Day 43 - Pirates of Goodwill
This morning started way too soon. Captain and I had been up to midnight chatting with friends and the heat is just at the point were even our fans really don’t do quite enough to keep you cool . I think I was in and our all night and when I woke up at 5:15, 15 minutes before my alarm, I just got up. I grabbed my computer and the scooter and used it to quickly get over to the pavilion to get my alone time done before we left for the day. Unlike yesterday I was the only one up in this little town and it was just me and a fire red sunrise.
At 7am Captain and Cory showed up with Kona just as I was finishing. We exchanged a scooter or a dog and Kona and I walked back while the two of them did a Mitzvah for another boater. We had been approached yesterday by an older gentleman who must weight 120lbs wet asking if we could help him move a set of 120lb batteries out of his boat and into a taxi as they were dead and he needed to get this major job done. Cory got voluntold and the two of them were on it like Donkey Kong. Cory really likes lifting heavy things.
Note about the kiddos. We were in Little Current for two nights. There wasn’t a lot of kid stuff in the blog as they were happy off doing their own teenager things and very content. It happened, however, that multiple times in our stay I would be talking with people and they would realize that group of kids were ours and I would come to find that they were very socialable and polite with many folks throughout the days. Everyone just beamed at how engaging and nice and well mannered they are. I’m a proud momma, I’ve done somethings right!
Back at Ciara I grabbed our new dinghy gas tank and took it over the fuel dock, wanting to make sure it was full before we left for our next adventures. I’ve lost track of time and thought it was after 8 when they opened but it was just 7:15 ☹We had hoped to make the 8am swing bridge. There was a gentleman in the office and he saw me and came out. Saw that I needed just a little fuel and he said “give me five minutes! There is a difference! I’m sure Starbucks would never open early for my caffeine fix if I showed up early! Captain and Cory were done by 7:30. We readied the boat to leave thinking we would make the 9am bridge since our friends, Jodi and Brooks, were needing a full pump out at the fuel dock (which opened at 8). We scootered over to the fuel docks and helped them dock and the same nice gentleman helped them! So Captain and I ran back to Ciara to now rapidly wake the crew so we could get off the wall asap! A little cranky confusion from them, but we got off the wall and made that 8am swing bridge!
We enjoyed going through the swing bridge and waving at the operator who spends his day high in an eagle nest controlling the traffic both from cars and boats. Soon after we cleared the bridge I radioed over to our friends and said we were pulling off for a moment to bring our new motor up on board. We had left it on the dinghy to tow but it was already proving to bog down. It was a little interesting to do this underway but somehow Captain lifted that 80lb engine to us and Cory and I both handled it to safety at our bow. We will need to solve this going forward as it isn’t ideal. Captain is talking about finally adding a stern rail to Ciara. It is something we have been avoiding as it will take away from her natural lines. However, we can hang the motor from a stern rail and off the deck. We could also finally install the life saving Dan Buoy and Life Sling which we have on board but are stored in a manner in which they would be life saving (read: buried pretty deep in the boat).
With that all settled and the sails set Cory asked if I could make breakfast as there weren’t sure of their stomach this morning. So by 10am breakfast had been made, eaten and all cleaned up and I had been going for 5 hours on 4 hours of sleep. I really didn’t want to miss most of today’s sail and there was about half an hour where I could just lay down so I did.
I set alarm to wake up just as we entered Baie Fine. Bay Fine is a fresh water fjord about six and a half miles long by half a mile wide. The Killarney Mountains to the south and Cloche range to the north. Rumored to be the largest fresh water fjord in North America. The mountains to the north glisten with white quantize that once towered higher then my beloved Rocky Mountains and before earth even had an atmosphere, making these 3.2 billion old rocks some of the oldest on earth. We sailed along with our friends in the most beautiful sailing waters in the world. At the end of the fjord there is another narrow cut that is deep enough for us to pass. A 2 mile pass that is about a quarter mile or less wide that opens up into a place call the Pool. This is a famous gunkhole of sailors paste. Many famous Canadian artists have spent their time here drawing the beauty of the surrounding mountains.
We dropped anchor and the kids were already busy trying to fill their bags with everything they would need for a hike they remember very well and were eager to go on. As soon as Captain and I were confident the anchor was well set (and maybe one nice cold drink in the heat) we set off to the trail head on our dinghy which was just at the end of the pool.
