PUTTING THE BOAT AWAY

So, here we were in Gimli for what was to be a very long weekend.

We walked the dog.  Trying to find a grassy spot for a dog in a downtown harbour is not easy, so that keeps you busy,

Then of course you can always go sight seeing.


But, of course we have seen it all before.

Then another walk for the dog.  Someplace further, but grassier.

Then you can always do some more sight seeing.


There is lots to see in Gimli. (If your new in town)

The one highlight was being parked where we could watch them craning the sail boats out of the water and on to the cradles for the winter.  That kept me entertained for a while.









Dan kept busy prepping the boat for the hangar.  The mast has to be put down.  The boat needs a final pump out.  My chore was packing up things that can't stay on board over the winter.


                                                                                             

So that was our LONG weekend waiting in Gimli harbour for our "Pull-Out".

  

NORTH FOR A WEEKEND IN GIMLI HABOUR

 We went out to the boat early Friday to head for Gimli for our "pull out".  The weather was perfect, so we wanted to take advantage of that.





As we cruised out of our dock, everything was so

still and beautiful.  The water was like glass.  A perfect day for a cruise.  But, not many around to enjoy it as the boats in the harbour are becoming few and far between.

As we rounded the red marker buoy at the harbour mouth, it was good-bye to Winnipeg Beach and Boundary Creek Yacht Club for another year.



It's always sad to see the season end, especially on a day like Friday was.  It felt more like Summer, not the end of September.

                                                                                                                     

As we headed north, we saw lots of fishermen tending their nets.  That's a sure sign of fall, as they don't fish during the summer.

When we arrived in Gimli, we were pleased to find the perfect spot for us to dock, was open and available to us.  Our boat is big and clumsy and not easy to manoeuvre into some of the tight spots usually available to us.  And we can't dock along the concrete seawall, because then neither I, nor my dog can get on or off our boat.  Art Wilks of "Misprint", had arrived a day earlier and passed up that spot to leave it available for us.  Thanks Again Art, the gesture was much appreciated.

We settled in for the weekend to prep the boat and await our pull  out on Monday Oct. 1st.  

OUR LAST SUNDAY CRUISE

The weather kept improving after Friday's devastating winds, and Sunday turned out to be a gorgeous day.  We decided to take one last leisurely Sunday cruise.

We headed South out of the harbour past very deserted beaches, and continued to the south end of the lake.  As we approached the fairway marker at the mouth of the Red River, we saw a boat coming out onto the lake from the river.

Dan grabbed his binoculars to identify the boat and low and behold it was the "Molly Maybelle".








We haven't seen this boat since "Morten Sparber", the previous owner passed away.  It's wonderful to see one of the old boats back on the lake and giving someone else some pleasure.

Then, after a couple of hours of cruising, we headed back to the harbour for the last time.  Next weekend we have to pick a good "weather window" and get the boat to Gimli harbour for our pull out on Monday Oct. 1st.

And that will end the in water part of our boating season and we will turn our attention to the list of chores that need to be seen to on "The Bird", while she is on the hard.  We have some serious maintenance issues on the front walk around.   We wont know how extensive it is, until we start to rip it apart.  Then we want to install a good windlass system before next year.  We have to finish our captains seat and I have more sewing to do, on a dinghy cover, and back seat cushion cover as well as a Bar-B-Q cover.  So that will certainly keep us busy every weekend this fall, before we turn our eyes south to Texas.  

THE BOATING SEASON IS COMING TO AN END.

This weekend certainly shows us that it really is the end of the season.  


The leaves are all turning.

A lot of the boats are departing the harbour, not to return till next spring.

And on Friday the lake got really ugly, with waves smashing so hard against the sea wall, they  were quite a sight.

OUR MARINA'S FALL SUPPER

Saturday turned out to be a beautiful day.  The temperature got up to 27C.  A real treat for us for a September Saturday, when the norms are around 15 - 20 C.  So we all enjoyed the outdoors as much as possible.  Gathering and socializing at the Gazebo and the picnic tables.

The temperature was up, but so was the wind, so it was quite choppy out on the lake.

As it was too rough out on the lake, Dan and I decided to take a tour of the harbour in our dinghy, before we put it away for the season.

We traveled to the farthest corner of the back harbour.

Then we cruised around to the outer harbour, where there was some chop and we could feel a little spray from the harbour mouth.











We stopped in at "Loafhaven", but nobody was home.












 As we came back along the channel to the inner harbour, and it was easy to see how low the water has become.                                                



 






             

Then it was a quick turn around the inner harbour and back to our home dock and time to think about putting the dinghy away for another year.












There was a good turnout for our Fall Supper Saturday night.  The first of the turkey dinners we will all have between now and Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I love turkey dinners, but, Yuck!!  I don't want to think about Thanksgiving and Christmas yet.  I'm hoping for two more nice weather weekends before we pull the boat out of the water on Oct. 1st.

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WEEKEND

   I am really looking forward to the weekend.  The Gimli forecast is looking good.  The wind is going to be up a bit, but nothing some of the die-hards can't handle.  

GIMLI Forecast Updated:Wednesday, September 12, 2012, 15:40CDT

• Day
• Night

	ThursdaySeptember 13	FridaySeptember 14	SaturdaySeptember 15	SundaySeptember 16	MondaySeptember 17	TuesdaySeptember 18
Conditions  6am - 6pm
	Sunny	Sunny	Sunny	Variable cloudiness	Mainly sunny	Cloudy periods
P.O.P.	0 %	10 %	10 %	20 %	10 %	20 %
High	16 °C	22 °C	24 °C	13 °C	12 °C	15 °C
Feels Like	10	24	26	10	9	12
Low	6 °C	11 °C	15 °C	8 °C	7 °C	9 °C
Wind	NW  20 km/h	S  20 km/h	S  25 km/h	N  30 km/h	N  5 km/h	SW  5 km/h

I'm certainly hoping to get a cruise in this weekend as next weekend we will be watching for a weather opportunity to move the "Thunderbird"  up to Gimli.  

Our out date is booked for September 28th and we are tied up in town on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so next weekend we hope to take our best shot, weather wise, to get the boat to Gimli so that it's sitting there ready to be pulled on Friday and we don't have to worry about getting it there.  

ANOTHER WEEKEND COME AND GONE

We had another good weekend on the boat.  We went out on Friday, which was pleasant enough weather, but chilly.  On Saturday it turned really cold and windy, so everyone was huddled on their boats, so we didn't see much of anyone.  We just stayed on board and watched movies.  But on Sunday the weather improved and we took our guests Jack & Susan Watt out for a cruise.  It was a little choppy so we cut a planned cruise to Gimli short and just cruised up and down the beach between the harbour and the tower beach point.

But, typical me, I was so busy visiting, I forgot to take pictures of our guests until we sat down to dinner and even then, I only took one and got distracted again.  (Oh, well, maybe next time)

All in all we had a good day.  The weather cooperated enough to get a cruise in for Susan and Jack.  Every time they have come out to visit, the weather has been lousy, the boat was not running or there was something else going on.  So at least this time we had a short, but successful cruise.

So, that was our weekend.