August 14, 2011 Port Stanley

We went all night without rain and storms. How could fisherman be wrong? It did start raining about 5:30, a nice gentle rain. There was thunder in the distance, but none close. I got up about 7:20 (latest of the trip?) to make coffee and type a blog. There is no internet connection at the boat, but there is supposed to be on at the marina office, so I just typed it to post later. The forecast sounds like it might rain and storm until tomorrow afternoon.

About 9:30 we decided to go to breakfast. Kevin and Jennifer went with us while Lew, Gretch and Jennifer decided to stay and shower. They have rented a car to drive Jennifer back to Port Dalhousie to get her car and drive home. Her voyage is over. We were sorry to see her go as she is a very nice person and a good sailor.

Trying to get several people to agree on one breakfast place can be difficult, and it was. We finally decided to walk in the rain to the golf course. Fiona had recommended it for breakfast. It was about ½ mile away and since we had nothing else to do it seemed like a good decision. And it was as it turned out. The food was delicious and plentiful. My order of bacon looked like what I would load on my plate at a buffet, perhaps even more. We all enjoyed our food. There was some sort of a tournament going on today so all the activity made it most interesting.

We walked back to town for some shopping and exercise. The rain had diminished to a sprinkle so the walk was cool and pleasant. On the way the Windchaser crew tracked us down so Jennifer could say goodbye. We all signed her Welland gloves as a souvenir of her first transit.

We stopped in many stores. The most interesting one was an art store where the 75 year old owner was having an exhibit of his photographs through the ages. It is just amazing to me how someone like him can see a work of art in something that you might not give a second look to. Kevin and I were most impressed by his work.

It rained all afternoon, sometimes harder than other times, but all day rain. We just stayed on Excalibur and curled up with our books. Lew and Gretchen had quite a different adventure. After saying goodbye to us at the golf course the Windchaser crew drove Jennifer to Port Dalhousie which took 1 ½ hours. About 1:30 or so I got a call from Lew asking if I would go to Windchaser and see if Jennifer’s car keys were hanging in their boat. She could not find them. I searched where they suggested and other places but could not find them. Lew said they were waiting for On Star to open the car and he would hire someone to start in once it was opened.

About 3:00 they called again and asked if we would search more places for the keys. Kerry went over with me this time. We looked with no success. One of the places they suggested I look was the drawer in the navigation desk. I had looked there earlier and did not see them. Lew’s nav station is like mine which means it catches everything that does not have a specific place, so it is well populated with stuff. We decided to be sure they keys were not there we would have to empty it. I passed stuff to Kerry and we proceeded to clear it out., About ¾ of the way through I found the missing keys! When I had looked there earlier I made the assumption (always dangerous) that if the keys were there they would be in the front and on top. Well, that was not the case as they were buried somewhere, but now found.

Kevin and Jennifer came to Excalibur for cocktails. They brought salmon and smoked trout for a treat. About 6:15 we picked up umbrellas and raincoats and walked to dinner.

Lew and Gretchen finished their laundry in Dalhousie (remember washandfold), had dinner and returned to Port Stanley with Jennifer. I don’t know when they arrived as we were having dinner at the Wharf restaurant when they returned. Their new plan was to drive Jennifer back to Port Dalhousie early in the morning. They did not know if they would sail to Rondeau Bay Monday or Tuesday. Kevin and I decided we would make the 8:00 AM bridge.