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Author Archives: JH

June 17 – Haywood Island to Killarney

18 Jun

View from the cockpit at Haywood Island

This is the view from the cockpit from Haywood Island. Dennis removed the canvas at the back of the boat and it is really nice now – you get lots of light, a breeze and a good view. It was raining for a while and no rain came in (no more than usual), so I think we are going to keep the canvas off.

We had an uneventful trip from Haywood to Killarney. No boats to tow – hardly any boats to see, I guess because it is too early in the season. We docked at the fish and chip dock and got ourselves organized and then had our final fish and chips meal. It was delicious!

I drove home in the car and saw the bear on the way again. I wonder if he just hangs around the highway waiting for photo ops?

Dennis sailed off to Club Island. He got in at around 7:00 pm, so it was a long day for him. He had hoped to start early this morning and cross the lake to get home but he is fogged in, so he went back to sleep. I’m sure he is exhausted. I will have to watch him on the Spot to see what time I should pick him up at Big Sound Marina.

All in all, it was a good weekend. This was our last trip before we leave for the summer. We still have quite a bit of things to do before we head out but the boat is ready – just need a few more supplies!

 
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Posted by on June 18, 2012 in Sailing in Georgian Bay, Sailing the North Channel

 

June 16 – Covered Portage Cove to Haywood Island

16 Jun

So, today was fairly interesting. We went for a hike up the mountain at Covered Portage Cove. Here are a couple of pictures – an overturned tree and the view from the top.

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There was only one other boat in the anchorage, so it was very nice and quiet. As for the hike, well, it only took about 15 minutes to walk up the mountain (maybe I shouldn’t even call it a mountain). The view is amazing though because you can see all of the North Channel in one direction and Killarney in the other.

We decided to head out to Hayward Island because of the strong wind warning. It is much better protected than Covered Portage Cove. On our way there, in the Landsdown channel, we spotted a small powerboat on the side of the channel and he flagged us down. So, we went over to see what that was about and the boat had stopped working. They were headed towards Killarney but asked for a tow. They had called their marina for a tow but the mechanic had left for a while. We towed them towards McGregor Bay – Dennis actually put the sail up for a while. After about half an hour, the marina called and the mechanic came to tow the boat back. There were actually eight people in the boat and it was one couple’s anniversary. If you check on the Spot, you can see our strange route – and that is why.

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We then headed over to Haywood and within a minute of putting the dinghy into the water, we had a new friend. Dennis can’t afford a parrot, so I guess we’re stuck with the seagull.

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That’s all that is happening today. Dennis has killed about 20 giant horseflies. They keep buzzing around but won’t land.
Nick texted me from home and told me that pike that was over three feet long, got his lure last night so he was going fishing today to try to get his lure back. I haven’t heard back from him, so I suspect he has not been successful. Imagine though – a fish that big – in our little lake!

Heading back to Killarney tomorrow and back to work for Monday.

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2012 in Sailing the North Channel

 

June 15 – Killarney

16 Jun

Dennis left Parry Sound on Wednesday evening for a quick trip to Killarney. He stayed overnight at Killbear Park, somehow managed to get an invite onto the boat from Brazil and had a wonderful time. The next day, he headed out to Killarney at 5:00 am, hoping to sail the whole way. He only sailed for a couple of hours but spent most of his time killing bugs and cleaning. He said there was a variety of bugs – ankle biters (tiny houseflies) and nosee’ums. They followed the boat by the thousands and landed everywhere. I am really sorry to have missed all of that (I had to work – what a shame!). When he arrived at Covered Portage Cove at around 6:00 pm, he anchored safely and then rowed around in the anchorage looking for someone to talk to. (I guess the people from Brazil hadn’t arrived!). He then spent the evening and most of the next day cleaning and polishing the entire boat (because of the bugs). When I arrived, it was clean as a whistle!
I actually took a more common form of transportation – a car – to Killarney and arrived in two hours. Of course, I did see a bear crossing the road right in front of me.

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Dennis met me at the Sportsmans Inn. We noticed that on George Island, there is a brand new building and apparently it is a spa.

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In the evening, once we got back to Covered Portage Cove, we had a game of crib.(I am red)

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It started to rain at about 8:30 but by 8:45 it had stopped and a rainbow came out.

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It is supposed to be 30 degrees today and very sunny, so we will go hiking in the morning and swimming in the afternoon. We might go back to Killarney and meet Marlene and Kevin (they are coming by motorcycle). We’ll see – we might just hang out on the boat and relax.

