, the wind was calm, it was just plain beautiful… Topped off by a flawless launch and our first little tour of the harbor on ‘Sophisticated Lady’ with Bob, the previous owner. He was good enough to be onboard and ‘show us the ropes’ so to speak. He was great, and his time was very much appreciated in showing us all our new systems and how they worked.
Our interior cushions came back yesterday, newly upholstered and looking stunning in their new ‘beach sand’ color. Our mast will go up early next week and then the only thing we’re waiting on is for our radar arch to come back next week after being re-built to support davits for the new dinghy. Then we can put our bimini up with the cockpit enclosure and we should be all set, just in time for our open house next weekend.
For those of you who don’t already
know, we’re having our open house on Sunday, May 1st, around
We just launched our new website promoting our Crewed Charters, so check it out and let us know what you think as we’re still trying to de-bug everything before we start up our advertising next month. The website is at www.windinmysails.com . Don’t be afraid to offer any constructive criticism, we’re looking for all the input we can get but be advised that a lot of the pictures in the gallery are going to change soon, we just didn’t have any pictures of the new boat to put in, but we’re working on that now, full speed ahead!
You’ll find attached some of our
pictures we’ve taken since yesterday.
One of ‘Sophisticated Lady’ spending her last night on the cradle for a
couple years, some of our new interior, and some of our launch day, including
our first visitor… a snow white swan that came up to the transom and ate lunch
from Terri’s hand!
We look forward to seeing anyone who can attend, so come on down and share a toast with us on our new ‘Sophisticated Lady’!!
Open House Party - May 1st, 2005
Wow… what an overwhelming show of support… we’re still catching our breath!! It really was great to see so many of our closest friends and families faces on board, smiling and sharing in our new adventure! It makes it all seem so much more a reality, not just a goal we have been working night and day to get to. Thanks everyone for being here and making us feel so lucky to have such amazing people in our lives.
We lost count somewhere early in the day, but by mid-afternoon we had already had over 100 people onboard with a count of 40 onboard one time! I was a little reluctant to check the waterline, but ‘Sophisticated Lady’ took it all in stride. It all seemed to fall into place – we even managed to have just the right amount of food and drinks for all!
A good time was had by all, and we are so appreciative of all the boat warming gifts, all we can say is thanks so much just for coming and showing your support for us and our new venture. It wouldn’t be the same without all of you backing us up and giving us the courage to follow our dreams.
We had a great day just seeing everyone and sharing some time with you all. We know some of you had to travel great distance to get here, we just want you to know we really appreciate it! It really was so very cool to have everyone on our boat and share in our experience and our new home (we think she is so amazing-hope you all did too !!)
Attached you’ll find a
few photos of the day, as well as some pictures of our first sunset cruise that
we embarked on at the end of the day.
Conditions on the lake were great so we decided to head out and put a
perfect ending to a perfect day (we wish you all could have been on board with
us!). We sailed back to Port Credit
watching a beautiful sun setting over the city skyline… It was
fantastic!!
Thanks again everyone
for coming out and making it the best the day
ever!!
First Sail - May 1st, 2005
After much anticipation and dreaming we finally had our first sail aboard Sophisticated Lady. And what a sail! The evening of our boat warming turned into the perfect sailing weather and we couldn't resist the pull of the sea. We tossed off our lines and headed out with a few friends who were eager to join us. The weather was sunny and warm and the wind perfect. She sailed like a dream-smooth, effortless and fast. We got to watch the sunset over the city scape and felt happy to be on the water at last. It was the perfect end to a wonderful day.
Port Credit and Toronto - May 2005
Our stay at Port Credit Yacht Club has been extremely busy with continued projects, phone calls and business details but also very pleasant. The docks and club house are very beautiful and quite fancy! We enjoyed walking the surrounding grounds and taking in the sites. The sunsets are especially lovely and the dogs love the nearby beach for their morning walks. The club house bar is warm, comfortable and very friendly and we have enjoyed a couple of great meals as we gazed out on our new sailboat dreaming of adventures to come. Our tour of Toronto's inner harbour was chilly but exciting, the city was immense, interesting and ever changing. Toronto Island was quiet and just starting to get green after this long winter. We navigated well amongst all the many bouys, markers and even small planes landing right beside us!
