GREY HERON

The Boundary Creek Great Grey Heron, is back for another year.  When we first moved our boat to this marina, from where we used to boat out of Gimli Harbour, this bird was a rare sighting and we were all quick to snap pictures of him/her each time he/she showed up.  How do you tell the sex of a bird???   

 

Well, this bird has obviously chosen our harbour as its home territory.   It is quite relaxed and sits and preens at it's leisure and feels in no danger no matter how many of us are around.  It is a little more leery on the weekends when the harbour is very, very busy. 

It generally feeds at dawn and dusk along the edge of our creek and is fascinating to watch.   My research indicates that Grey Herons perch high in (preferably dead) trees at night.

We have all become so familiar 
with this bird and we all look forward to seeing it and feel very protective of it.  It has become just like part of our marina family.   I think we should have a "Name the Heron" competition this summer.  My suggestion is "Bounder".  Any other suggestions?  


                                          

NAME THAT BIRD

 

 

         

SPRING CLEANING THE BOAT

Each year when we arrive at our dock I am always aghast at the condition of the boat.  It is amazing how dirty everything gets while we are working in the hangar.  Not only are the hangars, dusty and dirty, but the interior of the boat, when you are in there, is very dark, so you can't see the dirt that is accumulating.  And you are also too busy to notice it either.  So, the first thing I always notice as we cruise out of Gimli harbour heading for our home port, in the bright streaming sunlight, is how dusty and dirty everything is. 
 










The first week in our home port my main focus is always, "get the boat cleaned up".  I usually go through it from bow to stern.   I need to dust and wipe everything down, Vacuum, wash windows, clean venetian blinds, shine up her woodwork, wash floors and set everything up for summer living. 

I am trying a new furniture oil, spray on my woodwork this year.  It looks really good, but seems to be quite oily right now.  I hope that soaks in and doesn't leave a film on everything that will collect dust.   Oh, well, time will tell. 


Some how I really don't mind this work, because at least I'm on board, and I can do it at my leisure.  It certainly doesn't have to be done in one day, or one weekend for that matter.  I have the whole summer. 

 

 

 

WOMEN'S WORK IS NEVER DONE.  NEITHER IS MEN'S IF YOU OWN A BOAT

 

 

 

 



 

THE TO DO LIST FOR DEPARTING THE HANGAR

   

We also have a list of things to do before we depart the hangar.  We
have two storage areas, when we are in the hangar.  We have an old metal locker (like you have in school) that we use for fibre glass and paint supplies. 

And we have a large enclosed staircase on wheels that we use to climb on board and it has a door on it to allow storage under the stairs.  This staircase is used for all Dan's large collection of tools.  So when lists are finished and the chores all done we have one last TO DO list. 

Pack away all the work cloths. - We keep an array of old cloths, including coveralls on board when we are working on the boat in the hangar.  When we are finished our projects, these cloths get stowed in our storage areas, so that they are not in our way in our limited storage on board the boat all summer. 

Put away all the tools - Of course Dan has some tool storage on board, but at the end of the work session, it's time to sort all the tools out and only have on board what is essential for maintenance, and put away the ones that we use for major projects. 

Rig the Bow and Stern Lines - During the winter we certainly don't need bow and stern lines, so those have to be re rigged and ready to use at launch. 

Set the Fenders - As above we don't need Fender while in the hangar, so Dan will wash all of last years scum off of ours and rig them so that they are ready  to use at launch. 

Take our dock stuff to the beach.-   During the summer there are a lot of things we use that are not a part of the boat.  The boaters also have a few picnic tables along the shore in the marina that we gather at and socialize.  One of them is a little rough, so I always supply a table cloth for that table, we also have an umbrella for the table as well.  We keep a water pail for the dogs, a rake to clean up the area and a pooper scooper. 

Not that we need the pooper scooper to clean up after the dogs, because everyone here is very fastidious about cleaning up after their dogs.  The pooper scooper is to clean up after all the geese that inhabit our marina.  They are certainly not agreeable to toilet training, so, we do our best to keep them at bay, but they always manage get up onto the grass when we are not watching.  So all that equipment has to be delivered to and set up at the marina. 

