CANADA DAY FLOATILLA

Well, the middle of June has come and gone, it’s time to start thinking about the Canada Day long-weekend.  I hope everyone saved the flag streamers I gave out last year.  I have managed to get a few more for this year, but please try to remember to stow them away for Canada Day each year.  We hope to see as many flags, of any sizes SIZES on as many boats, of any sizes SIZES  as possible again this year.  I will put some fliers out around the marina, but pass the word to anyone that may be interested. 

There are all kinds of Canada Flags in all different sizes available at any of the $ Dollar stores, please get lots.  They don't have to be the good quality expensive ones, as you are only going to fly them for this weekend.   I put mine away and add a few new ones each year. 

As we did last year, we will gather North - East of the harbour entrance around 11:30 am.  (For those navigators that had difficulty last year figuring out where North East of the harbour entrance is, that is slightly north towards Gimli and a little out on the lake towards Grand Beach. )  Dah...

 At 11:45 we will fall in line and head for the water tower, then turn and parade slowly along the beach front just outside the swim line with flags flying and horns blaring. 

Of course all of this is weather permitting.  We would not ask anyone to go out of the harbour if it's too rough.   

 

 

HAVE A HAPPY CANADA DAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHY DOES EVERY WEEKEND BRING RAIN?

It's been lovely through the week and as the weekend approaches the weatherman starts talking about rain.   For me, it doesn't matter because I'm here all week when it has been so nice, but it certainly is upsetting for those looking forward to their weekend off and having nothing but rain, rain, rain forecast.   

Oh, Well, maybe it will be like last weekend.  The rain they predicted last weekend didn't amount to much, and didn't interfere with our weekend much. 

LETS KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED

 

 

FALCON BEACH - THE SERIES

Today, we hung on our wall, in the pilot house, a framed burgee of “Falcon Beach”, which is a fond memory for us. 

 

We came to Boundary Creek Marina, with Thunderbird, after a number of years spending summers at the dock in Gimli.  At that time we had still been working on the engine and getting the boat running properly and were not mobile at all.  So, that was the only place we could launch and be towed to a berth, live on board and work on the boat all summer.  We were tucked in a corner that no one else would take, because you could not get in and out of it.  Once the boat was running properly, Gimli harbour could not supply us with a proper dock that we could get in and out of, to go cruising.  So when Boundary Creek Marina offered to create a good long dock, in a place where it was easy for us to pull in and out of, we jumped at it.  And we have not regretted it for a second.  It is the best marina we have ever been docked in. 

 

When we arrived in 2006 we discovered that they were filming a television series called “Falcon Beach”, at the marina.  There were many “sets” around Winnipeg Beach, including downtown streets, Beauty shop, Arcade, Beach Front etc. and every Tuesday, they came to the Marina to film. 

This all started as a pilot movie, which was picked up and ran for two years as a TV series.   One of the young male leads “Jason “ was supposed to be running the marina for his widowed mother and the second young male lead “Danny” was supposed to be running the downtown Arcade for his family.  It was a real teenage, romance and angst, soap opera.  (Coincidentally, Dan and I happen to know the man that used to own the downtown Arcade in the beach and his name actually was Danny.)  
 

This filming restricted your movements slightly on Tuesdays, but was very interesting, and added an extra spark to life in the marina. If your boat was in the background of a shot you were not allowed to move it until after they had finished the filming for that day, as, once they started a scene they couldn’t have a boat disappear out of the back ground from one shot to the next. You had free movement around the marina until you heard them holler“ACTION”, then you froze where you were and stayed put until they hollered“CUT”, so that you made sure you didn’t walk into the middle of a scene. And if your boat was used you got paid $75.00 for that. We once got $75.00 to have two Bikini clad young ladies laying sun bathing on the bow of our boat all one afternoon. But, that didn’t end up on TV. I guess it ended up “On the cutting room floor”, as they say, but we still got paid. 

I think we all have fond memories and stories to tell about when the filming was going on, about the people we met (actors and crew).  About the scenes some boats and boaters were in, the free food they offered us from the catering tent, snapping pictures of the hot young stars, in case they ever made it really big. 

To us it was all really great fun.  I hope some day my foster Granddaughters will cherish this picture that their Nana arranged to have taken with the star Steve Byers. 

 

Then there were the stories of slipping drinks to actors and crew when they were hanging around waiting for the action to start.  There seemed to be a lot of waiting and they were so bored.  I heard there was an actress that became quite enamoured of the Captain of Solitude VI, who would pour an ounce out of a can of coke and replace it with rum and nod to it as he left it here or there around the marina set, ready for her each time her scene ended.   I would like to add that he refuses to confirm or deny that.......  But, I can’t, as he will proudly tell you all about it, if asked. 

 

All of the boats that could, at any time, end up in a shot in any direction from the club house, were given burgees with the fictitious “ Town of Falcon Beach”  logo, that were to be flown every Tuesday, during filming.  I stumbled across ours, while cleaning yesterday and it brought back some fun memories so I decided to frame it and hang it up in the boat. 

