North Channel

If I didn’t know better I’d think I was on vacation.  You’d never know we were on a schedule.   Life on Folly has been fun and relaxing just as it should be.  From Killarney we made our way west making decisions on the fly and going wherever the spirit and the wind decided to take us.

 

Our first stop was East Rouse, which is not much of an anchorage, but it didn’t matter to us as we only planned to stay the night.  There were four boats there when we pulled in and, believe it or not, they were all from the Midland Bay Sailing Club!  It was nice to catch up with Nick and Sandy on Mistral and Peter on Gesundheit. 

 

The next morning as we headed for Gore Bay we made a split decision to turn north.  We couldn’t help it!  It was like a force out of our control.  We were drawn to the Benjamin’s like dust to a t.v.   It was a beautiful hot sunny day and it just made sense.  After all, it’s going to be a very long time before we come this way again.  We were so glad we did that.  The anchorage was quiet, the weather was gorgeous, and, as always, the scenery was breathtaking.  We only stayed a day but we savored every minute.

 

We did go to Gore Bay the following morning, and low and behold we met more M.B.S.C. folks.  Bruce and Denise off of Oblio are great friends and it was such a treat to spend time with them before we head south and lucky for us we met his nephew Henry and his wife Linda from Kitty Kat who are also doing the same trip as us. 

 

It was an early start when we left Gore Bay.  The sky was grey and it was lightly raining but the wind was good.  We wanted to make it to Meldrum Bay about 25 miles to the west but, true to fashion, we changed our minds once we got to open water and decided to go straight to Milford Haven, which was 57 miles away.  Thinking it’s better to be ahead of schedule than behind, we were, once again, happy with our decision.  Besides, Pat and Lynn from Adamant 1 were there and we were anxious to see them.  

Sunset at the Benjamin's

 

 

 

We needed a burgee line.  I was voluntold to go up the mast to attach it to the first spreader

 

 Love bugs....look at the heart!



 

 Harley

 

 Folly

 

 South Benjamin's

 

 South Benjamin's

 

 Me

 

Today as we sit in our anchorage we can see Drummond Island across the channel.  Tomorrow we check into the States but more about that.......next time

Hope Island and Beyond

Hope Island and Beyond

What a way to start!  It was a fantastic sail out to Hope Island that first day.  The wind hovered around 25 knots and the waves were tame.  By the time we got there Greg, Nancy, Noah and Sarah were waiting for us on their boat Windsperation.  In case you don’t know them, this is Harley’s brother and family.  We always have an awesome time when we are with them and this was no exception.  We swam and ate and totally blissed out together on laughter. 

Too bad they couldn’t come with us but they all have jobs so we had to say our goodbyes on Sunday.  It’s also unfortunate that I have no pictures to share of them as my camera decided to give me grief.   I did, thankfully, get it working again.  Better late than never I suppose.

After a very rocky night at anchor we headed out at 0400 Monday morning.  It’s a long 90-nautical-mile trip from Hope to Killarney.  The conditions were favourable for most of the day.  As expected, the wind died for a couple of hours but it picked up again and when it did it was fabulous!  As good as it gets!!  It took us 14 ½ hours.  Not bad.

We love this area and the North Channel but this time we are just passing through.   Next week we check into the States at Drummond Island.  But more about that…. next time….

Day One

Day One

Right on schedule.  Today under sunny skies, and after years of preparation and joy in our hearts, we untied the dock lines to begin this new chapter in our lives.  One we hope will be filled with wondrous adventure and exciting challenges. 

Nobody is more surprised than me that we actually made this date that we set months ago.  It wasn’t easy, as we ran into a few obstacles, but we worked through it tirelessly.  We now have renters ready to move into our house September 1st, I have the support of my entire family to help make sure my mom is taken care of, Folly is in great shape, and the horrendous amount of forms have been filled out.  We're as ready as we ever will be.  So. ....in the spirit of the Olympic Games that are just starting too......let the games begin.

Today we will sail to Hope Island where we will wait for the right wind to sail the length of Georgian Bay.  But more about that next time…..

Almost time to leave

So things are starting to come together.  Harley and I are officially retired and living on the boat.  Our cast-off date is roughly August 6th. and I  can hardly wait.

