As I sit here, on anchor, on a still and peaceful morning (well, sorta peaceful, Elliott is currently in the dinghy with an arsenal of water weapons, shouting war words after being repeatedly told to be quiet…it will surprise no one that it’s 6:45 in the morning. Also, I’ve already walked the dog, and cleaned all the windows inside and dusted around them), I’m reminded how much better it is to be at anchor. While docks provide massive convenience and a power hook up, it comes with a daily rate that is a minimum of $100 cad here on Lake Ontario and substantially higher elsewhere. Additionally there’s a lot of characters strolling docks and, well, we’ve found our tribe usually gravitates to anchorages rather than stays tied to the dock.

Being at anchor reminds us of why we’re doing this in the first place. Everything slows down, you’re much more in touch with each other, the weather and free of unnecessary distractions. Mornings are usually very still and quiet, full of contemplation and anticipation for another great day. Evenings are the same though most thoughts are towards how wonderful the day was and how excited you are to see the sunset/moonrise/stars come out and to lay in bed with a cool soft breeze blowing through the hatch. The days are spent playing with the boys, swimming, dinghy adventures and maybe, if you’re lucky, a few spare minutes to reach a book or magazine. It really is fantastic.

Yes I’ve made this sound amazing…because it really is. I could tell you about the crying and whining kids, the constant cleaning up and ceaseless boat projects that beckon, but that all exists while tied to the dock as well. I’ll take the anchor please.