Daydream's Great Loop: Trent Port Marina and Finally a Bona Fide Docktail Hour!

This blog will chronicle our (Pat and Patty Anderson's)

cruising adventures on the Great Loop!

DAY 89 - June 28, 2017

Canadian courtesy flag and
AGLCA burgee on Daydream

We cruised from Deseronto to Trenton today, proudly flying our new Canadian courtesy flag! It was surprisingly choppy in the Bay of Quinte but not uncomfortable. When we arrived we called the Trent Port Marina on the VHF, and were told to stand off while the dock staff assisted a large yacht that was having trouble getting docked. Trent Port Marina has two dock staff that assist every single boat coming in, and it took more than two staff, quite a few tries, and quite a long time, to get the big boy in! Smaller boats have their advantages!

It was a bit difficult treading water in the middle of the Trent River, but it was finally our turn and the dock staff called us in. They said we were the easiest docking they had all day, and I did not do such a great job - it was a port tie approached from a left turn, and I should have gone past the slip, turned around and come at it from the other direction, i.e., a right turn in, to stay off the corner of the slip (I knew that, oh well, next time I guess).

Trent Port Marina

What can we say about the Trent Port Marina, except "Wow"? Everything here is brand new, and top notch. New floating docks with 374 slips, gated entry with keycards, incredible bathroom/shower "pods" (all individual rooms with toilet facilities and shower, and lots of them), free laundry, and free WiFi, all for $1.60 a foot with 30 amp electric - and that is Canadian, before applying the exchange rate! There is a large supermarket right across the street, and lots of things to see and do, as it is very close to downtown. When (if?) it stops raining, which is forecast for Sunday, we'll take the bikes down for sure.

We originally checked in for Wednesday and Thursday, then extended for Friday and Saturday to be here for the Canada Day fireworks, and now we think we will stay here through Tuesday night and leave Wednesday, since they have a "pay for five days, stay for seven" deal". OK, so the free hot dog and ice cream thing was last year, but honestly, this is about the nicest marina we have ever seen! We need to go to Trent-Severn Lock 1 and get our free lock pass (they require a free decal, unlike the Erie, where no pass was required), and purchase our seasonal mooring permit. The break even on that is about 10-11 days, we plan to really take our time on the Trent-Severn!

There is a Canadian Air Force base in Trenton, and just FWIW, after being in Ottawa for Canada Day, Prince Charles and Camilla will be in Trenton on Sunday at the base.

But the big deal for us was our first bona fide "docktail hour"! Wherever Loopers are gathered at a marina, there is usually a "docktail hour" around 5 p.m. Since we anchor out more than we go to marinas, we no doubt have missed out on quite a few. We had a mini docktail hour at Oriental, N.C., which was fun, but this was the real deal! As an added bonus, the AGLCA Executive Director Kimberly Russo was here as well! Fortunately, it did not start raining until docktail hour was over! People bring appetizers to share and an adult beverage. Loopers get to meet each other face to face, exchange boat cards and compare notes on their experiences. Here are some photos from this evening.