Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Nice Wind to the Islands
We were intending to go out and sail for a couple of hours, however the wind was perfect for a sail to the islands. My son John and his friend Matt were the crew. We sailed out in just over an hour and anchored for a swim and sandwich. Another perfect day. On the way back in we spotted a couple boats heading west. One boat was a trimaran. We gave a big wave.
Eagle Tracks at the Manitous
We have been itching to sail our boat somewhere, anchor it and spend the night. Thursday night was the choosen day so John and I provisioned the boat and set sail for the Manitou Islands.
We left the North Bay marina (A) at about 6:30 pm and headed out to the Manitou Islands (B). The distance is about 8.5 km. There was no wind so we motored out in about 50 minutes. We picked a spot and backed in to about 7 feet of water and dropped the anchor. We set it nicely and had no problems throughout the night. There was one motor boat nearby--also anchored for the evening.
We had been working on some sort of tarp system for the boat to protect us from sun and rain so we took the opportunity to set it up see how it looked. Seemed to work fine. We prepared dinner on the boat's origo stove and I was happy that everything worked well. We timed the water boiling at 7 minutes--not bad and the stove gave off little or no fumes and the meal was prepared easily. That night we read our books and looked out at the beautiful full moon. For a mast light we attached a prezil head lamp--worked perfect. The boat swung easily around the anchor throughout the night as the wind shifted and a cool breeze flowed in threw the forward hatch and out the screen at the hatch. John was out and slept till 10:30 the next morning. I was a bit restless and spent some time up on deck in the early morning watching the moon and stars. The moon went down at 4:20 am.
I was up at 8:30 and watched two eagles on the nearby beach. The male was perched on a limb, while the female stayed on the ground. At one point a raccoon chased the female, only to be chased away himself the the male eagle who swooped down protecting his mate.
Once John was up, we had a breakfast of bacon and eggs and jumped in the water for a swim to the beach. We walked along and explored looking for the eagle's nest. No luck. But we did find eagle tracks on the beach. Too cool. I remember the distinct three for-claws and the one rear talon. Just over 24 hours later I was holding eagle claws in my hands while participating in a native teaching ceremony at Project Dare--all very cool. We finished our exploring and swam back to the boat, hauled in the anchor and set out for North Bay. On the way home we turned on the auto pilot and sat up on the bow of the boat in the shade and enjoyed the ride home.
A great first experience sleeping on the boat away from the marina.
We left the North Bay marina (A) at about 6:30 pm and headed out to the Manitou Islands (B). The distance is about 8.5 km. There was no wind so we motored out in about 50 minutes. We picked a spot and backed in to about 7 feet of water and dropped the anchor. We set it nicely and had no problems throughout the night. There was one motor boat nearby--also anchored for the evening.
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| The full moon illuminates the water. |
We had been working on some sort of tarp system for the boat to protect us from sun and rain so we took the opportunity to set it up see how it looked. Seemed to work fine. We prepared dinner on the boat's origo stove and I was happy that everything worked well. We timed the water boiling at 7 minutes--not bad and the stove gave off little or no fumes and the meal was prepared easily. That night we read our books and looked out at the beautiful full moon. For a mast light we attached a prezil head lamp--worked perfect. The boat swung easily around the anchor throughout the night as the wind shifted and a cool breeze flowed in threw the forward hatch and out the screen at the hatch. John was out and slept till 10:30 the next morning. I was a bit restless and spent some time up on deck in the early morning watching the moon and stars. The moon went down at 4:20 am.
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| View from the forward hatch. The camera flash has illuminated the picutre, but the moonlight was bright enough for our own eyes to see the deck and beach in the distance. |
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| The First Mate sound asleep. |
I was up at 8:30 and watched two eagles on the nearby beach. The male was perched on a limb, while the female stayed on the ground. At one point a raccoon chased the female, only to be chased away himself the the male eagle who swooped down protecting his mate.
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| Both eagles are on the right of the tree. The male, half way up, and the female on the ground. |
Once John was up, we had a breakfast of bacon and eggs and jumped in the water for a swim to the beach. We walked along and explored looking for the eagle's nest. No luck. But we did find eagle tracks on the beach. Too cool. I remember the distinct three for-claws and the one rear talon. Just over 24 hours later I was holding eagle claws in my hands while participating in a native teaching ceremony at Project Dare--all very cool. We finished our exploring and swam back to the boat, hauled in the anchor and set out for North Bay. On the way home we turned on the auto pilot and sat up on the bow of the boat in the shade and enjoyed the ride home.
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| View from the stern showing the distance we swam to the beach. A great morning workout. |
A great first experience sleeping on the boat away from the marina.
Monday Night Group Sail Double Hitter with a Home Run
Well, you've couldn't have asked for better evening.
