August 17 – Friday
We left the dock at 06:10 bound for Rock Hall – we were going home. Polly noted that, to the day, it will be 10 weeks since our initial departure on Friday, June 8. Conditions were not bad and forecast to get better. There was no traffic on the water to speak of, and even the autohelm was behaving its self – it must have sensed that its brain was going to be removed and sent to New Hampshire as soon as this day was over. We passed a couple of north bound tugs pushing barges as we made our way down the Bay and into familiar waters. Only the local crabbers and netters were around to keep us company and remind us that we were back in crab pot territory, big time.
We clicked off the shore features we have become so familiar with these 20 years or so of Bay cruising – Turkey Point, Sassafras River, Fairlee Creek, Tolchester and finally, Swan Point. By 11:00 we were crossing the shallows at the north end of the bar, a short cut to the channel that leads into Swan Creek and FLIGHT’s home port. At 12:00 we were settled into our slip and sitting on the bridge having a celebratory beer.
10 weeks, 1700 NM, 112 locks, 285 engine hours, many new ports many new friendships and countless credit card receipts. When you include ZERO boat problems, it nets out to a great summer cruise.
The blog has been fun as well as helpful. Doing it served as a template for organizing our memories and maintaining a more comprehensive journal of our travels then we might otherwise have done. Knowing that others may be reading it inspired us to be more descriptive than we might have been for our private purposes. We continue to be pleasantly surprised by the number and extent of readers who have followed our Flight North – many folks we have never met. The cruise served us as a test for future adventures and has given us ideas for consideration – maybe a month on Lake Champlain or a cruise on the Trent-Severn, another Canadian waterway. Next year who knows, perhaps New England and some time cruising with new friends Maureen and Peter from Rhode Island in the summer and then head south in the fall for a winter in Georgia, Florida or the Bahamas. Plenty of time to decide and plan during this winter, knowing FLIGHT will be ready to take us.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
August 16 – Thursday
FLIGHT remained in port.
After the Delaware Bucklen household got started on their respective day, we decided we would do a bit of shopping and check each other out on our driving. It had been a long time since we had moved about at speeds greater than 10 MPH. We also had to stop back at the marina to check out the boat and make arrangements for another day’s stay. After a bit of shopping we decided we would handle dinner for everyone that evening and the idea of crab cakes popped into Polly’s head. Where could we get some really good ones? The best we know about in the general area come from J&J Seafood in Rock Hall. Off we went at 50+ MPH and returned with 4 plump half-pounders ready to pop in the broiler later – Cameron prefers chicken nuggets. Another stop at the supermarket for some salad fixings and the menu was all set.
Following dinner and some more playing and visiting, we headed for the boat so we could get an early start on the final leg to Rock Hall and slip D-21 at Spring Cove Marina.
FLIGHT remained in port.
After the Delaware Bucklen household got started on their respective day, we decided we would do a bit of shopping and check each other out on our driving. It had been a long time since we had moved about at speeds greater than 10 MPH. We also had to stop back at the marina to check out the boat and make arrangements for another day’s stay. After a bit of shopping we decided we would handle dinner for everyone that evening and the idea of crab cakes popped into Polly’s head. Where could we get some really good ones? The best we know about in the general area come from J&J Seafood in Rock Hall. Off we went at 50+ MPH and returned with 4 plump half-pounders ready to pop in the broiler later – Cameron prefers chicken nuggets. Another stop at the supermarket for some salad fixings and the menu was all set.
Following dinner and some more playing and visiting, we headed for the boat so we could get an early start on the final leg to Rock Hall and slip D-21 at Spring Cove Marina.
August 15 – Wednesday
We were both up just after 05:00 and decided to get underway as soon as possible to take advantage of the slack tide and then have the incoming tide current with us for most of the way to the C&D Canal. Checking the WX forecast again, it was similar to the night before but higher winds – 15-20 kts. with gusts to 25 in the northern part of the bay. Wave height was also a bit more, but direction was still the same. We were underway by 06:00 and motoring through the canal to the Delaware Bay end. There was a dredge working at the entrance to the canal and we were advised to stay tight to him in order to avoid the gear he had out. It was good to see the work going on – the bay side entrance was very shallow when we passed through in June. As we cleared the canal we were met by the 3’-4’ seas and the SW wind immediately. Because of the more southerly heading we had to stay on in order to reach the deeper water, the seas were in a confused state and wind was on our beam so we had a lot of rolling motion with spray. After about 30 minutes Polly needed to go below for an item so we decided to relocate to the lower helm station where it would be more comfortable. We remained there for the first 3 hours and thankfully, the autohelm handled most of the steering. As we reached deeper water near the ship channel, we were able to turn to a more northerly heading and also by then, we were getting to the narrow part of the Delaware Bay and the sea state was much more comfortable so we moved up to the bridge. Most of the traffic we encountered was made up of ships and tugs with the occasional fishing boat. Because of the crosswind, one particular tug that was towing a barge was having trouble keeping the barge away from the channel buoys while staying on his side of the channel to allow a nearby ship enough space to pass. It made for interesting VHF conversation between the tug’s skipper and the pilot on board the inbound ship. We made a point of running parallel to the channel but just outside of the buoys, to be certain we did not become part of the conversation.
We entered the C&D Canal at 12:00 and as we were passing under the first bridge (St. George’s), we phoned our son, Matt who lives near the marina where we planned to stay, and arranged a pick-up for later in the afternoon. We arrived at Summit North Marina about an hour after entering the canal and in the mean time, the ship we had been listening to on the bay, had also entered the canal and passed us about 10 minutes before we entered the marina. As we watched the ship bearing down on us from astern, it seemed to fill the entire space but as it overtook us, it was clear there was plenty of room for 2 ships to pass and we still could have been in the water, as well.
Matt’s schedule allowed him to meet us later that afternoon in time for us to accompany him to the daycare school where he would be picking up our Grandson, Cameron. Possibly the main reason we decided to make the stop at Summit North, that day.
We spent the night ashore, with the Bucklen’s and were amazed at how spacious a house seemed, after 10 weeks aboard a 36 foot trawler. As much as we were ready for the voyage to be completed, the WX for Thursday was not looking very good for the leg to Rock Hall so we decided to stay another day. Since the car we left behind was in our son’s driveway we thought we could use the day to learn how to adapt to road traffic again, by doing some shopping etc.
Small World Note: Not long after we arrived at Summit North Marina and were washing off some of the Delaware salt spray, another Monk 36 came in and the home port displayed on the transom was a town in Ontario, Canada. In a discussion with the couple who was aboard, we learned they had left their boat in Solomon’s (on Chesapeake Bay) for the winter and were now on their way back home. Furthermore, they had come up from Rock Hall, that day.
We were both up just after 05:00 and decided to get underway as soon as possible to take advantage of the slack tide and then have the incoming tide current with us for most of the way to the C&D Canal. Checking the WX forecast again, it was similar to the night before but higher winds – 15-20 kts. with gusts to 25 in the northern part of the bay. Wave height was also a bit more, but direction was still the same. We were underway by 06:00 and motoring through the canal to the Delaware Bay end. There was a dredge working at the entrance to the canal and we were advised to stay tight to him in order to avoid the gear he had out. It was good to see the work going on – the bay side entrance was very shallow when we passed through in June. As we cleared the canal we were met by the 3’-4’ seas and the SW wind immediately. Because of the more southerly heading we had to stay on in order to reach the deeper water, the seas were in a confused state and wind was on our beam so we had a lot of rolling motion with spray. After about 30 minutes Polly needed to go below for an item so we decided to relocate to the lower helm station where it would be more comfortable. We remained there for the first 3 hours and thankfully, the autohelm handled most of the steering. As we reached deeper water near the ship channel, we were able to turn to a more northerly heading and also by then, we were getting to the narrow part of the Delaware Bay and the sea state was much more comfortable so we moved up to the bridge. Most of the traffic we encountered was made up of ships and tugs with the occasional fishing boat. Because of the crosswind, one particular tug that was towing a barge was having trouble keeping the barge away from the channel buoys while staying on his side of the channel to allow a nearby ship enough space to pass. It made for interesting VHF conversation between the tug’s skipper and the pilot on board the inbound ship. We made a point of running parallel to the channel but just outside of the buoys, to be certain we did not become part of the conversation.
