TO TORONTO (43:39.40N 79:18.60W)

22.6 we motored out of the Erie Canal, and into Oneida Lake, following a line of powerboats, and stopped at Lower South Bay on the Lake, to plan our route to Canada in the next few days, to catch up with family in Toronto.

23.6 at 0700 we set off again, and stopped at Winter Harbor to refuel, then continued on to Lock 23, our last lock in the Erie Canal.

After lunch, we set off again, going down Locks 1,2, and 3, of the Oswego canal, a total of 55 feet down, and we stopped in a pond by Battle Island, where we spent 2 peaceful nights.

Sunday, 25.6.17 we carried on down the Oswego Canal, to Locks 5,6, and & 7, going down a total of 52.5 feet, and only 1 more lock to go into Lake Ontario. We provisioned in Oswego, ready for a day’s crossing of 80nmiles to Cobourg marina, where 2 immigration officers came to check us into Canada in a thunderstorm.

The next day we motored 55nm in a lumpy sea to Toronto, where Oliver was waiting on the dock to wave us into a berth at his yacht club, the Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club. We were lucky to get a berth, as Lake Ontario is higher than it has been for 40 plus years, and many of the marinas and Yacht Clubs have huge problems with power boxes and docks underwater. We found the ABYC to be a very friendly and active yacht club. We went to Oliver and Jane’s home for showers, roast dinner, and laundry. Keir left us in Toronto on 29.6. Oliver spent the day at his vineyard, Norman Hardie wines, where he had a visit from Prince Charles and Camilla!

1 July it was Canada day, celebrating 150 years of independence, with celebration fireworks in the bay, and we had a ringside seat from Restless.

3.7 Gilbert, Pip and Mia flew from London to join us for 2 weeks and we moved into Jane and Oliver’s house for a few luxurious days, while Roland worked on a generator problem. Jane found some of Sophie’s dolls for Mia to play with, we went sailing on Oliver’s boat, ‘Erewhon’, and Sophie came to dinner and Mia fell in love with her. Jane drove us north to their cottage on Lake Methuen, while Oliver and Roland motored to Trenton, where we met up for a night, with a record 6.5 LKs aboard! Here are Gilbert and Mia, sailing the BIC dinghy at Picton, 1,000 islands.

From Toronto we head east to Thousand Islands, where Shenton and Olivia will join us before we go to Lake Champlain and down the Hudson River back to Hop O’Nose, where we left our masts. We will put our masts back in, and head to New York and south to the Chesapeake, where we plan to leave Restless for the northern winter.