The Club met at the marina at 6:00 pm and piled into our boats. Wind was out of the NE at 5 - 7 knots and we covered about 20 km before the first part of the evening was over. Between Nibissing High School and Sunset Point we were able to cover all points of sail and played a little Cat & Mouse chase between the boats. A golden red to purple sunset saluted us as we headed back in to the marina. The temperature was perfect. We had a short break at the marina dropping off crew and picking up new crew and back out we went at about 9:30 pm. There was a light breeze so we set the genoa and sailed to the south towards Deep Water Point. Our goal was to see the last of the Perseid Meteor Shower and we weren't disappointed. They were so fast that there was a lot of "Did you see that" on the boat. The shower was passed its peak but we weren't disappointed. We saw a few satellites of which one was large enough to just to make out its panel wings (four tight points of light). The stars grew brighter and more numerous as the dusk slowly faded. It was interesting to reflect that these were the same stars we were looking at that the Norse Explorers used to find North America (Canada's first non-aboriginals on the east coast). At just past 10:30 pm, out of WSW, a very bright point of light quickly rose and traveled almost directly overhead us (60 degrees) and headed to the NE. It was the International Space Station (verified on the puter back home).
We also had fun determining the flashing navigation markers and sharing stories about past sailing adventures on the lake. "Did I tell you the one about the shoal that got in the way? No, seriously, the sneaky bugger must had moved!". As the Air Canada Jazz flew into the Bay on its last flight and a waning gibbous moon rose from the SE, we turned north and motored back to the marina. It was the quietest docking we ever experienced (note to self: should of check the gas level before we left eh?).
Friday, August 12, 2011
A Quiet Trip to Callander Bay.
We sailed out to Callander Bay Manitou Islands ) somewhere within Callander Bay and then sail back to North Bay LaVase River (a famous historical waterway and one of our proposed future adventures) or to motor down to Callander Bay Smith Island
Along the way we passed the Main Channel Lighthouse and had to give way to the Chief Commanda on one of its evening cruise (we recommend it).
We made a bit of short cut on the west side of Morrison Island Grand Trunk Island Smith Island Lake Nipissing but still allowed a breeze from it. The bottom of the bay was clay and with aquatic plants (not great swimming). We made sure that our anchor was well set in case Mother Nature decided to throw a few dices at us (a past experience lesson). At this time of year, there were few biting insects but lots of beautiful blue damsel flies who frequented our boat. A chardonnay 2009 (Ontario
We arose from our beds at 7:30 am had a wonderful breakfast of local eggs with smoked Thornloe cheddar and home made hashed browns with local onion. We pulled anchor at 9:50 (August 7) with overcast skies and light winds from the east. We motored from our anchorage to the eastern opening of the main channel that leads from Callander Bay into Lake Nipissing and then we set our sails. We sailed out to the furthest starboard buoy (green) and then started tacking north back to the North Bay Marina. In keeping with Lake Nipissing ’s tradition (wait fifteen minutes it will change) we had N to NE winds 10 to 17 knots. To avoid the off shore effect (east winds off the eastern shore) we ended up half way to the Manitou Islands (from North Bay) then started to tack back. Once we were off the shore of the St Joseph Mother House, we could then point directly to the marina (note: there are some several deadheads along this shore, so please keep an eye out). We arrived at the North Bay Marina at 12:50 and had our lunch (green salad and kohlrabi salad again with Farmer’s Market cinnamon buns) in the Marina
This was a simple overnight cruise with great scenery and we recomend it highly.
Happy Sailing :)
This was a simple overnight cruise with great scenery and we recomend it highly.
Happy Sailing :)
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Blue Sky Sailing Club Hosts a Massive Group Sail (well, OK, larger then usual).
We held a Group Sail on Saturday August 7. We also invited the Friends of the club to join us. We were featured in the North Bay Nugget and they also posted a short video. Above is a short version of one of our videos.
The Nuggets can be seen here: http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3248108
We all got together after the sail for lunch on the Old Chief Commanda after we came to shore.
The Nuggets can be seen here: http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3248108
We all got together after the sail for lunch on the Old Chief Commanda after we came to shore.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
First Overnight Sail
Lake Nipissing July 31 – August 1, 2011
This Blog is for sharing our experience in the undertaking of preparing our boat (Sirius 21) for spending a night onLake Nipissing and our actual trip log. We are hoping that you will benefit from our story and that you’ll rise up to the challenge.
This Blog is for sharing our experience in the undertaking of preparing our boat (Sirius 21) for spending a night on
Leading up to our trip, we had to convert our day sail boat into a floating cottage. We already have an extensive experience in wilderness canoe tripping so the preparation for this trip was more mechanical then compressed/light weight packing. We won’t be doing any portages with our sailboat anytime soon so weight was not a concern. The primary basics to prepare for were shelter, sleeping, cooking, hygiene, clothing, safety and travel. We have done several day sails with a packed lunch but now we had to start thinking for the long term.