We entered the C&D Canal at 12:00 and as we were passing under the first bridge (St. George’s), we phoned our son, Matt who lives near the marina where we planned to stay, and arranged a pick-up for later in the afternoon. We arrived at Summit North Marina about an hour after entering the canal and in the mean time, the ship we had been listening to on the bay, had also entered the canal and passed us about 10 minutes before we entered the marina. As we watched the ship bearing down on us from astern, it seemed to fill the entire space but as it overtook us, it was clear there was plenty of room for 2 ships to pass and we still could have been in the water, as well.
Matt’s schedule allowed him to meet us later that afternoon in time for us to accompany him to the daycare school where he would be picking up our Grandson, Cameron. Possibly the main reason we decided to make the stop at Summit North, that day.
We spent the night ashore, with the Bucklen’s and were amazed at how spacious a house seemed, after 10 weeks aboard a 36 foot trawler. As much as we were ready for the voyage to be completed, the WX for Thursday was not looking very good for the leg to Rock Hall so we decided to stay another day. Since the car we left behind was in our son’s driveway we thought we could use the day to learn how to adapt to road traffic again, by doing some shopping etc.
Small World Note: Not long after we arrived at Summit North Marina and were washing off some of the Delaware salt spray, another Monk 36 came in and the home port displayed on the transom was a town in Ontario, Canada. In a discussion with the couple who was aboard, we learned they had left their boat in Solomon’s (on Chesapeake Bay) for the winter and were now on their way back home. Furthermore, they had come up from Rock Hall, that day.
August 14 – Tuesday
A beautiful morning with a light breeze out of the north, and we were the only boat in the anchorage. The near shore forecast was unchanged, indicating good conditions in the morning and even lighter winds in the afternoon. Cape May wasn’t that far so we had breakfast at anchor and then decided to try to swing the fluxgate compass and reset the heading in hopes it would work again. The pond we were anchored in was ideal for the task and it worked – as a test, we allowed the autohelm to steer us out of the inlet and all was well with our world at 08:00 this Tuesday morning.
As we headed down the coast we noticed a number of large orange buoys strung out about half a mile off the beach and surmised they probably had something to do with the air show that was to take place on Wednesday. The ride along the southern NJ coast, was visually more relaxing. There weren’t the tall buildings and continuous chain of beach towns that we saw in the north. Also there were very few sport fishing and head boats to avoid. The inlet for Cape May showed up right on schedule and since Polly had phoned Utsch’s Marina earlier for a slip reservation, we knew exactly where we were headed. We entered the marina breakwater and put FLIGHT right into the same slip (next to the old dredge) where she had been in June, when we were heading north and this adventure was just beginning. Very fitting, we thought, to close the circle this way. Even though the seas had been pretty tame, we had picked up some fine spray here and there and the boat had that sticky salt water feel when you grabbed a rail. We had been spoiled by the 6 weeks in fresh water. So first thing we did was give her a good soap and water bath, top to bottom. Following that, we both took advantage of the luxurious bath house facilities that Utsch’s Marina has for guests – literally, large individual full bath rooms, each with large walk-in shower, toilet and lavatory sink. They are decorated with ceramic tile on the floor and walls and have teak benches and air conditioning, of course. They are the best we have ever experienced.
Polly had also made a reservation for dinner at Fresco’s, a nice restaurant we had found a few years ago when we visited Cape May on our sail boat, Purpose. Fresco’s was only about a mile from the marina so we walked to dinner. On the walk back to the boat, we stopped at a food market for a few things and were surprised to see that the store’s parking lot had a ticket booth and gate. Apparently parking space is at such a premium that they charged customers who parked longer than a few minutes allowed to shop.
Wednesday’s forecast for Delaware Bay sounded fairly favorable with 10-15 kts. winds out of the SW and seas 2-3 feet. Also an important factor was the tide current, which would be flooding (going up the bay in the same basic direction we were headed) for most of the morning. That should mean a push to our speed plus have a neutralizing effect on waves since the wind would be flowing in a similar direction to the current. The Delaware Bay can be very lumpy under certain conditions and tide and wind direction are always a factor to be considered. For us, things looked pretty good for the morning.
A beautiful morning with a light breeze out of the north, and we were the only boat in the anchorage. The near shore forecast was unchanged, indicating good conditions in the morning and even lighter winds in the afternoon. Cape May wasn’t that far so we had breakfast at anchor and then decided to try to swing the fluxgate compass and reset the heading in hopes it would work again. The pond we were anchored in was ideal for the task and it worked – as a test, we allowed the autohelm to steer us out of the inlet and all was well with our world at 08:00 this Tuesday morning.
As we headed down the coast we noticed a number of large orange buoys strung out about half a mile off the beach and surmised they probably had something to do with the air show that was to take place on Wednesday. The ride along the southern NJ coast, was visually more relaxing. There weren’t the tall buildings and continuous chain of beach towns that we saw in the north. Also there were very few sport fishing and head boats to avoid. The inlet for Cape May showed up right on schedule and since Polly had phoned Utsch’s Marina earlier for a slip reservation, we knew exactly where we were headed. We entered the marina breakwater and put FLIGHT right into the same slip (next to the old dredge) where she had been in June, when we were heading north and this adventure was just beginning. Very fitting, we thought, to close the circle this way. Even though the seas had been pretty tame, we had picked up some fine spray here and there and the boat had that sticky salt water feel when you grabbed a rail. We had been spoiled by the 6 weeks in fresh water. So first thing we did was give her a good soap and water bath, top to bottom. Following that, we both took advantage of the luxurious bath house facilities that Utsch’s Marina has for guests – literally, large individual full bath rooms, each with large walk-in shower, toilet and lavatory sink. They are decorated with ceramic tile on the floor and walls and have teak benches and air conditioning, of course. They are the best we have ever experienced.
Polly had also made a reservation for dinner at Fresco’s, a nice restaurant we had found a few years ago when we visited Cape May on our sail boat, Purpose. Fresco’s was only about a mile from the marina so we walked to dinner. On the walk back to the boat, we stopped at a food market for a few things and were surprised to see that the store’s parking lot had a ticket booth and gate. Apparently parking space is at such a premium that they charged customers who parked longer than a few minutes allowed to shop.
Wednesday’s forecast for Delaware Bay sounded fairly favorable with 10-15 kts. winds out of the SW and seas 2-3 feet. Also an important factor was the tide current, which would be flooding (going up the bay in the same basic direction we were headed) for most of the morning. That should mean a push to our speed plus have a neutralizing effect on waves since the wind would be flowing in a similar direction to the current. The Delaware Bay can be very lumpy under certain conditions and tide and wind direction are always a factor to be considered. For us, things looked pretty good for the morning.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
August 13 – Monday
I (RCB) checked the weather forecast just after 05:00 and it looked about the same as the favorable one Sunday, so we planned to depart. Water tank topped and power cords in, we battened down everything that could fall or roll and got out our foul weather gear – just in case. Underway at 06:30 we departed the marina through the north end of the breakwater. It is unmarked, but the ferries all use it and I had talked with some local fisherman and they said to just avoid the old pilings that are on the left, but only can be seen at low tide. No worries mate, out we went and headed directly for the point at the north end of Sandy Point Bay. When we got there, there was a large white U.S. Coast Guard Cutter entering the bay so we checked in with them and we would not be in their way so we proceeded with our turn to the south.
We were bound for Atlantic City. The weather behaved all day, just like the forecast said it would, as we proceeded south. We ran a bit closer to shore than we had on the north bound trip – we stayed ¾ to 1 ½ miles off the beach. We could see the volleyball games, but couldn’t be sure who was winning. The day was pretty uneventful but as we approached both Barnegat and Little Egg inlets, we had to abruptly move off shore farther due to the shoaling that these inlets are famous for. At the south side of Barnegat, we could see breaking waves nearly a mile off shore.
Both breakfast (Cheerios & fruit) and lunch (spinach dip and ham with crackers) were served on the bridge as we cruised south. It was to be a long day and the autohelm had not been working properly so we set a timer and did 30 minute watches at the helm. When the timer beeped, no excuses, it was your turn at the helm - so get to the head when you were off watch. At the various inlets we had to contend with groups of boats with fishermen, but nothing like on weekends.
