The days are cooler, sun sets sooner and the leaves are starting to change color. I have been trying to get out on the lake whenever possible since it's only a matter of time before the 3 Monkeys must be pulled out for the season. Today the plan was to sail to Sultana Island and meet up with my wife and kids who would motor out via pontoon boat. The winds were strong from the southwest and the trip there was quite enjoyable. The only problem was that when I arrived, the family was nowhere to be seen. Fortunately I brought a cell phone and made a quick call to inquire about their ETA. Turns out the waves were to big for the pontoon boat and they were unable to make it to Sultana. Well, at least the winds were strong and it would be an equally fun sail home.

Today was another great day for sailing! The winds were high but steady, which meant the boat would not be constantly knocked over by gusts. I called up a friend and soon we were making our way to the open waters. He had said he had sailed before and was quite comfortable with the heeling motion of the boat. This was perfect! I didn't have to worry about making guests feel more at ease at the expense of intense, action packed sailing. It was an afternoon of heavy sailing with an average speed of 5 knots.

It has been quite cold and wet this last week but I really need a quick sailing fix. Today was also cold but there was enough of a breeze to go out on the water for a bit. I scooted around the Harbourfront for about a half hour then made my way back to the dock. The wind was already weak and I knew if I kept going I would be returning under the drone of the outboard.

Ok... south winds of 15 knots gusting to 30, huge rollers, bright sunny day and my regular sailing buddy was free for the afternoon. We motored out to the open waters fighting a fierce headwind. The 9.9 on the stern can usually push at 5.5 knots but today we were averaging about 3. The boat slammed into the waves and the prop made the occasional appearance as we made our way out. Once the sails were raised and the wind caught hold, the 3 Monkeys cut through the white caps like it was meant to do. If I could imagine in my mind what would completely sum up the whole sailing experience, this would be it! The spray over the bow was exhilarating and at one point a wave even made its way into the cockpit. I even managed to snap a few pictures, which I haven't done for quite some time now. It was hard returning to dock but when I got home and couldn't stop taking about the experience, my wife decided she would willingly go on a dinner cruise... I just had to supply dinner. Woohoo!! Within an hour we were back on the lake. An absolutely wonderful day that ended around 9pm when we pulled into dock with the lights of the town glimmering off the water.

As the end of sailing season draws near, we still manage to bundle up nice and warm for the occasional dinner cruise. That usually consists of foot longs from our local "Subway". This evening was a lot warmer than previous evenings. Most likely the calm before the storm... when one must break out the mitts and hats just to keep comfortable.