14 Jun 15

The alarm ripped our dreams apart at 06:00, so we leapt out of bed like startled gazelles (or, perhaps groggy sloths is more apt) and got ready for the crossing of the notorious Lake Ontario. We cleared the dock just at 07:00 and motored out into the lake, which was glassy smooth. And, so it remained for the entire crossing (I think the time-lapse video on this one may be so boring as to not be worth saving, much less posting). We checked in with Customs Canada about 12:00, using our CANPASS numbers, and were cleared in with no worries. Flora McDonald Confederation Basin Marina in Kingston was achieved by 14:00. After checking in with the marina, we went for a walk around town and a quick grocery shop (limes, mainly); what a lovely, vibrant town, with shops, pubs and restaurants all within easy walking distance of the marina - this is the way urban cruising is supposed to be. Back to the boat with our meager groceries, just as the predicted afternoon showers commenced. After a quick happy hour, back up into town for a nice curry and to get a good WiFi signal (this is our only means of communication with folks back home, now that we have had to give up cellular data). Oh, Canada, it is good to be back north of the border.  

44-13.625’N, 076-28.707’W

15 Jun 15

We got up about 07:30 and after breakfast, went up to the tourist board, bought bus tickets for the day and walked up to Cataraqui Mall to look for a Canadian phone. After 2 hours of shopping around, we were thoroughly confused and could not find a deal that was better than the $60/ month plan I got with AT&T for 200 minutes of phone calls. Since we do not have it, we are suddenly aware of how dependent on internet and data, but we are not able to buy a Canadian data plan. Then, we hopped on a city bus and rode back to town and had a late lunch at Chez Piggy. We walked over to Queens U and took photos of Ellis Hall (Civil Engineering Dept) for John and then staggered back to the boat in time for happy hour and an early night. Finally heard back from Port d’escale in Montreal; we have reservations for 1 - 5 July, so we can meet Ashley with no problem. I arranged to have the boat washed early tomorrow morning. Interesting note: because of all the rains in upstate New York, they have closed the Oswego Canal and parts of the Erie Canal to all traffic. If we had not hurried through the last part of the Erie and the Oswego, we would be stuck; dodged a bullet there.

16 Jun 15

As promised, the girls showed up about 06:30 to start cleaning the boat (topsides and deck), in a light rain. They were finished about 08:30 and then we went up to the marina office to get good WiFi and do a little forward planning for the next couple of weeks. When the rain finally quit, we went up and bought tickets for the tour trolley. We rode over to Fort Henry and had lunch at the Battery Bistro, with a beautiful view of Kingston and eastern Lake Ontario. Then on back through town to Queens University, where we took a tour of the Etheridge Art Center, which has a couple of Rembrandts and some other interesting pieces as well as a temporary exhibit about “queer” life; very expressive, but I’m sure I would not pay to own it. Afterward, we walked back into town and bought enough wine and groceries to get us through the next morning. Then, John and Laurie’s friends Justin and Julia arranged to come by for a drink and then invited us to dinner at the Kingston Yacht Club; a very nice evening.