We could faintly see the tall buildings of Atlantic City about 12 miles away and just as the GPS was reporting all day long, we arrived at the entrance of the inlet at 4:08 and by 4:30, were anchored in the same place we stopped on the trip north. After a beer, I (RCB) will set up the BBQ grill and do the fillets we thawed a few days back, but were too tired to have at the end of that day. It should be a nice, cool night and if the forecast holds, we will go to Cape May tomorrow, only about a 5 hour cruise.
I (RCB) checked the weather forecast just after 05:00 and it looked about the same as the favorable one Sunday, so we planned to depart. Water tank topped and power cords in, we battened down everything that could fall or roll and got out our foul weather gear – just in case. Underway at 06:30 we departed the marina through the north end of the breakwater. It is unmarked, but the ferries all use it and I had talked with some local fisherman and they said to just avoid the old pilings that are on the left, but only can be seen at low tide. No worries mate, out we went and headed directly for the point at the north end of Sandy Point Bay. When we got there, there was a large white U.S. Coast Guard Cutter entering the bay so we checked in with them and we would not be in their way so we proceeded with our turn to the south.
We were bound for Atlantic City. The weather behaved all day, just like the forecast said it would, as we proceeded south. We ran a bit closer to shore than we had on the north bound trip – we stayed ¾ to 1 ½ miles off the beach. We could see the volleyball games, but couldn’t be sure who was winning. The day was pretty uneventful but as we approached both Barnegat and Little Egg inlets, we had to abruptly move off shore farther due to the shoaling that these inlets are famous for. At the south side of Barnegat, we could see breaking waves nearly a mile off shore.
Both breakfast (Cheerios & fruit) and lunch (spinach dip and ham with crackers) were served on the bridge as we cruised south. It was to be a long day and the autohelm had not been working properly so we set a timer and did 30 minute watches at the helm. When the timer beeped, no excuses, it was your turn at the helm - so get to the head when you were off watch. At the various inlets we had to contend with groups of boats with fishermen, but nothing like on weekends.
We could faintly see the tall buildings of Atlantic City about 12 miles away and just as the GPS was reporting all day long, we arrived at the entrance of the inlet at 4:08 and by 4:30, were anchored in the same place we stopped on the trip north. After a beer, I (RCB) will set up the BBQ grill and do the fillets we thawed a few days back, but were too tired to have at the end of that day. It should be a nice, cool night and if the forecast holds, we will go to Cape May tomorrow, only about a 5 hour cruise.
August 12 – Sunday
We were away from the anchorage by 06:25 for our trip down the lower Hudson and past NYC harbor. The ebbing tide gave us an extra push for the first 2 hours and moved us along at 9.5 knots. The WX was great for this section of the river and we enjoyed seeing the New Jersey Palisades lighted by the sun rising in the east. Not much other water traffic at this hour so we could take time to really look around. The George Washington Bridge came into view and we measured it to be 10 NM distant on the chart plotter, CAVU conditions for sure – we finally slid under it at 10:00 AM. There was a small tug nearing the bridge as we approached, and it was towing 2 gray landing craft and was being accompanied by a good size U.S. Coast Guard vessel. We monitored the radio and heard the tug talking to the CG vessel which soon stopped and did some backing–up maneuvers across the river.
South of the GW Bridge the commercial traffic began to build with water taxis and tugs, but not as intense as what we experienced on a week day coming north. Below the Battery some ships entered the mix and several were getting underway for sea, as we approached the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, but we stayed way clear on the Jersey side of the channel.
We were headed for Atlantic Highlands Marina and as we got to the point at Sandy Hook, the weekend sport fishermen were out in full force. We wound our way through and past them and entered the break water at the Highlands. Oh yes, there was also a sailing regatta in progress in the bay as well. The marina is operated by the municipality and they do a nice job. We had arranged for a slip but went to the fuel dock first, to top the tanks with 110 gallons of low cost (relatively) diesel. They pump a lot of fuel – when I went to the fuel dock office for a receipt, another boat, a sport fisherman that had fueled up, had a total charge of $884.46. I hope they caught a lot of fish. Unlike the floating docks we had grown used to during this trip, ours was built with pilings like they are in the Bay except here they have a 6’ tide range so the pilings are really tall. We got things arranged to our satisfaction in the slip and had the A/C running in no time flat, then headed for Zio’s, the dock side restaurant, and some great pizza. We had been deprived of pizza since we were in Ilion, NY July 4th. We ordered a large and two Heinekens, and that was lunch. We would return to Zio’s later that evening for a couple of killer, deluxe cheeseburgers as our dinner.
The on-line marine WX indicated Monday looked good for the ocean run to Atlantic City so it would be another early departure. We checked in with the kids by email and almost immediately got a call from son Matt who happened to be at his computer so he wanted us to know he had just sent us some pics taken that day when he, Kris and Cameron visited the Bahorics to celebrate Libby’s birthday. We enjoyed the photos then watched a DVD before turning in for the night. Ain’t modern technology wonderful?
We were away from the anchorage by 06:25 for our trip down the lower Hudson and past NYC harbor. The ebbing tide gave us an extra push for the first 2 hours and moved us along at 9.5 knots. The WX was great for this section of the river and we enjoyed seeing the New Jersey Palisades lighted by the sun rising in the east. Not much other water traffic at this hour so we could take time to really look around. The George Washington Bridge came into view and we measured it to be 10 NM distant on the chart plotter, CAVU conditions for sure – we finally slid under it at 10:00 AM. There was a small tug nearing the bridge as we approached, and it was towing 2 gray landing craft and was being accompanied by a good size U.S. Coast Guard vessel. We monitored the radio and heard the tug talking to the CG vessel which soon stopped and did some backing–up maneuvers across the river.
South of the GW Bridge the commercial traffic began to build with water taxis and tugs, but not as intense as what we experienced on a week day coming north. Below the Battery some ships entered the mix and several were getting underway for sea, as we approached the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, but we stayed way clear on the Jersey side of the channel.
We were headed for Atlantic Highlands Marina and as we got to the point at Sandy Hook, the weekend sport fishermen were out in full force. We wound our way through and past them and entered the break water at the Highlands. Oh yes, there was also a sailing regatta in progress in the bay as well. The marina is operated by the municipality and they do a nice job. We had arranged for a slip but went to the fuel dock first, to top the tanks with 110 gallons of low cost (relatively) diesel. They pump a lot of fuel – when I went to the fuel dock office for a receipt, another boat, a sport fisherman that had fueled up, had a total charge of $884.46. I hope they caught a lot of fish. Unlike the floating docks we had grown used to during this trip, ours was built with pilings like they are in the Bay except here they have a 6’ tide range so the pilings are really tall. We got things arranged to our satisfaction in the slip and had the A/C running in no time flat, then headed for Zio’s, the dock side restaurant, and some great pizza. We had been deprived of pizza since we were in Ilion, NY July 4th. We ordered a large and two Heinekens, and that was lunch. We would return to Zio’s later that evening for a couple of killer, deluxe cheeseburgers as our dinner.
The on-line marine WX indicated Monday looked good for the ocean run to Atlantic City so it would be another early departure. We checked in with the kids by email and almost immediately got a call from son Matt who happened to be at his computer so he wanted us to know he had just sent us some pics taken that day when he, Kris and Cameron visited the Bahorics to celebrate Libby’s birthday. We enjoyed the photos then watched a DVD before turning in for the night. Ain’t modern technology wonderful?
August 11 – Saturday
Our plans for an extra early departure were once again met with fog but this time we gave in to it just a bit. Here on the upper Hudson there is a lot more of the “edges” to run into than on the wide parts of Lake Champlain. By 08:00 it seemed a bit better due to a slight breeze that was moving things around a bit, so we left the dock. I made a security broadcast on channel 13, for any commercial traffic that might be near. Immediately we got a response from a tug pushing a cement barge north bound about a quarter mile south of the marina, so we arranged a passing and all was fine. The visibility improved very quickly as we moved on and the fog began to look like puffs of grey flowers growing from the surface of the river.
The weather quickly became very nice as the fog burned off and we settled in to the long day ahead. We were bound for an anchorage near Potato Rock in Haverstraw Bay (near Ossining prison) on the east side of the river. We stopped at that spot on the way north and it served well. The day floated by with us wearing jeans and sweat shirts early then shorts and T-shirts later. On the trip north we made this particular leg over 2 days, with a stop in Kingston but we decided to endure a 10 hour day since the weather was so good and we wanted to take advantage of it. We passed under the various bridges, Kingston – Rhinecliff, Mid Hudson, Newburgh-Beacon etc. and on past West Point (still impressive) and this time there was a small ship moored there, a landing craft type. Finally the Tappan Zee Bridge loomed into sight and our anchorage was about 5 miles north of the bridge so we knew we were close to our home for the night.
