I recently had a friend contact me to tell me he is thinking of retiring in Belleville. He currently resides in a suburb of Toronto. One of his main considerations for choosing Belleville is the Belleville Harbour and marina facilities.
My friend is the Captain of a sailboat crew and relishes his time spent on the water smoothly slicing the water's crest as the breeze ruffles through his hair.
This is his version of heaven. It happens to be mine also, so I can well appreciate the exceptional boating facilities Belleville has to offer.
As I think of sailing, Christopher Cross'
song comes to mind and before I know it I am imagining, in my mind's eye, spending time adrift on the Bay of Quinte or anchored in Sandy Cove as the day winds down.
Belleville , Ontario is a main stopping off point for boaters travelling the Thousand Islands through to Georgian Bay route. The navigable season runs roughly from Victoria Day weekend to Thanksgiving each year.
Along Belleville's waterfront you will find a number of government run marina and docking facilities as well as a few smaller privately run ones.
Starboard of Belleville's main harbour, you will find Meyer's Pier Marina. It is owned and operated by the City of Belleville and is a fully equipped marina with plenty of docking facilities for overnight travelers. Dockage may be had by the day, month or season as well as there being a number of transient slips for boaters stopping by to refresh their stocks. Boaters will find water, power, washrooms, showers, pump-out, gas, diesel, and laundry facilities here . Chandlery and sail repair can be had nearby. (613) 967-1906
There are good channel depths as you enter the Meyer’s Pier Marina.
Meyer’s Pier dates back to 1789 when Belleville was first known as Meyer’s Creek after John Walden Meyers, a prominent settler and industrialist of the day. Meyer’s Creek was built around the original Native settlement of Asukhknosk at the mouth of the Moira River .
Within walking distance of Meyer’s Pier you will find Belleville’s downtown with numerous fine restaurants, a pharmacy, general purpose stores and boutiques. There are a number of small grocery stores not too far away by foot in case you have run out of a few essentials.
If you enjoy the wind in your hair, the sun warming your bare skin, heading to the boat at the end of the day , even if it is just to sit in the harbour and visit with friends, Belleville is the place to consider when deciding to relocate or thinking of a beautiful stop on your boating itinerary this summer.
©2007JoSmith
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