A Successful Launch and An Extra Day for Last Minute Chores

Wild Horses had a great launch yesterday!  We were in the water by early afternoon and, better yet, we stayed there.  No emergency haul outs this time!

Our new seacock!

Wild Horses being moved to the launching well

Ocean surveying the docks from the bow of Wild Horses

Although our original plan had us leaving dock this morning, we decided to stay put one more day to finish off some final route planning and organizing.  We still need to hoist the dinghy out of the water so she hangs safely from our stainless steel arch while we are underway.  There are also a lot of little things to do (I have 18 things on my list)!  For route planning, we need to change up our familiar route a bit due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

For the last five years we have navigated a route that takes us briefly through the United States.  With this route we are just “passing through” the United States so we are not required to check in with customs but it is quite common to see the US Coast Guard patrolling the area, making sure that Canadian boats like ours either cross back into Canada or head towards a US customs check point.  Since the Canada-US border remains closed to non-essential travel, we have been told that patrolling of the waterways along the border has increased and that we should avoid even passing through US waterways.  So, for the first time we will be taking a 100% Canadian route.  It will be interesting to take this new route but I will miss navigating by the majestic Singer Castle that sits just inside the US border. This castle is an enormous and very grand chateau on Dark Island, built and originally owned by the president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.  Quite spectacular! 

We plan to throw off the dock lines bright and early tomorrow, on Canada Day.  Leaving the dock at the same time will be a sailboat headed for Newfoundland.  At the end of the Iroquois “cut through” they will be turning left and immediately going through the Iroquois Locks on their way down the St. Lawrence Seaway to Montreal and beyond.  We, however, will be turning right to go up the Seaway onto the Thousand Islands.  We wish them well with their adventure!

Ocean spying on the white boat cat across the dock (you have to look closely for the cat!)