Run down to Sarnia

Saturday, July 1 -- Kincardine to Sarnia (94 miles)

Today was Canada Day, and we experienced it in full by staying at the Sarnia Bay Marina. (Sarnia is on the Canadian side of the start of the St. Clair River, which is the end of Lake Huron. Port Huron is on the US side.) The marina was full of boaters celebrating with food and drink and music -- just like we would the 4th of July -- plus lots of Maple Leaf flags and related decorations. And we ended the day watching an awesome fireworks display at the park next door while sitting up on the fly bridge. It was fun to watch our neighbors celebrate their national holiday.

 

The day started with waking up to fog, and we hung around for a couple hours waiting for it to lift. Visibility was a couple hundred yards in the harbor, but we weren't sure what it would be out on the lake. When the fog lessened noticeably around eleven (though it still didn't lift) we decided to take off. We used the Garmin to check distances and figured we were still good for a couple hundred yards visibility out on the lake, so we proceeded, but at reduced speed. When we reached Point Clarke a few miles down the coast the visibility had improved to 0.4 miles and we moved up to our usual cruising speed and set a course for Sarnia. The fog eventually lifted, but it was still very hazy. We saw no other boats on the run down to Sarnia except a freighter that looked to be heading into Goderich -- the Algoma Compass, built 50 years ago in Toledo OH by American Shipbuilding, which was owned at that time  by George Steinbrenner, the infamous NYY owner.

When you leave Lake Huron and enter the St. Clair River you are first greeted by the Blue Water Bridge, which is the only bridge across the St. Clair River. The Port Huron lighthouse is just east of the bridge. 

Soon after the bridge you pass the Huron Light Ship, which was stationed about six miles north of Port Huron from 1935 to 1970 and is now a museum. Right after the Huron Light Ship you pass the US Coast Guard buoy tender Hollyhock, and then you're heading straight at the Imperial Oil Refinery (which has always been one of the reasons that John would rather stay in Sarnia than Port Huron).

We had a nice dinner at Paddy Flaherty's Irish Pub within walking distance of the marina, then went back to the boat to wait for the 10pm fireworks show. It was first class!