Put my winter kitchen away and set up my galley for the summer  - During the winter in the hangar, my boat galley is not functional.  All I have is 1 - 110 plug at my disposal.  So I take my burners from my stove and store them.  I then put a temporary cover on the stove with an electric frying pan on top of it.  So that works to heat something up, when the tools are not running. 

Clean up our hangar area -  The last thing we do is sweep and clean up our entire storage spot. 

Some times it all happens so fast, that we have to return to the hangar during that first week in the water to make sure it's all tidy and secured, till the fall. 

GOODBYE HANGAR FOR ANOTHER YEAR

HOME SWEET HOME PORT

We have arrived.  This is the same wonderful, successful, feeling I get twice a year, once in the winter when we arrive in Paradise Park after our long drive. 

Then again every summer when we arrive here at Boundary Creek Marina. 









Now , Dan will putter with the boat and I can settle in and relax for the summer and maybe plan a few cruises. 

IT IS GREAT TO BE HOME

 

 

 

 



OUR CRUISE FROM GIMLI TO BCYC.

The sun is shining and the winds have backed off, so we left Gimli harbour at 8:00 am.     
                                                 

The lake has not flattened right out, just because the wind has died off.  That will take the rest of the day.  So, it was a little rolly, coming from the north as we headed west out of the harbour.  But, as we rounded Willow Island and headed south we had a following sea and it was clear sailing from there. 

 

Sea-Enna has certainly matured, she just settles right in and makes herself comfortable at Dan's feet.  

           . 

 

With a following sea we are right on course for Boundary Creek Marina. 

 

A very pleasant cruise, it will be great to be in our home port for another summer. 

 

 

 

 

HOME SWEET HOME PORT

 

 

 

 

 

THIS YEARS LAUNCH WAS NO FUN

The weather was rainy and windy and all round lousy.  So we managed to tie up to the launch ramp dock and secured her for the night.  We weren't going anywhere.  The Harbour Master and his wife, Gord and Ellie Gowie invited us for dinner which gave us a break from the Wind, Rain, Cold and Noise.  When we got back to the boat I felt a lot better, but it didn't last.   

It was a horrible night all around.  The nose of the Thunderbird was not in deep enough water, so during the night with the wind and rain, she started hitting bottom every once in a while, which made the dog go nuts.  She was terrified of those sounds and kept climbing up on our bed, trembling and whimpering.  Then she would here another sound and jump down, then back up.  She was having panic attacks.  The noises weren't exactly allowing us to sleep either.  We hardly got any sleep at all. 

 

Well, this morning the sun is out, but the wind is still very strong.  The lake is still quite active and it will take a while for it to settle down.  So, we will sit it out here in Gimli for the restof today.  We have moved the boat back into a little deeper water and that should make it a little quieter tonight, and I hope that calms Sea-Enna's nerves down. 

 

The winds and waves are supposed to die off overnight.  When that occurs, we will make our journey to the beach. 

 

THIS WAS THE WORST LAUNCH WEATHER WE HAVE EVER HAD. 


 

THE EXCITEMENT OF LAUNCH DAY

There is nothing quite like the excitement of launch day.  We start anticipating it at the beginning of April when we arrive home from Texas. 

We plan projects that we need to do, then add in projects that we also want to do and that is how we arrive at our to do lists.  Quite often the want to dos get left undone, when the have to dos use up the time between the start of our work and our launch date.  That is how my upholstery projects ended up taking over 10 years. 

The decisions about what to do and how to spend the time we have left in the hangar, get made as we go along, and with each decision the anticipation of our launch grows.  And as the day approaches, and the excitement builds, we check the weather to see what kind of seas we are going to encounter on the day.  That too adds to the anticipation. 

Each year the big day finally arrives and they slip the trailer under the Thunderbird, remove all the barrels and blocks and ready or not off she goes. 

 

There she is coming down Center Street in Gimli. 

 

 

 

And eased into the harbour. 

 

 

The first few times I saw this, it made me so nervous.  I know these guys are professionals and they have done all this many, many times, but seeing it happen really put me on edge. 

 

That is, until Dan and I bought a 2200 square foot split level house and had it moved down Henderson Highway onto our river property.  Now that was nerve racking. But, that was a whole other adventure we had.   After that, the boat launch never bothered me again. 

 

 

 

THE EXCITEMENT IS NOW JUST THRILLING