October sail - MAYDAY !!!

The weekend weather was supposed to be amazing for October   The week's forecasts so far have been very windy typical with 30 knots of gusts. Even at night.

So I departed Friday at 4PM in 15 knots south wind sailed to Grand Anse and started the engine to anchor in preparation for a 15-knots of a southernly windy evening at about 17:35.

Then a Mayday came in on the VHF about a couple kayakers who went overboard south of Pointe-Claire yacht club. I had passed a couple on a kayak earlier and waved at them after avoiding a collision with them.

There were not many boats on the lake and the water temperature was 12.9 C, I felt compelled to help.

I acknowledged the Mayday on VHF and headed towards PCYC  where they were reported. I kept an outlook for the MOB and reported that I had no visuals. Quebec Coast Guard Radio reports they were near AD20   

In the meantime, the Hovercraft CCGS Mamilossa was in the area and AUX 1299 was launching their boat at Cartier and it would take 20 minutes to get out.

As I go to AD22 the mayday was terminated with the recovery of the tow kayakers.  Later I monitored the recovery of the kayak and the transfer of it from the hovercraft to AUX1299.

I acknowledged and sailed to anchor at Dowkers in the sunset.  

Bellum was just as fast in 15 knots of wind as at full throttle.

Evening supper was sausages with caramelized onions, peppers and a potato all in a cast iron skillet  

Overnight Bellum gently glazed the bottom. I pulled the boat closer to the anchor.

I got up at 9 in the morning.  At 11, I manually hauled up the anchor, just to try it out. I sailed into the main lake as the winds were picking up just ahead of me glazing another rock.  Forward was me was becalmed.

I met up with Obsessive Scientist, Matchmaker and Gaucho. I sailed around chasing the other club boats, photographing them.

It was nice sailing in variable winds.  I was in no rush. sailing.  It was so warm, I took off my shirt.

Eventually, the winds lowered and I put up the whisker pole until after the gut when the winds switched from west to east and I put the whisker pole away and motored back to the club.  I was thinking of anchoring outside Dorval Island but did not. Had a drink on Gaucho, BBQ a steak on Bellum and then met up with Mike, Jason and Ed at the wine-tasting event and had a nightcap at the bar.  The night was cool (about 6 C) and glad I did not anchor out.