We were anchored with 50 other week-end boaters and had a quick supper of hot dogs on the grill and lettuce & tomato salad. Showers then bed.
Our plans for an extra early departure were once again met with fog but this time we gave in to it just a bit. Here on the upper Hudson there is a lot more of the “edges” to run into than on the wide parts of Lake Champlain. By 08:00 it seemed a bit better due to a slight breeze that was moving things around a bit, so we left the dock. I made a security broadcast on channel 13, for any commercial traffic that might be near. Immediately we got a response from a tug pushing a cement barge north bound about a quarter mile south of the marina, so we arranged a passing and all was fine. The visibility improved very quickly as we moved on and the fog began to look like puffs of grey flowers growing from the surface of the river.
The weather quickly became very nice as the fog burned off and we settled in to the long day ahead. We were bound for an anchorage near Potato Rock in Haverstraw Bay (near Ossining prison) on the east side of the river. We stopped at that spot on the way north and it served well. The day floated by with us wearing jeans and sweat shirts early then shorts and T-shirts later. On the trip north we made this particular leg over 2 days, with a stop in Kingston but we decided to endure a 10 hour day since the weather was so good and we wanted to take advantage of it. We passed under the various bridges, Kingston – Rhinecliff, Mid Hudson, Newburgh-Beacon etc. and on past West Point (still impressive) and this time there was a small ship moored there, a landing craft type. Finally the Tappan Zee Bridge loomed into sight and our anchorage was about 5 miles north of the bridge so we knew we were close to our home for the night.
We were anchored with 50 other week-end boaters and had a quick supper of hot dogs on the grill and lettuce & tomato salad. Showers then bed.
Saturday, August 11, 2007
August 10 – Friday
It is our Granddaughter Libby’s birthday, she is 6, and we will phone her later in the day. Missing events like this are the downside of cruising.
The rain came in the night, just like the forecast said it would and continued through most of the day, just like the forecast. We stayed tied to the dock at Shady Harbor. Breakfast (the first) was hot oatmeal laced with fresh blueberries Polly found at a farmer’s market in Whitehall. We spent the day doing some tidying up, cleaning the fenders we used in the locks and I (RCB) also made a repair to the support of one of the settee seat hatches. The wood glue Polly bought in Westport came in handy, again. Polly also did some editing and labeling of the 106 pictures she took during the previous two days. The temperature dropped quite a bit during the morning so we actually turned on the heating side of the A/C unit which also took the moisture off of the cabin windows.
We had accumulated a list of grocery needs and I walked to the marina office to see if there might be a store close by. Our new Monk owner friend, Don was also at the office looking for a store so Chris, the marina manager, insisted on driving us to the nearest town and a Price Chopper grocery. Pushing one of those big store carts through the aisles, I had loaded 6 items into it before I had even one of the items from the list crossed off. One of the off-list items was a couple of super looking cinnamon rolls that served as our second breakfast when I returned to the boat. Finally the list was filled and I checked out to find Chris waiting in the loading zone. He helped both of us load our numerous bags and then drove to the wine store so Don could re-supply his wine cellar. Chris even helped me tote some bags right to the boat.
Chris Minetti is the manager of Shady Harbor Marina (New Baltimore, NY) but it is a family operation. Dad, Charles took over the business just a year ago and he and Chris’ younger brother are also always around making sure things are to the boating customers’ satisfaction. The general staff people are courteous and helpful and they have the full range of marine services. The Minettis have been boaters and cruisers for a long time and understand what it takes to make transients feel at home and welcome. They deserve the success they are having – we made a point of stopping here because of the way we were handled on our north bound stay.
The rain stopped about 3 or 4 o’clock and I got into the dink and scrubbed off some of the worse crud from FLIGHT’s hull at the waterline. The last group of locks had some foamy stuff accumulated on the surface of the water that stained the boat. We had a simple supper aboard and watched a bit of T-V since cable service is supplied by the marina (Shady Harbor also has free and fast Wi-Fi wireless internet connection as well), and then went to bed. We will get away early in the morning in order to make good distance toward New York Harbor. We plan to be at Atlantic Highlands, NJ on Sunday afternoon.
It is our Granddaughter Libby’s birthday, she is 6, and we will phone her later in the day. Missing events like this are the downside of cruising.
The rain came in the night, just like the forecast said it would and continued through most of the day, just like the forecast. We stayed tied to the dock at Shady Harbor. Breakfast (the first) was hot oatmeal laced with fresh blueberries Polly found at a farmer’s market in Whitehall. We spent the day doing some tidying up, cleaning the fenders we used in the locks and I (RCB) also made a repair to the support of one of the settee seat hatches. The wood glue Polly bought in Westport came in handy, again. Polly also did some editing and labeling of the 106 pictures she took during the previous two days. The temperature dropped quite a bit during the morning so we actually turned on the heating side of the A/C unit which also took the moisture off of the cabin windows.
We had accumulated a list of grocery needs and I walked to the marina office to see if there might be a store close by. Our new Monk owner friend, Don was also at the office looking for a store so Chris, the marina manager, insisted on driving us to the nearest town and a Price Chopper grocery. Pushing one of those big store carts through the aisles, I had loaded 6 items into it before I had even one of the items from the list crossed off. One of the off-list items was a couple of super looking cinnamon rolls that served as our second breakfast when I returned to the boat. Finally the list was filled and I checked out to find Chris waiting in the loading zone. He helped both of us load our numerous bags and then drove to the wine store so Don could re-supply his wine cellar. Chris even helped me tote some bags right to the boat.
Chris Minetti is the manager of Shady Harbor Marina (New Baltimore, NY) but it is a family operation. Dad, Charles took over the business just a year ago and he and Chris’ younger brother are also always around making sure things are to the boating customers’ satisfaction. The general staff people are courteous and helpful and they have the full range of marine services. The Minettis have been boaters and cruisers for a long time and understand what it takes to make transients feel at home and welcome. They deserve the success they are having – we made a point of stopping here because of the way we were handled on our north bound stay.
The rain stopped about 3 or 4 o’clock and I got into the dink and scrubbed off some of the worse crud from FLIGHT’s hull at the waterline. The last group of locks had some foamy stuff accumulated on the surface of the water that stained the boat. We had a simple supper aboard and watched a bit of T-V since cable service is supplied by the marina (Shady Harbor also has free and fast Wi-Fi wireless internet connection as well), and then went to bed. We will get away early in the morning in order to make good distance toward New York Harbor. We plan to be at Atlantic Highlands, NJ on Sunday afternoon.
Friday, August 10, 2007
August 9 – Thursday
We decided on an early start, again, and were underway by 06:50. Somehow, without any storms or rain, the system with the high temps and humidity had moved out and this day was clear, sunny and on the cool side – nice. We had decided we would get all remaining locks out of the way and push down the Hudson about 20 miles to New Baltimore, where Shady Harbor Marina is located. We had stayed there on the way up and it is well run and the family that owns it, are most friendly. The WX forecast for Friday is not great so we wanted to be at a pleasant spot if we layover.
A number of significant things related to our cruise happened today. We cleared the last of the Champlain locks at 10:37, completed the loop course as we passed Waterford at 11:00, and cleared the Federal Lock at Troy, the first and now last lock of the entire trip, at 11:40. The lock total is 112. Also, Polly and I are still married, somewhat happily. Now we would just be back tracking our course home to Rock Hall for the remainder of the cruise.
Another somewhat significant event of the day was passing beneath the lowest overhead clearance structure, a RR bridge near Mechanicville, NY. It has a published clearance of 21’ but is actually something between 15’ and 17’ depending upon river water level condition. I (RCB), had done several approximated measurements of the top of our bimini from the water and they ranged from 15’-1” to 14’-9” (average 14’-11”). I really didn’t want to disassemble the top with the enclosure, if I could avoid it. At the lock preceding the bridge, the attendant told me we should be OK – that morning the water level provided 15’-7” - no worries mate.
