Above is a view from Last Dance while anchored in the eastern harbor among the Bustard Islands. It is easy to see why this is a favored anchorage. Left - One of the smaller islands had a flat top which served as a great spot for Rocktails.
Looking out the entrance to the anchorage in the Bustards, a story of the dry weather an careless construction plays out. In the distance, smoke can be seen rising on the mainland. Above the entrance, a waterbomber is banking into a turn as he circles the islands.
The dry weather made for perfect tinder when a construction crew, which was blasting rocks, created the fire.
For a couple of days, the waterbombers circled the islands in the morning and afternoons as they gathered to fight the fires. Seeing them fly over at low altitudes was a fascinating sight.
Then, on the third day, the flight pattern of one of the waterbombers changed to fly right over the treetops and drop even lower as it flew over Last Dance.
This view is from the aft deck of Last Dance looking under the boom. The pilot seemed to get lower on each pass. Their close passes were never explained.
Along Colins Inlet a beaver hut was observed with an unusual feature. The long winter nights must become boring for this family of beavers who decided to install a satellite TV dish.
At the anchorage by Keyhole Island, pink kayaks were seen. The older of the two girls, age 6, decided that she liked a kayak she spotted at a park the previous summer, claiming that she could paddle it. She was given a chance and proved she could. Santa brought both of the girls kayaks for Christmas. The girls were often in the water with their parents. A great family activity.
Also spotted at Keyhole one day was a juvenile Black Bear. The dry weather was robbing them of their traditional food source of blueberries, causing them to search farther and roam into areas of human habitation that they normally eschew.
A colorful sunset appeared while at anchor in Beaver Stone Bay. The quickness which the colors appear make it difficult to capture your own boat as part of the image. It did provide an opportunity to share a special image with another cruiser with their boat lying inside the sunset.
Last Dance crossed paths with Short Vacation while cruising along Georgian Bay. A photo had to be captured of the two Defever boats. Bob and Barbara Dein began DeFever Cruisers, an association of people who own and cruise on offshore capable boats designed by Arthur DeFever. Under their leadership, DeFever Cruisers became an outstanding resource for people traveling on the water, DeFever owners and those who own Some Other Boat. Bob and Barbara owned Last Dance for 12 years, and began DeFever Cruisers when they owned this 40 DeFever Passagemaker. They decided to enjoy a bit more space, purchasing a DeFever 44 Offshore Cruiser, which they named Gondola. An appropriate name for a boat hailing from Venice, Florida. The Shorts purchased Gondola, and it became Short Vacation. A good bit of DeFever and Dein history is captured in this image.
The Georgian Bay cruise south created a number of opportunities to spend time in beautiful anchorages and many opportunities to share time with friends, both old and new.
