What a spectacular end to our summer Yondering.
Rob and I left Waupoos September 15th on a late summer day. The sail plan was to take the outside route, get to Cobourg and anchor overnite, then reach our slip at BPYC by the second evening. We had waited for a suitable weather window for the trip home: three days fair weather with no storms forecast; winds moderate and blowing in the right direction (North/East - East).
Things did not go according to plan. We ended up sailing straight on til dawn, and then some. The motor gave out, so we were obliged to keep on sailing.
Sunrise. Sunset. Moonrise. Sunrise. Thirty six hours total! What an adventure!
We left Waupoos in morning twilight, the motor puttering along as Rob hoisted the mainsail. Once underway we unfurled the jib and turned off the engine to enjoy the winds and the quiet. After a few weeks on the dock, seeing the sails puff out was pure rapture. Four hours in, the winds died down a bit so we started to motorsail, taking our speed to 5 - 6 knots. No other boats accompanied us under the September skies.
Then: Pop! Pop! Pop! G R I N D Clickety Clackety. The engine suddenly started making alarming noises while blowing white smoke. It was around 5:30 in the afternoon. Without a working engine, we decided the best course was a straight sail home, foregoing an overnight stay in Cobourg.
It was going to be a long haul. Neither of us had experience sailing at night, but winds were light and we decided to take turns at the helm.
Our Catalina Tall Rig isn't conducive to having the lines run back so it isn't possible to raise the mainsail from the cockpit. Over the years, I have held my breath watching Rob on the top deck hoist and drop it in strong winds. We decided to sail by the jib the rest of the way home.
Evening twilight started around 6:30, and the sun was sinking under the horizon when we dropped the main.
Speed now 2 - 3 knots. It was going to be an even longer night. As skies darkened, winds grew lighter. At some points, winds weren't high enough to even register on our navigational instruments. I watched the arrival time get later and later into the following day. When I went down for a nap, we were in front of Cobourg, and when I came up to relieve Rob a couple hours later, we were still in front of Cobourg. Bobbing. Were we going backwards?
It was indeed a long night as we took our turns at watch, but it was a beautiful one. The moon rose as a sliver of silver. We saw shooting stars among the thousands that lit the heavens. Loons sang their haunting calls.
Front row seats for dawn. Morning twilight was on full display. During the astronomical phase we could see a morning glow near horizon; nautical twilight we could still see the stars; civil twilight emerging into brightness. Then the sun rose right on the horizon behind us. Sublime!
Rob handed me a mug of the tastiest instant coffee I ever had.
We were now at the 24 hour mark of the sail. Winds continued favourable and we continued to swap spots at the helm to take naps. The city of Toronto and Scarborough Bluffs could finally be seen in the distance. Speeds now 3 - 4 knots. It would be another 11 hours before we could make out the lighthouse in front of Bluffers Park.
We called C-Tow to meet us. At 4:45, Jamie the operator, tied us to the Boston Whaler that would tow us into our club. Talk about a grand entrance! Alan, Mari and Dave were there to catch us as we shifted perfectly into our slip a little before 5:30 p.m.
At 7 pm. I was telling the story at my Book Club meeting in the clubhouse, but before the end of the meeting I hit a wave of exhaustion. Rob and I took an uber home to our bed for a well deserved and undisturbed sleep.
