2025 Boat Trip Day 9 - An Easy Ride Home

Port Credit Yacht Club to Newport Yacht Club - 21 nautical miles sailed, 3 kilometres walked

It was time to go home. Our daughter Stella and her friend Anna had arrived late to the boat last night for a visit and sleepover and I made us all a large breakfast of pancakes and sausages, topped with the berries we picked up yesterday. The mini-bananas I had purchased turned out to be complete duds. You know the awful taste you get in you mouth if you bite into a banana peel? Well, the bananas themselves somehow produced this ill effect and my mouth was ringing with banana peel toxins for an hour after testing one out.

By 11 am the girls had left, the day was scorching, and we were on our way home. There was enough wind to deploy the headsail, but we also kept the motor running to make decent time and we were back in our home slip by 2:30 pm. The marina was hellishly hot and I lost about ten litres of fluids carting our gear out to the van. We normally have a gate access very close to our boat, but due to the construction of a brand new club pool in the adjacent park, we have to use the main entrance at the clubhouse which is a half kilometre dock walk.

The rest of our Newporter posse arrived before us and uniformly looked tired, listless, and spent, like us - unmistakable signs of a successful weekend.

And thus ends the 2025 boating trip.

2025 Boat Trip Day 8 - Partying in Port Credit

Port Credit Yacht Club - 14 kilometres walked

I started the day with a long, slow paddleboard ride around the bay then out into the lake and went for a refreshing wake-up swim. By 8am it was already hot outside and shooting upwards into the 30's.

Despite the heat, Ana and I decided on a walk into the main part of Port Credit which is a busy commercial centre loaded with shops, bars, restaurants, and linked to the marina via a waterfront trail, but it is a decent distance. We haven't been walking nearly as much since the end of our big sailing adventure so it was nice to get back to it....but bloody hot.

In Port Credit we stopped for a leisurely coffee then started the walk back along the busy Lakeshore Boulevard. The walk was halted abruptly when Ana spotted a Salvation Army and dove in. I went across the street, first to the Dry Aged gourmet butcher who sold exotic meats - kangaroo, bison, elk, moose, alligator, wild boar. Sadly, the slabs of arms and legs of these exotic creatures cost an arm and a leg so I left with all my limbs, but empty handed. I had better luck at the market next door where I picked up a nice selection of berries and fruits plus a pecan pie for this evening's pot luck supper.

We were mostly melted by the time we reached the boat and had full intentions to visit the pool, but after lounging in the finely air conditioned boat for a while we lost all enthusiasm for the pool and instead did a couple of small boat jobs.

Happy Hour was declared, once again on Sweet Lady, and the Newport gang piled in with bottles, elaborate charcuterie boards, random snacks, and nothing to do but hang out. Happy hour melded right into the pot luck dinner and we claimed one of the covered bbq areas and set up shop. Norm took command of the grill, cooking up a huge pork tenderloin, then various other meats participants had brought to the hoo-ha. Everyone else chipped in with unwrapping salads, heating up sides, laying out plates, until everything was ready then we all dined together. It was a magnificent meal and provided the appropriate level of nutrition to fuel a long evening of drinking, laughing, cigar smoking, and dancing.

The sounds of Newport joy echoed throughout the marina long after every other boater had retired to their cabins...

2025 Boat Trip Day 7 - Newporters Unite!

Island Yacht Club to Port Credit Yacht Club - 10 nautical miles sailed, 3 miles in dinghy, 1 kilometre walked

Toronto had been fun, but it was time to move on.

After a significant breakfast of overturned eggs, fresh guacamole, American baked beans, tomatoes, toast, and banana bread, I zipped Dave and Kira back to Toronto's Harbourfront Centre in the dinghy. It was a short, but exemplary visit with our buddies and we wished they could have stayed longer.

At 11 am, Daryl helped us push SeaLight off the dock and we were on our way to Port Credit, a mere ten miles away. There was a sailable breeze, but it was directly in our face and we were not interested in hours of zig zagging so we motored straight to the club, filled up with diesel, then found our way to our assigned slip and docked without issues.

Port Credit Yacht Club is a huge marina and home to many large and luxurious motor and sailboats, more than anywhere else on Lake Ontario. It is a busy and active place with a restaurant and bar, outdoor firepit, a large swimming pool, nearby walking trails and parks, and a sheltered bay perfect for paddleboarding.

As this was the first day of our Newport club cruise, our boating buddies from home base were arriving in force. The Daryl and Lydia Collective and us took up residence in the shaded lounge of our friends' Darryl and Nathalie's luxurious SeaRay All Aboat Wine and between nibbles of fancy cheese on grainy crackers, sips of perfectly mixed Caesars, and bites of mini smoky sausages, we would help our other Newport buddy boats dock as they arrived.