 
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Posted by on June 16, 2012 in Sailing the North Channel

 

June 9 – Regatta Bay

09 Jun

After leaving Killbear Park this morning, we started motoring over to Regatta Bay but within half an hour, the fog descended upon us so we decided to drop the anchor at The Pancakes. We hadn’t been there since Nick was a little kid and we had Hetarae. It really hasn’t changed much – water, rocks, trees, water, rocks, trees… We did manage to find Nick’s birthday present – see below for a picture!
After the fog lifted, we headed over to the backside of Regatta Bay. Since the weather was good, no winds and a bright sky, we took a chance and got in – it has a long narrow entrance with ledges of Georgian Bay rock jutting out all over. Very spectacular to look at but pretty scary when navigating in a boat. I was on the bow and actually was somewhat helpful, watching for rocks and signaling to Dennis.
We made it in safely and are we ever glad we came here – this is my new favourite anchorage. The rocks are amazing – wild formations of pink and gray granite. The pine trees are all bent and crooked and there are lots of birds flying and diving around. Best of all though, nobody is here!
We will head home tomorrow but the temperature is supposed to be 30 degrees so we won’t be in any rush. It’s too bad that there was a snowstorm in Canmore, Alberta today – it sure is nice here!

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Posted by on June 9, 2012 in Sailing in Georgian Bay

 

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June 8th – Killbear Park

08 Jun

Well, I am trying out publishing using the iPad so please excuse the pictures – I wanted to see where they would fit in.
We stayed on the boat last night at Bob’s Point Marina even though it was a Thursday and I had to work today. It was nice though, I walked to work and back to the boat. Got lots of exercise so that was good.
We headed out after school at around 4:00 and are now anchored at Killbear Park. It is very quiet – only two boats in the anchorage.
We went for a swim but it was very cold. The water is only 19 degrees which is very refreshing.
Now we are just hanging out in the cockpit watching the sun go down. Dennis is actually using the iPad. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get him hooked on it and then we won’t have to bring his computer when we go for the summer.
Tomorrow we are off to the back side of Regatta Bay. We’ve never been to this anchorage but the water is so low, we can’t get into the regular anchorage. Too bad because I wanted to see if the giant turtle made it through the winter.
More to follow…

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Posted by on June 8, 2012 in Sailing in Georgian Bay

 

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2012 “Shakedown” Cruise” – Killbear Marina to Bob’s Point

26 May

Hmm… the trip from Killbear Marina to Bob’s Point (in Parry Sound) went fairly well. It was interesting though at the very beginning as soon as the boat was launched. The water level in Georgian Bay has gone down considerably in the past year. The Split Crow draws 5 feet of water and there was only 4 foot 8 at the dock as well as in the channel leaving the marina. Luckily, the depth metre is not that accurate!

Dennis motored the boat by himself from Killbear to Parry Sound – the sails are still down below in the cabin. We are waiting for a calm day to set them. Once out of the channel, he put the boat in auto-pilot (which actually worked!) and went down below to check the engine. There were a couple of problems but he continued motoring on because the engine seemed to work.

Once Dennis arrived at Bob’s Point, he found out the various things that needed attention. The impeller (whatever that is) was all chewed up, so he bought a new one and installed it. That was fairly straight-forward. The other problem though was that the transmission was leaking water (sorry if I am unclear in this) and he spent a couple of hours trying to repair and replace the important O ring. His hand got mangled in the process – and now has this big red patch on it – I think he said that he got his hand twisted in the engine somewhere.

After spending several hours on the transmission, he gave up and come home to think it over. He’s back at it this morning with a new solution – something to do with crazy glue – I think he is going to cut the O ring, crazy glue and stick it back on the leaking transmission part. We will see if this works. Apparently, there was a problem before we owned the boat because someone else had previously worked on the same thing.

The other interesting problem is that a mouse somehow got into the cabin over the winter and left all sorts of parcels. I can’t imagine how it got in and I keep expecting to find its body but so far I haven’t. Dennis thinks that it must have gotten out because we had no food on board. I hope so. This has motivated me to clean the boat though and as soon as it is put back together, I will get on it.

So, good thing Dennis is handy – I am sure he really enjoys these mechanical puzzles. I said that when we actually leave, the boat will have no room for luxuries such as food because we’ll have to fill it with spare boat parts.

PS – the wind metre still works!

 
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Posted by on May 26, 2012 in Everything Else!, Sailing in Georgian Bay

 

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Good-bye Killbear Marina…

24 May

Killbear Marina

After many, many years and three boats, we are finally leaving Killbear Marina. Our boat, the Split Crow, is being launched by Will and Ed Reichenbacher for the last time this morning. Dennis is planning on bringing the boat to Bob’s Point today and we will keep it there until June 29th. That’s when I finish work and we can start our summer vacation and the beginning of our trip out to the East coast.

Staying at Killbear Marina has been great for a number of reasons. First of all, it is located on Georgian Bay, near the outskirts, so we don’t have to motor for two hours to get out of the Big Sound area in Parry Sound. There are many great places near Killbear to sail and to anchor. For example, Regatta Bay, one of our favourite anchorages, is just around the corner.

Killbear is also a full service marina and probably the best place in the Parry Sound area to launch big boats. The marina has a travel lift, grocery store, restaurant and a marine supply store so we can always get what we need without having to drive the 40 minutes into Parry Sound.

