Ships Log August 20, 2005
We left Tobermory at dawn and again set out for Lake Huron and Kincardine, Ontario. The conditions were slightly milder that our last attempt, but they soon deteriorated to cloudy, stormy and blustery.
We sailed on a close reach for 12 hours, arriving at Kincardine just before dusk. The rain stopped as we sailed into the harbor and the Harbormaster told us why, "It never rains on the Parade."
We could hear the haunting strains of a bagpipe in the distance. It seems that every Saturday at sunset the entire town turns out to watch and march in the Bagpipe Parade. We simply had to join in the fun along with many hundred townsfolk.Next weekend, is the grand finale with piper bands from all corners invited to participate resulting in a march or up to 10,000.The rain resumed after the parade.
The local piping tradition harkens back to 1856 when Donald Sinclair and his family from Scotland were taking passage on a schooner to Kincardine in extremely poor conditions and zero visibility. The Captain could not find the port. Sinclair brought his bagpipe on deck and began to play a lament. A local in the harbor heard the pipes and answered playing the same lament on his pipes. Captain was able to pilot the craft to the safe harbor.
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