For this story we need to go back to Thursday morning.
We had awakened in Britt on Byng Inlet at 0500 and pulled out with Kismet in hopes of beating the predicted weather that was set to move into Lake Huron and ultimately Georgian Bay. Waves were forecast at one meter and winds at 10-15 knots. The real problem was not the waves or wind but the direction. It would be on our beam( side ) for nearly five hours as we slogged across nearly fifty miles of open water.
I am posting a series of pictures to try and demonstrate how the ride was. These were taken from the same location in three quick shots. Just look at how the water in the background disappears. That is because the boat was rolling and plunging that much every second. To tell the truth after nearly four hours I began to feel queasy and had to forgo my 1100 Low Sodium V8 for fear I could not keep it down. The Admiral seemed unaffected. She says it is because when it was my turn to leave the wheel I would close my eyes and try to sleep. Who knows, but I was glad to see the mountains and the lighthouse beckoning us toward Killarney Channel.
We had reservations at Sportsman’s Inn which is on both sides of the channel with a water taxi running back and forth. The current was swift because the winds funnel through and push the water at a rapid rate. Add to this a plethora of boating traffic and no courtesy among them and you have a recipe for disaster. Kismet, due to poor instruction from the marina, nearly hit the dock but recovered nicely. We were heading in when they waved us off because they decided at the last second to change our slip assignment and the side we were to tie up on. This necessitated Jan trying to turn in a narrow channel teaming with moving boats while I scrambled to shift four fenders from port to starboard. It was close but even the guys on the dock said it was nice work the way we came in like a feather to the dock.
Now there are so many great features here.
There is the Little Red Bus where you get the best fish and chips I have had since London. The fishing boats pull up to the back and unload, they cut them up and batter and fry them. I have not had such fresh cooked fish since we bought them off the boat in the Bosphorus Straight in Istanbul.
There is a spa at the marina and we have each had a massage. Jan’s was a relaxation massage and mine a deep tissue massage. First time I have been naked with a strange woman in a long time. Now this is true. When she finished she told me that this was the quickest one hour she has ever worked and the most entertaining. Jan says I do not know how to relax and I think I am supposed to entertain the masseuse. That is why I had a heart attack. Guess some people cannot change.
On Thursday night we went to the Mountain Lodge Resort to listen to a singer named Andy who is really good. On Friday night we took the whole group back to see him.
The whole gang is reassembling here. Kismet, Cbay, Seabiscuit, Passport and Seabatical are all here.
On Friday I took the opportunity to dive under the boat and change the zincs. I cannot figure out what took those divers so long. I was done in 15 minutes and I had no oxygen tank. Just hold your breath and work in spurts, coming up for air as needed. It was cold at first but you get used to it.
This place even has drive-in movies. Projected up on a big screen on the side of a rock cliff are movies. It is almost directly in front of our boat. You tune your radio to FM 101 for the sound. What a place! I will post more pictures of Killarney when we next hae WIFI but we will be on anchor for a couple of days.
We plan to stay here until Sunday morning just because it is so convenient. Good places to eat, free movies and friendly folks with a spa at the dock. Now this is more like it.
