Why the Rainbow Cruise you may well ask? Are Graham & Diane expressing their support for pride activities; celebrating their rainbow-coloured asymmetrical spinnaker; chasing a Pot of Gold; or are they simply stating their reaction to a proliferation of rain showers during their trip? As you will soon see, there are elements of all of the above in this cruise.

Nine of the last ten summers Soulstice has embarked upon a cruise around Lake Ontario which inevitably includes a visit to the beautiful Thousand Islands at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. No two cruises are ever the same with so many different ports and anchorages to visit and new boaters to meet. Following are the highlights of the August 2020 abbreviated 18 day cruise which differed in one key respect from previous cruises – the New York State southern side of Lake Ontario was closed to Canadian pleasure craft. With a new home under construction in Niagara Region the summer had been a blur of activity, supplemented by lots of wonderful grandchildren time, so it was with great anticipation that we cast off. All photos by Graham or Diane with their iPhones unless otherwise noted.

August 8, 2020

After an afternoon of provisioning we finally got off the dock at Mimico Cruising Club at 1730 (5:30 pm for less salty readers) on Saturday. There was a brisk SW breeze blowing which produced a fun broad reach across Humber Bay and through the Western Gap into Toronto Harbour. Once in the harbour we motored into Toronto Island Marina to top up our diesel fuel for the journey. They very helpfully stay open until 2000 on summer evenings. We decided to drop anchor just off the eastern docks of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club near their mooring balls. This gave reasonable shelter from the lake wind and a beautiful view of the city lights.

Shortly after going to bed at 2200 we heard some commotion on the water and went on deck to observe a large sailboat tying up to an upwind mooring ball. Given our anchor scope we concluded that they were much too close for comfort in the unlikely event of the wind changing direction to the north. Diane took the helm and I proceeded to raise the anchor and we moved 100 metres away before again dropping and testing the anchor at a safe distance, all while still in our pjs. Imagine our frustration when the boat left the mooring ball and motored into the RCYC docks shortly after. Speculation abounded on what they might have been up to.

August 9, 2020:

At 715 on Sunday morning we again raised the anchor and headed out the Eastern Gap to the open lake where a brisk WSW wind was blowing at 15 to 20 knots, just off the starboard quarter. It was a “rocking and rolling” ride as Diane described it with rough seas and little time spent below deck. Reading and motor sailing were the order of the day.

As we sail around the lake I’m often curious about the landmarks seen along the shore.

This fuzzy photo is a crop of a shot from several miles off shore.

This very impressive looking complex, which we passed at about 1515, houses the Cameco Conversion Facility located just west of Port Hope. Apparently it and predecessor companies have been refining uranium and producing low level radioactive waste on this site since the 1930s. Most of the uranium used in the Manhattan Project (production of atomic bombs dropped on Japan in WW2) came from here. One website claims that 96% of Canada’s low level nuclear waste is located here, right on the shore of Lake Ontario. That would be 1.7 million cubic meters. A Lake Ontario Waterkeeper investigation identified some toxin run-off into the lake.

The federal government has a $1.2 billion clean-up project approved but it is also controversial because disturbing the waste can be dangerous. Some earlier cleanup efforts included incorporating some of this waste into local building materials. Makes you wonder if Geiger Counters are sold at the local Home Hardware.

We hurried by and after carefully skirting the dangerous Peter Rock shoal arrived at Cobourg Harbour at about 1630. We anchored then took the dinghy ashore for a walk after our long passage. We had a light dinner on the sidewalk patio of Shuck It, a new restaurant on the main drag which had an enjoyable country-folk duo playing in the adjacent alley.

August 10, 2020

At 830 we headed out onto the lake which was still a bit lumpy from the previous day winds making for less than comfortable conditions when combined with a very light wind. We motored for a couple of hours until the wind built enough to support the jib. As is our custom we elected to take the “inside” route through the very scenic Murray Canal and Bay of Quinte which forms the northern border of Prince Edward County. The canal involves two swing bridges and about five nautical miles of dead straight motoring.

