Saturday, July 30, 2016

At anchor

At anchor, the boat swings with the breeze and it feels so much cooler than when you're tied to a dock. And so much easier to jump straight into the lake for a swim. Day 5 in the Bay of Quinte, we were overdue to drop our hook. Glen Island was perfect.

As we approached, we recognized Sunglimmer flying the BPYC burgee, and later invited Mike B. onboard for curry. He ended up cooking the rice on his boat as we were short on both pots and burners.

We heard a loon call and splash for the first time this season.

The island cottages seemed empty, but the solar powered dock lights switched on as night darkened. Fireflies dotted the shore. Haven’t seen those in years, what a treat! 

Also a treat was the morning swim, jumping off the side of the boat and floating about.

Day 6 was seven hours to Waupoos, with some great sailing and motoring before we dropped our anchor again. Strong winds forecast, so we took extra care as we set the hook close to shore. 

Several Bluffers were already at Waupoos. Medina was docked at the marina, with Kaarina and Mike waiting for their guests to arrive. Fellow Bluffers Laura and Peter were anchored nearby, so we dinghied over to Elusive after dinner to say hello and enjoy the sunset and a few cocktails.

By the time we went to sleep, the strong winds that were expected hadn’t yet arrived. A few hours later, the lines on the boat were tugging hard and I heard knocking sounds on deck. I called out to Rob to see if he needed help, thinking he was above and resetting lines, but he replied from inside the cabin. That’s when we saw the other boat, banging into our port side. We rushed out and started calling to them to let them know they were drifting, but it seemed they were still asleep as it took them a bit of time to come above. They’d drifted and their anchor line had crossed ours, which meant they had to cut it loose and come back for it later. The skipper later told Rob this was only the second time it happened, but the next night the wayward boat drifted again, almost colliding with Medina (Kaarina and Mike’s boat). 

Day 7, Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning. But the day turned out to be sunny and winds were fair, so you can't always rely on folk wisdom to forecast weather. The marina’s ice shipment came in, and just in time, as our cooler was starting to smell. Not a bad smell, but enough to let us know the icebox wasn’t effective anymore. 

Kaarina’s guest had arrived with a car, and Laura and I went along for the ride to explore the county and gather provisions. Vickie’s Veggies was the first stop, but unfortunately it was too early for fresh tomatoes - they’ll likely ripen enough on the vine by next week. Stopped at Black River for some cheese curds, but still needed some eggs. The nearest convenience store was a few miles away, and it turned out to a real General Store, offering freshly baked goods, light lunches, non-prescription medication, and laundry facilities. We stopped in to another place, just opened, called The Local Food Store, and it had some delicious charcuterie, frozen sausages and chops. Then to Waupoos Cidery for a light lunch and cider tasting, and a view of our boats anchored far below. A wonderful day.





Tuesday, July 26, 2016

Sail Away!




The night before we were to start our vacation, the mechanic was still working on the boat. We'd noticed after our trip to the Island there was an anti-freeze leak, and a gasket had to be ordered and shipped from the States. James promised Yondering would be good to go, so we went.

It is now four days in to our holiday, and we've done a fair amount of motoring. So far so good. Although we are staying on the Canadian side of the lake before we venture south, to the 'North' shore, as the New York signs proclaim their geography.

We have had a few things go amiss. The first day, on the main sail, a sail tie untied; then a batton blew itself loose in strong winds. The second day out the summer dock student at Newcastle over-filled the diesel, and it flowed into the bilge. The third day a fuse blew, so no cabin lights. And the oil changed at the docks in Cobourg, as well. Thankfully Rob has been able to fix the issues as they've come up. 

We did our provisioning, shopping on Friday and then stuffing the stuff next morning. Set sail Saturday afternoon. Fantastic! Sunny skies, fair winds, and travelling hull speed up to 7 knots. We sailed for about 6.5 hours before heading into Newcastle. Then on to Cobourg for two nights. Now we are tied up to a slip at the new Trent Port Marina, the first place WiFi has worked. Incredible facilities here: brand new docks, spa-worthy showers, free laundry... and just a short walk to Trenton downtown's grocery store and cinema.








Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Full Ferry Moon - July


Actually it is the Full Buck Moon, but since I saw Brian Ferry live tonight...


"oooooh catch that buzz... love is the drug I'm thinking of."

Liz, Darcy, Rob & I at Massey Hall. Great music. I remember feeding quarters into the jukebox to listen to this one over and over.




Sunday, July 17, 2016

Summertime!

I ended my week-long staycation with a weekend on the Island.

July 15, Rob and I dropped anchor for the first time of the season. Better late than never! Then Saturday night at Queen City Yacht club.

The Island was busy, with the Festival of India, a Comicon meet-up, family picnics and summer parties. During the day there were smiles everywhere, and the city sparkled at night. Such diversity - of ethnicities, languages, ages, cultures, styles of dress. Sikh men in colourful turbans seated at a picnic table next to a crowd of girls dressed in anime costumes and next to that Trinidadians dancing. Hare Krishnas handing out food and Baptists singing by the shore. A happy place where everyone seemed to be celebrating summer.

Next weekend we will be off on a three week sailing tour of lake Ontario, so I was making notes on things that should come on and off the boat for our get-away. Can't wait!




Grated honeydew melon with lichee liqueur. Delicious!



Friday, July 15, 2016

Yoga in the Heart of the City


A week of yoga mornings and afternoon holidays! Yoga in the Heart of the City.  Every year since 2010 I have made the get-away with Marlene at YCT: an hour of pranayama followed by an hour and half of asana. 

The intent is to open the heart, and the sequences focus on keeping the chest lifted.  At the end of the week I feel totally uplifted and renewed. 

I do love inversions and backbends, and since the focus was on opening the heart, there were lots in the sequences. We ended the week with forward bends and twists, and found the backbends in those as well.

Uplifting! 

Each yoga intensive I find myself doing something that surprises and delights me. This morning we had been doing padmasana and then went to headstand variations that included half padmasana, and since I felt like doing a full urdhva padmasana, I did. The pose was really calling to me. I used to do this one as a kid all the time, and it was a bit of time travel for me. Fun, and exhilarating.
urdhva padmasana

That word, 'exhilerating,' I just realized how close it is to exhale. Inhalation and exhalation are the twin building blocks of pranayama, according to Iyengar. We practiced viloma breathing and kumbhaka, focusing first on inhaling and then exhaling, and observing the different affects.

I experienced how focusing and deepening the inhale is energizing, while focusing on the exhale more relaxing. 

Notes/ set-ups for future pranayama reference:
- for reclined pranayama: 5 blocks (four flat and one as a pillow)
- for seated pranayma: bolster with a blanket and plank on top, blanket wrapped around ankles for increased comfort + seated on a foam block, with legs through back of metal chair and wrists resting against the chair back