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.