With pleasant weather and no more locks to interfere with our schedule, Polly fixed tuna salad for lunch and we dined with Albany passing by to provide entertainment. The upper Hudson is a pretty waterway with small towns, parks and some very lovely waterfront homes and properties. It is well marked for navigation and there is also some commercial traffic, tugs with barges and the occasional ship, to keep things interesting. Albany is actually a seaport.
We arrived at Shady Harbor around 2:30 PM and waiting to help us with our lines was another Monk 36 couple, Connie and Don Rutsch. They are retired educators and have been cruising seasonally aboard their Monk (Schiffli) since they bought it in 2000. They had been in Lake Champlain for a period of time and also on their way back to their home port near Barnegat, NJ. Later we enjoyed a glass of wine and nice cheeses aboard their boat before Polly and I went to dinner at the Boat House restaurant situated on the marina property. The forecast is pretty solid for heavy rain beginning after midnight so we will likely be another day at Shady Harbor.
We decided on an early start, again, and were underway by 06:50. Somehow, without any storms or rain, the system with the high temps and humidity had moved out and this day was clear, sunny and on the cool side – nice. We had decided we would get all remaining locks out of the way and push down the Hudson about 20 miles to New Baltimore, where Shady Harbor Marina is located. We had stayed there on the way up and it is well run and the family that owns it, are most friendly. The WX forecast for Friday is not great so we wanted to be at a pleasant spot if we layover.
A number of significant things related to our cruise happened today. We cleared the last of the Champlain locks at 10:37, completed the loop course as we passed Waterford at 11:00, and cleared the Federal Lock at Troy, the first and now last lock of the entire trip, at 11:40. The lock total is 112. Also, Polly and I are still married, somewhat happily. Now we would just be back tracking our course home to Rock Hall for the remainder of the cruise.
Another somewhat significant event of the day was passing beneath the lowest overhead clearance structure, a RR bridge near Mechanicville, NY. It has a published clearance of 21’ but is actually something between 15’ and 17’ depending upon river water level condition. I (RCB), had done several approximated measurements of the top of our bimini from the water and they ranged from 15’-1” to 14’-9” (average 14’-11”). I really didn’t want to disassemble the top with the enclosure, if I could avoid it. At the lock preceding the bridge, the attendant told me we should be OK – that morning the water level provided 15’-7” - no worries mate.
With pleasant weather and no more locks to interfere with our schedule, Polly fixed tuna salad for lunch and we dined with Albany passing by to provide entertainment. The upper Hudson is a pretty waterway with small towns, parks and some very lovely waterfront homes and properties. It is well marked for navigation and there is also some commercial traffic, tugs with barges and the occasional ship, to keep things interesting. Albany is actually a seaport.
We arrived at Shady Harbor around 2:30 PM and waiting to help us with our lines was another Monk 36 couple, Connie and Don Rutsch. They are retired educators and have been cruising seasonally aboard their Monk (Schiffli) since they bought it in 2000. They had been in Lake Champlain for a period of time and also on their way back to their home port near Barnegat, NJ. Later we enjoyed a glass of wine and nice cheeses aboard their boat before Polly and I went to dinner at the Boat House restaurant situated on the marina property. The forecast is pretty solid for heavy rain beginning after midnight so we will likely be another day at Shady Harbor.
August 8 – Wednesday
It rained hard in the night and there were remaining showers when we woke today. As we were preparing for departure, Pam, the gal from the GB36 Trilogy that had tied behind us late yesterday, came by to say goodbye and give us a special news paper from Canada about the Rideau. It was unfortunate that she and her brother John arrived as late as they did on Tuesday, we would have loved to visit more than time permitted. We had made a dinner reservation and had to walk to the restaurant. Pam and her husband had been cruising on their boat and his limited vacation time ran out so Pam enlisted her brother John as captain for the remainder of the voyage back to the St. Lawrence where they keep the boat. John is a well seasoned sailor but made time to help his sister out with the trawler. They live in Kingston, ON but keep the boat in the U.S. and do all of their boating here.
We got underway at 07:30 and headed for the first lock of the day, #11, 6 miles away. We cleared it by 09:00 and continued on in occasional drizzle. There was one more up-lock to do (more difficult to hold the boat in place) and then all the remaining locks will be down. The weather seemed to improve as the morning and locks moved by and soon we were wearing sun glasses as we cleared #5 at 1:45. The eleven locks on the Champlain Canal are numbered 1 through 12 (but no 10) beginning at the southern end near Waterford, NY. We had planned to stop for the day at the wall of #5 lock, but when we reached it, all of the space was taken by an old paddle wheel tour boat and some canal service vessels. By that time the sun and humidity was present in full force and we just had enough for the day. Fortunately, just another mile south was a nice little marina at Schuylerville so we took a slip and relaxed in air conditioned comfort for a while. Later in the afternoon the couple we had met at the restaurant the evening before, Nancy & Jack also came in and a bit later we saw Trilogy at the fuel dock but didn’t get a chance to talk to Pam and John before they took off again. Since we all are moving south it is likely we may cross paths again.
Dinner was to be cooked on the grill and since on-boat grilling is prohibited, I (RCB) rigged up an arrangement with C-clamps to mount our gas grill to a heavy charcoal burner that was in the marina picnic area. For appetizers we grilled some marinated pork kabobs we had picked up in Quebec when we stopped at Chambly. The main course was salmon fillets purchased in Ilion, NY in July and a great salad that included tomato, cucumber and some greens supplied by (once again) Vermont friends Sherry & Frank.
I needed a shower before turning in, and took advantage of the marina facilities, which included lights that are controlled by a motion sensor switch. I open the door to the individual shower room and presto, the light came on. Undress, get soap and things, adjust water temp and pull curtain and you are ready to go. All soaped up and the light goes out. Hmm, now what. No worries mate - put hand outside of the curtain and wave and on comes the light. Continue soaping, reach and wave. Apply shampoo, reach and wave – you get the idea. Toweling off outside of the curtain posed no problem.
It’s off to bed for both of us. Tomorrow we expect to see our last lock of the trip – the total will have been more than one hundred.
It rained hard in the night and there were remaining showers when we woke today. As we were preparing for departure, Pam, the gal from the GB36 Trilogy that had tied behind us late yesterday, came by to say goodbye and give us a special news paper from Canada about the Rideau. It was unfortunate that she and her brother John arrived as late as they did on Tuesday, we would have loved to visit more than time permitted. We had made a dinner reservation and had to walk to the restaurant. Pam and her husband had been cruising on their boat and his limited vacation time ran out so Pam enlisted her brother John as captain for the remainder of the voyage back to the St. Lawrence where they keep the boat. John is a well seasoned sailor but made time to help his sister out with the trawler. They live in Kingston, ON but keep the boat in the U.S. and do all of their boating here.
We got underway at 07:30 and headed for the first lock of the day, #11, 6 miles away. We cleared it by 09:00 and continued on in occasional drizzle. There was one more up-lock to do (more difficult to hold the boat in place) and then all the remaining locks will be down. The weather seemed to improve as the morning and locks moved by and soon we were wearing sun glasses as we cleared #5 at 1:45. The eleven locks on the Champlain Canal are numbered 1 through 12 (but no 10) beginning at the southern end near Waterford, NY. We had planned to stop for the day at the wall of #5 lock, but when we reached it, all of the space was taken by an old paddle wheel tour boat and some canal service vessels. By that time the sun and humidity was present in full force and we just had enough for the day. Fortunately, just another mile south was a nice little marina at Schuylerville so we took a slip and relaxed in air conditioned comfort for a while. Later in the afternoon the couple we had met at the restaurant the evening before, Nancy & Jack also came in and a bit later we saw Trilogy at the fuel dock but didn’t get a chance to talk to Pam and John before they took off again. Since we all are moving south it is likely we may cross paths again.
Dinner was to be cooked on the grill and since on-boat grilling is prohibited, I (RCB) rigged up an arrangement with C-clamps to mount our gas grill to a heavy charcoal burner that was in the marina picnic area. For appetizers we grilled some marinated pork kabobs we had picked up in Quebec when we stopped at Chambly. The main course was salmon fillets purchased in Ilion, NY in July and a great salad that included tomato, cucumber and some greens supplied by (once again) Vermont friends Sherry & Frank.
