Sunday, June 29, 2025, Tobermory

We left the dock at 5:29 this morning. The alarm had gone off at 5:00 AM. I must admit it was hard to get up and going. There was plenty of light between the rising sun and the marina lights, so casting off was no problem.  I had retied the one line that could have caused us a problem last night. There were no waves on the lake, just a rather large swell from the NW, and the wind was minimal.

The darker water indicates wind ahead

I made tea and coffee for us before we left the harbor. Kerry made big PBJ sandwiches for us once we were on course to Tobermory. Later we had a nice fish sandwich and a cold beer for lunch.

It's odd how the speed of the boat can change even though the engine speed is constant. One time you'll be making 8.1 knots, then when you look back later and you could be going 8.7 with no apparent change to sea or wind conditions. Peter experiences the same fluctuations. Also odd is seeing 400+' water depths. I'm used to seeing 40'.

It was very empty on the lake today. For hours we saw no one other than Voyager. This is when the mind games can start when you are cruising alone. What if we have a breakdown, etc.? I try to keep those thoughts out of my mind as I get too nervous if I let them dwell in my head. It was comforting to look over and see Voyager nearby.  

It turned out to be a beautiful day to travel. The winds were under 5 knots the entire trip, except at the very end when they went to 8. And since the winds were from the south, we rolled north along with them nicely. The tgrip was 67.3 miles, exactly what Navionics said it would be. Amazing. It took us 8 hours at an average speed of 8.4 knots. We've gone 290 NM so far. Tobermory is always a fuel and pump out stop. Nothings better on a cruise than to have full diesel tanks and an empty head. It took only 51.2 gallons to fill up. I wonder if it was filled to the top? It does not sound like it to me. That would be a usage of only 2. gallons per hour, a little low. We paid for just one night to leave our travel options open. 

The Chamber of Commerce says Tobermory, Ontario is a breathtaking vacation spot found at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula. Home to Fathom Five National Marine Park and the final resting place of some two dozen shipwrecks that make Tobermory the scuba diving centre of the Great Lakes. It's also one of the few places to provision before heading out for the islands of the north Channel. It's a fun place to visit.

As soon as Annie was docked Kerry was off to the laundry. There is a marina shower room with one washer and one dryer. She was lucky and both were available when she arrived.

Clean sheets tonight!

Annie transformed into an expensive clothes line. 

 I was off to the LCBO (liquor store) to purchase some needed ship's stores. Thank goodness we have a favorable exchange rate! I can't wait for Kerry to try the Mighty Moose vodka. It just sounds delicious!

Marianna invited us over to Voyager for dinner. The two ladies put together a very nice taco dinner for us. Marianna even used a special linen tablecloth. During dinner it was decided that we would stay here another night so we could enjoy the port all day tomorrow. Then we will go anchor somewhere while Voyager goes to the Sportsman's Inn in Killarney. We plan to meet up in Covered Portage for a 4th of July celebration on the hook. Peter showed Kerry his fish bonker while we visited. Normally it's not allowed inside as it would really damage the wood floor should it be dropped. Peter and I smoked our first cigars of the cruise together on his top deck after dinner.