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RI, CE. » ' Re i a aie hl . - -- | The Ciudad de Inca (City of the Incas) one of the tall ships that paid a visit to Lake Ontario this summer. Port Perry resident Stuart Buchanan, (insert) an avid sailing buff, had the dream of a lifetime come true the Inca on a trip from Whitby to Kingston. And he has written an account of the ex- perience for the Port Perry Star. (See story) PULLS JU) We are Ready to Serve your Fall & Winter Heating Oil Needs. FOR DEPENDABLE SERVICE AND COMPETITIVE RATES CALL 852-3112 852-7305 Days Evenings You mike us better recently when he was asked fo crew aboard 'It can't be happening!' Sailor takes on tall ship Editor's Note: W.S. (Stuart) Buchanan of Port Perry has been an avid sailor for the past 15 years or so. In fact, he owned a sail boat up until a couple of years ago. A member of the Oshawa Power Squad- ron, he has taken courses in sailing and navigation. And he admits that someday he would like to sail across the Atlantic, which would be a dream come true. Recently, another dream came true when he was asked to crew aboard the Ciudad de Inca, one of the famous 'tall ships" which made their way into Lake Ontario this summer. It was only a short trip aboard the Inca, but one that Mr. Buchanan will treasure forever. The following is his account of the experience. by W.S. Bachanan Like a vision from the past, we press on through the night. A fair wind, all sails full and . drawing and a following sea have stirred the soul of this ancient brig and she has sprung to life. The deck heaves beneath my feet while aloft the rigging creaks and murmurs. Far ahead the cutwater knifes through the waves which surge past us with ever increasing speed with the rising wind. Keep her steady! The glowing compass card swings back three degrees as I put half-a- turn on the wheel. Off the port bow a light- house winks its warning from a far distant head- land. I glance above me. The mainmast, like a darkened finger, points to the myriad of stars that are watching us from the distant past. On the eastern horizon a faint glow slowly be- comes a brilliant becon casting a silvery ribbon of light across the dark water. The rising of the moon completes the spell as the wind, waves, stars and sails combine to carry us back in time 'to days long past. Something touches my arm and a mug of hot tea appears on the chart table before me. '"Course one-one- five", I report. "One-one-five". Another pair of hands takes the wheel. I take my tea and move for- ward to relieve the lookout. Two more hours remain till the end of watch. This must be a dream; it can't be happening! I pinch my- self and yes, I am awake. I am aboard the world's oldest working square-rigged sailing ship, headed for King- ston, on a beautiful moonlit September night. We may only be in Lake Ontario, but the rest of the world seems a thousand miles away. The story of this ship goes back over 125 years and its recent history reads like fiction. Brief- ly, the facts are as follows: Our vessel was build in Spain in the 1850's and is named "Ciudad de Inca". She, along with the '""Marques" were both owned by the non-profit China Clipper Society of Great Britain. They and numerous other "tall ships" from around the world, rendezvoused in Bermuda for a race to Halifax this past summer. The Marques was lost in a violent squall just off Bermuda with a tragic loss of life. The Inca, however, carried on and took part in the Quebec City celebrations, and was the largest vessel to come up as far as Lake Ontario. During the summer she called at many ports, including Kingston, Oshawa and Toronto, as part of Ontario's bicentennial events. While in Lake Ontario legal proceed- ings initiated in the United States in con- nection with the Marques tragedy, made it imperative that the Inca avoid U.S. territor- ial waters in order to avoid possible seizure. The ship was thus trapp- ed in the lake by the U.S. controlled seaway locks. Early in September the Inca put in at Whitby harbour and remained for about a week while a decision was made as to where she should spend the winter. It was at this point that I visited her several times, sailed in her and became acquainted with her captain and crew. By this time several of the regular crew had left to return home overseas, thus leaving the ship shorthanded. Here was an opportunity of a lifetime. She was to sail to Kingston - a voyage of two to four days - a chance to be a part of history in the making. I was invited aboard and in the twinkling of an eye, decided that I would '"'run away to sea'. BEAR'S =i TOY SHOP 189 Queen St., rt Perry - 985-801 1 () po TEDE. GUARANTEED INVESTMENT CERTIFICATES -- Annual Rates -- 4 YEARS .. 5 YEARS 5 YEARS -- MORTGAGES BOUGHT & SOLD -- Rates subject to change without not ice. Call the office for more information. SCUGOG FINANCIAL SERVICES 250 QUEEN STREET - PORT PERRY PHONE 985-3832 All Members of Canada Deposit Insurance Corp.