 

IT ADDS TO MY BOATING MEMORIES

 

THE WEEKEND

It turned out to be a really nice weekend after all.  The weatherman certainly was not giving us much encouragement, with predictions of rain for most of the weekend.  But, thankfully, as usual the weather man was wrong. 

Friday was a beautiful day, with the odd very short and intermittent sun shower.  Until after dinner when a number of us were sitting out enjoying the sunshine and a real downpour occurred.  We all made a quick dash to our boat and socialized for a couple of hours on board Thunderbird. 

Saturday, we had sunshine for the whole day as well.  There was a Wine and Cheese get together at the club in the afternoon, which was well attended.  A number of people went out cruising Saturday evening as well.  And the rain held off and I was even able to sleep with the hatch over our bed open. 

Sunday was a replay of the rest of the weekend, but with much more threatening looking clouds.  Although it got a little cool with the cloud cover, we were able to sit out (with jackets on) until around 3:00 pm.  Then it started to spit a little so we adjourned to our boats. 

The rain never amounted to much, but most stayed on board until after dinner, then we had a couple more hours of outdoor weather. All in all a good weekend. The only sad thing to report is that we have lost one of our little goslings. That family of 5 is now down to 4. 

 

 

 

SO THAT WAS OUR WEEKEND

 

 

 

 

 

IT'S BEEN A LOVELY WEEK

Our week at the Marina has been wonderful.  Sea-Enna is just so happy to be here.  She will sit by the hour just staring out at the water and the boats and she is happy. 

The weather has been great. The other day, Dan installed some motion sensitive lights for our dock. Right now the sun is out until about 10 pm, but as the summer moves on into fall they will be very helpful in the evening. 

So here it is Friday, and what else, but It's raining!.. 

Just when everyone is looking forward to coming out for the weekend, it's pouring. 

So, here I sit, working on my Blog, while others Dan and Sea-Enna have decided it's a good excuse for a nap. 

DIY: VINYL FLOORING FOR BATHROOM WALLS

When we purchased the "Thunderbird", it only had one "head" (bathroom) and it was pretty rough.  It was roomy and conveniently located and had a really nice vanity & mirror.  But, beyond that, the toilet was very old and didn't work well.  It had no holding tanks and the whole interior ( walls and floor) were just plain plywood.  Early on, Dan addressed the toilet and tank issues, then I started to think about what to do with the finishes . 

Over the years, Dan and I have done many, many home renovations and in one of them we had used vinyl flooring as a tub surround.  It worked perfectly.  It was waterproof, flexible to work with, and hid all the rough  spots on the old walls and it lasted beautifully. With this experience in mind I decided to cover the walls of the head with vinyl flooring. 

Although it would have been the first choice, as it was in the tub surround, I could not use anything that looked like tiles.  There are always curves in boat walls, so I knew that a tile pattern would emphasize those curves and make it look like the tiles were installed crooked. 

I was able to find a good flooring with a random stone pattern in brown tones and a nice matte finish that looked like real stone. 

Finding the right material was only half the battle, now I wanted it installed with as few seams as possible.  No easy task, but we got it done.  That flooring in the main head, starts at the ceiling goes down the starboard wall and across the floor and up the other side with no seam at all.  The only seams are in the two upright corners.  By making templates and pre-fitting, I got it installed in one large piece. 

At times it looked like a crazy  " I Love Lucy"  skit as I wrestled with that glue covered flooring in that little bathroom.  I ended up covered with glue, I even had it in my hair.  But, with Dan's help,  I got the job done.  I was quite pleased with the results. 

So, when we created the second head in the Captain's quarters I did not hesitate to use vinyl flooring on the walls again.  The Captain's quarters are in Navy, Grey, Blue, Beige and White, so I had to find a grey or ,beige tone with another random stone pattern. 

This one has smaller stones in the pattern and is a little on the shiny side but it matches the small head very well.  The pieces not being so large, and the head not being so closed in, it was a lot easier to install.  So I am very please with the results in this head as well.

 

VINYL FLOORING IS GREAT FOR BATHROOM WALLS. 

A RELAXING WEEKEND

It has been a wonderful weekend at the lake.  A lot more boats have arrived.  The harbour is starting to fill up.  A lot more new people to meet and names to learn.  Which are always difficult for me to remember.  

 

Our neighbour Art finally got his new dock.  The marina has over the last couple of years been replacing all the old wood docks with new EZ Docks.  Art was the last to get one and arrived in the beach before his dock was ready, so he had to park else where and wait for it to be readied.  But he got to sit on shore and watch it all take shape. 

 

 

 We have a couple of families of geese in the harbour this year.  This little guy was lagging behind when his family climbed out of the creek and up onto the bank.  He couldn't seem to keep up, so he just stopped and took a rest.  

But, not to worry, Dad was standing guard close by waiting for him to come up and join the others.  We have one family of three gosslings and another family of four.  They are adorable to watch when they are all so cute, yellow and fluffy and tripping all over themselves. 

 

The weather has been wonderful and everyone is so happy to be back at the lake again for another season. 

 

 

WHAT A LIFE