Upon our arrival in Georgian Bay Saturday July 29, we opted for a marina stay at Beacon Bay Marina in Penetanguishene. The cruise from Port Severn to the marina was uneventful, and we arrived Saturday afternoon. The marina offers a 3 for 2 deal we took advantage of, so a 3 day stay. It was an opportunity to clean up the boat, raise the mast and re-rig it all, and dispatch some spiders that threatened to overrun the boat! So some chore time, laundry, cleaning, minor repairs, and a pump out.
Beacon Bay is a large marina that’s spread out over more than 10 acres. Lots of boats, and a very pleasant staff. The manager asked us more than once if we needed a lift for groceries or other supplies, and Monday dropped Barb at the grocery store while he delivered a dinghy. The marina has a 50 ton travel lift and several large sheds for indoor winter storage. One of the better facilities we’ve encountered.
Sunday we went to lunch with Canadian friends Bill & Eleanor, who live in Kitchener, about 2-1/2 hours’ drive from Penetanguishene. Their visit was two fold, partly to catch up, as well as to plan for their week aboard cruising with us to start six days hence. We’ve enjoyed cruising together in various venues for over 30 years, since our first meeting on a Royal Caribbean Cruise to Bermuda in 1986! Our visit to Georgian Bay presented a wonderful opportunity to spend some time together again. Our cruise on the Trent-Severn Waterway this year was not our first; we had actually rented one of the infamous house boats together 29 years ago and cruised a portion of the Trent-Severn with our combined five kids, the youngest of which was six weeks old at the time. It rained every day but one! We all, nonetheless had a great time!