Niagara-On-The-Lake - May 18th 2005
During the week of May 16th, we had guests aboard for a 3-day mini-tour of Western Lake Ontario. Brian and Janice Anderson joined us on a trip that took us across the Lake to Niagara-On-The-Lake where we were so overwhelmed by the beauty of the town, we stayed an extra day just to take it all in. The sail across the Lake was fast and most smooth- 8 knots and sunny weather which was a nice change from the cold and grey we have had lately.
Janice and I (Terri) were especially excited to be heading to Niagra-on-the Lake as we had heard it was very quaint and picturesque. We were not disappointed!! We created a gourmet meal as we sailed and sat down to a wonderful dinner once we docked at the local yacht club, just down the river from the Falls. Our walk into town at dusk was truly stunning. The lighting was perfect to view the hundreds of tulips and blooming magnolia trees. Everywhere you looked was bursting with color and was absolutely breath-taking! Best of all there was no other tourists around and we had the streets and shops to gaze into undisturbed. We really felt like we were on vacation and in a far off place. It was a little like stepping back in time with all the tiny shops, narrow streets and horse drawn carriages clip clopping through the lanes. After a restful night we wandered through all the local shops and art galleries feeling very relaxed and joyful. One can't help it when all around you are beautiful flowers, lovely buildings and happy fellow wanderers.
Sophisticated Lady held her own as we meandered up the river , heading to Niagra Falls. The current was very strong and lots of eddies and strange pools as we continued. The American and Canadian Coast Guards zoomed by as they patrolled the two countries on either side of us! The forts were very impressive and made us envision the battles and intrigue once carried on in their midst. We anchored along the steep shoreline at dusk and watched the sun set. The meals and wine were very decadent and lush, and we all felt spoiled and content.
Next day we decided to head back across Lake Ontario and sleep under the Scarborough Bluffs. We had another spectacular sail going almost 9 knots the whole way! The sun was shining and we had breakfast elfresco as we smoothly sailed on the calm waters. Close to the bluffs we decided to mutiny and throw our captain into the dingy to be dragged behind us!! Just kidding , Rick wanted to shoot some video footage of us under full sail, so we popped him into the dingy, camera in-hand (and walkie talkie for safety.) Brian assumed command and thoroughly enjoyed heading for the tiny dinghy under full sail at ramming speed and swerving out of the way at last minute! Rick of course kept saying "get closer, get closer" which Brian was happy to oblige! We managed not to crush him and he got some great footage. But not before the crew, Janice and I complained of sore hands from tacking every 5 minutes!
We spent the night nestled under the soaring bluffs in a little yacht club that was friendly and surrounded by nesting Trumpet Swans. We played a rousing game of Mexican dominoes while sipping cocktails and enjoying a beautiful sunset. What a wonderful trip and lovely company to share it with.
Great Lakes Trip - May 20th-27th 2005
HE SAID:
Wow!! What
an amazing trip! Terri & I just finished a 7 day delivery of 2 sailboats
with a total of 11 crew, all working together to move the
boats from the Port Credit Yacht Club to
We did
quite a tour of the
Everything
was an experience and a challenge… the cooking, the eating, even the sleeping!
The meals were great, but being on watch
most of the time, we went through a ton of ginger ale, water, cookies and
granola bars. The one night we did spend
ashore, we were in Tobermory and Frank from Dauphin even barbequed us a steak
dinner! Our crew onboard ‘Asian Queen’
consisted of me and Terri, Ron and Mike were the other two students, and Sue and
Ray were our instructors for the trip.
