AdventureProof

29/11/2024

Most abandoned lighthouses are boarded up tight, so it’s a rare delight to find one that you can explore at …abandon…ahahaha—see what I did there?!? This beauty, on the northern tip of Barbados, didn’t disappoint. Of course it’s a bit of a death trap, what with wild bee hives and failing railing, but the view was out of this world. Know of any other abandoned lighthouses? Let me know, I’ll add them to the list 😉

23/11/2024

Experienced a “seiche” on Lake Huron the other day. These occur when strong winds blowing across a lake’s surface push the water downwind, causing a temporary drop on the upwind end of the lake. Levels equalize again once the wind lets up.

Beyond messing with water levels, seiches can also cause currents as the water relocates—this I experienced at the deceivingly named “Little Current” on Manitoulin Island during my kayak circumnavigation.

Other boaters—including sailors—need to be aware of seiches too when operating in shallow water, as I will explain in my upcoming book on running aground.

There is no reliable way to predict the extent of water drop, nor the strength of current—you’ll have to adjust to local conditions as they develop. Which is exactly what we did the other day by playing in the mud 😉

19/11/2024

Exploring the rail trail by Lac-Chevreuils in the Laurentians (near Saint-Sauveur, Quebec). The girls love rummaging in the forest, and yet they’re surprisingly reluctant whenever I suggest a hike. I mean, it’s not like we’d bushwhack up mountains or anything…er…dang!

08/11/2024

Fall is a fantastic time to visit Carbide Willson’s old mill in Gatineau Park (Quebec, Canada). The naked trees, bereft of leaves, add a stark, haunting dimension to the old place. Because, you know, crumbling ruins deserted deep in a dark forest aren’t spooky enough.

03/11/2024

Not alone after all on my “solitary” morning run. Apples aren’t the only things dropping in the Meech Creek Valley (Chelsea, Quebec). Gotta be bear aware pushing through that fall fog for a while yet!

28/10/2024

Soaking in what may be the best fall views in the entire National Capital region. Sadly, this spectacular wilderness in Cantley, Quebec is critically endangered by development. Where we bushwhacked through beautiful hardwood forests, Subarus may soon frolic. We look at this mountain from our house, so it’s a refreshing change of perspective to look at our house from this mountain.

24/10/2024

That’s a wrap for haul out 2024, a necessary bookend to a rewarding summer on the water. Haul out is the most stressful day of the year, and it isn’t just because boats get dinged and scratched. Sometimes it’s much, much worse. There’s awkward weight riding in those wet, slimy slings—and they don’t always stay put. Our haul out went well (this time), but I feel true horror for the poor guy whose 46’ motor yacht—the marina’s biggest—got smashed against the retaining wall and sank to the bottom of the harbour. His bookend, I’m afraid, much more permanent than our own.

20/10/2024

There’s much to love late season in the Thousand Islands National Park (Ontario, Canada): foggy sunrises, stunning colours, no crowds and no fees! Also no water—which provides engaging content for my upcoming book on running aground ;)

07/07/2024

Gunkholing at Marysville, Wolfe Island (near Kingston), Ontario. Nudging the boat into super shallow waters is always exciting, doubly so when solo in an approaching storm. Seeing the derelict hulk of the steel cruiser rusting away on the water made me feel better about the state of our boat ;)

19/06/2024

Anything I want for Father’s Day? How about a four hour bushwhack up a trail less mountain with the family? I really am spoiled!

13/06/2024

So proud of my little sprout! She just finished her first trail run and is rightfully pleased about it. Not bad after being sent home from school puking the day before! It’s surprising what we can do with the right encouragement—which may or may not involve sugar ;)

29/05/2024

Surprised myself with a decent little run—unexpected after a day on a plane and virtually no sleep. Must be fueled by all that über delicious German baking!!

24/05/2024

Bored? Giga rich? Prince-Elector of the Holy Roman Empire? Why not father
twenty children with a string of mistresses and build a fake castle?

If you are Prince-Elector Wilhelm I, in around 1800, you can do all those things—and more. Obsessed with his medieval past, Wilhelm built a simulated castle as his personal playground—though no wives, mistresses, or horde of screaming children, were allowed.

Meticulously restored, the Löwenburg is now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so poor peasants like us can also enjoy this shrine to excess.

Check it out in Kassel, Hesse, some two hours north of Frankfurt.

19/05/2024

Yesterday’s hike through the Taunus (about an hour west of Frankfurt, Germany) had me checking incessantly for ticks, but no “luck” so far. I did find some great views though!

07/05/2024

Sometimes kayaking is better without water 😉

28/04/2024

Successfully launched! The two most stressful times of the boating calendar are when the boat is launched and hauled by crane. Supposedly routine and choreographed events, they are in fact highly dynamic, chaotic and fraught with risk. Our boat has been damaged three times in the process, though fortunately the damage was always minor (my friend’s mast was dropped and had to be replaced—ouch!).

In order to repair some damage from last fall’s haul out, we were switched from the crane to a trailer launch, to take place in late May. But then—due to low water levels—the yard had to switch us back to the crane last minute (the crane only comes for one day).

So I had an hour to reassemble the boat’s drivetrain (replacing a worn part), when I expected to have a month. I connected everything and sealed the hole in the hull with about a minute to spare! There wasn’t even time to test the engine, or put out fenders, or do any of the other preparatory things that are usually done. This must be why captains have grey hair!

Now floating, like a respectable boat should, all’s well that ends well.

20/04/2024

Excited to shake off the last traces of winter and get into a whole summer of fun—which theoretically should be starting any time now…

11/04/2024

If you're ever lost or stranded and need rescue, it's crucial to call for help and signal your location. The world is big, and we are but tiny, tiny specs in it. Here's a great example from earlier this week, when a "help" sign in the sand led to the rescue of three shipwrecked mariners.

A U.S. Navy and Coast Guard operation on Tuesday rescued three mariners stranded on a tiny Pacific Ocean islet for more than a week after the trio spelled out 'HELP' using palm fronds laid on a white-sand beach.