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July 01, 2007 Post 15

Cruise to Canada

Before crossing the lake we spent a quiet night anchored off a bluff between Port Bay and Little Sodus. Not a well protected anchorage!

I've been sailing across the lake to Canada since 1980. And during those years when I sailed a 23 foot woodie manned by three cats and myself, I got my share of looks. But sailing with Sara B takes conspicuous cruising in Canada to a whole new level. Not only is Sara B odd and old, she also embodies a bit of Canadian heritage that a fair number of Ontario Province yachters are aware of. One family motoring by our anchorage in their runabout even paused to thank us for anchoring our beautiful boat in the cove.

Waupoos, on the edge of going upscale, still retains much rural character. The pick your own strawberry patch has given way to blue berries. Sheep still roam Waupoos along with a few free range piggies. We enjoyed one night at anchor behind the island, though we did find the doleful bleating of all the baby lambs a bit noisy.

In Waupoos Marina, the extremely capable steel trawler Defiance owned by the very interesting (and extremely capable!) Robin Morrish. See her website at www.cruising.ca

After two days in and near Waupoos we departed this pretty corner of Canada with its clear cool water and rocky shores and sailed for Main Duck Island, arriving to find its little harbor with no one anchored in it. So old Sara B cautiously poked her prow in and settled her keel in the mud to sit among the bull frogs and cat tails and turtles. A school of several hundred minnows found refuge in the shade of her hull and there we sat for the rest of that day and all the next.

Early summer Main Duck was exceedingly dry, with crunchy brown grass and wilted poison ivy testifying to the lack of rain. It seemed otherwise little changed from previous visits. Bobolinks still sang over the grassy areas, and snakes still slithered through the grass. A few carp still prowled the shallows and the dock master, a big fat black snake was still in residence.

While on Main Duck, two friendly Canadian cruisers graciously inducted Sara B's crew into the Main Duck Island Yacht Club presenting us with an official Main Duck flag to fly. We were delighted by their generous gift though I, for one, am glad I only had to drink one glass of blue stuff to become a member.

Sara B at Waupoos Marina

Sara B's cruise did leave us wondering about a few things, though. Like what was the empty vault under the light house used for? And what was that strange rectangular object in the shallows near the Dulles cabin location? We still wonder about the crack across the island. And what was that sign on Waupoos by the public dock about the "wholly curried nylon ghosts" all about? As Sara B left Main Duck and Canada and broad reached back to New York, slipping along leaving little wake, we wonder about these and other unknowns left astern.

Charging along in Prince Edward Bay

Anchored off Waupoos Island

Some tenants of Waupoos Island

An old salt contemplates life and which way is up

Anchored in Main Duck harbor

We discovered the brigantine St Lawrence II anchored in the Main Duck cove by the old Dulles cabin. We had drifted around with her earlier that day in Prince Edward Bay

Loons at Main Duck

UFO?

A tenant of Main Duck and guardian of the light house

Main Duck Light

As we start back across the lake we spot a ship between Main Duck and Yorkshire Islands

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