Kevin from Ottawa

[Mr. Kevin]

Hello Folks,


My name is (obviously) Kevin and I live in Ottawa, Canada. I picked up sailing as an adult and became quite addicted. I have been reading the forums here for a few years, mostly lurking. While I do not always, at first, understand all of what I read from you folks I can honestly say that you have given me endless hours of gleeful research over the years.


While having a career is keeping me from maximizing my sailing ambitions, that will hold true only for so long. I am less than a decade from retirement and 9er Domestic and I have formulated a plan to put winter in our wake after I start drawing my munificent pension.


If anyone wants to talk about something I have said, or more likely clarify some misconception I may hold, I am humbly at your service. I do appreciate the sense of community here and hope that, at some point, I may contribute meaningfully. The more I learn, the more I realize how much more there is.


Kevin

[Celestialsailor]

Welcome to the forum.

[Mike OReilly]

Welcome Kevin. I call Ottawa my legal home, and do get back there regularly, so nice to have another Ottawan here. Do you sail out of Britannia?

[Mr. Kevin]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Welcome Kevin. I call Ottawa my legal home, and do get back there regularly, so nice to have another Ottawan here. Do you sail out of Britannia?

Hi Mike, I was sailing out of both Britannia and Nepean, usually as crew on the Tuesday and Thursday night races. I am a little far out of town now to use either.

I take it that you are cruising right now?

Kevin

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kevin

Hi Mike, I was sailing out of both Britannia and Nepean, usually as crew on the Tuesday and Thursday night races. I am a little far out of town now to use either.

I take it that you are cruising right now?

Kevin

Yes, I’m currently anchored on the NE shore of Newfoundland.

[Mr. Kevin]

Ah, that’s great. I am green with envy.

[Stu Jackson]

Welcome, Kevin. Another Canadian, from the west coast.

[Mike OReilly]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kevin

Ah, that’s great. I am green with envy.

We started sailing on the Great Lakes; mostly North Channel and the a decade or so on Lake Superior. In 2015 we sailed down to Lake Ontario, and then in 2017 we travelled to the west coast on Newfoundland. We’re slowly exploring The Rock, now based on the north east coast.

It’s stunningly beautiful here — much like Superior. And like that northern lake, there is very little cruising traffic. We’ve been anchored in this one anchorage for 10 days now, and been alone the whole time. Glorious.

Get out here as soon as you can. There’s lots of space [emoji6].

[chris mac]

Welcome from an Alberta boy that bought our liveaboard just down from you in Whitby ontario. You've got some great sailing grounds to practice in there!
Once that 4 letter word(work) is over with, hopefully we see you in a tropical anchorage somewhere!
Welcome to the forum!

[desodave]

Welcome to the forum from another west coaster. My memories of Ottawa are largely around the 4 meetings I had to attend there every year ... ie somewhat painful ones. But I discovered that I could rent bicycles and ride for miles along the river or the canal later in the day ... and that was a beautiful escape.

[Mr. Kevin]

Dave, any meeting in Ottawa, by definition, is painful. I sit on a number of standards associations and it becomes pretty clear why "standards" get fairly cocked-up most of the time. Risk-aversion and special interests. But you are correct, one of the great redeeming features of Ottawa is the canal. It is actually navigable all the way to Kingston. In winter, it claims to be the longest skating rink in the world. Look at me cheerleading for Ottawa, LOL!

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Kevin.

Although Guinness may recognize the Rideau Canal Skateway, as the longest/largest naturally frozen ice rink, it it isn’t the only one, in contention.
➥ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ou...-across-canada

[Mr. Kevin]

Far be it for me to dispute the legitimacy of ice rinks to claim the title of "world's longest". Especially when I do not have calibrated values to support such a supposition. I am open to other rinks laying claim. I hate skating, in any event. The water is all too cold…

But who would argue with such a venerable sourse such as Guiness, the source of Truth.

Originally Posted by GordMay

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, Kevin.

Although Guinness may recognize the Rideau Canal Skateway, as the longest/largest naturally frozen ice rink, it it isn’t the only one, in contention.
➥ https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ou...-across-canada

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Mr. Kevin

...
But who would argue with such a venerable sourse such as Guiness, the source of Truth.

That would be me.


Any way, the Rideau Canal Skateway didn’t even open, this year.
➥ https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/rideau-canal-skateway
➥ https://ottawa.ctvnews.ca/mourners-s...2023-1.6303896

[Mr. Kevin]

Yeah, the volatility of climate change. I think that was only the second time in recent memory the canal failed the entire season. Personally, I can't abide winter. My wife laughs at me because I was an army officer. I think that more than explains my feelings on the subject.