Warmer spring days will finally bring the Leamington Marina Opening and Home Weekend. This year marks the special occasion of the 25th Anniversary of the Leamington Municipal Marina. LYC invites the public to the opening ceremonies with a lecture of the solemn history of the neighboring waters of Lake Erie, presented by our local dive club ErieQuest (please look under "Historical Societies" under the "Links" pane to the left for their web site).

The waters of Pelee Passage and Southeast Shoal are rich in the history of the voyages of our ancient counterparts. Bravery on shipboard is as inherent today as it was in the early years but in the times of dead reckoning, limited aids to navigation and/or weather forecasts, sailors too often learned why Lake Erie was so named. Tall ships and even taller seas lead to stories of disaster and heroism, skilled seamanship on taut ships, fortunes of chance on lesser ships and sometimes just bad luck. In fact, a forgotten shipwreck was discovered during the construction and dredging of the Leamington Marina basin. Long ago, in the bay where the transient docks are now located, a ship floundered in a storm even after a vain attempt at anchoring, luckily there was no loss of life. The bell from that ship (donated back to the community and visible on the promenade wall in the lower picture) tolls the opening of the new season.

The Leamington Yacht Club, assisted by ErieQuest, the Staff of the Marina and the Canadian Coast Guard present a forum for the local Clergy to bless the resident fleet and all who sail from this north shore haven. The crew of the CCG Cape Dundas enjoy the season opening rituals and later act as flag ship for our Boat Parade, complimentary vessel safety inspections and public tours culminate with festivities at the Marina patio.

Visiting mariners are welcome to attend and help kick off the new season. Please visit our link page for a quick click to the Marina website for bookings and reservations.