Soon, the gang was all here and after a refreshing pool swim for some, all gathered in Sweet Lady, our club's largest vessel at 68 feet, owned by the Tessiers - Michael and Maria. It was an extended happy hour that went on for so long everybody abandoned their dinner plans and we moved in a pack to the restaurant for dindin (table for twenty, please...)

After the entire restaurant was cleared of everybody except for us and our hard working server, the pack migrated back to Sweet Lady for nightcaps. Ana and I attempted to find the switch to activate the propane-powered firepit in the park beside the clubhouse, but were chased off by a resident skunk whose erect tail gave us cause for concern.

We wandered back to the boat sometime near real midnight and Ana took some lovely night photos of scenes in the marina. Along the way Ana was stopped by a boater docked across from us in his 46' Beneteau sailboat.

"Looks like SeaLight found her way back to her slip," he said.

"What do you mean?" Ana asked, confused.

"That slip you are in is the same one SeaLight was in when she was owned by my friend. In fact, his new boat is normally in the slip right beside you, but he's away on a boating trip at the moment."

"That's crazy!"

"I helped him sail her back from the Caribbean after he purchased it, then sailed with him and raced her for years."

"Well, she's just returned from another trip to the Caribbean. She's been a great boat for us."

I'm hoping to spend some time with him tomorrow to learn of SeaLight's complete backstory.

2025 Boat Trip Day 6 - A Visit from the Germann-Hinds

Island Yacht Club - 9 kilometres walked, 3 miles in dinghy

I began the day with a walk around the island, Mugg's Island it's called, and spans 18 acres of mainly wildlife sancturary, including the resident peacock couple Conrad and Bella. The last time we visited here they were strutting around with a number of baby peacocks so I was hoping to find them, or at least traces of them in the form of collectible feathers.

I walked the island, enjoying the peaceful trails, and a sense of tranquility, which is odd considering the close proximity to the largest city in Canada. I did not find the peacocks nor any of their feathers, but I did come across two healthy and large garter snakes, one which had very recently consumed a sizeable rodent, still lumped in the snake like a blocked colon.

Our friends Dave and Kira arrived in Toronto and I took the dinghy across to collect them from a dock at the Harbourfront Centre. They had joined us in Bahamas for an incredible week exploring the islands of Eleuthera back in February and were rejoining the crew of SeaLight again, even if it was only for a day.

There were no grand plans for the day so we improvised by visiting in SeaLight's cockpit for a while, then moved down into the cabin as the outside temperature skyrocketed. I hadn't spent any time with them since returning back from the trip so there was plenty to catch up on.

After a hastily thrown together lunch we walked to the pool, enjoyed a cold drink on the shaded outdoor couches, then soaked for a very long time in the cool water. Daryl and Lydia and Zach arrived and we watched Zach swim around in his inflatable swimming device with a huge smile on his face. The Island Yacht Club pool is a rare gem as the pool area is surrounded by mature trees, lending shade to the loungers and outdoor furniture, and soaking up some of the heat. We were also lucky to be there on a weekday when it is far less busy than on the weekends.

We took the long route back to the boat, traversing the island trails, and lucked out when Dave spotted one of the magnificent peacocks hiding in the shade beneath a dry-docked sailboat. Dave and I kicked the bird back and forth between us like a soccer ball for a while, hoping it would relinquish some of its luxurious feathers, but the plumage held fast. I even did a Pele-styled bicycle kick, sending it rocketing into the side of a weathered 1972 Hughes sailboat, from which it bouced right back and the bird stabbed its sharp pecker right into my forearm in retaliation. We left it alone after that and returned to the boat featherless.

Team SeaLight cooked a remakable dinner together - a luxurious vegetable and shrimp stir fry, pink tuna steaks cooked to perfection in ginger, soy and spice marinade, fresh bread, and a lively cucumber salad, with the cucs originating from the Germann-Hind's own garden. It was a tremendously satisfying meal.

At 7 pm we boarded the ferry and took a ride into Toronto. We first stopped at the Toronto Music Garden for a free public performance from a virtuoso piano player named John Kameel Farah. The waterfront park was full of people enjoying the show and we stayed for a few songs then walked westward then up Bathurst Street to the Stackt Market.

Stackt is a groovy, relatively new urban shopping and entertainment hub built on the grounds of an icky iron smelting plant, later paved over into a bleak parking lot. On the grounds are a series of shipping containers transformed into chic boutique shops, eateries, and drinkeries plus a huge Blue Moon beer hall, a stage, and public art. With the dark skies threatening storms, it was not as busy as usual and after wandering the entire grounds we grabbed a rounds of drinks and a large bowl of Haydn's acai, fro-yo, and ice cream covered in Dave's Eclectic Assortment of caramel, chocolate, almonds, jelly bears, nougat and a bunch of other unidentifiable sugar bombs.

