Fog in Picton |
It was a strange weather day. Dawn broke with a heavy fog. Then rain squalls rolled around like billiard balls. Finally, we were chased off the water when the wind speed climbed into the 40s.
Our milk run along the North Channel turned sour about an hour short of Kingston when the wind whipped waves got uncomfortably steep. Just ahead of us, where the protection of Amherst Island ended, the seas were guaranteed to be even bigger.
It was decision time: tough it out or bail out. Actually, that's not a difficult choice. This is, after all, a pleasure cruise. Fortunately, during last night's planning session, Bicki marked Collins Bay on the chart as a possible bailout spot. That was prescient, because, when we decided to turn tail and run, Collins Bay was only a few miles away.
It was 32 bumpy miles between Picton and Collins Bay. Nellie now has 85 miles under her keel for 2018 and 6525 miles since leaving Naples in 2016. Here's to hoping tomorrow's winds are down. DBH