Shelter and sleeping was an easy challenge as the boat is equipped with a berth and galley. We had our sleeping bags and cook set so we just had to look after the small things (dish washing stuff, etc.). Our boat wasn’t wired so we installed a battery, LED cabin lights, navigation lights and a stereo. We purchased a 30 watt solar panel (installed it onto our hatch) to keep the battery topped up. The head was a portable unit that we could take home after the trip.
Cooking was organized between a small one burner butane stove and marine propane BBQ. Both units were used so we cleaned and check them carefully before the trip. Meals were kept simple with most of the preparation done at home.
Hygiene was our basic canoe tripping bathroom kit. A face cloth showers is the typical routine in the bush. A solar shower was suggested during the trip that would have been a nice luxury especially if the lake was too cool for swimming. A small basin in the sink would serve as a washing station as needed.
Clothing during this trip is selected for two seasons (Summer and Fall). There is no heating on the boat so the temperatures are what Mother Nature throws at you. From sweltering heat to low temperatures with a wind chill. Head to foot rain suit is also a must. Besides this, you need basic changes of clothes for each day out.
Safety included a fire extinguisher, a good first aid kit, cell phone and radio. The boat was equipped earlier by us as recommended by the boating guide (no flares yet).
Travel was completed by the purchase of marine maps from our local sporting goods store. Its 3 km to the islands and we had the option to check out other locations on the eastern end of the lake. The depths were OK except around the Manitou islands.
Trip Log
We launched at 13:15 on July 31, 2011. Winds F1 to calm and no waves. By 14:30 we had only achieved 0.5 km. A dark gray line was observed on the lake heading out of the west. By 14:45 we had 10 knot winds from the south west. We headed northwest to begin tacking to reach the group of the Manitou Islands located in the eastern end of Lake Nipissing .
16:30 we reached the north shore of the Greater Manitou Island (8 km distance). We had to tack several times to reach this point. There are two bays on the north shore (one small/sand beach and one large/reeds along shore). We observed that both had a power boat anchored in them. We decided to swing east again and head between the greater Manitou and Calder Island Genoa Calder Island east point of Greater Manitou Island . Our first actions were to shut down the main sail by luffing it and pulling it down. Not easy as the boom is now swinging out over the starboard beam with strong winds and pivoting on the bottom. As we brought down the main sail the crunching had stopped and we were now stuck fast. Once the main was mostly down, we dropped the motor and fired it up. With the motor slightly forward we winched up the keel until we were free and then motored over to the south side of the Greater Manitou Island where there is a sand beach. It is interesting to note that I installed a keel shear bolt that morning (never had one before). It snapped into two pieces which may have allowed us to raise an otherwise frozen keel due to the weight of the boat on it pushing it into the bottom of the lake (future debate with fellow sailors).
There were over 10 power boats anchored along the beach so we nosed into the corner and dropped anchor (Danforth). We were going to have a bite to eat and a rest (from a little bit of excitement) but we noticed that we were dragging our anchor slowly being in such a strong wind and one metre waves. It was too much like suburbia for our tastes anyways so we pulled up (it was a clay bottom) and motored back to the north side.
An interesting note, we observed that we were picking up flesh flies as we were crossing over to the Manitou Islands
We found the small bay empty so we anchored there for the night (17:30). The bottom was a mixture of clay and stone. We had a light breeze and some rolling waves that drifted from around the northwest point of the bay. After dinner, we relaxed with a glass of Cabernet - Merlot (Ontario 2008) and watched the storm clouds build just north of the escarpment. Six ducks came to visit around the boat and it obvious that they had been hand fed by the power boats (showed no fear, a little bold actually).
By night fall, we had an awesome light show with heat lightning every 15 seconds yet directly above us we could see the Milky Way and satellites drifting by. The wind continued throughout the night which made sleeping challenging as we kept getting up to tie down, prop up various items that were banging or making a rocking noise.
We woke up at sunrise and had a full breakfast. We saw a wonderful display of flying skills as three Ospreys were chasing a fourth with a fish. They flew right over the boat (note to self – have camera ready at all times). We hoisted the anchor at around 10:00 and headed out to the northwest with winds from SW at about 4-5 knots. We sailed between the Greater Manitou and Little Manitou with no problem except with the lee sides of the islands the wind dropped considerably. We observed that four large power boats had stayed overnight at the sand beach on the south side of the Greater Manitou Island. We passed to the northeast of Newman Island Rankin Island and then pointed our boat towards the main channel into Callander Bay Tillicum Bay LaVase River it looked like it was raining in North Bay Ontario
In summary, we have added to our sailing experience several new skills. We saw many things you just won’t see standing on the shore. Over the last few nights, we reviewed in our sailing manuals if we’ve followed the recommended techniques for the different challenges we had faced on this trip. We also made a list of items of things we should have if it was a longer trip. Our goal is to sail to the upper French River
Like what you just read?
Give it a try as it was a hoot!
(winds readings were verified from the Blue Sky Sailing Club weather station, distances were determined using Goggle Maps) www.blueskysailing.org.
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