Lake Ontario to Trenton, Ontario, Canada

We departed Oswego, NY, at 6am on 25 June 07, passing the picturesque lighthouse at the entrance to Lake Ontario. The winds and seas were expected to be calm, and they were, for the most part. The Great Lakes have a reputation for being wild and dangerous in strong winds, and the crew of IRISH AYES decided that we don’t like strong winds on open water after our experience in Marathon, FL, back in December 06. Seas on Lake Ontario have been recorded at over 40 feet in a bad storm, and that is at least twenty times higher than we like. So, when the weather reports all agreed that today is the day to cross, we did. And it was a beautiful, smooth crossing. The wind picked up a little by late morning, but by then we were across the lake and into protected water.

We crossed the lake with two other boats, STARGAZER, with Ginger and Laura as crew, and SEAQUEL, with Barry and Sheryl. We have been with all of these wonderful people before, and it has been fun spending time with them again, both in Oswego for the few days we were there, and then in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, where we are now.

It was a long day, in which we covered over 100 miles. The water and countryside was beautiful, and it was a good day to make a long voyage. We noticed a few differences in the way things are done in Canada. Channel Markers, for example, are a lot smaller and shaped a bit different than we are accustomed to in US waters.

We arrived at Fraser Park Marina, in Trenton, Ontario, at about 4pm, and we were tired. Then, the adventure began. The dock where the dock master wanted IRISH AYES to land was between two other boats, a new Cruisers 52 on one side, and a sailboat of about the same size on the other side. Mike had to bring the boat between these two other boats. The adventure was that he had to try to bring her in sideways. IRISH AYES doesn’t go sideways very well. Factor in the ubiquitous afternoon winds, and Mike had his work cut out for him. With Pat’s help (thank goodness for headsets), a little luck and some skill, he was able to squeeze our boat in between the other boats and land her with no damage to anyone’s boat, or his ego. As always at a time like this, there is a crowd watching and betting whether or not the Captain is going to get in without any damage. The Dock master was impressed, as was everyone who was watching. We spent two days in Trenton, walking around town and seeing the sights. So far, Canadians have been very friendly, as expected, and their country is beautiful. Soon we begin one of the highlights of this trip, the Trent-Severn Waterway. Stay tuned...