LaSalle

Seems like a long time since I left Tobermory. I better get some notes in.

Tuesday I started to leave Tobermory around 11, but got delayed when a visiting staff handed me the gas hose instead of the diesel hose. We had about 9 l in before flagging the error. The dock master was on hand and got someone in quickly to pump out the tank. No harm done. So I didn’t get underway until mid afternoon. Had a light air jib reach south, and got into Kincardine about 5 am. Beautiful night.

I made this video around sunset. Very nice evening.

I spent Wednesday night in Kincardine. Nice town, and the community flower gardens south of the marina are wonderful. There was a front coming through. Thursday I waited until things had settled down and left in the early afternoon.

It went light pretty quickly. I had originally thought I might get down to Bayfield before nightfall, but that wasn’t going to happen. When the wind eventually boomed in from the north at 10-15 knots I headed for Sarnia. Nice downwind sailing and another spectacularly nice night. Finally put a fleecy on about 3 am.

I sailed past Sarnia and eventually anchored here about 5 am and slept until 11.

Friday was down to Lake St Clair, across the lake, and down the river to LaSalle. I’ve never been through here. No pics because I was busy sailing and piloting and seeing the sights. By late afternoon shortly after I came out of the lake I was ready to quit. I was hand steering with the main only, sailing into the sun and the wind in unfamiliar waters in gusty unsettled conditions. So I took down the sail and motored over to the marinas next to Windsor Yacht Club. One was closed and the other has no transient slips. So I motored south, past Windsor. No places to stop. Eventually I found the LaSalle Mariners Yacht Club, and I pulled in around 8 pm. Marvelous club.

Ratso is a boat that I first met in Halifax when John Hughes was getting ready to race around the world. They are racing next weekend in the Lake Erie Solo Challenge with me.

Im leaving Tin Lizzie here and am going to try to get to Chicago tomorrow to pick up my car and some boat stuff. Then a visit home and back here Thursday or Friday to head for North Cape Yacht Club.