A walk about Chesapeake City

Wow lots of history in this little town. It takes a few mintues to to a walk about because there are only 4 streets running east & west, called first street, second street...

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The canal is used by BIG ships.This one is called Precious Ace. Note the 36 foot sailboat off to the left.

We started our walk about just in time to catch the Halloween parade through town complete with fire truck at the start and ambulance at the rear. The whole town came out to watch.

One of the many bed & breakfasts. A very quaint little town.

Sanford & Son - imagine living next door to this house?

We met up with Nora and John from Saber Tooth on our 20 minute walk about town

 

The Blue Max Inn

Go figure!

Chesapeake City, Maryland

I woke up this morning and once again the first thought in my head was "where are we today", this will pass in a few weeks when we stop traveling everyday but in the meantime it does make me think in the mornings. Everyday brings new challenges; this morning was how we were going to cast off the lines with a wind blowing us off the dock and a current without dock staff and no other boaters around. If I took too many lines off then the boat would drift too far to get back on the boat. With just the 2 of us, Ted is at the flybridge helm and me handling lines, no easy feat with just to people. At least today the boat is pointed in the right direction. At 07:20 we decided that we had no choice but to wait for dock staff. Then one neighbours on a 65 foot boat in front of us named Unforgettable.. oops Unreachable (private joke in case Bill is reading) showed up and with Bill's help we were away no problems.

Next...We managed to find the deep water in the channel however we ended up behind a sailboat. The current was running with us which limited our steerage and the sailboat was going slow so we kept slowing down too. Then, UK couple aboard the sailboat decided at the last minute that they couldn't clear the 55 foot fixed bridge, so they stopped directly in front of us. We blew the horn to remind them that we were there and that they were standing in the way of danger because we could not stop on such short notice with a current. If we had tried to stop we would have been sideways under the bridge and likely hit the bridge abutment.  They were half a boat length in front of us when they decided to go in reverse and get between us and the bridge abutment on our left side. How they did this so fast and without hitting us or the bridge remains a mystery. We yelled to them that they had room to get under the bridge, so the pulled along side us (in a very narrow channel) and went under the bridge beside us. We press the throttle to get out of the way before they did something else stupid. We later heard from our friends John & Nora who had dinner with this couple the night before, that the couple was grateful that we caused a wake that helped them get under the bridge. Go figure. What they should of done was:
 1.) radio us that they were unusure they could clear and bridge and we could have spotted for them. You can't spot a bridge for looking up.
2.) radio us that they were unsure and then safely turn around and follow us under the bridge giving themselves more time and space
3.) If they knew it would be tight to get under the bridge they should have planned to go around the other inlet. They should definately have checked the charts firsts, knowing what their mast height was and understand the currents. Once you get that close under a bridge you are committed. We were lucky there was no damage. They seemed surprised that we were behind them, next lesson check behind you. We didn't just suddenly appear, we pulled in behind them on the last turn, they had the right of way but given the situtation they should have let us go first. We hope they read this blog and learn not to put themselves and us in danager. Can you imagine trying to explain to your insurance company that the boat infront of you was going in reverse and hit you.
Definitely too early to be staying in a narrow channel and dodging sailboats, I hadn't even finished my first coffee yet.

Had a great cruise up Delaware Bay with the help of the tides we were going 10 -11 knots all day. We usually cruise at 8.5 if we are lucky. We are now at dock in Chesapeake City, Maryland which is halfway between Chesapeake Bay and Delaware Bay on the C & D Canal. This is a historic little town with B & B's, shops and taverns circa 1780. Mark this one on your places to visit list too. Half price pizza at the Chesapeake Inn Restaurant and Marina but we stay on the boat for dinner. We had drinks with our friends John and Nora aboard Saber Tooth from Port Credit. We have been in all the same cities as them but first time we have drinks.

One of the exciting pastimes on the C & D Bay is dodging crab pots. We actually refer to Chesapeake Bay as Crabpot Bay! What the heck is a crab pot you ask?

