We left Killarney on Canada Day (7/1) and headed 45 miles due south to the port of Tobermory. I may have mentioned this in an earlier post but this town lies at the norther tip of the Bruce Peninsula which forms the western barrier of Georgian Bay to Lake Huron. It's a quaint town and has a lot of shops and restaurants for boaters and tourist alike. It is also the southern terminus of the Chi Cheemaun ferry that will get you from Tobermory to Manitoulin Island which is where we just came from. It is a modern looking vessel versus the SS Badger we saw in Ludington, Michigan.
In any case, our trip down started OK but ended up very rough with the dreaded beam seas from the west. For you landlubbers, a beam sea is one that approaches from the side of the vessel and causes a very uncomfortable rocking back and forth. Anything that was not secured in the cabin quickly found its way to the cabin floor where it remained until we were docked. It was a real mess but nothing was broken. The weather report did not indicate anything that drastic but we survived nonetheless. We elected to remain in Tobermory for a few days and will depart on Saturday when things are predicted to settle down. Our first stop will be an anchorage about 18 miles from here and then on to Lion's Head which lies a farther south down the peninsula. We'll probably find one more stop south of that and then start heading east.
Tobermory is famous as a diving destination because of the extremely clear water and many wrecks. Like everywhere else out here it's also famous for VERY cold water. Well, not wanting to miss an opportunity to freeze to death I signed up for a two tank wreck dive on Thursday morning. On a sunny day it might be 50 degrees on the surface and 40 at the bottom and the conditions today confirmed that. Because I have more temperate dive attire (wet suit, etc.) I needed a full outfitting from head to toe. The stuff they use here is 7 mil versus the 3 mil I have. Believe me, the extra 4 mil is worth every bit of neoprene. I can say that I never really got cold but felt completely consumed by all I was wearing. I must have weighed 375 pounds when I finally got in the water. In spite of all the encumbrances it was exciting but will probably not be repeated by me again. There's a short video at the bottom of what it looked like.
As I conclude this post it's about 55 degrees, drizzly, and windy outside. Adios.
In any case, our trip down started OK but ended up very rough with the dreaded beam seas from the west. For you landlubbers, a beam sea is one that approaches from the side of the vessel and causes a very uncomfortable rocking back and forth. Anything that was not secured in the cabin quickly found its way to the cabin floor where it remained until we were docked. It was a real mess but nothing was broken. The weather report did not indicate anything that drastic but we survived nonetheless. We elected to remain in Tobermory for a few days and will depart on Saturday when things are predicted to settle down. Our first stop will be an anchorage about 18 miles from here and then on to Lion's Head which lies a farther south down the peninsula. We'll probably find one more stop south of that and then start heading east.
Tobermory is famous as a diving destination because of the extremely clear water and many wrecks. Like everywhere else out here it's also famous for VERY cold water. Well, not wanting to miss an opportunity to freeze to death I signed up for a two tank wreck dive on Thursday morning. On a sunny day it might be 50 degrees on the surface and 40 at the bottom and the conditions today confirmed that. Because I have more temperate dive attire (wet suit, etc.) I needed a full outfitting from head to toe. The stuff they use here is 7 mil versus the 3 mil I have. Believe me, the extra 4 mil is worth every bit of neoprene. I can say that I never really got cold but felt completely consumed by all I was wearing. I must have weighed 375 pounds when I finally got in the water. In spite of all the encumbrances it was exciting but will probably not be repeated by me again. There's a short video at the bottom of what it looked like.As I conclude this post it's about 55 degrees, drizzly, and windy outside. Adios.
Any interesting history regarding this wreck?
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