North Shore Lake Ontario

We departed Kingston on Friday July 17 into windy conditions.  We had planned to take the “inside route” through the Bay of Quinte, rather than going out onto Lake Ontario, where the winds were 15-20 knots & seas 2-3’ and full of white caps.  It was kind of like taking the Intracoastal Waterway along the east coast of the US.

We need a dock for our boat and a dock for our
seaplane!

As we departed Kingston, I noted on the navigation chart “Magnetic Anomaly. Variation of the compass may range from 27 degrees west to 3 degrees east.”  For all you boaters, imagine trying your dead reckoning skills along these waters!  But until the days of LORAN & GPS, that’s all we had!

It seems that for the days we want to cruise, the weather doesn’t cooperate.  And the days we plan to be in port, the weather is great for cruising.  So we’ve had to adjust our dates and destinations, having to skip some towns or anchorages that we really wanted to see.  Like they say, “Our cruising plans are written in the sand at low tide.”

At anchor, planning our next day, with the charts
and a glass of wine

Leaving the Bay of Quinte back into Lake Ontario, we pass through a man-made canal called Murray Canal.  No locks, but 2 swing bridges, and they are toll bridges.  In our cruising guide, we learned how they collect the $5 CDN toll – as you pass through the last bridge opening, you go close to the south shore while the bridge operator holds out a cup on a pole.  We put our money into the cup as we passed slowly by, kinda like putting your money in the plate at church.  Those crazy Canadians!

After a two-day trip, we made it to Cobourg Ontario and a nice marina next to a huge swimming beach.  We got there early enough to tour the town & learn its history, and then eat at a fabulous restaurant. From what we’ve seen of Kingston & Cobourg, the towns in Ontario are really nice, clean, friendly to boaters, and because of their British history, filled with beer taverns.

And then we got ready to cross Lake Ontario….