We did not have a long time to linger in Toronto as the last ferry back to the island left at 9:20, so from here we made a quick stop at the Loblaws to pick up a couple of food items, including a sailor-made package of Parmesan cheese rinds for three bucks that held just enough cheese on them to scrape off into budget salads and poorhouse pork ends. As I was fumbling for my credit card at the self-serve checkout, Dave deftly passed his own card over the scanner and paid for it. I abused him verbally for minutes for his uncalled for subterfuge. Now, he's probably going to expect a coating of Parmesan over all the future meals we serve.

The skies were alight with lightning strikes as we wandered back to the waterfront and laid down on the grass to watch the aerial display. I tried my best to capture one of the dazzling strikes but all I got was clouds.

It soon started to pour rain so we hurried back to the ferry pick-up location and piled into the rain shelter to wait for our ride. I again tried to get a lightning photo but missed it every time, though some of the shots were decent.

The ferry arrived right on time and took us back to the club where we hustled back to the boat, had a little snack and a chat then called it a day.

2025 Boat Trip Day 5 - A Peaceful, Easy Day

National Yacht Club to Island Yacht Club, Toronto Islands - 2 nautical miles sailed, 3 kilometres walked

It was a peaceful, easy day. 

After a boat cleanup and a walk to the grocery store to pick up a few things, we followed Lydia and Daryl to the Island Yacht Club, a mere two miles away across the bay. We lounged at the pool, I had a little nap in the sun on their comfy outdoor couches, we watched little Zachary swim with the help of his inflatable pool assist, and we chatted. The temperature had kicked up a few degrees and it was a glorious and sunny day, perfect for a lazy day on the islands.

We enjoyed a collaborative dinner with the Lydia/Daryl Collective in SeaLight's cockpit and sat for several hours playing with and feeding Zach, snuggling with Willy the Wiener Dog, and really not doing much of anything else.

It was a peaceful, easy day.

2025 Boat Trip Day 4 - Bifanas, Distillery District, and the Rod Stewart Army

National Yacht Club, Toronto - 16 kilometres walked

It was another glorious day walking the streets of Toronto. The temperature had dipped to a pleasant 23 degrees and we put a lot of miles on the sandals today.

We began with a long walk to the Nova Era Portuguese bakery and cafe on Dundas Street for coffee and bifana sandwiches. Along the way Stella's sandal had worn a blister into her foot so I went to the pharmacy next door and returned with these cool black fabric bandages that cost a mere two bucks compared to seven for the regular pink ones. I guess they are meant to match skin tone, but after all the sun and walking and caked-on Toronto street grime, Stella's foot-tops are well darkened so it was a close match.

From here we took a streetcar then a bus to the Distillery District in the east end of downtown. The hum and rattle of the streetcar put me into a dozy slumber and I was practically sleeping sitting up. Which meant I missed all the action at a homeless shelter we passed, where Ana recounted a bunch of scruffy dudes in a heated argument with a g-stringed and topless prostitute cheering from the sideliness. There's always something to see in the big city.

We wandered for several more hours then made our way back to the marina where I mixed Stella and I a mango rum cocktail while Ana had a short lie down as she had clobbered her head on a steel beam while getting up from a table in Distillery so wasn't feeling great.

After a while, Ana and I put together a massive plate of baked nachos and Daryl and Lydia and Zach and Willy joined us for drinks and a snack that turned into dinner. At 6:20 Stella reminded me that we had to leave to get her to the Exhibition Station in time for her train back home. She said her goodbyes then we jumped in the dinghy and motored to the regular place we tie up to get to the station, but discovered the grounds had been completely boarded up due to the Ontario Place reconstruction so we had to take the long way around. To make things worse, much of the fencing from the weekend's Indy racing was still up, which altered our path. To make things even worse, there was a damn Rod Stewart concert tonight so thousands of people with poor musical taste impeded our progress. After running the last kilometre or so, we made it to the station with two minutes to spare. I gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and she was on her way.

After resuming Happy Hour Position back in SeaLight's cockpit I commented to the gang that it was strange we couldn't hear any noise from the Rod Stewart concert.

"Maybe there is no concert tonight," Ana said.

"Oh, there's a concert," I said.

"How do you know?"

"Because thousands of those bastards were blocking our sprint to the station."

"And how do you know it's Rod Stewart?"

"Because half of them had canes and walkers. And the other half were wearing Rod Stewart concert t-shirts from 1972."

By 9:30 the Daryl and Lydia Foundation had returned to their boat and I was fast asleep, relishing the first early night of the trip.

