Saturday, August 26, 2017

Stormy day in Gananoque




Day 12: August 22, 2017

I got up early and headed for the marina laundry while Janine started a pot of coffee.  After breakfast, we attempted to publish the blog but we ran into a real snag. 

I use Yahoo for my email service and it is my understanding that they have really tightened down their security requirements.  In this area, I have no cell phone service.  My service provider does not cover Canada.  Up until now, I was able to reach towers on the US mainland so my phone worked. So, Yahoo decided that I was sending out spam because my notification list of addresses is so large.  They refused to send out the notices.  They then required me to prove to them who I am.  In doing this, I first had to change my password, then they would send a code to my cell phone that I was to use to verify my account.  But, my phone doesn’t work in Canada!  So, there is no way that I can send or receive emails!  I have no way of communicating with the outside world.  They also locked down the Yahoo account on my phone so, even if I were to get a signal, I could not use it. 

Dwight is a professional in the information technology field and we worked most of the day trying to figure out how to get around their firewall.  We finally drove over the International Bridge to Hill Island in an attempt to get a signal on my phone so that we could unlock the system.  We drove up next to the Canadian/US customs barriers with no luck. We finally drove down a little road on Hill Island and did get a signal.  I was able to unlock the phone account,  but that did not unlock my computer.  So, we were no better off than when we started.

By now, it was approaching 4:00, having spent the day in frustration.  We soothed our frayed nerves by visiting a small wood working museum.  It was set in a reconstructed log home and larger display building.  They had a number of primitive wooden tools and devises used by earlier settlers in the area.  The floor of the display building was made of various species of wood all beautifully finished.  Much of the wood was selected for interesting grain patterns.  It was an interesting place.

We then visited the Gananoque Brewing Company for a sample of locally created beer.  The building was one of the oldest buildings in Gananoque.  In its history, the place had been occupied by a number of different industries, one of which was a manufacturer of “hula hoops.”

While there, the area was hit with a tremendous thunder storm.  The winds were reported to have reached 50 mph.  We felt lucky to have Second Wind tied securely to a dock.

We began looking for a place for dinner.  We tried three different suggested ones before we came upon one that was open.  The Gananoque Inn and Spa is a bit more upscale that we had planned for but the prime rib that I had was truly wonderful.

After dinner, the rain had stopped but the wind was still howling when we headed back to the boat for our night’s sleep.

Camelot to Gananoque



Day 12: August 21, 2017

We arose a bit later than usual.  We had a great night’s sleep.  The air was cool and the water calm.  After breakfast, we raised the anchor and headed for the town of Gananoque.  It was only 1.7 miles from our little cove on Grindstone Island, however, the wind began to pipe up a bit making our passage slower.
Home on a little island in route to Gananoque
The Municipal Marina in Gananoque is huge and it took a bit of doing to find our slip.  The wind was at our back making the approach a bit tricky but the boat responded well and with the help of two boaters who saw us coming in, we landed smoothly.

We checked in, got our wifi password, and emailed our friends, Dwight and Judy, giving them our slip number.  Our original plan for this trip was joining these folks up here where they had rented an island for a week.  However, with the high water, the owners of the island had to cancel
the reservation.  And with that and a few health issues, they were not able to bring their boat and had to settle for a car/motel trip.

Back at the boat, we prepared our lunch and waited until Dwight came pounding on the roof of Second Wind.  Judy, who was hobbled by a broken heel and a large plastic boot, wandered up and joined us.  We decided that it would be fun to take a motoring tour of the nearby islands. We raised the main sail and spent probably an hour and a half cruising back around Camelot Island and others.  It was a gentle pleasant ride.

Our friends hadn’t eaten, so upon our return to the marina, we got in their car and found Anthony’s Restaurant where they had lunch and we had a wonderful huge

Typical Canadian lighted day marker and cormorant rest stop
desert each.  We spent the remainder of the afternoon sitting around reminiscing over times past while eating gouda cheese, kipper snacks and enjoying a glass of wine or two.

As evening approached we decided to head back into town and find a place where we could get a light evening meal.   We settled on Black’s Irish Pub where we found a quiet atmosphere and interesting menu items. I had a serving of two beef sliders.  The meat was seasoned and rolled into
One of the super boats parked at nice home
balls about the size of golf balls and placed between two bread pieces that were square and not unlike English muffin.  There was an arugula salad on the plate that was doused with lemon juice.  The sliders were great. Of course, since we were eating in a pub, we washed our meal down with a pint of grog.

We returned to the boat and made plans to meet again tomorrow at around 11:00.