After more than two weeks in Beau Rivage we finally decided it was time to start heading for Stillwater. So we hauled up anchor and pointed the bow west for the journey back to our home port in Belleville. With wind on the nose we decided to motor our way back along the scenic Bateau Channel.
With a questionable weather forecast out a few days we decided to push past Kingston area, on to a well protected anchorage a number of miles further along. It was a long day listening to the diesel growl away, but it was good to burn up some of the old fuel, and probably good for the engine as well.
We made it into Kerr Bay, dropped the anchor, and settled in for a few more days of peaceful living. The bay is a well protected anchorage just off the ferry route, and is surrounded by farms. So we sipped our evening glass(es) of wine, watched the ferry go by, and listened to the cows mooing into the darkness.
One day turned into two, and slipped into three. By then the forecast had once again turned a bit threatening, so we decided to stay put. And a good thing we did. On the fourth night the forecast was calling for serious thunderstorms and high gusty winds. Ann went forward to let out a bit more anchor line (rode) and I flipped on the radio just in time to hear the normal automated forecast voice go dead, and then a real human come on saying:
"Environment Canada has issued a Severe Tornado Warning for this area. The system is moving over Picton, with reports of funnel clouds spotted. This is a severe weather system. All boaters are advised to seek shelter."
Picton is only about 20 miles away from where we were anchored, and the weather system was coming our way … “Oh Annie my sweets. Oh ANN!! I think you better let out a lot more rode!!!” Says I, as calmly as I can.
The wind picked up and the sky took on that putrid greenish colour, the rains came down and the lighting began. We donned our wet weather gear, started the engine, and took our seats in the cockpit to watch how things developed.
The skies darkened, the wind swirled and the lightning flashed. But luckily the bulk of the cell moved north of us. After a short while the relative calm of a simple thunderstorm returned, so we shut off the engine and went back down below. Things raged for a few more hours, but we were never in any real danger. The next day the rains finally let up and we were treated to yet another rainbow across the horizon.
Our five days at Kerr Bay was a nice way to end the season. We swam and ate and relaxed, and tried to ignore the shortening days, the cooling nights, and the yellowing leaves.
After five days that included two brief visits with our friends from Cavallino, we once again hauled up anchor and carried on the return journey towards Belleville and the end of our season. With Ann on deck duty we actually hoisted sails and tacked our way upwind for a while. One tack took us uncomfortably close to a freighter.
The rest of the day was spent motoring into the wind, passing by places we had been a short two months earlier.
We spent one more night and an afternoon in anchorages we’d been to on our way out to the Thousand Islands, before making the final push on to Stillwater. We crossed back into Stillwater Basin Marina with the sun setting. We were greeted by the marina owner (Mark) and friend Brian who thankfully saw us coming. We dredged our way through the entrance (Lake Ontario has dropped more than two feet in the last couple of weeks), and they helped us dock and got us all tucked back into our spot at the marina.
Haul day is Sunday, Sept. 25th, so we have a comfortable amount of time to get the boat — and us — ready to come out of the water. Feels sad to have boat life coming to an end. But there are other adventures awaiting us. And we know we’ll be back at it next season. For now we work, and wait for the big haul out day.
