Tempus Fugit

Latin (tem-pu̇s-ˈfü-git): Time Flies

Tag: lake

  • Sailin’

    Sailin’

    Fireball Restored

    Last year there was a sailboat “incident” where the parts holding the centreboard in place were “lost”. Well, not exactly lost. I know where they are. They are in the bay in front of our cottage in about 40 feet of water, on the bottom.

    Since my Fireball is from 1970, the parts I need are no longer available. However, through a couple of connections I located a great company that was able to recreate the parts from my diagrams and specifications.

    Yesterday, the parts arrived. Very exciting

    Stainless steel bracket for the Fireball Centreboard

    I won’t be able to install them in the boat until the May long weekend but I’m looking forward to at least one more season of sailing. Hopefully with some Grandkids!

  • The Cottage in Winter

    The Cottage in Winter

    We usually make a winter trip to the lake but it’s been a while due to all the medical activity and who know what other reasons. But, there was a warm spell of above -10° so we made the trip from a Thursday to Saturday. We enjoyed some very quiet lake time, some fog and lots of sunshine and light to no wind. Very pleasant winter conditions.

    It’s getting harder as I get older and the heart and lung issues don’t help. Trudging through the snow, even with snowshoes was hard. Multiple trips from the road to the cottage up and down the driveway were taxing much more than they used to be. And then there is the chopping a hole in the 2′ thick ice and hauling water up 70 vertical feet. But, all in all still an enjoyable time. Just more effort than ever before. Something new in this stage of life.

    An improved video might be coming soon. Between the iPhone and the iPad and “magic movie” this didn’t turn out as the director planned. However, for the time being enjoy a look at our lake adventure.

    After we left Scott, Mandy, Clark and perhaps Easton (?) arrived for some fun in the snow.

    New and improve(?) video.

  • Closing Up

    Closing Up

    It’s that time of year again where fall is well underway and the overnight temperatures are getting close to freezing. That means it’s time to get the cottage ready for winter.

    Boats are away for the winter

    The boys, Eric and Scott come out with me Friday night to execute the Closeup Checklist. The main focus is taking care of anything that will freeze. We empty the fridge and remove food that won’t survive 6-7 months of sitting around in the cold.

    Three big tasks are putting away the boats and cleaning up the dock, draining the water system and winterizing the septic field. We get started, after coffee ☕etc. around 9am

    The boys do all the heavy lifting while I handle septic system. I won’t get into the details but it can be a bit yuckie if you think about it too much.?

    The 3 of us move through the task quite quickly. May hands make light work.

    By about 1:30 were done and heading into Kenora to pick up lunch and drive home.

    Thanks guys, love you, Dad ❤️

  • From Above

    During my work life I flew to Toronto from Winnipeg quite a few times. The flight path in both directions flies right over Lake of the Woods. In fact it flies directly over our cottage on Heenan Point and this is the point where they reduce air speed and begin the decent into Winnipeg.

    I’ve taken a few pictures over the years but never as clear as this one that my son Scott took on the way back from Montreal.

    Henan Point on Lake of the Woods

    There are lots of variables in getting a clear shot like this. Are you in a window seat with the lake on the correct side of the plane? How’s the weather, is it clear and cloud free? Are you paying attention and ready to get the shot? The plane is still going pretty fast and you only have a few minutes.

    Took advantage of the sunny calm weather to do a little kayaking.

  • How high?

    How high?

    The dock was built a little higher than the old dock so it needed a higher ladder to get out of the lake. To meet an immediate need I stuck in a 12′ aluminum extension ladder. It seemed to be about the right height/length.

    The aluminum ladder tied to the swim platform

    So, when it came time to build a proper wood ladder 12′ seemed to be a good idea. So did angled steps so the ladder wouldn’t be straight up and down.

    If it’s too high it would be easy to cut it down and or remove a couple of steps.

    The angled steps seemed like a good idea, but it took three attempts to get it put together correctly. Thank goodness for power tools, and deck screws.

    It’s a long way down to the water!
  • Up and Down

    Up and Down

    Levels on Lake of the Woods have always been up and down. In fact the regulatory board that governs the lake levels considers a 6 foot variance, “normal”. In practice lake levels don’t normally change quite that much but then there are the exceptions.

    2022 was one of those exceptional years where water levels were at record highs, higher than has been seen in over 50 years. On Lake of the Woods this caused problems for many cottages whose dock systems couldn’t handle these high water levels. We were one of those cottages with a fixed dock system that experienced trouble, a lot of trouble. The lake rose over the top of our docks and the wave and wind action ripped 80% of the dock apart. Some of it floated away and had to be “rescued”. This resulted in the dock rebuild project where the dock was rebuilt at a much higher level and to a much stronger construction standard that, in the unlikely event of it being flooded, should hold together until the waters recedes.

    At this time the lake level is 322.997 meters or 1,059.69 feet above sea level. The record level for Lake of the Woods is 324.31 m (1064.0 ft), set in July of 1950. In 2022 the levels peaked at 1063.1 which is 3 feet higher that what is typical and the 2nd highest level on record.

    With the current level of 1059.69 the top of our new dock is 57” higher than the lake or 4′ 9″ higher. The dock would be 5″ out of the water in a 1950s level flood so we should be good.

    The swim platform is only 24 1/2 inches above the current lake level which makes it good for boat access.

    57″ down to the current water level.
    Water Level, Swim Platform level and Dock level
    Also a temporary aluminum ladder for getting out of the lake!
  • Dock Rebuild – Aug 14-15

    Dock Rebuild – Aug 14-15

    Eric makes a quick trip to the lake late Sunday night on August 13th and spends two days on dock work as well as taking the sea-doo into Kenora for a repair.

    At the end of day one.

    In front of the boat shed

    The best of the old docks 2x6s are used to deck in front of the boat shed. Old 2x4s are also used in a section.

    And a video review of the end of day status . Looking very good!

  • Dock Rebuild – August 4-7 – Time to Enjoy

    Shirley and I are down for the full long weekend and the rest of the family comes out for Saturday and Sunday. This weekend the hatch cover is built and carefully fitted into he dock. The rest of the weekend is spent enjoying all the hard work that has been put into this project.

    Some of the dock furniture is put in place and I enjoy the view

    Before the family arrives I enjoy the first sit on the new dock and enjoy the view.

    A few pictures from the first use of the new dock

  • Dock Rebuild August 2-3

    Dock Rebuild August 2-3

    Eric is out for a solo couple of days prior to the long weekend to get more of the dock in place. It’s almost too nice a day to work with calm and sunny conditions but the build carries on even in the heat.

    The hatch to allow under dock access to crayfish and turtles is taking shape.

    At the end of day two the main portion of the dock is fully decked and ready for use on the long weekend!

  • Dock Re-Build – June 30 – July 3, 2023

    Dock Re-Build – June 30 – July 3, 2023

    Eric has taken a day off work to pick up another 4,000 lbs of lumber for the dock project.

    Load #2 Arrives at the lake

    He is joined by Jared and Ryan to help unload and build for part of the weekend,

    End of the Saturday(?) looking north
    Looking back south
    Deck to ramp transition area
    Decking going on at around noon Sunday (?).

    It’s Sunday morning and Eric is now running solo in putting on the deck boards. The new deck is starting to look quite massive compared to the original dock.