We plan to take the inland river system route this time around.  That will mean sailing to Chicago where we will take down the mast to turn our sailboat into a motor boat.  The river system will take us to Mobile Alabama and the Gulf of Mexico. We will raise the mast there and start sailing again.  If nothing else, it will be interesting.

There is no point leaving sooner because, according to our insurance,  we can't be any further south than Mobile Alabama before November 1st.  That's ok.  It gives me more time with my mom and grandchildren.

Stay tuned for more updates as we make our way south.

Georgian Bay and The North Channel

      "What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it"
      Author unknown

It's easy to live up to those words when on vacation.  On July 10th we untied the dock lines and headed straight towards the North Channel by way of The Bustard Islands. 

 

Funny, but today it suddenly dawned on me.  This may be the last time we visit the North Channel!  There are so many beautiful anchorages on Georgian Bay and we could have easily stayed in the south end and had a great time but for some reason, this year, we were drawn once again to the beautiful North Channel.

 

We've been there so many times before and you would think we'd tire of it.....because after all how many times do we need to swim in crystal clear water, inhale the sent of cedar and pine, or drink in the beautiful unspoiled wilderness of quartz mountains and red granite islands?  Not to mention the beautiful sunsets and amazing starry nights, and meeting the most amazing group of sailor's ever!  We will never tire of it.

 

The North Channel has been rated in the top 10 of best sailing destinations in the world!  Are we surprised?  Not a bit and here it is practically in our own backyard. 

 

Next summer we will be sailing away from our familiar cruising grounds and taking Folly south...."she wants to go where the coconuts grow".  Someday we will come back but Folly will likely never return. 

 

Folly in the back

 



 

Sailor, our cat, chilling out.

Kayaking in the Benjimin's

Our new friends Debbie and John on Mahayana

Harley

Covered Portage Cove

Another view of Covered Portage Cove

 

Anchor Up and Anchor Down.

Hear is a cute quick-time video of us pulling up the anchor and leaving our anchorage at the Bustard Islands on Georgian Bay.

From the Bustard's we sailed to Killarney.  Hear is the adorable little town of Killarney and the anchorage that we chose for the night.  I especially love the quartz of the La Cloche Mountain Range. 

Anchors

 

When be bought Folly she came with a CQR anchor, 40 feet of chain, 200 feet of rode, and it was just barely sufficient. Every time we used it we mumbled a silent prayer for calm winds and good holding. We now have a nice new 40 pound Rocna and 300 feet of chain. It was pricey but, to us, that’s the price of a good night’s sleep........ But wait a minute............that’s not what this is about.

The anchors I want to talk about are the things preventing us from leaving the dock; keeping us tethered to land with an imaginary anchor and chain. You know, they are the things that we find hard to leave when making plans to leave the comfort of home for a life on the sea far away from family, friends, and earthly possessions.

Without question, our grandchildren Nolan and Sophie are our anchors.   We will miss them terribly.  I feel a pang every time I think of leaving them but I have to remind myself that they will be fine and probably won’t even miss us. After all, it’s not like we can’t stay in touch. Technology is getting better and easier to access every day.

Everyone has anchors, we have a few more ourselves. According to our original plan we should be retired by now and leaving next month. By now we should have said adios to our employers but darn it....that’s hard to do. Don’t get me wrong. We could leave work in a heart beat but saying goodbye to a paycheck is another thing. The longer we work now, the bigger the cruising kitty will be then. So there’s anchor #2.

And what do we do with the house? Should we sell it? No! Then, should we rent it to strangers? Yikes! Should we leave it empty? Not on your life! So what’s the answer? Until we figure that out this is our anchor #3.

Then there is my 92-year-old mother and Harley’s 84-year old mom. Now I’m not calling them anchors because that would be mean but we do worry about them and can’t imagine leaving them at this stage in their lives. My mom especially because I’m the only caregiver in the family.

I admire those people who can say to hell with it, sell everything, and leave this rat race in exchange for adventure. All I can say is, they must have weak anchors.

Yes we do have a few bugs in the plan but I have no doubt it will all come together. In the meantime we plan to enjoy life to the fullest. Every day is a gift to be used wisely.