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My wife Donna and I have been sailing since 1981. A couple of years before a friend I had been working with invited us out on his sailboat for a sail around Kempenfelt Bay. This turned out to be a very expensive trip. Soon after it was decided that the aluminum car topper we had been using was not suitable for family cruising. I think my wife was afraid that one of our darling children would fly out of the boat into the water as we crashed from wave to wave. Our trips usually went from the boathouse in a circle around the bay. Since we were going nowhere quickly, it we decided we may as well go nowhere slowly. A sailboat seemed the perfect solution to being on the water with no expense for fuel. A trip to the Toronto boat show followed and our dream boat was selected. Since we had no experience in sailing we booked lessons with a dealer in Thornbury. A few minutes on board convinced us that sailing was great but listening to the humming swing keel cable wasn't.
A few weeks later we purchased an Edel 665. This 22 foot boat was similiar to the original selection but due to a fixed keel there is no sound from a cable. After much thought the craft was named Little Dreamer since it was our dream boat but it was rather small. The pop top, eating and sleeping accommodation allowed us to begin overnight cruising on Lake Simcoe and even to Georgian Bay.
This boat could not be left on the dock at the family boat house as the car topper had been stored. The water was too rough to leave it at a mooring so a move to the
Barrie City Marina was required. From the start my wife decided this craft was only a
temporary solution to our boating needs. Its length and rather broad beam caused it to
hobby horse in rough seas. Trips to the fore deck to douse the sail could be wet and
dangerous. Any attempt on my part to stretch the family budget to purchase sails and
other equipment was turned down because Little Dreamer was to be replaced with
something bigger.
By 1991 after many more trips to the boat show we had narrowed the choices to two
models. When one of our sailing friends phoned to say they were leaving sailing to take
up canoeing ( strange choice) our decision was made. We purchased our Mirage 25, Live Wire.
This boat is three feet longer six inches wider with twice the displacement of its
predecessor. The near standing head room and an enclosed head made it feel like a
true yacht.
In the years since this purchase we have sailed our boat all over Lake Simcoe and have
even survived a late night thunder storm.
Around 1992 our local yacht club KBYC, Kempenfelt Bay Yacht Club, revived its racing program. After one race together, in which we won a trophy, my wife decided that our racing together was over. She claims I am too competitive and besides isn't sailing supposed to consist of relaxing, knitting and sleeping while under way. The other competitors will no longer hear the happy screams every time the boat heels past twenty degrees. I now race with a friend and we have had our share of success on the race course.
In 2007 we moved Live Wire to the Hawkestone Yacht Club. This made the lake much more available for cruising. Sailing to Marina Del Ray, Lagoon City, Beaverton and Jackson's point are now only a couple of hours away. The club is also much more sociable. It is a great temptation to go to the club and talk the day away rather than sailing.