Picton Friday, June 20, 2008, was a calm, partly cloudy day. We decided to leave for Picton, some fifty miles away. By the time we left, 11:30, it was a little windy, but still a nice day. It was cool, which was great. We had a nice crossing. We were in the Bay of Quinte, headed west. The Bay of Quinte is a convoluted, relatively small bay. There are many villages, towns and great, protected anchorages. There are high bluffs and low areas, near the Bay. There are two small ferry boats that cross the Bay of Quinte. There is a current, which we fought on the way there, traveling between eight and eight and a half miles an hour. We arrived in Picton Harbor about 4:00. Picton is at the southern end of Picton Bay off of the Bay of Quinte. As we looked at our charts and at the harbor, we wondered if there was a place a boat our size could tie up! We called the Tip O’ the Bay Marina, where our friends, Russ and Duffy Lepisto on Work of Art had stayed last year and got no response by radio or phone. As we looked at their docks, we decided they probably would not hold us if the wind came up, anyway! Finally, we saw a 3-story motel, the Picton Harbor Inn that had a face dock in front of it at the very end of the harbor. Fortunately the Picton Harbor Inn was listed in Skipper Bob’s guide. We called them and they assured us it was deep enough for us and that we could tie up at their dock. We did and it was a wonderful place to stay. It was very sheltered from the wind and there was no current. We were the only big boat and we were something of an oddity to some of the people who were staying there, but they were very nice and seemed to enjoy looking at the boat! Later, during our stay two other Looper boats came in and stayed at the public docks, which we had thought belonged to a fuel dock that was about half-way down the harbor. There was a little tug tied up at the end of our dock. It had been restored, was red, had beautiful wood and was named “Rosebud”. It even had the “mustache” on the bow! Picton is a pretty little town and is the largest town on the large island (Quinte Isle) in Prince Edwards County. Although not originally an island this peninsula became an island when the Murray Canal cut it off from the mainland. The harbor is well protected with high hills and peninsulas that jut out both from the west and east, providing cover from all winds. We had lunch downtown with a Looper couple from Free Bird. Phil and I wandered through the town, shopped a little, ate ice cream at a cute little coffee/ice-cream place and ended up in a photography gallery. We met the photographer, Peggy de Witt. She is excellent and does really phenomenal photographs of various types, specializing in landscapes. After we go back to the boat, Phil called and invited her and her husband, Ken Hudson, to the boat for a glass of wine. Ken restores damaged or aged photographs and is really good at it. We saw some examples of his work while we were in Peggy’s gallery. He is also a musician, play guitar and sings, and entertains all over the Bay of Quinte and Lake Ontario areas. He has had grey hair since he was in his twenties and says that he is not grey, his hair is “county blonde”. Phil really liked that term… They came at seven that evening and we had a good time, visiting with them. They told us about an animal we had never heard of called a “Fisher”. It is a little larger than a weasel, black and quite vicious. They stay away from people, but prey on small animals. I don’t think we have them in the south, at least, not in Texas or Oklahoma. Sunday, we got such a treat. Peggy called and invited us to let them show us Prince Edwards County (where Picton is located) at four-thirty that afternoon. We were delighted. They had told us about the sand dunes and the parks so we were excited about seeing them. I went to the Public Library to use their internet connection and then to meet Phil for lunch at the Painted Peppercorn, where a friend of Peggy and Ken’s was entertaining. I walked in just in time to see the waitress bring Phil a huge piece of lemon meringue pie. There was much laughter at the table where Phil was sitting with Ken and several of their friends. Phil looked like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar! I had a delicious salad while he ate his lemon pie! He said he knew he was in trouble when the outside door opened and he couldn’t see anyone over the partition that was in front of the door. He knew it was someone short and he was about to be caught… Peggy and Ken picked us up and we had a great trip. They took us to see East Lake and West Lake, small bodies of water that have wonderful parks and beaches. One area was blocked off because there was a rare woodpecker nesting there with eggs in her nest. No one was allowed near her tree until the babies hatched. We saw her fly to her nest. We saw the sand dunes which are so high and cover a long area which borders both lakes and Lake Ontario. They showed us a narrow island, only one street down the middle that has beautiful homes on both sides on the water. We went to Lake on the Mountain, which is at least 200 feet above the Bay of Quinte. The Mohawk Indians believed it was a sacred place, a place where Gods lived deep within the water. Its formation was somewhat of a mystery, but it is now generally believed to have been the result of a collapsed “doline, an