Once through the canal we were able to raise the sails and ran wing on wing at a very brisk pace for the remainder of the afternoon with our whisker pole bracing the jib. After passing under the Belleville Bridge we set course for Massasauga Point where we tucked in to the protected anchorage at Sandy Bay at about 1830. There were only three other boats in the large bay and we swam and cooked dinner on the grill.

August 11, 2020:

By 830 the winds had shifted around to SSE which allowed us to comfortably reach down the remainder of the Bay of Quinte to the Deseronto Bridge but unfortunately began to strengthen when we rounded the corner into the Long Reach.

We tacked multiple times into the 20+ knot wind in the narrow waterway for about an hour at which time we cried uncle and began motoring. We passed Glenn and Mary on Rough Draft who were heading north near the bottom of the Reach and chatted with them on VHF.

There was rain in the forecast for late afternoon so we decided at 1530 after an enjoyable sail down the Adolphus Reach to tuck into Prinyer’s Cove, a lovely protected anchorage when the wind is blowing from any direction other than NE. It is located at the east end of Prince Edward County.

August 12, 2020:

We raised anchor at 730 and headed east sailing through the sheltered channel north of Amherst Island. We played chicken with this freighter which came in off the lake, passed us, then turned and anchored more or less in our path. She was likely headed for the LafargeHolcim Cement Plant in Bath.

The wind was variable throughout the day requiring numerous sail changes and a combination of pure sail, motor sailing and motoring until we passed Kingston and the wind held steadier for the run down to Gananoque. We decided to stop in at the Gan Municipal Marina for a pump out and water top up before heading down to the south side of Thwartway (Leek) Island to anchor for the evening. We had been communicating with friends Nick and Karen on Caribbean Dream throughout the day and rendezvoused with them there. It took three attempts to set the anchor on the weedy bottom. On the second attempt I brought up a 50’ dock line complete with leather protection on the spliced loop. It was green and slimy but after Diane worked her magic on it for a couple of days it looks brand new and is a proud new addition to our rope locker. Nick and Karen joined us for an enjoyable socially distanced meal on board Soulstice. They were nearing the end of a six week cruise so had lots of stories to relate.

August 13, 2020 We had a quick morning dinghy ride into Gan for some supplies tying up as we usually do just south of the dam on the Gananoque River and walking up through the tunnel and then along King St. to the Metro.

We also picked up some fresh beans and corn from a farmer’s stall which we later shared with Nick & Karen. I could not resist taking the following beautifully framed photo of the historic Gananoque Town Hall complete with fountain, flowers and cenotaph.

At 1050 we hauled the anchor and headed east for one of our favourite anchorages near Mulcaster Island. It was interesting cruising so close to Grindstone Island in New York State which was strictly out of bounds. We saw several of the large day trip cruise boats during today’s sail which were stirring up cross border controversy due to their paths back and forth across the international line. Twice Graham set out the halyards for a spinnaker launch, both times thwarted by a change of wind (spinnaker shot from an earlier cruise).

We set the anchor just off Ninette Island in the sheltered bay created by Collier, Downie and Ninette Islands. We like this spot as it is deeper and less weedy than the more popular anchorage area further southwest. We then took a quick dinghy ride into the Ivy Lea Club for ice cream. Today was our tenth wedding anniversary but due to our uncertain itinerary I had not called early enough to secure a reservation for dinner. We did book for the following evening.

August 14, 2020:

Spent a wonderful day swimming and relaxing. Paul and Wendy of Beau Geste were in the anchorage but leaving for Gan in the afternoon. We agreed to rendezvous again in a day or two’s time. Late in the afternoon we headed out on the dinghy for a return visit to the Ivy Lea Club for our anniversary dinner which we very much enjoyed. Photos below were taken on our return trip to the mother ship.

