[Public-List] A great sailing weekend

[Gordon Laco via Public-List]

Thank you Dominic - and a friend just pointed out to me that 2000 is not
10pm; I should have written 2200.

Some naval officer,

GL




On 14/07/14 12:16 PM, "Dominic Amann via Public-List"
<public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Welcome to the new Millenia - Selfish is the new good.

Thanks Gord, a
> splendid write-up.


On Mon, Jul 14, 2014 at 12:12 PM, David Gilbert via
> Public-List <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Many thanks Gord for
> taking the trouble to write about your great sailing
> week end. I was not
> surprised by your description of the power boat
> incident. We had pretty much
> the same thing happen on Big Kanu last year
> albeit on the Toronto Islands,
> not in such pristine conditions as in your
> story. It was quite similar
> though in effect. We were quietly moored on the
> Hanlan's Point wall, a week
> day so not much traffic, enjoying a lovely
> quiet evening when in came one of
> the many tour boats, St. Marie with
> stereo blasting away -thump thump thump.
> I went over and asked them if they
> could quiet the thing down a bit and the
> fellow told me I was rude for
> asking. I wrote in my log, "so much for the
> dumbing down of our society." I
> also agreed with your comment on the
> Hunter.
> Keep 'em coming.
> David
>
> On 14-Jul-14, at 10:42 AM, Gordon Laco
> via Public-List wrote:
>
>  Good morning -
>>
>> We had a great sailing
> weekend in SURPRISE these past two days.
>>
>> We¹d planned to leave Friday
> afternoon but one of my historic ship clients
>> called just as I was laying
> down my pen (well shutting the computer) and
>> that kept me at work till the
> usual closing time.  I¹m pleased to have the
>> business of course and was
> glad to look after them, but skipping out early
>> was not possible after
> all.
>>
>> So we cast off lines some time shortly after 1800, filled the fuel
> tank at
>> the marina next door then started motoring down Severn Sound.  We
> ate
>> supper
>> in the cockpit while trudging along under power and in due
> course reached
>> the Minnicognashene Channel where we had to decide if we
> were going up the
>> inside passages and dropping the hook at Bone Island, or
> over to Methodist
>> Point (no more Methodists there) and anchoring where we¹d
> be better set up
>> for a dash up the outside.  The sun was setting but we
> chose outside...
>> Getting into Methodist in the dark isn¹t a problem and of
> course there
>> was a
>> full moon coming.
>>
>> So we altered course right at
> the entrance to The Pins at Minnicog, and
>> chugged along west.  On the way
> we saw the Canadian Coast Guard ship
>> RISLEY
>> busy working on Indian Maid
> Rock buoy... That is an aid to nav that is
>> notoriously difficult to find
> sometimes and we said to each other ³we KNEW
>> they move it around!  There¹s
> the proof!²
>>
>> We got to Methodist about sunset and dropped the hook into
> the clean sand
>> in
>> 12¹ of water.  I¹ve often thought these Georgian Bay
> anchorages were just
>> made for yachts ­ usually just the right depth,
> usually just the right
>> bottom.   We had an evening drink, watched the
> incredible moonrise, then
>> turned in.
>>
>> I awoke early and gently woke up
> my crew (wife Caroline and son Rob) with
>> the churtling of the coffee
> percolator.   After a wonderful breakfast in
>> the
>> cockpit looking up at
> Giant¹s Tomb Island and noting the RISLEY still at
>> anchor over by Indian
> Maid Rock, we hoisted the main, plucked up our
>> anchor
>> then set the genny
> as SURPRISE¹s head fell off the wind.  As we glided out
>> of the anchorage we
> crossed the stern of a large Hunter forty-something
>> with
>> davits on it¹s
> stern & an oxygen-tent cockpit enclosure... and received a
>> Œnice boat¹
> compliment from the couple in it... I couldn¹t in all
>> conscience
>> return
> the boat compliment but I did manage Œlovely morning¹ in return.
>>
>> The
> wind was WNW so that gave us a nice close reach away.  In due course
>> Hope
> Island Light Station came about abeam, so Rob and I took bearings on
>> the
> top and bottom limbs of the Tomb aft to starboard, and a third
>> portside
>>
> bearing on the light station¹s tower.  When plotted we found we were
>>
> within
>> a hundred meters or so of where we were last July also heading north
> and
>> figuring to get a fix from which to set out into the Void.
>>
>> The
> wind eventually failed, but carried us up to O¹Donnell Point by just
>> after
> lunch (sandwiches in the cockpit)   We fired up the loyal A4 and