odd feature found in areas with limestone foundations”. It formed a bowl-like area, which is very deep, and full of beautiful clear water. It has no visible water source. The Indians and the early settlers thought it was bottomless because it is so deep, but it does have a bottom, albeit a very deep one. It is beautiful and the park areas around it are so nice. There is a lodge there, Lake on the Mountain Lodge, not too fancy, but supposed to be very nice. We also saw Birdhouse City where the village of Picton is depicted in birdhouses . The last place we went to see was Waupoos Island, a place we wanted to see because it is a good place to bring a boat into Canada. We saw a wonderful old red MG there, an old Citroën, and a moose with one antler (oops, Peggy says she can help) We took pictures there to send to Duffy and Russ because that is where they entered Canada. Actually, Phil and Peggy both took pictures all afternoon. We ended the afternoon and evening with dinner at The Waring House. A friend of theirs was playing there and we had an enjoyable evening, listening to him play while we had dinner. On the back deck the next morning, we discovered that Peggy had come by and left the CD of all the photos that she took the day before and a map of Prince Edward County. Meeting them was the highlight of our stay in Picton. It was so very nice of them to do that for us. We had a great time. PICTON TO TRENTON Monday, June 23, we awakened to rain and fog early in the morning. By the time we were ready to leave, at 11:00, the rain and fog had cleared and been replaced by blue skies and a few clouds. We had about forty-one miles to go to Trenton, the Gateway to the Trent- Severn. We had reservations at the Fraser Park Marina in Trenton because it had been so highly recommended by a couple we met in Kingston. After we left Picton Bay, it began to cloud and the wind picked up a little. We were afraid we might be in for some bad weather. The Coast Guard, as we neared Trenton, warned of bad storms on the west end of Lake Ontario, which was not exactly where we were going, but was close! The Bay of Quinte is beautiful, with high bluffs and low lying areas. We saw lots of little villages along its banks. The water is turquoise blue and beautiful. There were some sail boats, but very few other boats. As we neared Trenton, the channel became very twisty and turny and the guide books urge you to proceed with caution and be sure to follow the marked channel. We did and had no problem. When we arrived at the marina, the wind was really blowing, but with two dock masters to help and Phil’s expertise at the wheel, we had no problem docking the boat at the back of the marina. The dock master was impressed with Phil’s skill and told him so! We arrived and were docked by 3:20, a little over four hours to cover 41 miles. TRENTON We really like the marina and the two owners, Craig and Sandy. They were very knowledgeable and helpful. Phil and Craig bantered back and forth and played off each other. They had a good time. Trenton was much fun because of the other Loopers there and because of Craig and Sandy. This marina also has arranged to have a laundry service come and pick up your dirty clothes and deliver them to you about two hours later, folded and clean. It was a touch of heaven. I told them that if I had not already had some laundry, I would have made some just to have this service! What a nice perk for boaters. Some of the boats that came in were Lil’ David (Lorenzo and Deloris), Adventurer (Bruce and Jeanne), Mistress (Steve and Ruth from New Orleans), Voyager II (Les and Judy), Livin’ Large (Karen and Ron Brown from Fairhope, AL), Our Turn and Honeymooners. We ate twice at a great Italian restaurant, Tomasso’s, a short walk under the bridge, once by ourselves and another night with Les and Judy. I went to the grocery store, an A&P. It has been a long time since I have seen an A&P and it was not like any one I have ever seen. It was a cross between Whole Foods and Central Market. It was a fine grocery store. Our slip was by a very pretty city park and later that evening, girls in prom dresses with their dates came to the park to take pictures. It was fun to see them. There was a steel sailboat in the marina. It has taken thirty years to get it to the condition it is in now. It is almost, but not quite ready to sail. The sails are hand-made and are different colors. The lady and her first husband were building it when her husband left her. She advertised for a man to help her finish building her sailboat. Only one man responded and they fell in love and have been married now for several years. Their story and the boat are amazing. They even welded the super structure to the hull themselves. She took a welding course so that they could do it. It has been so carefully planned and engineered. There is an old wood stove in the salon, restored from a boat many years old. The wall behind it is tile with many other things mixed in like a Milagros cross you would see in New Mexico. The boat has many 12 or 14 inch bronze portholes that were salvaged off of an old sunken ship. We went to bed wondering if we should stay at Fraser Park Marina until later in the week when everyone else was leaving or if we should leave the next day. |
PICTON AND TRENTON, ~ JUNE 20 ~ 23
Harmony Log 2008
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