2 Nights in Hotham Turned Into 5 Nights

We woke up to stronger winds and some chop in the anchorage. Since we were not tied to shore it wasn't bad for us as our bow swung into the wind and waves. High Five and Lucia were tied to shore and were taking the wind and waves mid ship, so it was definitely time to leave. Toy Chest was the first to leave. Their windlass wasn't working and they had 150 feet of chain out. Terry really struggled, so Randy offered to give him a hand. He declined, and after about 20 minutes, he was on his way. Don did an amazing job dropping his shore line and hauling his anchor on his own. He made a few trips from the bow to the stern and appeared to have full control of the boat. Dave and Laurie were good, lots of practice, and two onboard, which makes a difference. Since we were the only boat with a windlass, we hung back till everyone else was on their way. It was a short trip to Hotham, and there was lots of room to anchor. The small cottage was empty, and the docks were pulled onshore, so we went further in than we normally would. We dropped in about 8 feet of water and were well protected. Traumfanger and Evalina came in, and there was still plenty of room for High Five and Lucia. I think there were 11 or 12 boats at anchor. Elaine came over to say hello and let us know happy hour was on their deck at 4:30. We timed our visit perfectly. Their family left a few days ago, and they were looking forward to boating visits. Jim came by in his dinghy for a quick visit, and at 4:30, we all headed to the cottage. It was a large group, and Elaine impressed everyone with her introductions. After dinner, the crews of Traumfanger, Evelina, High Five, and Lucia joined us on Hogsbreath for a few hours. It was great to catch up and share stories and laughs. The next morning, the wind had picked up, and it was overcast. Elaine and Chaylie went out for a paddle, but way too windy for me. Traumfanger and Evelina were off to Kilarney, so just a quick visit with Jim and Ann. We heard Tango was the next bay over, so it was time to bake cookies for Bob. Oh no, I didn't have all the ingredients for chocolate chip, but Chaylie gave me a simple recipe for peanut butter cookies. I also baked another loaf of bread. 4:30 and another happy hour at the cottage. Harold and Chaylie invited us onboard Redimix after dinner, but we had plans to join the SYC group so had to decline. Lots of laughs before High Five and Lucia headed east on Thursday morning. The wind has switched, so we moved to a better spot in the anchorage. Bob and Helen came for a visit and they decided to move to our anchorage the next morning. We did a little fishing but no catching that afternoon. It was a very small happy hour that evening, which gave us a chance to chat more with Norm and Elaine. Norm invited Randy to go fishing with him the next morning, and Elaine and I decided to go for a paddle. Tango came into the anchorage early enough that Helen was able to join us on our paddle. Randy and Norm caught some nice bass, so we had fresh fish for dinner. We were planning on leaving, but Norm convinced us to stay a little longer. Saturday morning, he, Randy, and Bob went out and caught two huge pike and about 7 bass. We still had fish from the first trip, and the freezer space is limited, so we shared our fish with another boat in the anchorage. While the guys were fishing Helen, Holly, her Chesapeake retriever, Elaine, and I hung out at the cottage. We FaceTimeed Ed and Ruth from Carosel, who are no longer boating. They are an amazing couple we met years ago, and we really miss them. We spent time with them for a few years, and they shared so much with us. From great anchorages to safe shortcuts to the best way to clean and cook a pike. They were considerably older than us but still so active. They spent winters in Colorado as ski instructors and had spent a couple of years in the Bahamas on their sailboat. It was good to see their faces and catch up. Norm and Elaines cottage is so beautiful, and we really enjoyed our time with them. We had to leave Sunday morning. We've been out for 8 days and really need services. Also, Monday is our 29th anniversary, and we wanted to go out for dinner. Most places are closed on Mondays, so we headed for Gore Bay on SundayLäs mer