Anchorages From The Air
Every summer for the past few years, Esther and I have travelled to the Thousand Islands to drop anchor in our favourite locales. And this summer we discovered a new one.
The Islands are world-renowned as one of the great cruising areas.
Among their many attractions, they provide great locations for low altitude aerial photography.
A favourite destination is the anchorage near Collier Island, a few miles east of Gananoque.
In a less protected environment, the wind and waves can exert enough pressure on the anchor to drag it along the bottom. Particularly when we’re asleep at night, that’s a huge risk.
And the consequences are potentially serious. At the height of the season, a dragged anchor could result in serious conflict with any of 20 or 30 boats in this area, or a collision with the rocky shore.
But because the water at Collier is surrounded by a dozen protective islands, the impact of the wind and waves is muted, the anchor holds, and we sleep well.
On a day like this, with little breeze, glorious clouds decorating a deep blue sky, and the constantly shifting ripples on the water, I’m not thinking about anchor problems anyway. I’m thinking about photography.
As the drone rises to 400 feet, I watch a pair of jet skis cross its view as they head for a nearby resort, punctuating an otherwise idyllic scene with frantic motion. The arrow of their wake reflects the bright sunlight, while the calm waters elsewhere mirror the clouds.
You may notice in this image that the anchored boats are all pointing in slightly different directions. In part, that’s because each of them is swinging on its anchor. But as well it’s because they’re all affected uniquely by variations in the wind and current deflected by the many islands.
This summer’s new “discovery” was an anchorage several miles to the east. We’ve always known that Beaurivage Island was popular with friends, but had never overnighted there. This year, after hearing more stories about Beaurivage, we decided to visit.
Seen on the left, the island is one of the many National Park islands in The Thousand Islands. In the foreground you see some of the dozens of boats that visit here every summer’s day.
It’s so convenient that many of these sailors will tell you they rarely bother to venture further east. (By contrast, we’re addicted to the islands further east.) They especially like Beaurivage for its proximity to Gananoque, the only town in the district.
They also appreciate the fact that it’s a quiet haven between two busy channels. The main route, which you can see beyond the islands, carries traffic from the Bateau Channel linking Kingston with the Thousand Islands.
The calm, protected waters of Beaurivage attract many a kayaker and board paddler.
When the drone’s camera is pointed downward like this, we see less reflection of the sky, and get a better view of what’s below the surface. You can see that the water, as in many anchorages, is shallow and weedy. That makes it easy to anchor, but it also means that when you pull up your anchor at the end of a visit, it’s likely to bring with it a considerable amount of salad.
Boaters call it “salad”, but it’s not anything you’d consider eating.
On the opposite side of the anchorage is the “Wanderers” channel, where tour boats and other craft from Gananoque pass by. In this image, it’s in the distance, with Second Wind and its dinghy in the foreground.
One of the big challenges of the boating life is getting in a good walk every day, for the sake of our hearts, backs, and legs. That’s a significant challenge on boat that’s only 38 feet from stem to stern.
So Esther and I were delighted when we dinghied over to Beaurivage Island and discovered its maze of trails. Every time we visited, we enjoyed an hour of hiking in the woods, punctuated every few minutes by beautiful views in every direction.
We’re pretty happy to have “discovered” the Beaurivage anchorage and its trails after ignoring it all these years. I think it’s likely to become one of our new favourite locations to visit and walk - and fly the drone.
Return to Blog Main Page
If you enjoyed this, please share this link with anyone who might appreciate a new perspective on our world: TimothyBentley.Photography/Blog
You can visit my pages at 500PX.
