Coming Home

Welcome back at the club.

Thank you to members of the CSS and others from the club who gave us such a nice welcome back to our dock and to those who planned and came to the gathering on the south island. Bob and I very much appreciated the warm welcome and we are happy to be back among you.

Thank you also to the many people who have told me that they've been reading and enjoying the blog. I've certainly enjoyed writing it.

The last few days of our trip became a re-immersion into the life we left behind. The sun came out on Friday and stayed throughout the weekend as we returned to the Lake Ontario version of our life on the water.

On Friday, when the Mursells joined us at Youngstown, Mary greeted us wearing an "Eleuthera - Not for Everyone" t-shirt. We all find the t-shirt comment hysterically funny - it's a kind of in-joke referring back to the days we spent together trapped by weather and tied up to a crumbling wall at Hatchet Bay (Eleuthera). We had dinner that night with the Mursells and told stories of our travel adventures and misadventures. Looking back, even our mishaps have become the stuff of tales we laugh about. Whatever else the challenges were, they were part of a unique experience that we can't believe we've had.

Race to Youngstown Awards

On Saturday members of the Cruising Squadron arrived from across the lake and tied up or rafted with us along the wall at the Youngstown Yacht club. It was great to reconnect with everyone and to laugh together while Terry did his always fresh stand up comedy while handing out beer mugs for real and fantastical achievements.

We had an easy motor sail back across the lake to the club where we were greeted by friends standing at the dock. Shortly after, we joined others who came for a picnic table gathering to have a glass of wine and say hello. How very nice that was.

We are fully at home now - wondering what to do first. There's the laundry, the first grocery shopping, the jungle in the garden, the pool to open, the boat to unload, the appointments to keep, the piles of mail to attend to, the phone calls to make. It might help if we weren't intent on getting everything attended to all at once. What - you have no sympathy? You say, "What are you complaining about after your 9 month great escape?" I agree. In truth, we are enjoying getting our house in order and we are glad to be at home and back near our friends and family.

After we settled down, I'll do one more posting - a sort of looking back and summing up. Until then - thanks for reading!

Sunset at Youngstown

From Wilson to Youngstown

Yesterday morning Bob woke me at 5:30. He wanted to get going and sail all the way to Wilson - some 54 nautical miles from Rochester. We were on the water by 6:30. When I took the water/sky picture at 10:30, it looked as though the sun was going to fight its way through the clouds but no such luck. Instead the clouds thickened until the lake and sky were an unrelieved grey as far as we could see. Was it because the water was flat and the wind light, that hundreds of flies decided to catch a ride on the boat? On the lake, there are days with flies and days without - some days they are in a biting mood and some days they just land on everything and sit stupidly or fly about and bump into your face. Yesterday they weren't biting, rather they were so lethargic that they didn't move - even to escape death. There were crushed flies on the cockpit sole where we had walked on them, and more on the cushions as we sat down unawares on top of them. It was disgusting. After our dreary day of motoring, when we finally tied up at Wilson's Tuscarora Yacht, Bob couldn't get the hose out fast enough to clean away all traces of our fly graveyard.

It's nice to be in familiar waters entering harbours where you know the shallow spots and where to find the visitors' dock at the yacht clubs. Since transient cruisers aren't expected so early in the season, we weren't able to raise anyone on the VHF at either the Sodus Bay or Tuscarora Yacht club - but there's always someone puttering on their boat who finds a spot for us and tells us how to sign in for the night.

Today we motored to Youngstown - just 2 hours from Wilson. We'll spend the day having a look around and tonight we'll have a reunion with Bill and Mary Mursell. They'll sail Vectis across the river from the Niagara Yacht Club where they keep her and we'll do some catching up over dinner tonight. We last saw the Mursells in Fort Pierce, Florida while they were still on Southern Vectis.

Tomorrow those participating in the RCYC Cruising Squadron Youngstown Race will arrive and raft up where we are now - on the wall at the Youngstown Yacht Club - and we'll be there to greet them. It will be fun to see everyone after what seems the very long time that we've been away.

We've been to the Youngtown Yacht Club several times but only for the night. Today we took the time to tour Fort Niagara. This is taken inside "The Castle", the oldest building in the Fort.

