We ended up staying at Meldrum for two nights due to weather – non-stop rain, cold, etc. When you have the option to stay put, there’s no point in heading out just to be miserable. Using a Minnesota reference, you don’t head out in a blizzard unless there’s an emergency (running out of beer) or you have a desperate need to build a snowman.
The second night at Meldrum involved an impromptu happy hour in the boater’s lounge. There were many GLCC members who were heading to the Wilderness Rally in the North Channel – we called it the Meldrum Bay mini-rally.
When we departed Meldrum on the July 18 there were still remnants of the bad weather and we started out with a single reef and the staysail. This didn’t last long and we ended up with all sails up until the wind died. Dan got in lots of practice hauling laundry and tweaking the sails.
Gore Bay
We arrived in Gore Bay and met a charming couple (Diane and Ron) in the boat next (Dos Capitaines, a 42’ Bavaria). They also have a boat in the Med so there were many stores shared over cocktails of their travel adventures. Perhaps we might take Gaviidae across the pond….
One of the reasons we went into Gore Bay was to pick up a mobile hotspot that I had ordered from Rogers and had shipped to the local GLCC Port Captain (Sally Z.). It’s nice to know that exquisitely poor service from a cellular provider is not unique to the U.S. Somewhere down the shipping line, my order was cancelled with no notification. Ah well, the internet is so overrated.
The next day, as we contemplated options, a familiar face came down the dock – fellow Gozzard owner Frances Lee and Jim Monson had just arrived in their gorgeous G44 Minnehaha. Drinks and dinner followed at a local beer shack along with friends they knew from Manitowoc, WI. Frances made a fabulous blueberry crumble from berries she had picked on Eagle Island – yum!
July 18th – 20th 45°55.219N 82°27.687W 502.9 Nautical Miles