Lake Erie Interclub Cruise Canada, Committee Boat - Day 2, Port Dover to Port Colborne.

 

The Sunday race was to start at 8am, we had to be at the start by 7am, which meant leaving the dock shortly after 6am. The fox I met as I drove down to the marina seemed pretty surprised to see anyone up at that time.

There was a little more wind than the previous day

but not enough to start what would be an all day race

So the Committee Boat, Dream Girl again, and the fleet

started motoring east.

The windmills were barely turning.

For Canace that meant time for coffee

and for Pegasus it meant time for breakfast.

At the Nanicoke Shoal marker it was decided that they would keep motoring, looking for wind, and we, on Dream Girl, would return to Dover as we had to pack up the Committee Boat paraphernalia and drive to port Colborne to set up a finish line there. Canace acted as Committee Boat when the race started further down the lake.

Upon arriving at Port Colborne, I checked into Canalside, where we were staying that night. The room was above a restaurant of the same name. I had time, so ate lunch on their patio, while watching the lakers go through the canal.

At Sugarloaf Marina we made contact with Norm, our next Committee Boat skipper, and loaded our gear on to his 24ft Cornish Crabber, "Blue Pearl".

It was a lovely boat, roomy and comfortable with lots of woodwork.

We set off with Norm and his crew, Mark.

Out past the grain elevators. The Blue Pearl has wooden mast and spars (varnished and gleaming), is a gaff rig and has the rusty red sails that set it apart.

A bit like a pirate ship so, of course, Norm has a parrot.

We motored out to the designated GPS position and set the Tetrahedron for the finish line. We didn't have to wait long for the first two boats to arrive and we could see others on the horizon.

Sheets and Giggles and Relentless still dueling it out to the end.

Messenger. As each boat crossed the finish line we blew the horn and noted down their time.

The times would later be entered in to a computer program that would perform the math needed to deal with the handicapping system,

necessary because of the wide variety of boats involved.

Enigma with Erie Witch in the background.

Sequence

Sea of Dreams

Islay and Shaibu

Belafonte

AElektra. After all 15 boats had finished and were heading for the marina, Norm pulled up Blue Pearl's anchor, motored over to the tetrahedron, we pulled up that anchor and headed in ourselves. A rather rocky, rolly, ride as the wind had built.

We motored in to a round of applause from the, already docked, racers. After a few grumbles on the first day, they were all very appreciative of our efforts.

 

We ate dinner with the crew of Sequence, at Canalside, and I went to be early. Up early and a full day on the water knocked me out.