Toronto

A confession here… we’re well behind on our blog posts. We’ll do our best to catch up. In the mean time, I’m writing this from just east of Montreal, but with fond memories of our visit to Toronto.

Aaron and Kelly stayed with us on board in Port Dalhousie after travelling down the Welland Canal. The trip across the lake promised to be an easier day, and with the sun shining we were hopeful for a really nice sail to Toronto. The winds didn’t materialize right away, however, and after a short, but valiant attempt to harness the few whisps of wind on the lake, we motored for a while then had the inspired idea to pause and go for a swim. Not a breath of wind, so we just drifted and thrilled in the swim many miles from shore, the CN Tower and skyscrapers of Toronto visible in the distance.

Refreshed, the wind took its cue and started to fill in a bit, and we pulled out the spinnaker and watched the boat speed slowly tick up from one, to two, to four knots as we approached the islands. With boats going every which way, from kids in sailboats to freighters, the business of the inner harbour was just a hint of the days ahead.

Sailing into Toronto under spinnaker

Finding moorage in a big city can be a tricky challenge, and coming into Toronto we found ourselves very lucky. Earlier this summer we shared a drink with another cruising couple at the dock in Spanish, Ontario. They connected us up with the Queen City Yacht Club who graciously agreed to host us for a few nights. The friendly welcome at QCYC was more than we could have hoped for, topped off by an invitation to a party at the club on the Saturday night. What an amazing club and people. And for us it couldn’t have been more convenient… located a short ferry ride from downtown, we were able to go in and out of the city easily to see friends and take care of errands like groceries and buying a cruising guide for the east coast!

The pace of life in the city was like a shot of adrenaline. That weekend in Toronto the crowds flowed through downtown with festivals, Jays games, the Indy, concerts… for a couple of people who haven’t been in many towns larger than a thousand people for months, this was a huge change. While thoughts of COVID risks still lingered in our minds, we couldn’t help but feel energized by all the activity.

The best part of the visit, as always, was reconnecting with friends. The night we arrived we found our way to dinner with Shudeshna, Glenda’s roommate from Queen’s, and we chatted away oblivious to the time until staff had to ask us to leave as the restaurant was closed, as if it hadn’t been fifteen years since we’d last connected. On Saturday, Aaron and Kelly hosted a backyard gathering for a group myh old friends from Queen’s – it was pure joy to see everyone and catch up.