The Maryland crab pot is a large metal frame of wire weighing about 15 pounds with four openings where the crabs enter to eat the bait. It’s simple, the crab gets in and can't get out. They are lifted out and checked daily by commercial fisherman. People referred to them as crab pots but the pot is actually on the bottom and what you see at the top of the water are small floats (which are attached to these massive cages) which are sometimes barely visible until the last moment. Sometimes (often) there are rows of these crab pot markers and then the next thing you seen another row. It's bad news for the propeller and running gear to snag a crabpot. You will hear more about these little demons as we continue our travels down Crabpot Bay. The question is why do they put them in the channel instead of off to the side... the answer - cause they can. 

This is what a crab pot (float) looks like.

Delaware Bay Light House - can't miss these!

Cape May Day 2 - a walk about town

We woke up after a restless sleep trying to figure out how to get off the dock with the wind and current and spin around in the channel. After helping another boat off the dock fighting the current with the rising tide, we decided to spend another day in Cape May and relax. We waited till slack tide and spun the boat around so that we are now in position to leave without worrying about the 5 foot tidal range and the current that runs past us at dock. We should have put on walking shoes for our walk into town (and latter regretted how sore our feet were when we got back). Cape May is U shape around the ocean. We walked from the marina down Washington Street to the downtown walking mall for crab cake sandwich for lunch at Uncle Bills. The first taste of fresh crab...heaven. Here are some pictures:

 A Duck Store?

 The view from the boat of the Cape May commercial fishing fleet

Beside us the trophy prize

 Ocean front view of the beach and ocean

 The big one that didn't get away. 1028 pounds

Beautiful homes and mansions all along Washington Street

As for tomorrow, we'll wake up in the morning and decide where we go. Probably up Delaware Bay to Cheaspeake City (48 nm) where we will wait for better weather to continue on to Cheaspeake Bay. Going the 14 hours to Norfolk is not an option this week with the weather the way it is.

Comments please

Thank you for all the emails and words of praise and encouragement, it means alot to us to having you follow our trip. A number of people have said that they are unable to post comments. I have updated the access so please try again.

The captain at dock with Boatel I in Cape May

Hint - you can click on the picture to enlarge and then click on it again to resize. I keep adding more pictures so go back and check the previous days blog. 

Cape May NJ

We left Atlantic City and travelled 39 nautical miles today as per the captains log (591 nautical miles to date on our trip!! woohoo) to South Jersey Marina in Cape May, NJ. Some of you are thinking .... yes but you left 3 weeks ago, however we have had a few delays along the way. This ranks as one of the great stops on the trip from Toronto to the Bahamas. All we could say is this is soooooooooo pretty. Backtracking....

We left New York at 7:30 am and the harbour was quiet on a sleepy Saturday morning with no busy commuter traffic. A few fast boats in the harbour and a few freighters at anchor. Of course took time to take pictures of "the Lady".

 We settled in for a nice cruise south (33 hours to Norfolk). Getting out of New York Harbour is ALWAYS rough but exciting at the same time. We settled in to the flow after a few hours and started to remove some of the layers of clothes that we had donned at 6:00 AM. The winds and waves were as predicted for most of the day until late afternoon when the winds and waves picked up. The wave period was very short so the waves started getting steeper. Erring on the side of caution we decide to forgo our over night crossing from the NJ coast to Delaware and down the Delmarva (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) coast to Norfolk. We would have been crossing to Fenwick Island, DE at 1:00 am and the seas are always confused in that area where the North Atlantic meets Delaware Bay. We opted to go to our only resort - Atlantic City. As time would have it we were arriving at dark. At the entrance to Atlantic City, we spot something on radar but visually can't see a boat or a marker and it is only a mile away. A few minutes later the boat lights up (the second one in a few minutes). Whats with these fishing boat out after dark with no lights? The channel coming in was well lit but it stopped once we were inside. No lights, no lit markers and very confusing chart that showed very little water to go to Trump Marina and no dock staff.  After much contemplation we managed to flag a small fishing boat who lead us into dock. At dock I managed to get the attention of a research boat called Sea Wolf to help us with dock lines. Thank God. What a mistake this was. The dock was covered with bird shit, fish parts and unknown crunchy objects. Welcome to Trump Marina and for this we are paying $180 a night (a big discount from the $325 a night it is suppose to be!) Half the docks are empty and full of birds (thus the name BSDM). I gave the hotel attendant a dirty look when she said " enjoy your stay at Trump Marina", she had obvious not seen our dock.