Lake Ontario at the entrance to the Niagara River - taken from the North Redoubt (a mini fort) at Fort Niagara.

Cruising Home Along the Lake

Looking east on Lake Ontario at about 9 this morning: there wasn't much happening - no wind and just a soft swell.

We're retracing our journey back along the south shore of the lake. (The word journey makes me think of reality shows where everything is a "journey".) When we left Sodus Bay there was a light mist on the water and then a thick fog closed in. The fog combined with a possible thunderstorm forecast and a stormy feel in the air sealed our decision to stop before lunch. In Sodus Bay we took a long walk to the little meat market grocery store that we like to go to and were disappointed to find that it's changed hands and the meat counter is no more. The fellow did have a little frozen meat so we bought couple of pork chops for dinner which Bob barbecued and were very good.

Today we had another short day - we stopped at Rochester for a couple of reasons - the nice yacht club here where, with our yacht club's "reciprocal" agreement, we can spend a night free and also to pick up our Balmar alternator that Bob had sent away to be repaired and then had sent back to us via the Rochester club. There's a story attached to the alternator and our experience with a mechanic at West End in the Bahamas. It's a bit involved so if you're interested, ask Bob about having engine repairs done in the Bahamas. It's a long story but the moral is: expect to pay a lot and don't expect a satisfactory outcome. I'll say no more.

We have a couple more stops to make and then we will be meeting our club's Cruising Squadron in Youngstown on Saturday. It will be fun to see the group there. On Sunday we'll sail back to the club with everyone - and we'll be home!

Canal Travels

Saturday, June 6th: On the Erie Canal

Yesterday was a cloudy, heavy feeling kind of day and we had our fleeces on until mid-afternoon. The canal was not as entrancing under a dull sky but the sun and sparkle have returned today and we are back to thoroughly enjoying the tree lined water. The air has a fresh woodsy smell and occasionally the perfume of hidden blossoms drifts our way. We are seeing a green brighter and more vivid in the sun and different from the fall, I think, because it's the shimmering green of new spring leaves. Among the trees there are some covered in ivory blossoms - I've no clue what kind they are - but they accent and contrast the surrounding shades of green. We are close enough and moving slowly enough that we can hear the twittering, cawing and chirping of birds. Just now we saw another blue heron fly by. I was able to watch as it landed on the shore and I kept my eye on it long enough to take a picture as it stood and then again as it lifted into the air to fly back across the canal.

We have been traveling about 10 hours a day. It's easy to put in these long days when traveling on flat water. There's time to sit and read when it's our turn off-duty and to have our tea mid-morning and make a proper fat sandwich layered with good stuff for lunch. I save peanut butter and banana for the rough water days. This time around our experience going through the locks has been so-o-o much easier. We have our routine down - who "calls" the place we'll grab lines and who grabs what. Everything goes so much better when you know what to expect and what to do. Warmth and sun help too. Most days have been really pleasant.

In contrast, yesterday was the kind of off day that we have occasionally. First of all, we had a bad "lock through" where the lines hanging from the top of the lock were too far apart and Bob had to make do with wrapping a line around one of the pipes running vertically down the wall and meant for this use - he missed a pipe twice - didn't get to it before the boat had moved too far away and finally had to use the boat hook - then got the hook caught and jammed against the dodger. It was a tense few minutes but Bob eventually was able to grab the stern line and pass it behind the pipe. Later at the top of one of the bigger locks just as we were about to cast off, the engine alarm sounded to signal overheating and Bob ran to turn if off. The lock masters offered to pull the boat out of the lock to the wall beyond - well they had to do something as we were kind of in the way - so there were several throws of lines which fell short since we were throwing across and up which turned out to be rather hard. By now we were drifting since we had let go of the lines and pushed off with the boat hook to get closer to the other side. Finally one of the lock masters put the walkway back across the lock, walked across and extended a hook to grab a line passed from the bow of the boat - now floating close to that side. We knew we'd get out of there eventually! Once we were tied up along the wall past the lock, Bob began to investigate why the engine had overheated. He couldn't find any blockage in the intake or basket. After a time, the engine started fine without a problem and without the alarm - it had cooled down. One of the lock masters suggested that some of the considerable spring debris (wood pieces chiefly or perhaps a plastic bag) might have been sucked against the intake and blocked it without actually being sucked in. That seemed as good an explanation as any. These glitches occurred in 2 of the some 20 locks that we have "locked through" - so not to worry. It's mostlybeen  a breeze.

