Announcement for all our blog followers: We have planned the "Crossing Our Wake" party on July 24th from 4-7pm at Belle Maer Harbor. We would love for you to join our celebration. Due to marina requirements, we will need you to RSVP by July 20th. Just email us at ssimion@comcast.net. We hope to see you there.

By Sunday, July 6th, we were both anxious to begin traveling again. We did a little cleaning and laundry. We met a couple more members of the club and spent a quiet late afternoon and evening.  Monday Rusty was back and he fixed the head.  He also informed us that he found what appeared to look like brown paint chips in the tank. There was also a leak in the connection between the intake hose from the toilet to the inlet of the holding tank preventing a vacuum forming.  Tuesday was very breezy, but we left Vermillion with no problems.  During our travels we experienced a thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning, but little wave action.  We docked at Portside Marina on Kellys Island.  Due to the winds it was actually easier to stern in.  We knew right away that leaving was not going to be easy.  Rain came again after we docked and the wind continued to howl.  Tony helped a power boat dock because the wind was pushing him sideways into another docked boat.  Kellys Island is the largest US island in Lake Erie.  Pelee Island is larger island, but it is Canadian.  We walked into the small village near the marina, which consists of bars/restaurants, boutiques and golf cart and bike rental shops.  We did find a coffee shop called "Rock, Baker, Sippers."  One thing we noticed as we walked was there were several unique stone houses.  Later in the evening we saw a 50+ foot Krogan have great difficulty docking in the winds.  Leaving Kellys Island on Wednesday, July 9th, was a challenge.  The winds were still blustery and the fairway in the marina was narrow.  We attached a line midship and while we pulled ahead, the dockhand held the line to prevent Summer Recess from drifting into the docks across from us.  That was successful. Then, after maneuvering through two more turns, we were on our way.  We had a short nine mile run to South Bass Island. The plan was to get a mooring ball in Put-in-Bay. (This is the harbor and the only city on the north side of South Bass Island.) However, Sharon was unable to catch the ring on the ball. We tried twice and then called C-Dock. We docked on the wall right downtown. On a historic note during the War of 1812, Commodore Perry anchored his fleet here just before the Battle of Lake Erie. After the battle he returned here to write his famous dispatch, "We have met the enemy and they are ours."  We walked to the Perry Monument and then walked downtown, which was filled with restaurants and boutiques. They also have many golf cart and bike rentals.  We rented a golf cart and had very pleasurable ride around the island. We also went to dinner at Mossbacks. Their signature dish is perch and pierogis. We thoroughly enjoyed it.  Thursday morning was clear with little wind. We left Put-in-Bay and traveled to Leamington, Ontario. Leamington is the site of the Great Lakes Cruising Club (GLCC) Rendezvous. The Leamington Marina is a great facility. The dock attendants are knowledgeable and very pleasant. The grounds of the marina are beautiful filled with lovely gardens. The buildings are well maintained. On Friday, we cleaned  both the outside and inside of Summer Recess. Laundry was taken care of. We walked to the grocery store for a few supplies.  Boats continued to come in all day.  Most of the boaters are from Ohio, but Michigan and Ontario are well represented.  The winds picked up during the night and we did a lot of rocking. Unfortunately, our head issues reappeared. Saturday, July 12th, was the first official day of the rendezvous. After registering we went to the Ship's Store and purchased a hat, shirt, and fleece for Tony.  We took a walk to the Tim Horton's. What a disappointment. None of their specialty drinks could be made with decaf coffee. Dinner was potluck. We had great meal with wonderful food and conversation. The  wind and rain continued during the night. The wind was really howling Sunday morning. We made our way to the pancake breakfast, followed by the morning cannon, colors, and the blessing of the fleet.  Then the rains came again. We waited for the buses to take us to take us on that day's outing. We boarded the bus at 10:00am to tour two of the local greenhouses. The first was Seaway. It is a greenhouse that propagates flower and vegetable plants and sells them to growers. We saw tomato, pepper, and cucumber plants as well as mums, hydrangeas, and poinsettias. Most of the plants were in their infancy. The size and complexity of the greenhouse was amazing as were the number of plants they produce.  We then went to Lakeside Greenhouse. This facility only grows tomatoes and cucumbers. They ship to retailers such as Publix, Food Lion, and Walmart Canada.  They pride themselves on leaving only a small carbon footprint by recycling all the water they use. They also recycle carbon dioxide by putting it back into the fertilizer for the plants.  They use wasps to kill the white flies in stead of insecticide and bumble bees for pollination.  Again we were amazed by the size and scope of their operation.  We then returned to the marina after a ride through downtown Leamington. Sharon was wiped out and decided just relax until the reception that evening. At 4:00pm the GLCC officers walked down the docks to inspect the fleet.  The boats are dressed with all their flags and pennants from previous rendezvouses . In the evening was the Commodore's Cocktail Reception.  Again good food and great conversation.  We will be at the rendezvous until Wednesday.  We are looking forward to crossing our wake by the end of this week. But a little sad that the adventure is almost over.  We have a poor internet connection. We will post pictures later.