Episode 15 - Shakedown Cruise 2021!

All Systems are GO! We took Aqualibrium out for the first cruise of 2021. After a couple of years (thanks to COVID) our daughter visited from Alberta, so we were thrilled to see her and host her on board!! At first the intention was just to test out the engines, make a stop for a pump out and a top up of fuel, and then just explore the 1000 Islands a bit and scout out a few spots we hadn't been to before. Well, that turned into an impromptu stop at Endymion Island, where there was free dock space! After a couple of friends of ours showed up in their boats, and after a quick tally of our supplies, we decided to stay the night! - Food? Plenty! - Drink? More than enough! - Fresh Water? We didn't really have enough, but our friends loaned us 4 liters to get us through the day (and coffee the next morning!) - Batteries? That was the big question. I was running with two G31 batteries (which I had isolated), and we didn't know how long one would last...however, we had a number of battery-powered lanterns and flashlights and fans, so we minimized our use of the 12V system. Endymion has a number of snakes, and Chloe had absolutely no idea what to make of those wiggley, slithery things! She could smell them, she saw and followed them, but her Schnoodle-brain couldn't process what they were. I would have filmed the encounters, but was laughing too hard! So, a quiet evening with friends. A swim or two around the dock. A lovely dinner and drinks. And then sleep. The next morning was odd because the smoke from forest fires in Northern Ontario gave the sun a red colour. There was fog as well. I was up very early and managed to find every spider web from the dock to the park toilet. With my face. It was a bit creepy. After breakfast, and a chance for Jacqueline to try out an inflatable kayak, it was time to go back to the marina, and then home. What fun!! I will say that the National Parks are lovely, well-cared-for, and worth paying to stay at. The 1000 Islands are an absolute treasure!