Later:
We've just locked through Lock 23 and we're going to spend the night on the wall beside it. It's Saturday night and as we sat waiting for the water to drain out of the lock and take us down, we were entertainment for groups of people who had come to watch. I spoke to one woman who told me how she loved the boats - so I told her that we are from Toronto and have been to the Bahamas. She was amazed that we could spend so much time on a boat - and go so far. She turned and relayed this information to an elderly woman sitting on the bench. "Can you cook on that?", she asked and was surprised to hear that, yes, I do cook on a stove with an oven - where I've even baked banana bread. "Banana bread?" she said, "I can't believe you could make banana bread!", and then turned once more to tell the woman on the bench. After we had gone through the lock and tied up on the wall, we went for a walk and stopped by the lock to see other boats locking through. Since we are so close to Lake Oneida (which we've just crossed), there were a couple of small cruisers out for the day and also a muscle boat rumbling while an attractive young couple got it into place. I'm afraid they fit the stereotype. The woman was slim, blonde and well shaped with a tight t-shirt over her bikini and her partner was bare chested and muscle bound with a tattoo hooking over the top of his shoulder (not that there's anything wrong with that). It was amusing. Bob said that I should have taken a picture so that we could tell people that that was the kind of the boat we want and the kind of people we aspire to be.

There are beautiful tall fir trees in the park here. It's been a long time since we've seen trees like that - mmm - a good familiar smell. We must be getting close to home.

There are 306 railway and highway bridges over the Erie Canal. Since we traveled only part way along the canal before we turned north up the Oswego Canal, we haven't gone under all 306 bridges - but we've gone under quite a few! The Erie Canal starts in the east at the Hudson River and continues west to Buffalo. Since the "controlling height" of the bridges is only 20 feet, all sailboats must remove their masts before traveling on the Erie, Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca or Champlain Canals - all part of the New York State Canal System.

Tugs owned by the New York State Canal Commission are painted in these colours. I've never seen such pretty tugs. The same colours are used for painting fences and other structures at the locks - so everything is kind of colour coordinated.

Once we had entered the Erie Canal at Waterford, we were traveling on the Mohawk River. Most of the eastern section of the canal follows the Mohawk River and most of the locks on the river are associated with dams and bridges that typically look like this.

Monday, June 8th: Oswego

Yesterday we went through Lock 7 and then tied up for the night at the wall on the other side. We had arrived at Oswego but we still had one more lock to go through today before entering the Oswego harbour and getting into the marina where our mast would be stepped. At 8 this morning, we were through the last lock but another boat was ahead of us well into getting their mast taken down for a trip through the canal system to Lake Champlain where they'll be spending their summer. We slipped in after them and I got a couple of loads of laundry done while Bob and the marina guys put the mast up. We're back in our slip where we'll spend tonight. Bob has mounted the radar on the back stay. Since, for the first time since we left Florida, I'm unable to access the Net, I've walked to the library for emailing and blogging while Bob continues putting the boat back together. He'll ask one of the fellows from the marina for help lifting the boom to put it back in place.

Tomorrow we're not sure how far we'll get since the forecast is for thunderstorms. I'm surprised. Thunderstorms at this time of year and forecast as "possible" for the next couple of days?? But it's so cool! - not what you think of as thunderstorm weather. We'll set out in the early morning but may only go a short distance if the skies look ominous and the seas are bumpy - and although it's sunny and even warmish in town, it's c-c-cold near the water. I expect to be emptying the hanging locker again and putting on my fowl weather gear as well as a fleece (or two)!

In the Erie Canal

Preparations for the mast to come down (sails off, mast supports put on deck, radar off the back stay, and other stuff that Bob does that I don't know about) as well as the mast removal (done by staff at the marina) were completed in one day. We arrived at Riverview Marina on Catskill Creek the afternoon of June 1st. By the evening of June 2nd, everything was done (in addition to assisting at crucial moments, Barb and I had done laundry and taken a cab to get groceries) - so we were able to go out with Barb and Ken for dinner to celebrate a productive day - and my birthday. I'm not saying how old I am but after my birthday next year, I'll be able to get discounts at Shoppers Drug Mart on Seniors' day.