The hike to Topaz Lake isn’t too hard. We follow a mostly dry creek bed and then follow the tree blazers to the left. This part of the trail is used by canoe campers as a portage up to McGregor Bay and we would walk past a large group hiking up later with all their gear ion our return. Someone with a canoe on their head and then another person carrying super large gear bags or oversized bear cans. I’m usually up for a good time, but this looked like no fun to me! Up and over some rocks and soon we were looking down at the most beautiful lake! Lake Topaz actually has arsenic leaking from the rocks, rending the lake dead of all organic growth. Safe enough to swim, just don’t go drinking it in! Topaz lake also has towing quartzite cliffs that temp many to go cliff jumping. I learned a lot last year so we had remembered to bring floating devises so we could enjoy the not so cold lake as long as we liked. We even put one on Kona so she could swim with us and not get over worked. Bert would end up jumping off his 15 foot cliff time times, beating his record from last year. Dani showed remarkable fortitude and jumped for their first time and many times after. Cory for some reason just played down with us and said they planned on jumping tomorrow.
Around 4pm the few other people who were at Topaz Lake left and I was in awe as we shared this slice of heaven as a family in privacy. Not long after, one lone gentleman came and sat upon the rocks near where we had laid our towels and gear. As I made my way back to our stuff he asked if we had hiked in and from where. We told him we were boaters and had just a short hike to get here. He said he had left at 9am this morning to walk the ten and half kilometers one way. Quick math said this guy wasn’t going to make it back to his car before dark, not to mention maybe even midnight. He had only a day pack with him, no camping gear, no bear gear. His face showed a bit of nerves as he realized he had a bigger trip back then the advertised four to five hours one way (it had taken him seven). I wasn’t sure what to do. There really is no cell reception out here. There are no roads, at all. My first thought was to bring him back to the pool and try to call on the VHF to other boaters and relay information back to his lodge in Killarney and see if a boat could come get him. After thinking that through we all realized this wasn’t an emergency and a rescue boat would cost him nearly a thousand dollars. We came up with another plan. We knew our friends had Starlink aboard so we decided to see if we could let him get in contact with his family to let them know he was safe and that he would be our guest on Ciara overnight and with a full tummy and a good night’s rest return the hike in the morning.
As we hiked back, down hill, to Ciara it was apparent to Captain and I that we made the right call. He wasn’t moving quickly and had we left him we feared we would be reading about him in a few days. So that is how we met Sidney from Toronto, and as we pulled up to Ciara Madeline I’m pretty sure “staying on a classic, one of a kind sailboat, with a crazy family from WI” wasn’t on his bingo card. We were able to reach his family and got him settled in. At first he refused any drinks, but as soon as he saw my bloody Mary he was in! He likes spice, so he enjoyed it very much! We entertained and got to know him while Captain made a wonderful dinner of Shepard’s Pie. Jodi and Brooks would join us for dinner as well. What joy to have everyone on deck, on a beautiful evening enjoying a homemade meal. We pulled out a bag of Mint Chocolate Chip freeze dried ice cream for everyone. Our three guests had never had astronaut ice cream and it was really fun to share that moment with them. What a treat!
In the middle of dinner Captain suddenly spoke up. “What is that!!” I quickly turned my head over my shoulder to see some creature emerging from the waters right next to our dinghy. A LARGE snapping turtle had come to say hi. Everyone was up on their feet in excitement! This guy was about two feet (approx.) long! The kids were over the moon. “Mike Cooney told us about King Tut! King Tut loves blue hulled boats! He wants fish scales, but maybe he will eat some lettuce!” Well King Tut didn’t really like our lettuce but he seemed to really dig the corn chips.
As 9pm rolled around I grabbed my horn and headed the bow. I played Last Post and the haunting notes echoed off the walls surrounding us. King Tut had swam up to the bow for a front row seat. That was the first time I have played for a turtle. Sidney was touched by the Last Post and we chatted a bit to the whys.
After Last Post I looked over and saw another huge snapping turtle coming to say hi! Maybe this the other one wasn’t King Tut! They both hung out around Ciara for awhile and together so we decided this must be the mate and the other name would be Cleopatra. Needless to say, I’ll be swimming at Topaz Lake and not here and making sure they aren’t near by when Kona takes a drink. I have visions of her losing her tongue!
Captain and I took Kona for a short shore leave and checked out the fire pit up on the rocks. We technically now are in a National Park and the park employees actually had left a bundle of wood for campers. In fact, there are canoe campers just on the other side of the pool here now.
With the mosquitos coming into force, we all headed down into the cabin. We got our last bunk cleared of all our junk (we usually use that bunk as our “garage”) everyone was tucked into bed around 10pm. I didn’t complain, I had two nights of not enough sleep and when the boat is that full there isn’t much more to do! We will fill Sidney up with breakfast, full water bottles and a bag of snacks that would make any Jewish mother proud tomorrow. I’m glad we made a new friend. I’m glad he didn’t have to walk back tonight.
