Lake Erie Sailing Trip - Day 15

Day 15 and beyond - Erie, Pennsylvania to Port Dover, Ontario

We awake at a leisurely 7:30 to yet another beautiful, sunny day.  We have decided that we will head back to Dover today sometime before noon so we have a quick breakfast and get the kids over to the pool for a nice swim before we leave. In the two weeks we have been gone Magnus has learned to use a mask, snorkel and fins and is now diving for pennies in the deep end of the pool. As I watch him dive I have visions of us spear fishing spiny lobsters in the Caribbean as the girls cook them up on board.

As the kids are playing in the pool and running around the deck a lady who is also at the pool comes over and says, "Your children talk very loud, have you ever had their hearing checked?"

I said, "Yes, we've already had them diagnosed - apparently they are half Portuguese which explains the speech volume."

I don't think she gets the joke so, since it's time to leave anyway, we pack up the loud kids, stop for a free waste tank pump out and are headed out of Erie harbour and soon on the open water pointed due north for Long Point.

The trip across seems to take a very long time, probably because of the anticipation of getting home.  We eventually reach Long Point and stop for a quick swim and lunch before continuing on the last leg to Port Dover, which is about 20 miles.  It’s about 7 pm when we finally pull into our familiar old home slip and it does feel pretty good to be back home on Canadian soil, or at least water.  Ana calls customs on the phone and they clear us with no issues.  The dock is very quiet, hardly anybody around so we have a quiet night on board and finally manage to see the rest of “The Matador” on the fourth attempt.

We spend the next day and a half doing some work on the boat, visiting dock friends and walking around Port Dover checking out the shops.  We finally arrive back at our house on Saturday afternoon and Magnus immediately goes next door to show his neighbour friend Lilly his loose tooth.  The aggressive demonstration wiggling breaks the last few strands and the tooth pops out!  He is thrilled to discover that he can still whistle even without a primary frontal ivory so he is happy indeed.

We are all decidedly relieved to be home, especially after such a successful adventure.  We now feel much more confident with Bella Blue and are overjoyed that the kids have taken so well to sailing.

There will be plenty more trips to come.