The next day was a short travel day. We went through the federal lock at Troy (lock number 1) and in the early afternoon, we arrived at Waterford where we tied up along the wall. If you are lucky to find a space, there is a long free dock with power and water at Waterford but all spaces were full. We were happy enough to be at the wall where we still had access to washrooms and showers. From here on in, as we progress through the Erie Canal, we'll likely be able to dock for free most nights. In some places where a few services are offered, the cost is minimal ($1 a foot) and there are also the usual marinas if you want a proper dock with all the frills. Some people spend weeks ambling along the canal and stopping here and there to explore. It would be a fun thing to do. It's very pretty and there's lots of history to discover in the towns which grew up in response to the trade and commerce made possible by the canal.

Last night, we ordered some exceptionally good pizza and had a farewell dinner on board Plumpuppet. From Waterford it's possible to enter either the Champlain or Erie Canals. This morning, Barb and Ken went into the Champlain Canal on their way back to Lake Champlain where they keep their boat and we began our trip through the Erie canal toward Oswego on Lake Ontario.

From Waterford, you go into the Waterford Flight - five locks one after the other which take you up 169 feet.

Just out of one lock in the five of the Waterford Flight (see the open lock gate at the side) and moving into the next lock just up ahead. It was a beautiful day to be going through this scenic part of the canal.

A perfectly beautiful day in the Erie Canal

Docked for the night on the wall at Fonda - where THE Fondas once lived.
See the boat in front of Sea Change? - What do you do when you don't want to sail anymore? Remove the mast from your boat et volia - a power boat.

Up the Jersey Shore and Then the Hudson

Monday, June 1: Catskill, NY

All last week there were forecasts for possible thunderstorms. Finally, on Friday night while still at anchor in Atlantic City, we heard thunder and saw flashes of lightning - not close - but definitely part of a storm somewhere. After that there was no more threat of storms. By the next day the fog had lifted and the seas were calmer than all the week before. It was time to make our last run up the Jersey shore. Some people do the trip between Sandy Hook, NY and Cape May, NJ in 3 jumps stopping at Manasquan and Atlantic City; some cruise through the night and go all the way. We were repeating the 2 jump trip we had done on the way down, but this time instead of stopping at Barnegat Bay, we had stopped at Atlantic City.

From Atlantic City we had a long long way to go for the second jump. To make it before dark, we were up at 4:45 and out the Absecon Inlet by 5:30. 82 nautical miles and 14 hours later, we were anchored behind the breakwater at Atlantic Highlands marina just off the lower Hudson. It was a long day but not difficult - sunny skies, some wind and OK seas. The worst part was the last hour when we rounded Sandy Hook into an opposing current and Friday night boat traffic. The water was churned up by boats going every which way - big and small sport fishing boats, a freighter here and there, sailboats like us. That night, we were most relieved to say goodbye to the open Atlantic and settle in for a quiet night.

From here on in, it's full steam ahead toward home. At Barb and Ken's suggestion, we dispensed with our stay at New York City's 79th Street Marina. Instead, we fueled up at Atlantic Highlands and left at 7:30 a.m. to catch the tide up the Hudson as far as it would take us. After traveling some 60 nautical miles, the strong northwest winds made the planned for anchorage at Haverstraw Bay a bad bet so we continued on to anchor where a jog in the river created protection beneath Dunderburg Mountain. The anchorage was described as across from a nuclear plant and beside a railroad track. It sounded most unappealing but it was lovely with trees covering the mountainous shoreline. Trains passing nearby didn't bother us - we were too tired to take notice.





Manhattan ahead: we passed through New York City harbour and kept going.

I had forgotten - the Hudson has some spectacular scenery. As you move north bluffs line the river and then gradually rise into hills and mountains - all green with trees. When we continued up the river on Monday, we had a crisply cool but bright sunny day and lots of lovely scenery to look at. Again we left early to catch the tide arriving here at Riverview Marina, Catskills, NY in the late afternoon. This is the place where our masts come down so that we can take our boats through the locks ahead.

Scenes from the Hudson:

United States Military Academy at West Point