August 8, 2008: Trenton, Ontario (by way of Alexander's Bay, NY)

The advantage of docking in a National Park is the natural beauty that surrounds you. During breakfast Tom pointed out a beautiful blue heron that circled and dropped into some bulrushes just across from us.

Two miles northeast of Grenadier Island, our route today took us by the huge Singer Mansion on Jorstadt Island, NY. This palatial homesite was built in 1896 by Frederick Bourne, who started out as a clerk in the Singer Sewing Machine Company and worked his way up to being President. It was also open to the public, but it was raining when we went by which discouraged us from trying to dock there. We did stop in Alexander’s Bay for some diesel fuel. It was fun to see the red triangular channel markers we are so familiar with and to immediately notice an osprey nest in the top of it. Canadian markers are very different; more like giant bobbing pencils pointing up (red and green have the same shape so they are much harder to recognize from a distance). Diesel fuel was $5.00/ gallon at the Roger’s Marina which was the best price we had seen. We filled up at tanks right across from the big yellow US Immigration sign, but it didn’t seem necessary to “check in” since we were headed back to Canada.

We anchored out for long enough to make our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches in a small bay of a c-shaped island and talked to the visiting wood ducks while we ate. Pulling our anchor, we cruised back by Fort Henry and Kingston through drenching rain. Tom had to slow down because the visibility was so poor. We are now back in the shipping channels of Lake Ontario and we have crossed wakes with several freighters headed towards Montreal. We have left the islands full of million dollar houses behind. Now along the shore of Amherst island we are passing forests and dairy farms, barns with attached silos and pastures of cows. Actually we are too far away across the wide water for me to tell you the breed, but maybe golden brown Guernseys. The rain finally stopped and we are enjoying the vast expanse of water. We saw a flock of tall sail boats on the horizon and a slew of tiny sailboats in a school near the shore. Tom is enjoying cruising at 16 knots for a change which is a planing speed (fast for a big boat) and listening to the oldies, like Groovin’ on a Sunday Afternoon.

We took the Bay of Quinte up to Trenton on the Trent River, and docked at the Frazer Marina by the park at the foot of the bridge marking the entry to the Trent Severn Canal. Tonight we are watching the Olympic opening, and I have to say it is weird seeing the Canadian version of the TV coverage. To be fair, they did do a special on Michael Phelps, the American expected to do great things in swimming, but most of the coverage is of course on Canadian athletes. Wasn’t the lighting of the Olympic flame amazing!?