2025 Boat Trip Day 3 - Visit from Josh and Kaja, Organ Plushies, and The Clone Army

National Yacht Club, Toronto - 14 kilometres walked

I joined the ladies for a shopping expedition today and lasted longer than I expected. I generally wait patiently in front of clothing stores as the womenfolk browse, but today I participated actively in search of new shorts at the Value Village on Queen Street. I had to make a game of it to keep myself entertained so I browsed the entire section of mens shorts and separated six pairs I liked and thought may pass muster. Next, I found Stella and had her rank them by rearranging them on the rack in sequence of most desirable to least. I then had her friend Anna do the same. The rankings changed somewhat and I was able to disqualify two of the pairs - one for stains and busted zippers and the other for insufficient pocket capacity. I was left with a suave red pair, a sturdy caramel pair, and a shockingly beautiful pair of camo shorts.

Last up was Ana's review, which is final and non-appealable.

"What do you think of the camo shorts?" I asked enthusiasticaly, raising and lowering my eyebrows.

"Are you joking?" she said.

"Oh. Uh, okay. What about the other two?" I said as a tear fell from my left eye and left a dark and sad dot on the camo fabric.

"They're pretty good."

The camo shorts went back on the rack and I bought the other two then immediately left the store and stood outside waiting. As I watched Queen Street pedestrian and vehicular traffic like it was the opening scene of a Netflix series, a homeless man approached me.

"Is that yours?" he asked, looking between me and something around the corner of the wall I was leaning against.

"What?" I asked.

"That," he said pointing to something on top of the bank of apartment buzzers. I turned to follow the line of his finger and saw a mickey of Canadian Club, with a warm swallow or two left in the bottom.

"No sir," I said. "It's all yours my man."

"Damn!" he exclaimed triumphantly as he grabbed the bottle, smiled at me, then continued walking with a renewed spring in his step. I watched as he opened the cap and sucked out the remaining whiskey then put his hands in the air, and pumped them triumphantly. It was a great start to the day for everybody.

The next stop was a sort of variety store/joke shop combination. They had a basket of human organs in plush stuffie doll form. The four of us were intrigued as we picked up organs, admiring the shapes and colouring, refamiliarizing ourselves with grade 10 biology lessons on human anatomy. There was a gall bladder, a kidney, a heart, a colon, an ovary, a prostate, a strangely grotesque eyeball, a testicle, and a clitoris, whose shape completely confounded me and I couldn't tell which way was up or down or if I was looking at the front or back. Ana made me put it down when the other shoppers started looking at me funny. I wasn't willing to spend the thirty-five bucks on it anyway, but I did find a keychain that had a tiny model of the entire female reproductive path from the ovaries to the vulva. That one was only twelve bucks. But I wasn't allowed to buy it. I might sneak back there tomorrow and get it to put in Magnus's Christmas stocking as a helpful guide to female physiology. It's what good dads do.

After a few more stores and a stroll through Graffiti Alley I was rewarded for my shopping experimentation with a falafel sandwich, then I headed back to the boat and left the experts to continue, as it was clear I was holding them back as I'd completed my retail mission. I think I may no longer have been welcome anyway after I asked Stella and Anna if they wanted to join their Clone Army queuing in front of the Brandy Melville store.

On the way back I found an unoccupied Adirondack chair in the leafy park across from Marina Four and sat down to enjoy a calm moment on a beautiful Monday afternoon. I knew that my life of leisure was soon coming to an end and future Monday afternoons would be spent in front of a computer screen instead of a beautiful waterfront, so I relished the time.

My last stop was to pick up some wine and a few cans of crafty IPAs for my cousin Josh (I would learn later that due to some strange bodily rejection he no longer drinks these so I guess I'll have to take care of them) and his wife Kaja who would be joining us for dinner.

Back at the marina I joined the Lydia/Daryl Collective for a beverage and lovely visit at the waterfront firepit then returned to the boat to prep some food for supper.

Josh and Kaja arrived shortly after 6 and we had an amazing visit with them. It had been years since we'd seen them so there was much to catch up. We sat in SeaLight's cockpit chatting for hours to the faint sounds of the Scissor Sisters and Ke$ha concert happing at the Budweiser Stage, just barely within earshot. Stella and Anna disappeared in the dinghy and parked themselves in the bay close to the venue to steal some sonic pleasure.

We finished the evening with a drink at the club firepit around a sturdy blaze and a strangely chilly wind. Josh and Kaja pledged to make a weekend trip to Paris to hang out with us one weekend this fall or winter. Yesss!

The Daryl/Lydia Collective arrived just as Josh and Kaja were leaving so we stayed up a while longer and watched the fire burn down as we visited. Little Zach was somehow still awake despite the hour closing in on midnight. Party animal!