Everyone got along really well, and the whole trip was very enjoyable and
came off without a hitch. Once into
The journey
was very demanding, yet very enjoyable at the same time. We were out for the
full moon, that alone made for some beautiful night
sails! I think Terri even thoroughly
enjoyed herself, she loves all the little 'sea-side'
communities that she gets to visit along the way. It's
fun going in all the little shops, meeting the locals and finding little
mementoes and post cards to send to our kids. I would say it's all over, but we
get to do it again this week! On Monday night or Tuesday morning, we'll be
heading 'Sophisticated Lady' into the exact same trip where we'll be arriving in
our temporary home port in Penetanguishene for part of the summer. That's where
we'll be starting to do our day charters and working with Frank Baron, our
friend who owns Adventure Sailing in
That's it
for now, we'll look forward to hearing from everyone
and seeing those of you that are able to visit. We may have another little
get-together in Penetang in the near future, so we'll keep you
posted!
Until then...
Cheers!!
Rick
SHE SAID:
Well, I did it!! Those of you who spoke to me just before we left on our
week long off-shore sailing course know that I was sort of dreading it and very
nervous. Was I crazy to be voluntarily heading out to
"sea" on a sailboat with 5 rugged, experienced sailing men???? I
had never been off-shore, far far from any land, in possible rough weather and
potential high seas before and had no idea what to expect. Rick was vague
about how it all worked exactly and now I know why.....it really is a crazy,
intense adventure with moments of pure excitement and non-stop experiences!
If he had of properly described it, I would have said “no way buddy, are
you nuts!" If I try to tell you how it was and what we went through, you
will also think "they are crazy and I would never do that". But I had
an amazing time, I had fun, I learned tons and I actually over came my fears
and enjoyed the isolation of the immense
To back track a bit, we met our fellow crew members Saturday morning
and loaded all our pounds of gear and enormous amounts of food on board.
We were to be traveling 24-7 from Port Credit to Penetanguishene passing
through several
Much to my excitement and relief, one of the instructors on my boat was a
woman - yahhhhh, I was not alone with all these experienced sea-men! We were to
be traveling along side our sister ship called Dauphin (French for Dolphin),
which made for great races and competitions. Soon after leaving we made our
watch schedule, this is the most important part of our life on board - it sets
the 4 hours you get to crash and sleep after the 4 hours of being on-watch in a
rotating cycle. When you are on-watch you are sailing the boat,
constantly watching for tankers that could crush us like a bug and finding buoys
and markers in the dark to find our way through the canals or across the lakes.
Being on-watch was a combination of feeling very vital to the crew, excited,
peaceful, tired and very small in the vast and endless waters around us. Rick
failed to tell me that we would never put our pj’s on, that you are too tired
to bother to take your clothes off and you pretty much live in the same clothes,
just adjusting the layers needed!! And you only get to shower 2 times in the 7
days!!! Sounds awful but it was so much fun and I really actually loved it a
lot of the time. The sunsets, full moon and sun rises across the water
were not to be missed and impossible to describe.
The weather on the water was cold almost the entire journey and we quickly
got to figure out what layers kept us warm on the
I am very proud of the fact that I never felt sea sick and though some of
the other tough sailors took gravol - I never did. Though I think I drank
more ginger ale in those 7 days then I have in the rest of my life so far!!
Traveling through the
I saw some amazing towns and bodies of water and learned more than I can
say, about sailing, myself and being part of a team accomplishing something not
many ever do. I would do it again...... wait a minute, I am doing it again,
less then 3 days after this trip- I must be nuts!!!
One thing I want to mention is how proud I am of Rick. He really is an
accomplished and very talented sailor. He scored a 93 on his exam with
out any time to study and was told by our instructor that he taught her lots on
our journey. The one night it was really rough with the boat pounding into the
waves, I looked up from my bed to see who was steering. It was Rick and I
immediately turned over and went back to sleep knowing I was safe and in good
hands.
I'm actually looking forward to our journey on the same route aboard
"Sophisticated Lady" and the adventures we will have. I'll tell you
all about them!
Cheers,
Terri