As always, we had some great sailing during Killbear and lots of socializing after the wind was done for the day. We had one of the biggest turnouts for Killbear week for many years: at mid-week, there were 26 Mirrors in Harold Point!
Some events generated so many photos, they've been given their own pages
More general photos are shown below, in some rough catergories
Killbear week had some new OMDA members joining us for the first time. I hope they enjoyed themselves and were made to feel welcome.
Steve and Elaine Richardson live in Windsor, with their two children Emily and David. This summer they built Mirror dinghy M70409 from an MSD kit, completing it shortly before Killbear week. They've painted it an eyecatching yellow and named it Cheeky Monkey. I'm betting a launching dolly will be their next project!
The Pistol family, Mike and Cassandra and son Greg live in Keswick. They showed up out of the blue with a refurbished Mirror and joined OMDA. They acquired the boat from a friend who had to move at short notice. Although the Pistol family are new to OMDA and sailing, their boat M36353 is merely renewing its membership: it had one of the old plastic OMDA membership plaques stuck on the transon when they acquired it. The Pistols have named it Yoda.
Mike and Greg got plenty of advice on rigging their boat hanging around on the beach and they sailed with some experienced OMDA hands to learn the ropes. In Greg's case this included a useful lesson in how to drag your skipper to shore when he can't make it back into the boat after a capsize! The were also able to Yoda out for a sail when the winds weren't quite so strong.
Aleid took a long cruise out to Snake Island and captured this beautiful panorama.
The Butler's held their annual coffee and doughnut morning. This was a good oppurtunity to draw for the raffle prizes.
By the weekend after the official Killbear week, there were only a few Mirrors left. On Sunday we had beautiful weather, and Mike Combes and Stephen and Katrina Steel went for a cruise round Rose Island. Just before entering the channel between Rose and Parry Islands, we ran into the Fitzgeralds in their keelboat.
Of course, there was plenty of wildlife, from the very small to the very large. This year the wildlife seemed a little more hazardous than past years.
First, we were greeted with a stern warning about bears as we entered the campground. These weren't just the product of bureaucrats thinking up new things to worry about: there were plenty of bears around. Quite a few coolers and car windows came away somewhat worse for wear after encountering a hungry bear on the prowl.
Later, towards the end of Killbear week, a woman was bitten by a Massassauga Rattlesnake
just inside the park border near a boat launch on Blind Bay.
Although sightings of Massassuga Rattlesnakes are reasonably common at Killbear,
this was the first time a person had actually been bitten in the park since it opened over 40 years ago.
Of course all these obvious hazards just distracted you from worrying about the real danger lurking in the forest: the trees. The next week a Kamikaze tree attacked the Steel's tent-trailer. Fortunately, nobody was hurt!
Luckily, there was still some wildlife that seemed safe.
Photos of the sunset from Harald Point are a perennial favourite.
A kayak offers a different view.
Of course, sometimes it was worth looking in the opposite direction.
Thanks to Aleid Brendeke, Heather Pugh, Martin Walker, Roy Spencer, Stephen and Janet Steel and for the photos. If you've got some good photos, please send them in.
© 2007 Ontario Mirror Dinghy Association