August 15, 2020:

At 1600 we decided to head up river to a favourite anchorage east of the Thousand Island Bridge near Pine Island. On the way we motored in to Peck Marina to replenish our diesel and dinghy gas reserves and of course top up the water and empty the holding tanks. We arrived at Pine Island early in the evening and after a couple of failed anchoring attempts found good holding just outside the weedy eastern end of the anchorage. Below is a view of the sunset behind the Thousand Island Bridge.

Just to the right of the photo above on the north side of the St. Lawrence River is a statue of the river’s namesake. Until very recently Diane and I lived on St. Lawrence Drive in Port Credit and we had spent the last six days cruising the mouth and first 25 miles of the St. Lawrence River as it exits from Lake Ontario. Seeing this statue of St. Lawrence made me realize that I knew very little about this iconic saint.

Photos cropped from the Internet – attribution uncertain

Tradition holds that Jacques Cartier initiated this name in 1534 when he found himself in the Gulf of St. Lawrence on August 10 which was St. Lawrence’s patron saint day. Samuel de Champlain later applied the name to the entire river.

Who then was Lawrence and why is he depicted with a huge grid iron in his statue? In 250 CE Roman Emperor Valerion roasted the Spanish born Archdeacon Lawrence on said grid as part of his purge of Christians. Not sure about you, but I don’t remember being told anything about that griddle during Sunday or elementary school!

August 16 & 17, 2020

Beau Geste joined us the next day and I guided them with our dinghy through the small island chicane to a secure but weedy anchoring spot near us. Over the course of two days we visited back and forth and exchanged tales in this private and peaceful anchorage. Diane caught this Northern Pike but we threw it back.

August 17, 2020:

Mid afternoon we left the anchorage encumbered by a huge plume of weeds which slowed us down noticeably. It took two short shots in reverse to free us of this unwanted burden. Our destination was our Florida friends Ray and Linda’s home between Mallorytown Landing and Brockville. We anchored out of the wind between Princess and Raleigh Islands then went ashore by dinghy for an enjoyable visit, great companionship and a tasty dinner.

August 18, 2020:

Next morning we took a lovely dinghy ride up Jones Creek enjoying the water birds and serene setting. The open flood plain ended quite suddenly when we encountered rock outcroppings on both sides of the creek. It was interesting to note the extent of high water scouring at the surface. We left the anchorage at 1000 and headed back west motoring against the significant current of the mighty St. Lawrence.

There was some unsettled weather in the forecast for later in the day so we decided to take shelter at Gananoque Municipal Marina for the evening. Sure enough, shortly after our arrival a fierce squall came through with driving winds and rain. We were well protected and were rewarded afterwards with a fabulous double full rainbow which I was able to capture with a panoramic scan with my iPhone X. Unfortunately the higher bands do not show up as well in the photo.

Upon our return home I submitted this photo to Canadian Yachting Magazine who selected it as their Photo of the Week for September 24 –  https://www.canadianyachting.ca/lifestyle/cy-snapshots/5844-potw-a-pot-of-gold-in-gananoque.

August 19, 2020:

Wednesday was another day of variable sailing, motor sailing and just plain motoring as we made our way west through the Bateau Channel on the north side of Howe Island then past Kingston. We had hoped to drop anchor in Stella Bay on the south side of Amherst Island but someone had beaten us to it. Next we tried Kerr Bay a little further west but after four attempts to get a good set on the very weedy bottom I decided that it was not worth the battle and we headed further west to our old stand-by of Prinyers Cove. We were beginning to lose our light and captured this shot of the Lennox Generating Station located 3 km west of Bath which produces power from natural gas.

We contacted friends Jan and Jacques, who live in Prince Edward County, and arranged to visit with them the following day.

