Long Lake, Ontario - 6/24/2024

Trip Day 5 - Monday (Layover Day)

0600-52F/41F. Calm, high thin clouds.

A Peaceful Morning Started The Day

Baking coffee cake. I'm finding signs of black flies with bites on my head and hand.

0720-Coffee and warm coffee cake is my favorite morning treat. Listened to worship music as I worked and ate. Time for Bible study.

Verse of the day from my study: "he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."  (Tit 3:5)

The Calm Is Deceptive!

0900-Bible study, prayer, and morning reading finished. Time to make an omelet!

1000-Had a huge breakfast: Two egg veggie and cheese omelet, bacon, toast, raspberry jelly, and O.J.

Omelet & Bacon Breakfast

1120-Finished washing the largest collection of dishes this trip! A combination of baking coffee cake and the bacon and omelet breakfast. Relaxing now. I will layover today to transfer photos and videos to my portable hard drive.

1430-Downloaded all photos and videos to have backup in the event of failure or loss. I tried to send a link so people could see where I am at but apparently expired without my knowing. Difficult to activate from the field!

Wind is picking up and gusts were so cold with the main lake's water temp in the 50's I had to close windows and doors! It was in the 80's just last night! 

Then I heard a clunk! Looked out and I could see the strong wind gusts caused the anchor to drag.  I hit a log sticking out of the water very near shore and had to immediately take emergency action to prevent being forced onto shore! I initially tried to simply pull anchor rode to get off the log and the shore.

The Situation And The Escape

The outboard fuel hose was not connected because it was in the way for normal daily chores. I quickly reconnected it and started the engine. I turned on the depth sounder while at the helm then went forward to pull the anchor...but no luck, it would not budge! So I pulled in as much rode as possible and was riding only on the chain (13').  

Back at the helm I powered forward to break the anchor loose, then went forward to quickly retrieve the chain and anchor before drifting back into shore again. It was a scramble!

I powered out of the "protected anchorage" but had no time to set up navigation charts so I had to go by memory from the day before regarding the tight shallow entrance.  Fortunately my memory was accurate. Once clear of the anchorage and in safe waters again I went below to power up my primary nav tablet so I had reference to go into an alternative anchorage. I knew where I was going, just upwind to an anchorage protecting me from the strong southwesterly wind.

The Escape!

First Alternate Anchorage Attempt - Anchor Dragged!

I set anchor in 10' of water but it dragged right away! Under the circumstances I ruled out setting in the same location and tried a more protected cove nearby. This time the anchor held in about 8' of water. Another tight anchorage but not exposed to the SW wind.

The Escape Hole

Found Good Ground In Adjacent Cove - I Moved From Indent Center of Photo 

I certainly was not expecting the power of the wind to affect me as it did in the so called "protected anchorage" I was in.  It is a reminder that no anchorage is ever completely safe in all circumstances! And to expect the unexpected.  The steep escarpments to my west I believe funneled the intense wind gusts right into the small anchorage the cliffs acting like venturi.

This Steep Escarpment And Cliff To North Contributed To Wind Intensity

1600-It is late for dinner. It took me a while to settle down after the scare. Every day seems to have its share of adventure! Time to get dinner ready.  

1815-Had steak tenderloin fresh from the grill, potatoes, salad, hot rolls and red wine for dinner. It partially made up for all the adrenaline flowing in early afternoon!

Grilled Steak Tenderloin!

I'm still working with Zoleo support to get a current "follow me" link for friends who follow my travels.  They have been somewhat inept providing what I need. Trying to get support in the bush has proved difficult and so far unproductive. I will keep trying.

I will revert to my audio book and forget about Zoleo for now. They just raise my frustration level!

Fortunately, the current anchorage is peaceful. 

Another Tight Anchorage - A Refuge In The Wind

2030-After attempting to move mountains I finally received the Zoleo link and sent it out to those following my position on a map.  I hope it works! Five family members have other means of observing my location, but outside those five, a special link must be provided. 

Time for an audio book then bedtime. 71F/63F.

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Long Lake, Ontario - 6/23/2024

Trip Day 4 - Sunday

0700-Finished Bible study. Verse for the day: "I call on the LORD in my distress, and he answers me. Save me, Lord, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues." (Psa 120:1-2)

0750-Completed prayer and reading before breakfast. Sun is out, weather like yesterday. No wind, high thin clouds. 69F/69F.

0820-Made breakfast. I may fly the drone since it is calm and sunny.

Anchorage Between The Islands

Island To My South - Later I Became Very Familiar With It!

0900-Flew the drone, landed once to change batteries. The new grip worked well for catching the drone on the fly.

On the second flight I was flying sidewise and low behind me and thought I was close to the boat and over water when the drone obviously crashed. The video showed it was hung up in a birch. 

Drone Crash Scenario

I got too hurried and thought it must have hit the adjacent island since it was going in that direction and I thought it was close to the boat.

