Young Folks on Old Boats
The afternoon before I left the magical haven of rest with Jerry and Marty, I got a text from one of my best friends, Marguerite. “HEY CAN I COME VISIT YOU THIS WEEK FOR LIKE 3 DAYS.” Obviously the answer was yes please finally!! I was prepared to begin the solo part of my trip, but it would be put on hold so that she could live a few days of boat life with me. I had just terminated my Canadian cell service, so we made plans as best we could to meet in a few days in the town of Little Current and I would check back in with her when I arrived (I had to travel two days to get there).
The first morning out all by myself was an interesting one. I had a long day ahead and Jerry and Marty sent me off early with hot coffee and well wishes. It was like the beginning of any long calm day, sitting at the helm sipping on coffee and thinking about life, except that I was tethered in and there was no one to talk to or trade shifts with. With no other boats out on the lake, it was a weirdly calm and uneventful day. I anchored in Covered Portage Cove with one other boat; just a week prior it was so packed we could barely find space. Anchor successfully set, I relaxed on deck watching the sun go down and the neighborhood otter swim around, debating whether I should make canned soup or canned chili for dinner.
The next trip over to Little Current was similarly uneventful; I successfully unanchored, sipped hot coffee, and tried to get used to the silence and the fact that no one would pop out from the cabin. I passed the abandoned anchorage of Heywood Island, where a bear had figured out how to climb swim ladders and find boats stocked with food. I barely made it through the 5 pm bridge opening in time and was able to get a hand with dock lines for the town docks, and settled into another quiet night on a quiet boat.
With wifi access I confirmed with Marguerite the plan, she would arrive in two days for her visit so I had some time to kill. I wandered into town looking for a real meal, but the only open restaurant had a half hour wait. Discouraged, I returned to Elpis for soup and Netflix. But I was interrupted by loud voices from the next dock over. I peeked my head out, and saw a group of what looked like young people all wearing Hawaiian shirts, hanging out on the deck of a small sailboat, playing guitar and having a good time. Friends? I waited to see if they would stay, and it didn’t look like anyone was leaving anytime soon.
I made myself a rum drink for courage and went to investigate. They thought I was going to tell them to be quiet, but when I asked if I could join I was welcomed with open arms. The story came out of what I was doing in Little Current in September, and then they asked if I wanted to join their crew. Turned out the Hawaiian shirts were crew shirts, and they were in town for the Little Current Yacht Club fall regatta. They had one more day of racing the next morning, and I was totally on board. The boat was a J29 named Aquila from Lions Head, ON, and it was an annual tradition to bring the boat up for the race and some adventure. We had a blast the next day racing in 20-25 knots, freezing but loving every second of it.
I said goodbye to everyone the next morning, and Marguerite made it that evening! Per tradition we ate ice cream and talked about life, and got ready for the adventure the next morning. We headed over to Crocker Island, and had a grand total of one other boat in the anchorage with us. The brief spell of early fall weather that plagued Lynn and I was gone, and full perfect September summer was in glorious effect. Marguerite was practicing photography, and we climbed all over rocks trying to take pictures of the landscape. From our perch on top of the hill, we were surrounded by sparkling crystal blue water, dotted with mounds of pink granite covered in dark evergreen pines that seemed to grow straight from the rock. Our evening was filled with wine, stars, heartwarming life chats, and watching for the northern lights (no luck) while getting distracted by shooting stars.
The next morning we moved to the Benjamins main anchorage, fairly crowded with all three boats. We came ashore on a smooth granite beach, climbed all over looking for bears, and went on a dinghy adventure. We took our picnic lunch and landed on a random rock that has now been claimed as the Isle of Cheezies (my favorite Canadian version of Cheetohs), and spent the afternoon soaking in the warmth and the sunshine.
Our souls were refreshed. We got to take the time to disconnect and get outside and play. I got to share my boat life with Marguerite. Marguerite now dreams of sailing away to find more beautiful adventures and landscapes. We caught up on life. Gossip. Stories. Her visit was short and sweet, and absolutely perfect.
