SAILING, SAILING.....

The Lady Bea

Earlier in November we headed down to the British Virgin Islands for an amazing sailing holiday.

The whole adventure began last winter when Julia asked what I wanted for my upcoming 60^th birthday. Last year we skied Tuckerman’s Ravine in New Hampshire for my birthday and we were most fortunate in being able to get all our kids together with us. Hiking up the super steep slopes of the Ravine and seeing them enjoy what I used to do in my younger years was a dream come true. Doing a sailing holiday was another dream that I had. Since I was on a roll, I thought why not give a try?

We threw the idea out to friends to join us. With Jim and Joan Gordon from Kamloops and Ian and Beth Haysom from Victoria we had a perfect mix of sailing experience, stories and conversation, and adventures.

The boat we selected was a 40 foot catamaran named Lady Bea based out of the capital, Road Town. From Road Town we circumnavigated the island of Tortola and then a week later were back in Road Town. Along the way we would stopped each night at one of the many beautiful islands that dotted our route.

Last dinner together at Cooper Island

The boat performed really well for us. There was a comfortable amount of room for everyone to move around, she was stable and managed even the stronger winds without problem. There was one little “blow” and with the wind at our backs and sizable surfing waves we got her up to just under 11 knots. That was quite good considering 7 or 8 knots is footing along quite well.

The British Virgin Islands is widely regarded as a perfect destination for those taking their first sailing trip. Sailing from one destination to the other is fairly easy, the mooring spots are well laid out. Our cat had two engines and screws (props) which made it easy to manoeuvre and since it was “low season” it never felt crowded.

In the end, I think that we both got a bit of the boat bug.  There we were on our last day in BVI looking at 42' er's in a marina wondering what it might feel like if we actually owned one! That’s another dream for another time.

IT'S BEEN FAR TOO LONG

Don't ask, but it has been way too long since our last post. Lots of excuses as to why it hasn't happen for so long, unfortunately none of them are very good. In any event, writing later is better than never.
Our winter has been cold this year which is nice 'cause that's what winter should be like. You know, snowy, white, rosy cheeks, hot chocolate and the best stars that you'll see anywhere without using a telescope.In fact, it was only a few nights ago that we saw a sliver of a moon right next to the bright light of Venus, with two framing in the red planet of Mars....and you could really see the red!

It's been colder.....but not by much!

We have been hearing from our friends living on the west coast in British Columbia that winter just hasn't happened. My old haunt at Grouse Mountain in Vancouver is brown; no snow, no skiing, no winter, no way! While it has been warm and balmy on the west coast, just a short time ago it was -37C here. We have had lots of snow, not quite as much as the Maritimes, but plenty to keep the trails (skiing, sledding, sliding and shoe-ing) in great shape. I wish my back could agree the same way.
Lately, I have been involved in a number of discussion groups, committees and workshops that have been trying to focus on what Muskoka is all about and how we can attract more people to come and visit. There are so many ways to look at this great part of Ontario and sometimes words simply aren't enough. The amazing fall colours, the hikes and parks, the beautiful clean lakes, the history... this place is iconic. It is so rare to find spots like these, so close to "civilization", amazingly safe and untouched and all with a hint of "wild" just about everywhere you go. The brand of Muskoka, and in particular where we are at Foxwood in North Muskoka, is so much about what is real, simple and pure. It is about the surroundings - the air, the water, the fire and earth.
Families have been coming to Muskoka for generations and for many of those who call it home, it is hard to fathom the thought of anybody wanting to change it. But change has happened and it will continue. The cottages are slowly getting bigger, the lakes are slowly getting busier, the noises are slowly getting louder and the people are quickly expecting Muskoka to have all of the luxuries of the big city. I wish I could convince those living in the big cities that coming to Muskoka as a way to "escape the stress of the city" on the busiest weekends of the year, when everybody else is here, is not the way to do it. And the "make or break" decisions should not be based on how many TV's we have (or even if we have them) or how fast our internet speed is.  
For us at Foxwood we realize how important it is to have Lake of Bays, a quiet location at the end of road, simple clean cottages with screen doors that slam shut in the wind, a measly WiFi service that can't handle downloading movies or large files and no TV in 90% of our cottages. What we do have is an atmosphere that allows guest to let their guard down and still feel safe, to relax, to enjoy the sounds of children (adults too) laughing and playing with others, to sit under tree and hear the waves lapping up on shore, and being able to read a book without being interrupted for hours! Can you imagine enjoying a lake that is so clean you could drink the water out of it... but don't, because the fish and birds do their doo-doo in it.
Some who call us about staying at Foxwood think we are a long, long ways away from Toronto. Those who finally come and stay with us at Foxwood feel that they could be a million miles away! Yes, we are at the end of the road, just the way we like, just the way all of our guests like it. 

We did a fun movie about what living in North Muskoka and what running Foxwood means to us.Click here to view it. Most of the shots were taken at Foxwood, the others are from the nearby surroundings. The first minute of it moves slowly however we hope that you enjoy it