We have stayed at Killbear for many years, since we first moved to Parry Sound in 1997 when we had Hetarae.  The owners of the marina are Will and Ed Reichenbacher – two brothers who have taken over the operation of the marina from their father Deiter, who started the marina many years ago. Will and his wife Wendy, have two girls and Ed and his wife Sharon have a boy and girl. The kids all attended Nobel School where I taught for many years. Our son Nick has also worked at Killbear since he was 15 being a dock boy and general helper in the summers.

So, although we are happy to get going on our next adventure, we are sad to leave to leave the marina. However, it is time to get going on our adventure and I am counting the days until school is done!

After many, many years and three boats, we are finally leaving Killbear Marina. Our boat, the Split Crow, is being launched by Will and Ed Reichenbacher for the last time this morning. Dennis is planning on bringing the boat to Bob’s Point today and we will keep it there until June 29th. That’s when I finish work and we can start our summer vacation and the beginning of our trip out to the East coast.

 
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Posted by on May 24, 2012 in Everything Else!, Sailing in Georgian Bay, Waiting for summer...

 

Another Boating Adventure!

22 Apr

Spring is really taking its time this year to arrive and our boat will be one of the last to be put in the water, so Dennis has been spending his time scheming on how to go boating. Here’s his solution!

Dennis and Nick launching the dock for a spin around Crow Lake.

Heading around the point - I hope they don't run out of gas!

 
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Posted by on April 22, 2012 in Everything Else!

 

Uncovering The Split Crow – Happy Easter!

08 Apr

Check out the trees in the background - early spring, so it will be a while before the boat is launched.

So, the weather has been quite cooperative this spring and yesterday, Dennis drove out to the boat to uncover it. I rode my bike out (42 km) and managed to arrive just as he was finishing so that was very good timing on my part! The only thing I had to do was help fold up the tarps, so that was great!

We aren’t actually putting the boat in the water until the May long weekend. It is way in the back of the yard at Killbear Marina, so it will be one of the last to go in the water. We’re in no rush though, since we really can’t go anywhere until June 29th when I am finished work.

The boat is in good shape – there’s not much to buy except for some cockpit cushions and I emailed HunterOwners.com regarding those, so hopefully we’ll get them in the next few weeks. We have to order a split cable for shore power – for the air conditioning. I know that sounds spoiled but we will be in southern Ontario for most of the summer where the temperature is often in the upper 30s for days on end – not to mention the humidity! So, if nothing else, at least we’ll be comfortable at night as we will be spending most of our time at marinas. Next summer will be totally different since we’ll be on the St. Lawrence (we hope to get as far as Quebec City this summer) and apparently it is often cold and foggy on the Gaspe.

Anyway, things are progressing as planned and we are looking forward to summer. I did check the Nexus wind instrument and it is actually working still! That’s a sign that things are looking up!

 
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Posted by on April 8, 2012 in Waiting for summer...

 

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Sailrite Ultrafeed Sewing Machine

15 Mar

Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1

Well, my Singer sewing machine had to go in for repairs. After twenty years, it finally needed work. Since I have been sewing a lot more heavy things using canvas and upholstery material, I think the poor machine couldn’t cope so Dennis suggested that I get a new one and he just happened to know of a good sewing machine called the Sailrite Ultrafeed. So, I ordered the Sailright Ultrafeed LSZ-1 from Mason Sewing in Vancouver and it arrived within a week. It is portable, so I have it set up where the old machine was. It is really tough! I’ve had it sewing through eight layers of canvas (attaching straps to bags) with no problem!

The machine is quite simple – it does not do anything fancy except that it has a zigzag feature which works really well. Other than that, it goes forward and it goes in reverse. It also has three positions for the needle which is great for trying to get really close to the edge of the material or for doing zippers. Its best feature though, is the walking presser foot. This really makes a difference when you are using heavy, bulky material – it doesn’t pucker but just slides along and creates a beautiful stitch.

In order to learn how to use it, a series of video tutorials came with it and they are excellent! I’ve learned about the tension, how to change needles, the bobbin, maintenance and oiling and a number of other important things.

My only criticism of the Sailrite Ultrafeed is their crummy light. It does come with the machine but it is not worth even attaching. I had to buy a better light (the Bendable Bright LED Light) which can be moved around and adjusted so that you can see details such as the stitches or even threading the needle. I think that the company should scrap the old light and just include this one because it is a really powerful light.

I’ve made a bunch of different things already and have also hemmed Dennis’ heavy, heavy work pants without any trouble at all. I even sewed some fake leather and it turned out beautifully! What I also like is that I can sew light materials too. All I needed to do is change the needle and adjust the tension.

So, in all, it is a great machine, very tough and easy to use. It sews through anything and is well built – made of metal. The other machines that I looked at in comparison had many plastic parts and didn’t look as rugged or as tough. I think I’ll be able to make good use of the Sailrite Ultrafeed for a long time. I am using it a lot for making bags and you can check out some pics of the bags that I’ve made on our other website: Bowls and Bags.

 
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Posted by on March 15, 2012 in Products

 

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