Practical Boat Owner

Lazy days in the beautiful Thousand Islands

Lake Ontario is the smallest of the Great Lakes and is fed by the Niagara River on the south-west shore of the lake. To the north-east it empties into the St Lawrence River; at this point and straddling the Canadian/US border are the ‘Thousand Islands’.

Despite the name there are actually more than 1,800 islands which form an archipelago in the wide expanse of the St Lawrence. They are a popular destination for Canadian boaters and reported to be very beautiful, so we were keen to visit.

Heading east from Cobourg marina on the north shore of Lake Ontario we took the route south of Prince Edward County to anchor at Van Dousens Point in Prince Edward Bay. The passage was quite a long one at 67 miles and the light winds were not quite strong enough to give us good speed, despite hauling up the colourful multipurpose genoa for light wind sailing, so we compromised and motorsailed for much of the trip in order to arrive at dusk.

There was only one other yacht in the anchorage and it was easy to find a nice spot to drop the hook. It was wonderful to be out on anchor again and we spent a few peaceful days just relaxing and taking in the scenery. The evening light on distant

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Practical Boat Owner

Practical Boat Owner14 min read
Boats For Sailing The Mediterranean
Sailing in the Mediterranean usually means flitting between idyllic anchorages in fickle winds and hot sunshine. Some days there’ll be little or no wind until the sea breeze kicks in late in the afternoon. On others, it could be a howling Mistral las
Practical Boat Owner3 min read
Book Reviews
BY MARK CHISNELL, RHYME AND REASON BOOKS, £2.49 (EBOOK), £9.99 (PAPERBACK). What can yacht racing and sailing teach us about ourselves and the way we react and think? Mark Chisnell’s fascinating book uses racing and sailing triumphs and tragedies – s
Practical Boat Owner13 min read
Fixing Deck Leaks
Leaking decks are perceived as a nuisance by some boatowners, who are often prepared to put up with them and turn a blind eye: ‘That’s boats for you!’ The reason for this might simply be because many boats are only used when the weather is fine. If r

Related Books & Audiobooks