That was the name of our third boat; it was already named and it’s bad luck to change it. Our first boat, a 20′ bow rider had no name. The second was Captain Crunch and it sank. The fourth and last was Sippin Thyme. I wanted to name it Yada. We had some great times on those boats. It’s funny how you mostly remember the good stuff. We haven’t had a boat in a few years now. The longer the gap the more the memories become really good.

For Canada Day I thought it would fun to get Rudy back on a boat. There’s a guy in Collingwood that does fishing charters mostly but also does special occasion charters. His name is Kevin. I contacted him to join his sunset and fireworks cruise. His boat can fit 10 or so. The cruise left the shipyards dock at 7:30 pm. We show up about 7:15 and the crowds are already gathering; there’s a live band on the point and people are on their boats and swimming off the pier. There’s a couple of food trucks. Lots of action.

We park the car in front of the portapotties. Not sure how that was going to pan out if the stalls had line ups. Gross. Kevin told us to look for the grey building with the blue door. It’s more like a grey shed. A young lady with a cute dog approaches; she asks if we are looking for Kevin. Yes we tell her. You must be Rudy and Sue; I’m Stephanie and this is Trip (the dog) we are joining you on the cruise. Kevin appears and we head to his vessel.

The marina is nicely laid out and there’s a metal bridge connecting the mainland to the docks. We head to the farthest dock and Kevin invites us on his boat. It’s a 40′ fishing boat that he plucked out of a farmers field about 10 years ago and fixed up. He’s been tweaking it ever since. Rudy is liking it already: no canvas and open floor space (the dance floor). There’s 3 other people on board already so we are 7 in total.

All day the sun has been brilliant in spite of the forecast. But a few clouds are starting to wisp around. The water is as calm as glass. Kevin lets us know some safety features and then we are off. The plan is to see the sunset out by the lighthouse. And then return to the harbour for the fireworks. There would also be a few snacks.

Kevin has been living and working in the area for 10 years. He’s super knowledgeable about local maritime history and legends. The trip out of the harbour is scenic and informative. Clearly Kevin enjoys his craft. Trip (the dog) races around the boat watching birds and other boats. He’s quite cute; a Spaniel with long curly ears that flap as he runs.

Once we are out of the harbour Kevin cuts the engine and we float to watch the sunset. The sky is a mosaic of colours. But the actual sunset is obscured by clouds. As we drift and bob in the water I reminisce about the many such evenings we enjoyed on our four boats. In particular I recalled the night that all of Ontario lost power (except for Grimsby). We were on the boat. There was four of us and the water was like glass. The shoreline that was normally dotted with lights and skyline views was pitch dark. You could barely see the odd headlights of cars. It was eerie and surreal.

We head back into the harbour for the fireworks show. Dusk is upon us and the clouds are like a scene from Harry Potter when the dementors fly around. The water is smooth like onyx. Kevin finds a spot to bob while we wait for the fireworks and munch on a tray of cheese and crackers. Soon the fireworks start and it is a spectacular show. Deafeningly loud. But stunningly gorgeous.

Kevin guides the boat back to the dock with seasoned precision. Rudy comments; he appreciates a good docking job. We disembark and head for the car. It was great to be at sea for a while. Even so, I’m glad we don’t own a boat.

And I just realized that I don’t know the name of Kevin’s boat. Next time.

Ahoy!!