Wed Aug 16: Eagle Bay to Blind River Marina

Mr Weather saw big winds a-coming in the afternoon, so we got up at what he calls a 'reasonable hour' in order to get to our Blind River Marina before the wind.  It was a lovely morning with a glassy surface, perfect for reflections!  Which is almost as good as a donut, in my opinion.

There is a strategic calculation/dance boaters do when looking for a good anchorage. Sometimes you try to get to the anchorage early, hoping to beat everyone else.  Sometimes that backfires as no one has left yet, and you have to circle like a vulture trying to figure out who will be leaving and eyeing your desired spot covetously.  Sometimes you hang back, thinking that 11am will be the perfect time to arrive, as people will just be leaving for their next destination.  That can also backfire, like yesterday at the Benjamins, when you arrive JUST a bit too late.  Always you need a Plan B.

This boat is trying the early-morning strategy - goodness knows what time they got up!  In this case it was a wide-open space and they could anchor anywhere, but chose to anchor RIGHT BEHIND us.  I guess they could tell that we were wheels up (anchor up) in 10.

As we were leaving the anchorage we got 'God Rays', which seemed to me a good omen!

 Part of the morning was spent weaving through tight spots, with rocks looming and channels narrow. 

 

If you ask me, 9:30 am is just too early to have to call a securite when entering such a channel.  But no other boats were out - just like we like it on the water!

 

 We could see on Nebo that our friends on Nevadatude were headed for the same marina (the only marina) in Blind River, so we knew we would have some company.  Once tied up we decided to go for a walk to see the 'town' before the winds/rain came in. Like many of these little water-front towns, it had a glorious and prosperous timber past, but is still struggling to find its footing. There was a Tim Horton's donut shop, though! And great gardens...

Early evening we took a taxi to the Pier Sports Bar for bar food and the weekly bingo game, that raises money for the local hockey team.  It's virtual, with many different establishments participating.  You have a sheet with 6 bingo cards, and call a phone number if you get a 'black-out' on any of your cards.  The winner gets $1000, so we were all in.  There was much fierce competition and bated breath, but none of us won.  It was great fun, and we were glad that Denise and Jerry made us go!

The wind came up later, as predicted, and the boat was rocking and rolling.  The sunset made up for that, tho.

At friend Kim's recommendation we have started the Netflix series The Diplomat, and WOW!  Right from the beginning it leaves you breathless....and with a little crush on Keri Russell.