Forty-four boats in total, of various sizes, were lifted out of the harbour one by one, October 15.

Hub Staff

The boating season has come to an end for another year for many of the 55 members of the Port Elgin Yacht Club as their boats were lifted out of the water and onto land October 15, making the Port Elgin Harbour look a little more sparse.

Two houseboats and a catamaran were the first to be lifted out on a warm and sunny Saturday morning, which Marcia Hesse, member of the PEYC executive, said was unusual. “The weather today is unheard of really - for a lift in or lift out,” said Hesse. “It's usually cold at best,” she said, adding that there was often rain or even snow.

The crane, which had been rented from Canadian Crane Rentals in Wingham lifted the boats out of the water, one by one, in a streamline operation throughout the day.

As is the usual course, Hesse, along with Treasurer Betsy Palko, were timing the process to see how long it took to lift each boat and said that there were 44 boats in total being lifted out over the course of the day with members of the yacht club sharing the cost of the crane.

“Houseboats are always longer,” said Palko. “They're about 10 or 12 minutes and the boats are anywhere between three and a half and six or seven minutes,” she said, adding that everyone will pay for the time that it takes to lift out their own boat and then the time between will be split between all members.

“Lift in is so more fun because you have the whole season to look forward to,” said Palko, adding that it had a been a good boating season with great weather.

A Catamaran is lowered onto land until next season.

The first of the day’s boats, a houseboat, is lifted up and out of the water on a beautiful fall morning.

A boat glides in, ready to be lifted out of the water in a streamline operation that happened throughout the day October 15.

The second of the two houseboats in Port Elgin Harbour is moved and laid to rest on land.