2010 Cruise to Waupoos and Whitby

by Russell Leve, Fleet Captain cruising

We have completed two cruises of the 2010 sailing season. The rendezvous was a great success for a new adventure in cruising at The National Yacht Club. Seven boats, six sail and one powerboat turned up on the appointed Tuesday in Waupoos.The first night we went to that local pub, The Duke of Marysburgh where we dined on local fare and drank local brews and cider.

The cider was in fact so good that we vowed to visit the location where this wonderful drink was produced. The next day those of us who were willing or able or both rode our bicycles or walked to the Waupoos Winery for a delicious lunch and taste of their Wine; but this was not enough for the intrepid NYCers.Memories of that Apple cider from last evening still lingered in our minds so off we went, walking and cycling to the local Cidery.If you have never done a cider tasting you should. It is worth coming to Waupoos just for that.

On the final night in Waupoos we had a BBQ and told stories of our adventures on the High Seas of Lake Ontario. The weather was good-hot and humid and it held for the entire stay in port at Waupoos.This was not an event to be missed and I hope that next year we have twice as many boats.

The cruise to Whitby was a little different. The weather was a little doubtful with a chance of showers and thunder storms-but did that stop are sailors from heading off to Whitby-no it did not. Five sailboats left the NYC in strong west winds and 1 meter waves. All arrived safely. Two boats sailing from Cobourg were hit by line squalls with winds of 50 knots, not just once but several times but still arrived intact. We were expected at Whitby Yacht Club and our slips were waiting for us. Dinner was pot luck with more food than twice the number of us could have eaten. The next day dawned with a northwest wind at about 15 knots and waves of about 1 meter that gradually flattened out as we neared Toronto. It was a pleasure to spent time with the cruisers that attended and everyone seemed to have a good time. My special thanks to Patricia and Chad Humphrey who did most of the work organizing this cruise because I was still returning from Waupoos.

There are still several cruises left this season. Don’t miss them-they have been a lot of fun and a great way to meet your fellow cruisers.

Thank you to everyone who has participated and made these cruises so successful.