Dan and I and our friend Ellie Gowie headed out of the beach harbour about 7:30 am this morning. The cruise across the lake to the mouth was a little choppy, but uneventful.
We were soon entering the mouth and out of the small waves and into the sunshine.
With the sun out we decided to take some pictures. This was going to be fun.
That is until we got into the channel. Manoeuvring past the first green marker buoy by about 6 feet, we were heading for the next cluster of buoys and discussing the fact that we need the dredge back here when we came to a sudden stop. We were all shocked and immediately double checked to make sure we hadn't missed a marker or something, but no we were right in the channel. Dan tried, to reverse straight back, then forward and reverse again, but all that did was stir up a bunch of mud. Nothing he tried would make her budge. So, here we were at 9:00 am, an hour and a half into our journey and we were stuck in the mud. So, we put a call in to the Coast Guard, after all that's what they are there for. And if they don't get enough calls the Federal Government will decide that we don't need them on Lake
Winnipeg.
Winnipeg.
I had brought along some big Cinnamon Buns to cook once we were in the river, so now that the Coast Guard was on the way, we might as well have breakfast. So, we made a new pot of Coffee and I buttered and fried those buns up and we sat back and enjoyed our breakfast. We discussed the fact that a week of strong south winds not only lowered the water levels in the harbour, but must have also lowered the levels here in the mouth.
After breakfast, Dan being Mr."A" personality can't stand to sit around and do nothing, so he got out his pike pole and checked the depth all the way around the entire boat. By doing so, he determined that the shallowest spot was under the port bow and the deepest spot was under the stern to starboard. He cut the wheel hard over put her in reverse and poured the coals to her. She started to move ever so slowly backwards, then we really started to move, but just as suddenly stopped with a jolt. He then pulled her forward a few feet and repeated the whole procedure and just as quickly as we hung up we were floating free. Easing forward we were making headway through the rest of the channel markers. Needless to say we did not cancel our Coast Guard call until we were well though the channel and into the main part of the river, free and clear.
We made the call to Thunderbay Coast Guard and cancelled our call for assistance. They asked if we wanted them to keep the call open until we reached our destination and we thanked them and explained we would be on the river for hours yet as we were heading all the way through to RMYC.
Within a few minutes the Gimli Crew came roaring down the river, checked with us to see if all was well. They are a bunch of great guys and we got a chance to thank them and take some pictures of them as they circled around and headed back up Netley Creek from whence they came.
Once in the river it is a long but interesting trip up stream, especially if you have never done the trip. Which is why Ellie decided to join us, just for the experience. She says she definitely wants to go and tour the Selkirk Marine Museum that she didn't even know was there.
If you boat up on the lake like Ellie does, it's even a novelty to go under a bridge, especially if it's and old lift bridge like in Selkirk.
We meandered along passed many sights familiar to us, but new to Ellie. There is Netley Creek, "The End of Main", the 2 old churches "St. Peters and St. Andrews", the Maritime Museum in Selkirk, Captain Kennedy House and of course the experience of going through the "The Locks".
I think the highlight of the trip for Ellie was the experience of locking through at Lockport.
Once through the locks it was a short time until we were settled in at the Royal Manitoba Yacht Club.
So now it's time to empty my fridge, pack up anything that can't be frozen and prep the boat to be put away for the winter.
If the weather holds through October like is sometimes does, we may even get a couple of exterior chores done on her.
Other than, that hour and a half hold up at the mouth,
IT WAS A GOOD DAYS JOURNEY
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