Northwest ready for winter

This time of year most recreational boats along the North Channel have been pulled out of the water for the season.  This steel trawler must have started out in life as a working boat, and has a few dents in her hull to prove it. I'm guessing its has been serving as someone's 'cottage' in it's senior years.  As far as Northwest and her owner are concerned the gales of November are free to come early.

They use a travel lift in the Gore Bay harbour, which is a wheeled frame with slings to pick up the boat and manoeuvre between the quay and storage yard.  As a result,  owners leave the masts up all year on sailboats, so haul out and launch are a quick job.

Covered Portage Cove

Covered Portage Cove is one of the most protected harbours on Georgian Bay.  It is only a few miles from Kilarney and is a pool about 400m across protected by 60m high cliffs on three sides.  A classic 'huricane hole'. Mid summer it can be a crowded anchorage, but the night we pulled in, in mid September, there was only one other boat  'on the hook'.

An Evening in Kingston

I spent the night in Kingston and had a few minutes waiting for a pal.  Luckily I had a small sketch book, and my small watercolour box and waterbrush in my pocket.

I drew the harbour at dusk and City Hall in the dark.

Launches, Skiffs and Raceboats

More from my afternoon at the Wooden Boat Museum in Clayton New York.  

Boats and sketching - a perfect pairing.

Wooden Boat Museum

I've been trying to visiting the wooden Boat Museum in Clayton New York for years and finally managed to stop in today.  It is a superb and professional facility - I'll be back.