I put on rubber boots and got in the kayak, but forgot to bring the boat hook in case I needed to clear it from the tree. I searched the island clomping through heavy brush to no avail. I returned to the boat to do more analysis.

Onboard I checked the video again but the battery had died. So I then checked the "Find Me" function in the DJI app which showed the last known coordinates. I tried to put the coordinates into the satellite map app, but it showed the drone 5000 miles away! I tried two maps but no go!

Next I pulled up Google Maps since I knew I had downloaded the area before my trip, just in case. That worked better, but it indicated the drone was some place on the mainland, not the island!  That surprised me but I figured it had to be correct, so I went in search. I remembered to bring the boat hook this time and the phone of course that showed the drone location as well as my position.  This time I forgot my lifejacket.  Again, in too much hurry for an old man. Think, think, think before acting!

I went to the area indicated in my satellite map as well as the DJI map in the app. Both took me to the spot but Google Maps was the best giving me distance to the drone.  When paddling I got within 100 feet I went ashore in terribly thick shore brush, almost like mangroves. I was on my hands and knees getting through.

The Obstacles Of Getting Ashore To Retrieve Drone!

I fell when some thick brush tripped me and almost skewered myself on a sharp stick that went just by my ear! Could have easily been my eye or my throat! Whew! A close call.

Thick Brush Along Shore Made It Difficult

Once ashore I followed the app and found it right away but the boat hook would not quite reach fully extended to about 9' or 10'. I had to pile some downed logs to get the height needed. I prodded the drone and it came crashing to the ground. I couldn't catch it. The immediate assessment indicated one float strap (Velcro) was broken and my retrieval handle was broken. The props and gimbal looked okay which are much more tender. Later tests indicated the drone was functional. I will test fly tomorrow.

Drone's Crash View From Tree

The kayak was a mess. Leaves, broken branches, and moss covered the bottom.

1130-I got something to drink and put the gear away. Hooked up the kayak to the bridle, prepared the cameras and sound, activated Zoleo, and finally got underway.

My plan to make a couple short drone flights and get underway without delay went awry!

Looking Up Lake - North

While moving along to the next anchorage I looked at my life vest I was not wearing at the time and noticed the attached PLB was missing!  I realized I was not wearing the vest when I retrieved the drone but had been wearing it on the island search. I had removed the vest leaving it on the ground near the kayak so I wouldn't tear it up in the heavy brush. It must have fallen off when I went to pick it up again but the PLB is in a black case which would have easily blended in with the forest ground debris. I will have to try to locate it on my return trip.

Terrain Along Leg 4 Track

1330-Arrived at a tight anchorage nicely hidden from the main channel. I traveled 10.3 miles today.

Leg 4 Track - Google Earth

Leg 4 Destination Anchorage

I washed dishes and tested the drone, which seemed okay. I'm now charging all devices. Water temp is 62F, so I went swimming to clean up. It was shallow so I touched bottom easily when jumping in. The bottom was muddy not sandy.

Charged the drone batteries after putting on some clean clothes. I feel fresh and more upbeat despite a lot going wrong today. My attitude at times was dour!

1700-Baking pizza for dinner. Will have a salad and cold beer to balance it out. Sun is still shining between rainy looking clouds.

Pizza, Salad, & Cold Beer

1930-I did a video in the cockpit then had strawberries and ice cream for dessert. 

The tight anchorage with high trees to the west will bring sunset early. I will have a Baileys and listen to my audio book "The Bone Orchard" by Paul Doiron.  Later it will be my e-Book "Black Coral: A Thriller (Underwater)" by Andre Mayne.

Looking South - Note Spit To Left

2000-Sipping that Baileys. The sack will come soon. Mean while a beaver made the required three slaps of his tail to express his displeasure with my presence.

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Long Lake, Ontario - 6/22/2024

Trip Day 3 - Saturday

0615-58F/53F. Good sleep. Made coffee and began my study time.

0740-Verses for the day:  

"Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness."  Gen 15:6)

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith."  (Heb 11:7)

0820-Prayer and reading time complete. Time to make breakfast.

0900-Finished breakfast, now preparing to depart anchorage. Weather and wind looks good. Sunny with some high thin clouds, calm. 71F/60F.

Great Day To Explore!

Terrain Becoming More Dramatic

1145-Arrived at the new anchorage. Not totally comfortable since it is relatively exposed but winds are supposed to be light with rain tonight. I traveled 7 miles in flat calm seas.

I-Boating Chart - Leg 3

Destination Anchorage - Leg 3

Stopped briefly enroute to check out some islands as a potential stop on the way back. Should work and has a nice rock overlook if I can find a way to tie to shore.  Most islands are unnamed but this is one of the Horse Islands.

Potential Overnight Spot

60% cloud cover the rest is blue sky. 66F/70F. Calm. Rain coming overnight. I need to wash dishes.

1230-Finished doing the dishes while I listened to music. Skies are becoming more overcast.