I needed a shower before turning in, and took advantage of the marina facilities, which included lights that are controlled by a motion sensor switch. I open the door to the individual shower room and presto, the light came on. Undress, get soap and things, adjust water temp and pull curtain and you are ready to go. All soaped up and the light goes out. Hmm, now what. No worries mate - put hand outside of the curtain and wave and on comes the light. Continue soaping, reach and wave. Apply shampoo, reach and wave – you get the idea. Toweling off outside of the curtain posed no problem.
It’s off to bed for both of us. Tomorrow we expect to see our last lock of the trip – the total will have been more than one hundred.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
August 7 – Tuesday
It was our wedding anniversary.
It was also very foggy at 05:45 and not much better by 07:00, the time we had planned to depart. In aviation parlance it was maybe 500 & ½ mile at the dock. No worries mate – with radar, GPS and chart plotter and a certainty of improvement in an hour or so, we headed out at 07:15. Ten minutes from the dock it looked more like 200 & ¼ mile. Boating is a two dimensional activity so all we had to do was stay away from the edges, and it was a pretty big lake. So, on we went. As we glided south on the still water we startled a number of birds (who must have thought the WX was too bad for flying) and about an hour and a half later, as we reached Chimney Point where the lake narrows to be more like a river, the fog started to clear and we could easily see both shores. To celebrate, we had more coffee and the left over sweet rolls Polly had baked the day before.
The lower portion of Lake Champlain is like a river, deep, winding and not wide. It is also very beautiful with much of the shore line undeveloped and wild. At some places the shore was shear rock cliffs with high mountains in the background. On this day there were hardly any other signs of life on or off the water. The farther south we got the waterway had large areas of grass and water lilies spread out for acres and acres, and most of the shore-side sites were very basic cottages and even rough shacks. Some were just improved sites where we imagined people come to fish and picnic for the day – nothing fancy or elaborate at all. It remained that way right to Whitehall, NY where the first lock is located for the Champlain Canal. We ranked this stretch of water and shore line to be second only to the Rideau in terms of beauty and interesting shore line.
We arrived at Whitehall and were through lock #12 about 1:30 and soon tied to the municipal wall, which is quite nice, with electric and water and is FREE. Very near to the wall is a small museum which includes an outdoor display of the remains of the USS Ticonderoga. Whitehall is known as the birthplace of the United States Navy. It is also a town with very little economic life in it, but still, a nice place for boaters to stop and enjoy.
As we approached lock 12 we saw a restaurant that was suggested to us by some boaters we met in Westport – they gave it high praise. We called for a reservation at the Finch & Chubb and had a nice anniversary dinner. The food was good and service attentive. The place, situated on a high bank overlooking the marina it is associated with, is in an old building and is decorated with a variety of antique things from the area – nice but not formal. As we were ordering our dinner, Polly noticed that a couple, who were aboard a boat (Zimmerman 36) we had seen in Westport, had sat down near us. We went to their table to say hello and they invited us to visit aboard “Karina” after dinner. Nancy and Jack are from Marion, MA and had cruised up to Lake Champlain and were now headed south, like us. We had a very pleasant visit and learned they were long time sail boat owners but like most trawler cruisers, opted for more convenience and comfort. They chose the Zimmerman because it is a low style vessel (no bridge deck) which allows them to have it trucked to Florida where they spend their winters.
The threat of storms sent Polly and I walking back to our boat and turned in for another peaceful night on the water. This day had been very different than the day we were married.
It was our wedding anniversary.
It was also very foggy at 05:45 and not much better by 07:00, the time we had planned to depart. In aviation parlance it was maybe 500 & ½ mile at the dock. No worries mate – with radar, GPS and chart plotter and a certainty of improvement in an hour or so, we headed out at 07:15. Ten minutes from the dock it looked more like 200 & ¼ mile. Boating is a two dimensional activity so all we had to do was stay away from the edges, and it was a pretty big lake. So, on we went. As we glided south on the still water we startled a number of birds (who must have thought the WX was too bad for flying) and about an hour and a half later, as we reached Chimney Point where the lake narrows to be more like a river, the fog started to clear and we could easily see both shores. To celebrate, we had more coffee and the left over sweet rolls Polly had baked the day before.
The lower portion of Lake Champlain is like a river, deep, winding and not wide. It is also very beautiful with much of the shore line undeveloped and wild. At some places the shore was shear rock cliffs with high mountains in the background. On this day there were hardly any other signs of life on or off the water. The farther south we got the waterway had large areas of grass and water lilies spread out for acres and acres, and most of the shore-side sites were very basic cottages and even rough shacks. Some were just improved sites where we imagined people come to fish and picnic for the day – nothing fancy or elaborate at all. It remained that way right to Whitehall, NY where the first lock is located for the Champlain Canal. We ranked this stretch of water and shore line to be second only to the Rideau in terms of beauty and interesting shore line.
We arrived at Whitehall and were through lock #12 about 1:30 and soon tied to the municipal wall, which is quite nice, with electric and water and is FREE. Very near to the wall is a small museum which includes an outdoor display of the remains of the USS Ticonderoga. Whitehall is known as the birthplace of the United States Navy. It is also a town with very little economic life in it, but still, a nice place for boaters to stop and enjoy.
As we approached lock 12 we saw a restaurant that was suggested to us by some boaters we met in Westport – they gave it high praise. We called for a reservation at the Finch & Chubb and had a nice anniversary dinner. The food was good and service attentive. The place, situated on a high bank overlooking the marina it is associated with, is in an old building and is decorated with a variety of antique things from the area – nice but not formal. As we were ordering our dinner, Polly noticed that a couple, who were aboard a boat (Zimmerman 36) we had seen in Westport, had sat down near us. We went to their table to say hello and they invited us to visit aboard “Karina” after dinner. Nancy and Jack are from Marion, MA and had cruised up to Lake Champlain and were now headed south, like us. We had a very pleasant visit and learned they were long time sail boat owners but like most trawler cruisers, opted for more convenience and comfort. They chose the Zimmerman because it is a low style vessel (no bridge deck) which allows them to have it trucked to Florida where they spend their winters.
The threat of storms sent Polly and I walking back to our boat and turned in for another peaceful night on the water. This day had been very different than the day we were married.
August 6 – Monday
As advertised, the weather was bad, so we stayed another day at Westport. The wind and off-on rain kept us in the cabin much of the morning. Polly used the time to make some progress on the painting of a puzzle she is making for Grandson Cameron’s birthday and I spent some quality time in the engine compartment where happily I discovered no problems of any kind.
The rain had stopped so we decided to take a walk “up” to the town – up as in a very steep hill. We were told we could find a grocery store and hardware store, as we needed a few perishable things and Polly needed wood glue for the puzzle project. We found Main Street of Westport to be very charming and both stores had a lot of character, much like stores we have been in while on past biking vacations in Vermont. The hardware store had been there for 82 years and was run by a third generation woman whose mother still handled the bookkeeping, manually. Sales were handled with a modern register and then daily data given to “Mom” who then converted it to her manual set of books. The woman in the store told us she has sometimes added a few cents of her own money to the days take to be certain everything agreed to the penny before it went to her mother. I almost forgot, the lower portion of the building also houses the brother’s woodworking business.
After we returned, a couple of the marina dock hands came to our boat and told us we needed to move forward to make space for some boats that were coming into the marina from an anchorage, because of the WX. The result of our relocation put us into a very tight “hole” with the 6 new arrivals packed around us, so later in the PM, when the weather had improved, we carefully twisted FLIGHT out and went to the fuel dock. After taking on a bit of diesel and pumping out the holding tank, we relocated to the end of a long newer dock so we could easily leave before the office opened in the morning. Next to us in our new spot was another transient boat with Beth & Ray aboard. They were from Troy, NY and had come to Lake Champlain for a weeklong vacation cruise. They had been waiting all day for the mechanic to take a look at a steering fluid leak. I (RCB) helped Ray check out certain things and we found that the leak was coming from a seal where the steering shaft enters the rotary actuator. The mechanic had now revised his plan and was scheduled to come by their boat first thing in the AM Tuesday – I hope they can get a quick solution.
We dined on the remaining tortellini soup Polly had made a few weeks ago (from freezer) and accompanied it with chunks of good Vermont sourdough bread supplied by our friends Sherry and Frank. It was a peaceful and quiet night.
As advertised, the weather was bad, so we stayed another day at Westport. The wind and off-on rain kept us in the cabin much of the morning. Polly used the time to make some progress on the painting of a puzzle she is making for Grandson Cameron’s birthday and I spent some quality time in the engine compartment where happily I discovered no problems of any kind.