August 20, 2020:

We left Prinyers Cove early and sailed and motored through the Adolphus Reach and then down into Picton harbor where we anchored in our favourite spot on the east side close to the government park and fuel dock. Jacques picked us up and drove us to their beautifully restored home on the west facing waterfront near downtown Wellington. They served up a delicious salmon dinner. We were back onboard Soulstice by 1845 as I had a Zoom enabled Mimico board meeting to participate in at 1900. Diane took the dinghy back ashore and walked up to the Picton grocery stores for some provisions.

August 21, 2020:

We had contacted friends Pam and Marilyn who live part way down the Long Reach on our way east and agreed to drop in for a visit on our return journey. They have welcomed us for dinner in past years so we decided to host them onboard Soulstice for brunch. After we picked up the mooring ball they have installed in front of their home, we ferried them out to Soulstice with our dinghy and spent a lovely three hours catching up and enjoying Diane’s delicious meal.

Photo of Soulstice by Pam Piercey from their home

The weather was great during our meal but there were nasty storm clouds looming on the horizon. At 1350 we sailed up the Reach in a strengthening west wind. As we made the corner at Napanee the rain hit with a vengeance and we furled sails to motor into the gusts and navigate through the Telegraph Narrows. We again anchored in Sandy Bay just east of Belleville and enjoyed a lovely evening as the weather cleared.

August 22, 2020:

We stayed the morning in Sandy Bay swimming, reading and generally relaxing. It was a Saturday so numerous day-tripping boats joined us over the lunch hour. We departed after lunch with a destination of Gosport, near Brighton near the west end of the Murray Canal. There was a bass fishing tournament on and we were constantly buzzed by these high powered flats boats as they raced around the Bay of Quinte and even out onto Lake Ontario. We had to motor most of the way due to the headwinds. This was our first time into Gosport and only our second evening at a dock this trip. The staff were wonderful but in all likelihood if we need shelter in this area in future we will tie up at one of the swing bridges in the canal as we have in the past.

August 23, 2020:

I treated Diane to breakfast at the busy restaurant attached to the marina then we took an exploratory dinghy ride deeper into Presqu’ille Bay which was very weedy. It was a lovely day but winds were light from the SW, not ideal for our passage to Cobourg where we again anchored in the bay. In recent years we have tried to time at least one of our visits to Cobourg for a Sunday evening as the Oasis Bar & Grill usually has a rock and roll combo led by the former owner playing that night. We enjoy their style of music and the food is also decent. We had booked ahead but this year due to Covid restrictions the music was limited to two different entertaining performers – each playing solo.

August 24, 2020:

Our destination today was Port Whitby Marina where we have reciprocal docking privileges and planned to rendezvous with friends who would join us for the cruise back to Toronto the next day. Many phone calls ensued during the day balancing GO Train schedules and weather forecasts. We did a little sailing and a little motoring during the voyage. We topped up and emptied the tanks upon arrival. Once back on terra firma we walked up to The Royal Oak pub for dinner followed by a quick visit to Metro for provisions.

August 25, 2020:

I walked the kilometre up to the GO Transit station to meet the 930 train. Our friends Debra, Roy and Sandra had an early morning rendezvous at the Port Credit Go Station where they boarded the train for the trip across Toronto to Whitby. I was astounded how empty the huge Go Station parking lot and garage were on a Monday morning – part August holidays and major Covid disruption of the downtown office-centric economy.

We had had our fair share of rain as well as light or contrary winds this trip, but everything was made good by this final cruise back to Mimico. The wind was very brisk out of the north, varying from 15 knots right up to 30+ knots. With the offshore breeze the seas were relatively benign and we just blasted along on the 135 jib at speeds varying from 6.0 to 8.5 knots under sunny skies. Everyone was delirious about the experience. Diane as usual exceeded everyone’s expectations with Eggs Benny before we departed and continuous delicious treats along the way. We dipped in close to the Scarborough Bluffs to see where a portion of the cliff had collapsed the previous week and then through Toronto Harbour to see the cityscape. It was one of those once in a season sails where everything lined up perfectly – the wind, the seas and the excellent company – a fitting conclusion to our 2020 cruise.