1300-Put up the windshields to be ready for the rain.

Anchorage - Looking NW

Cloud Cover Increasing - Rain Tonight!

1400-Listening to more music and sipping some white wine and munching on some peanuts. I pulled out the white wine box and got it ready to fill mini bottles I bring along to put in the fridge to cool. Cloudy 73F/77F.

1500-Time to fire up the grill to make dinner.

1545-Had a grilled burger with chips and a frozen mug of beer. Thawing strawberries to put on my ice cream dessert.

1645-Took the cover off the autopilot to see if I could find a short. A couple of wires were pinched. I was going to cover them with tape but could not find the electrical tape I thought was aboard! I blew a couple more fuses. It appears the retraction causes the failure. Could not fix it here. Need to tear down further, examine solder joints, and examine the installation manual when I get home.

Had ice cream with strawberries for dessert. Always a great treat!

I will listen to my audio book in the cockpit if flies and mosquitoes don't eat me alive!

1750-Enjoying some Baileys with my new round ice cubes. Still calm with high clouds. 76F/77F.

Interesting fact, I've observed no boats while underway since I launched (37 miles). The exception is the one small boat that checked me out while at anchor yesterday.

Solar watts today: 2.09 Kwh used, 3.14 Kwh generated, 234w charged, 160w discharged. 

1930-Sat on the aft deck listening to my new audio book "The Bone Orchard" by Paul Doiron. I'm very tired and thinking of bed already. 75F/75F. Some sun but mostly cloudy and calm. Birds chirping, some mergansers swimming along shore.

Mergansers 

Have to close fore and aft doors due to an opening along the bottom of the screen doors. Need to fix.

Note Gap At Bottom Of Screen Door - Mosquito Gateway!

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Long Lake, Ontario - 6/21/2024

Trip Day 2 - Friday

0550-52F inside/47F outside. Hoards of mosquitos are at the windows I killed most of those inside last night. Heat is on.

Verse of the day from my study time: "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all." (Isa 53:6)

0700-66F/49F. Sun is shinning, wind is calm.

0810-Finished my study time, now making breakfast.

0900-After breakfast I cleaned the solar panels and checked the autopilot fuse and found that it was only 2 amps which I thought inadequate but did not have the installation manual with me. I tried a 3 amp fuse but it blew two of them.  I left it alone for fear of doing damage to the autopilot by installing a fuse that was too high amperage.  I will go without an autopilot for this trip. Not the end of the world since it is narrow and a lot of hand steering would be required anyway.

Messing around I found the starter battery at 11.8 volts! I decided the Low Voltage Disconnect (LVD) for the Battery to Battery (B2B) Charger was not operating correctly and pulling down the house battery which was already weak. I disconnected the LVD to stop it from further discharging the starting battery.

1000-Got the nav units up and tracking, Zoleo satellite tracking is next to prepare to get underway.

1030-Got the cameras working and departed the anchorage. 

Nav Station

View From Helm

1045-The autopilot failed again with the last 3 amp fuse installed. Must have a short, or something else wrong. It is out for the trip.

Cliffs Along Track

1100-Messed up with the cameras and sound again going and coming. Forgot the cable between the cockpit camera (Osmo Action) and mic receiver!  I don't know how many times I have made similar mistakes. I'm a slow learner I guess!

1235-Arrived at Halfway Island anchorage. Not sure the P2 was on (It was not!). Unbeknownst to me the P2's SD card was full, so it was not recording either!  One error after another.

Long Leg Today!

As soon as the anchor was down and set a small 16' fishing boat came out of nowhere just to check me out. They came into the anchorage and slowly circled me at a distance and then left. Weird! Curious enough to blatantly circle me but not enough to come over and say hello. 72F/74F.

Well Protected Anchorage

1530-Sent some satellite messages and washed dishes. I need to start thinking about dinner.

1730-Had roast pork, with potatoes, salad, hot rolls, and red wine for dinner.  Dessert was strawberries on Hagen Daz ice cream.

I retreated to the aft deck to sip some wine and listen to music and watch for critters.

Messing With Phone App

1815-While enjoying the wine I heard a slap of a beaver's tail. Did a visual scan and found him swimming from shore to shore past my bow. I prepared my camera to try to get some video.

Halfway Island Anchorage

Head Of The Anchorage

Prepared my evening libation of Bailey's on ice and went back to my perch to watch for the beaver. They are very curious so I'm sure I will see him again.

Entrance To Anchorage

2000-Sipped the Bailey's and listened to music then finished my latest audio book "The Edge" by David Baldacci, the second in the series.  I'm tired and though the sun will be up yet for two more hours I'm hitting the sack. Will read my e-Book until my eyes close. 76F/77F. Calm and sunny.

2030-Total energy produced by solar today: 2.7 Kwh, (2700 Wh). Now powering the new house battery 270 Ah lithium-ion in turn powering my refrigeration.

YouTube Video

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