The rain had stopped so we decided to take a walk “up” to the town – up as in a very steep hill. We were told we could find a grocery store and hardware store, as we needed a few perishable things and Polly needed wood glue for the puzzle project. We found Main Street of Westport to be very charming and both stores had a lot of character, much like stores we have been in while on past biking vacations in Vermont. The hardware store had been there for 82 years and was run by a third generation woman whose mother still handled the bookkeeping, manually. Sales were handled with a modern register and then daily data given to “Mom” who then converted it to her manual set of books. The woman in the store told us she has sometimes added a few cents of her own money to the days take to be certain everything agreed to the penny before it went to her mother. I almost forgot, the lower portion of the building also houses the brother’s woodworking business.
After we returned, a couple of the marina dock hands came to our boat and told us we needed to move forward to make space for some boats that were coming into the marina from an anchorage, because of the WX. The result of our relocation put us into a very tight “hole” with the 6 new arrivals packed around us, so later in the PM, when the weather had improved, we carefully twisted FLIGHT out and went to the fuel dock. After taking on a bit of diesel and pumping out the holding tank, we relocated to the end of a long newer dock so we could easily leave before the office opened in the morning. Next to us in our new spot was another transient boat with Beth & Ray aboard. They were from Troy, NY and had come to Lake Champlain for a weeklong vacation cruise. They had been waiting all day for the mechanic to take a look at a steering fluid leak. I (RCB) helped Ray check out certain things and we found that the leak was coming from a seal where the steering shaft enters the rotary actuator. The mechanic had now revised his plan and was scheduled to come by their boat first thing in the AM Tuesday – I hope they can get a quick solution.
We dined on the remaining tortellini soup Polly had made a few weeks ago (from freezer) and accompanied it with chunks of good Vermont sourdough bread supplied by our friends Sherry and Frank. It was a peaceful and quiet night.
Monday, August 6, 2007
OOPS! Overlooked July 31
July 31 – Tuesday
We departed St. Anne’s lock wall early (06:20) with the new sun in our face and that made it difficult to distinguish the red buoys from the green. That could lead to problems because there are a lot of them marking a very complicated series of channels leading us through shallow waters, around islands and upstream on the St. Lawrence a short distance, to enter the Canal de La Riva Sud. We did it, and found ourselves heading for the St. Catherine ship lock. Some other cruisers told us tales of boats being held up a full day to get through the lock since commercial shipping is given priority. They also told us to have $25. Canadian, ready in exact cash to pay the toll. As we approached the lock we saw several other cruising boats tied to the dock waiting to enter so we approached and rafted to one of the boats. As soon as our lines were secured and we learned the boat we were tied to, was from New York, the loud speaker advised us to prepare to enter and we did. A total wait time of maybe 10 minutes. Five boats entered and locked through by 09:30 and we were headed to the next and last big one. As we approached the St. Lambert lock, the bridge lifted, gates opened and the green light came on. 30 minutes and another $25. and we were on our way to Sorel (or Saurel if you are French Canadian), about 50 miles down the St. Lawrence. Down the St. Lawrence means a +2 kt. current and we averaged a solid 10+ kts. with an easy power setting of 1800 RPM.
The St. Lawrence Seaway is a lot more intimidating on paper than it really is. There were ships, but not many. There were also pontoon boats, bass boats and water skiers. Pretty much like the Bay near Baltimore except radio transmissions were in French. We were tied at the transient dock in Parc Nautique de Sorel by 3:30. A nice facility for one night – it is the home of many, many of the 24’ – 30’ go-fast type day boats used by the “French Navy”. Tomorrow we will head south on the Richelieu River and Chambly Canal toward Lake Champlain, and The United States of America, where we all speak English, for the time being. Traveling through French-speaking Quebec has not been our favorite part of this trip.
July 31 – Tuesday
We departed St. Anne’s lock wall early (06:20) with the new sun in our face and that made it difficult to distinguish the red buoys from the green. That could lead to problems because there are a lot of them marking a very complicated series of channels leading us through shallow waters, around islands and upstream on the St. Lawrence a short distance, to enter the Canal de La Riva Sud. We did it, and found ourselves heading for the St. Catherine ship lock. Some other cruisers told us tales of boats being held up a full day to get through the lock since commercial shipping is given priority. They also told us to have $25. Canadian, ready in exact cash to pay the toll. As we approached the lock we saw several other cruising boats tied to the dock waiting to enter so we approached and rafted to one of the boats. As soon as our lines were secured and we learned the boat we were tied to, was from New York, the loud speaker advised us to prepare to enter and we did. A total wait time of maybe 10 minutes. Five boats entered and locked through by 09:30 and we were headed to the next and last big one. As we approached the St. Lambert lock, the bridge lifted, gates opened and the green light came on. 30 minutes and another $25. and we were on our way to Sorel (or Saurel if you are French Canadian), about 50 miles down the St. Lawrence. Down the St. Lawrence means a +2 kt. current and we averaged a solid 10+ kts. with an easy power setting of 1800 RPM.
The St. Lawrence Seaway is a lot more intimidating on paper than it really is. There were ships, but not many. There were also pontoon boats, bass boats and water skiers. Pretty much like the Bay near Baltimore except radio transmissions were in French. We were tied at the transient dock in Parc Nautique de Sorel by 3:30. A nice facility for one night – it is the home of many, many of the 24’ – 30’ go-fast type day boats used by the “French Navy”. Tomorrow we will head south on the Richelieu River and Chambly Canal toward Lake Champlain, and The United States of America, where we all speak English, for the time being. Traveling through French-speaking Quebec has not been our favorite part of this trip.
August 5 – Sunday
We both slept a bit later than usual and didn’t get underway until 09:45. As we cleared the narrow opening in the causeway that encloses Malletts Bay from the main part of the lake, we could see the Bike Ferry was in operation. An enterprising individual started a pontoon boat ferry service to carry bicycles and riders from one side of the causeway opening to the other – about 30 yards. This allows cyclists to complete a circular route without backtracking and there always seems to be bikers waiting for a lift. We had great WX again as we headed on down the lake. Rather large ferries cross the lake from the New York side to Burlington at a number of points, so we had to make minor adjustments in our course to insure that we past astern of them. We continued south to the entrance of Otter Creek, on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain. It is a deep creek that winds inland about 6 NM to a falls and the town of Vergennes. It is reported to have nice municipal docks on both sides of the creek and is a very popular spot to visit. We rationalized that as it was Sunday, and we were arriving late in the day, most of the day boaters would be headed home and there would be plenty of space for us to remain over night. Not so, the docks were full and there were a few sail boats anchored and milling about waiting for space to tie up. It seems that many sailboat owners from Quebec come down to Champlain for vacation because they have nothing like this area for cruising. In fact, Polly and I have been so impressed with Lake Champlain, with its island anchorages, bays and waterfront towns, that we have discussed the possibility of coming back another summer, to do some extended cruising.
When we saw the crowd of boats at Vergennes, we just did a 180 degree turn and meandered back down the creek for another hour then crossed the lake to Westport, NY. We wanted a secure berth because there were thunder storms in the forecast for the night and parts of the day on Monday.
After we arrived at Westport Marina, we checked in with family and tried to have a web visit with our Grandson and Son, but the internet connection was too slow for things to work well. Polly made a nice omelet for our dinner and we reviewed the charts and guide for the next leg of our cruise. If the weather cooperates, we will push south to Whitehall, NY and the entrance to the Champlain Canal.
We both slept a bit later than usual and didn’t get underway until 09:45. As we cleared the narrow opening in the causeway that encloses Malletts Bay from the main part of the lake, we could see the Bike Ferry was in operation. An enterprising individual started a pontoon boat ferry service to carry bicycles and riders from one side of the causeway opening to the other – about 30 yards. This allows cyclists to complete a circular route without backtracking and there always seems to be bikers waiting for a lift. We had great WX again as we headed on down the lake. Rather large ferries cross the lake from the New York side to Burlington at a number of points, so we had to make minor adjustments in our course to insure that we past astern of them. We continued south to the entrance of Otter Creek, on the Vermont side of Lake Champlain. It is a deep creek that winds inland about 6 NM to a falls and the town of Vergennes. It is reported to have nice municipal docks on both sides of the creek and is a very popular spot to visit. We rationalized that as it was Sunday, and we were arriving late in the day, most of the day boaters would be headed home and there would be plenty of space for us to remain over night. Not so, the docks were full and there were a few sail boats anchored and milling about waiting for space to tie up. It seems that many sailboat owners from Quebec come down to Champlain for vacation because they have nothing like this area for cruising. In fact, Polly and I have been so impressed with Lake Champlain, with its island anchorages, bays and waterfront towns, that we have discussed the possibility of coming back another summer, to do some extended cruising.
