Loyalist Cove

Leaving Waupoos Marina.

It was time to leave Waupoos.  We had more severe weather forecast for the area, it was time to get through Lake Ontario while we had a window to do so.  We contacted the folks over at Loyalist Cove and one of their seasonal boats was heading out for a few days which gave us some space to dock.  We tracked down the marina manager at Waupoos and paid for our stay. 

The breakwater extends well past the markers.

Waupoos Winery, there is supposed to be a dock here, we will check it out again next year.

Soon after, we were off again heading out of Prince Edward Bay and into Lake Ontario towards Amherst Island.  The lake was lumpy with a 1-1.5 M swell on our beam (hitting the boat sideways) that must have been the result of the heavy weather that Western Lake Ontario had experienced the day before.  When faced with uncomfortable seas you need to make a decision as to whether you plow through them or turn back.  The weather was still good and there was no indication that we would be encountering any storms so we pushed on.  I had two options to smooth out the ride: the first, would be to pick up boat speed and the second would be to alter our heading to meet the swell head on.  Since we were on a mission to conserve fuel and really test out the maximum range we could expect out of Tropical Horizons, I decided to alter our course and head out into Lake Ontario for a certain distance, then turn back towards Amherst Island effectively taking the swell on our aft quarter which would make for a more comfortable ride. 

Amherst Island marker.

Rounding Amherst Island and into smoother waters.

After a few hours of running a zigzag course we finally were back into the North Passage and smoother waters.  Before we knew it we were arriving at Loyalist Cove.  We radioed the marina office on our VHF and were instructed as to where we would be tying up.  When we arrived there what we found was friendly marina staff greeting us at the dock and a small crowded marina with every inch of dock space being well used. 

Approaching Loyalist Cove Marina.

Finally, tied up in Loyalist Cove Marina.

Once we settled in, I went to the marina office and checked in paying for two nights.  We were given a small gift bag with brochures on what to do in the area, local business listings, a small map and an eyeglass cleaning cloth.  We settled in, got Mack off the boat, went for a walk and enjoyed a local pizza for dinner (they delivered right to your slip).  The next day we were treated to a demonstration of the forces of nature as many thunder storms passed through.  We tried out some time lapse photography and generally just relaxed.

Sunset at Loyalist Cove...Red Sky Night...hmmmm.

The next day we saw many storms blow through!

In between the storms the sun came out and the winds became calm.

A workout in the park the next morning before heading out.

The following morning was bright, and cool.

Tropical Horizons tied up the morning of our departure, notice the height between the last step and the deck.

Sunrise and time to leave Loyalist Cove.

We really enjoyed our stay at Loyalist Cove, where we waited out a few storms before returning back to our home port.  The only drawback we had found with Loyalist Cove was that the docks were quite low which made it difficult to board and disembark from the decks of Tropical Horizons. We can't until next season to come back here to explore the area.

Picton to Waupoos

After our brief and enjoyable stay at the government wall in Picton harbor where we toured down Main Street, waited out a windy low pressure system and had an afternoon visit with friends, we decided to make our way East towards Loyalist Cove.  We were really unsure if Loyalist Cove would have any space for us as they were still very full when we called earlier that morning.  We shoved off, cleared the gas docks and slowly made our way out of Picton Harbor.  We followed another cruiser out of the harbor and parted ways as we headed towards Glenora and Prinyers Cove. 

Some of the homes on the way towards the Glenora Ferry.

The forecasted weather was calling for remnants from the low to linger around producing gusty winds on Lake Ontario.  We decided to take a short break and headed out into Prinyers Cove where we could possibly overnight.  Once we arrived in Prinyers Cove, we knew immediately that we would not be able to anchor there for any amount of time.  The cove is littered with mooring balls and the “marina” has dockage for a much smaller vessel than Tropical Horizons.  We had no idea who the mooring balls belonged to, nor did we know how to pay for them so we slowly turned around and headed out of the mooring field to the entrance of the cove where we would still be sheltered.  We dropped anchor here, refreshed ourselves and had some lunch while enjoying the scenery that surrounded us. 

Check out this short video commentary shot while at Prinyers Cove. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQSLm_rC0iU&t=22s)

Dropping anchor just at the mouth of Prinyers Cove.

After trying to secure a location at Loyalist Cove we decided that if the wind conditions were favorable we would head out to our next planned stop at Waupoos.  We called the marina that is located on the shores of Prince Edward County just across from Waupoos Island and moved up our reservation.  With arrangements made with Waupoos, we contacted the good people at Loyalist Cove to let them know that we would be moving on.  As we rounded the tip of Prince Edward County navigating the gap between Amherst Island and the county, Lake Ontario revealed itself to be calm and tame.  With the confirmation that we had a good weather window, we pushed on towards Waupoos where we would arrive in the early evening.

A rather calm Lake Ontario, not what was forecast.

Waupoos winery, not sure which one.

As we rounded Waupoos Island we watched our depth as the area between the island and the county is littered with shoals and shallow water.  I wanted to make sure that we arrived before darkness and that the harbor master would be there to assist us in docking.  We arrived just shortly after 5:00 PM as the harbor master met us on the dock.  At this time of year the harbor master normally leaves at 5:00 PM so we were happy that he stayed to help us out. 

Waupoos Marina as see from the back deck of Tropical Horizons.

The "Breakwater" at Waupoos .... Be very very careful !

Entrance into the harbor was tricky and I would not attempt it at night as the breakwater is made up of several discarded tires that seem to float just at the surface of the water.  What we saw when we arrived and tied up was not what we expected.  The docks are a little “wobbly”, the “featured hot tub” was empty and the “Blue Moose Café” looked like it had been closed for many years.  This is a bare bones marina with not much to offer.  If you have bikes there is a Cidery and a Vineyard not too far away, if you don’t, bikes are available for rent.  The pub/eatery/market was closed when we arrived so eating out was not an option here.  

All in all, at this time of year, Waupoos was a great rest stop; but there really wasn’t much to do here and service at the marina is minimal at best.  The water is clear and the surroundings are quiet, so if you are looking for a break, this is a great place to stop.

Check out this short commentary of our arrival at Waupoos Marina. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BJrj_QCDeU&t=34s)