>> motored in
> past the light tower, zigged and zagged through the channels up
>> to Double
> Island (which we call ŒBig Bum¹ because it looks like cheeks
>> rising out of
> the water)  then set our course in to find the red can
>> guiding
>> to Wreck
> Island.
>>
>> Oh we rejoiced when we found the anchorage there empty.  As we
> circled in
>> past the rocky reef inside the entrance, we saw a beautiful
> large black
>> bear
>> on the island.  He ambled up the rocky shore, paused to
> stare at us, then
>> loped over the top.  Wonderful!
>>
>> We just finished
> settling in when a very large power boat came idling into
>> the anchorage.
> They had a stereo going and their engines were throwing
>> echoes off the
> rocks where the bear just was.   They cut close over our
>> anchor chain then
> backed themselves in between ourselves and the shore ­
>> not
>> 50 meters
> away in the otherwise empty harbour.  They immediately dropped a
>> boat with
> a 50hp outboard on it into the water and started up their
>> generator.  Hard
> female laughter, the roar of the generator, and the
>> dribbling of the water
> from their air conditioning plant made us all stare
>> at each other.
>>
>> A
> few hours later, after supper, I rowed over and asked them politely how
>>
> long they were going to be running their gen set.  They looked very
>>
> offended
>> then with false smiles such as one would give an offensive
> visitor, told
>> me
>> Œabout ninety minutes or two hours more¹.
>>
>> I rowed
> the few strokes back over to SURPRISE and talked with Caroline and
>> Rob.
> The span they offered would have them shutting off some time around
>> 2000
> (10pm) IF they were telling the truth about their intentions.
>>
>> We hoisted
> anchor and moved over to the western lobe of the harbour.  We
>> could still
> hear the power boat¹s gen set, but they were not so close.
>>  Once
>> settled
> in, I rowed over to the cottagers who have their wharf at that end
>> of the
> harbour.  I introduced myself and apologized for anchoring in front
>> of
> their place and explained why I moved.  They told me that sailors are
>>
> always welcome Œbecause you folks are quiet and don¹t leave a mess¹.
>>
> Wonderful.  I thanked them.
>>
>> During the night squalls with heavy wind and
> rain blew through... I was up
>> several times thinking about our rather
> hurried re-anchoring but all was
>> well.  At 0600 I heard the power boat¹s
> gen set start up....  Oh what
>> inconsiderate people.  I¹m sure they have no
> idea how offensive they were,
>> in fact I am certain they thought I was
> offensive by asking about their
>> generator.  I said to Caroline and Rob
> Œrunning that equipment in such a
>> lovely place, so close when they didn¹t
> have to be so close, is like going
>> into a fine restaurant and farting!¹
> But I¹m sure that would never
>> occur
>> to them that¹s what they were
> doing.
>>
>> So, here we were at Sunday morning.  The wind had settled in from
> the
>> north
>> west and at a solid 15knts.  Perfect but for one thing... Pea
> soup fog.
>> We
>> decided to wait for it to clear which it started doing by
> 1130 so up came
>> our two hooks and away we went.  As soon as we started
> moving the fog
>> closed
>> in again.... Well we went anyway.
>>
>> On the way
> out the entrance we passed the flat barely surfaced rock there
>> and saw a
> martin (seemed large for a mink) having a lunch of crayfish...
>> True to his
> type he stood his ground glaring fiercely at us as we motored
>> past.  What a
> beautiful, bold, little animal.  Well to us he was
>> beautiful;
>> to any
> creature about twice his size down, no doubt he¹s death on four
>> legs.
>>
>>
> We slowed to four knots and felt our way around to the red can...glad that
>>
> we¹d marked our courses on the chart before leaving.  Our luck was in and>>
> the mist lifted as we motored to windward and Big Bum appeared ahead and
>>
> the
>> whole area cleared.  Once up to Big Bum we uncorked the genny and
> began
>> reaching down the coast through the inside channels... Later we
> hoisted
>> the
>> main too.
>>
>> Below Split Rock we had a few open stretches
> and with the building wind
>> really started galloping.  We had a fantastic
> sail home in weather just
>> made
>> for an Alberg 30.  We surged and surfed,
> galloped and drove hard all the
>> way
>> down the coast.   What a great
> weekend.
>>
>> Gord
>> #426 Surprise
>>
>>
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--
> 



Where there is a shell, there is a way...

Dominic Amann
M
> 416-270-4587
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