When we saw the crowd of boats at Vergennes, we just did a 180 degree turn and meandered back down the creek for another hour then crossed the lake to Westport, NY. We wanted a secure berth because there were thunder storms in the forecast for the night and parts of the day on Monday.
After we arrived at Westport Marina, we checked in with family and tried to have a web visit with our Grandson and Son, but the internet connection was too slow for things to work well. Polly made a nice omelet for our dinner and we reviewed the charts and guide for the next leg of our cruise. If the weather cooperates, we will push south to Whitehall, NY and the entrance to the Champlain Canal.
August 4 – Saturday
We turned in the key to the bathrooms and recovered our $20. Deposit fee, then untied the boat for departure. Backing out of the 50 yard long slipway was no problem and we were in Lake Champlain by 08:00. We had hoped to get a slip or mooring in Burlington, VT, but after a couple of calls on Friday we learned there was a festival going on and all marinas were sold out. Plan “B” was to go to Malletts Bay, a village with numerous marinas and anchorages, just north of Burlington.
It was all for the best, Malletts Bay is a beautiful area and Champlain Marina where we stayed, was a very nice facility (even had Q-tips in the men’s shower room). Another plus, was that we had planned to meet several of our business friends who live in the Burlington area and it just happened that Frank and Sherry Gouchoe (also boaters) happened to be at a nearby anchorage when we got to Malletts Bay. They picked up their anchor and motored over for a nice visit. Sherry had put together a great gift bag consisting of local foods and produce (and some PA peaches) and a nice bottle of Vermont wine to go with it. I think the Gouchoe’s will be feeding us for the next few days. Another interesting ditty is that both Frank and Sherry (I hope I am spelling her name correctly) both grew up in Malletts Bay.
Not long after the Gouchoe’s headed off on their boat, our other friend, Susith, phoned to invite us to dinner. Susith, with his lovely wife and daughter as well as a family friend, came to take us to downtown Burlington where we had an excellent dinner and got to know Jolyn and their beautiful 3 year old daughter Liana, better. After dinner we had a walking tour of the Church Street area of Burlington, complete with street entertainers. The Wijetunga’s are a lovely family and we appreciate their gracious hospitality during our visit.
It had cooled down nicely by the time we returned to the boat and we hit the bunk immediately and slept a bit later than normal the next morning.
We turned in the key to the bathrooms and recovered our $20. Deposit fee, then untied the boat for departure. Backing out of the 50 yard long slipway was no problem and we were in Lake Champlain by 08:00. We had hoped to get a slip or mooring in Burlington, VT, but after a couple of calls on Friday we learned there was a festival going on and all marinas were sold out. Plan “B” was to go to Malletts Bay, a village with numerous marinas and anchorages, just north of Burlington.
It was all for the best, Malletts Bay is a beautiful area and Champlain Marina where we stayed, was a very nice facility (even had Q-tips in the men’s shower room). Another plus, was that we had planned to meet several of our business friends who live in the Burlington area and it just happened that Frank and Sherry Gouchoe (also boaters) happened to be at a nearby anchorage when we got to Malletts Bay. They picked up their anchor and motored over for a nice visit. Sherry had put together a great gift bag consisting of local foods and produce (and some PA peaches) and a nice bottle of Vermont wine to go with it. I think the Gouchoe’s will be feeding us for the next few days. Another interesting ditty is that both Frank and Sherry (I hope I am spelling her name correctly) both grew up in Malletts Bay.
Not long after the Gouchoe’s headed off on their boat, our other friend, Susith, phoned to invite us to dinner. Susith, with his lovely wife and daughter as well as a family friend, came to take us to downtown Burlington where we had an excellent dinner and got to know Jolyn and their beautiful 3 year old daughter Liana, better. After dinner we had a walking tour of the Church Street area of Burlington, complete with street entertainers. The Wijetunga’s are a lovely family and we appreciate their gracious hospitality during our visit.
It had cooled down nicely by the time we returned to the boat and we hit the bunk immediately and slept a bit later than normal the next morning.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
August 3 – Friday
It promised to be another very hot day with thunderstorms and high winds added to the forecast – we stayed at Light House Point. It would be our “make & mend day” as the British sailors would say, centuries ago. I, cleaned up the fenders and with help from Polly, we gave FLIGHT a good soapy bath. Polly did some selective laundry, as well. The air conditioning was running full tilt on the boat, and we decided to take a walk to the little town of Rouses Point where we found a Dollar General store. We laid in few supplies (costing way more than a dollar)and headed back to the marina. Other than the liquor store, where I (RCB) finally found a bottle of bloody Mary mix, we didn’t find much else of interest in the town.
New Found friends: When we got back to the marina I bumped into a fellow trawler owner who has a GB 36 woodie built in the ‘70s. I had chatted with Jeff the day before so we talked some more about boats and later that evening he and his wife Kass came aboard FLIGHT for drinks. While they now live near Toronto, they are natives of Newfoundland and had lived for 8 or 9 years in one of the Pacific island areas where Jeff taught electronics in a technical school. The conversation was easy amongst the four of us, and like many from our generation, had started with tent camping in a VW bug and hand-me-down furniture in our first apartment etc. Kass entertained us with stories from her childhood growing up on Newfoundland, where she described her house by saying “several steps past the front door and the next stop was England”. As a child she would jump from ice chunk to ice chunk playing in the spring when the ice pack would be breaking up. Jeff bought the Grand Banks 36 just this spring and intends to take her back to Newfoundland in 5 years when he has her in the right shape. I told him to count me in if he is looking for crew. I can’t imagine what the shore side comments would be when this old wooden boat shows up with a pair of geezers aboard and asking where we can get rid of all the empty beer cans. We exchanged contact info and now add these Newfoundlanders to our growing collection of Canadian friends.
Our supper was a combination of Polly’s leftover pasta from the not-great place in Chambly and the chicken breasts I (RCB) had over cooked on the grille that afternoon.
It promised to be another very hot day with thunderstorms and high winds added to the forecast – we stayed at Light House Point. It would be our “make & mend day” as the British sailors would say, centuries ago. I, cleaned up the fenders and with help from Polly, we gave FLIGHT a good soapy bath. Polly did some selective laundry, as well. The air conditioning was running full tilt on the boat, and we decided to take a walk to the little town of Rouses Point where we found a Dollar General store. We laid in few supplies (costing way more than a dollar)and headed back to the marina. Other than the liquor store, where I (RCB) finally found a bottle of bloody Mary mix, we didn’t find much else of interest in the town.
New Found friends: When we got back to the marina I bumped into a fellow trawler owner who has a GB 36 woodie built in the ‘70s. I had chatted with Jeff the day before so we talked some more about boats and later that evening he and his wife Kass came aboard FLIGHT for drinks. While they now live near Toronto, they are natives of Newfoundland and had lived for 8 or 9 years in one of the Pacific island areas where Jeff taught electronics in a technical school. The conversation was easy amongst the four of us, and like many from our generation, had started with tent camping in a VW bug and hand-me-down furniture in our first apartment etc. Kass entertained us with stories from her childhood growing up on Newfoundland, where she described her house by saying “several steps past the front door and the next stop was England”. As a child she would jump from ice chunk to ice chunk playing in the spring when the ice pack would be breaking up. Jeff bought the Grand Banks 36 just this spring and intends to take her back to Newfoundland in 5 years when he has her in the right shape. I told him to count me in if he is looking for crew. I can’t imagine what the shore side comments would be when this old wooden boat shows up with a pair of geezers aboard and asking where we can get rid of all the empty beer cans. We exchanged contact info and now add these Newfoundlanders to our growing collection of Canadian friends.
Our supper was a combination of Polly’s leftover pasta from the not-great place in Chambly and the chicken breasts I (RCB) had over cooked on the grille that afternoon.
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