We discovered a problem with the Genny when we were docking. We had white smoke and no water coming out but I had bigger issues to deal with so I turned off the genny and dealt with docking. By this time we were both tired (exhausted) we just wanted to go to bed.

I woke up thinking..."where are we". After the morning fog lifted, I remember that we were at Trump Marina, - lets called it Bird Shit Dock Marina (BSDM) and our genny maybe fried after running so long with no water.  We had breakfast on the sundeck in full sunshine and opened the windows to the smell of the sea air. The salt air mixed with the stuff on the dock was a distinctive smell that reminds us that we are now headed south. I switch to shorts, tank top and sandals to wash off yesterdays salt spray. Amazing Captain Ted has the genny fixed and we are underway at noon.

 We were the only boat headed out of the cut at noon, everyone else is headed in. A bad sign? The seas are higher than predicted but we soon get into the grove of the waves and enjoy the cruise south to Cape May. Sunscreen, sunglasses and a good cruise. Ted spotted a Blue Shark fish coming out of the water ahead of the boat. No fishing boats out today compared to yesterday. Turning into the waves to Cape May Inlet isn't fun but Captain Ted handles it no problem. We miss a turn and run out of water so we are hard aground but the tides are coming in so no worries. Captain Ted gets us back enroute and in no time we are at dock. Wash down, fuel and Martinis. Life is good at dock in Cape May, NJ.

 Cape May NJ

The Lobster House at Cape May, NJ

Trump Marina in Atlantic City

BSDM at Trump Marina in Atlantic City

Oct 23 Wonderful cruise out of NY Harbour and down to coast. The winds and waves were light as predicted. We took off layers of sweaters and put the sunscreen on. Weather was great till dinner time and then the waves period was too short causing the waves to be very choppy.We decided to abort our over night crossing from NY to Norfolk Virginia last night We pulled into Trump Marina (in a very badly lit channel) in the dark. Sunday morning we will revisiting our plans and checking weather. As the adventure continues..

Oct 24 Had to open up all the windows on the back deck because it was too hot for breakfast. Put on sunscreen, tshirt, shorts and flip flops on to wash down the boat this morning. Heading up Delaware Bay today as soon as we replace the impeller for the genny that fried because something (foreign) was in the hose stopping the water flow. Thank God Captain Teddy can fix anything. We will anchor tonight somewhere on Delaware Bay depending how far we get and then head out bright and early (unless there is fog) to cross the C & D canal to Cheaspeake Bay. We will be in Chesapeake Bay about 3 days before we get to Norfolk, VA so we will have limited if any access to email once we leave here today. I will fill in some details next time I blog.

Ready to leave NY

A martini, a full moon rising and the best view of NY City.

Ted & I spent the day today getting ready to cruise further south. All systems ready. I opted for a martini at sunset instead of pain killers. We were rewarded with an amazing sunset and watched the full moon rise over Manhattan... breathtaking!  However I realized that there are not enough martinis to kill the tooth ache pain. The jaw is still sore from back to back days at the dentist. I spent the afternoon cooking for our trip so that we don't have to prepare any meals while underway. We leave tomorrow at 5:00 am for a 36 hour cruise to Norfolk, Virginia. We leave NY harbor (this is NY so it is a harbor not a harbour) and head south down to the New Jersey coast to Cape May, NJ. We will be about 5 -7 miles offshore. At Cape May we cross to Fenwick Island, Delaware and from there we hug the DelMarVa (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia) coast to Cape Charles and then on to Norfolk Harbour. We will anchor in Willowby Bay in Norfolk, Virginia. Our cruise will be 33 to 36 hours so we should arrive in Norfolk on Sunday between 3:00 and 6:00pm. The boat is ready -we are excite and nervous at the same time. Oh the thrill.

Comments from our crew back at home now.
I can only imagine how awesome NYC looked by the light of the full moon!  I am still swaying to the motion of the boat four days hence on dry land - which just reminds me of how much I miss being aboard.  We so enjoyed our time with you and wish smooth sailing all the way.
Just to remind you that you made the right decision to head south - they had significant snow in the Barrie area yesterday!  It is probably gone now - however it is a sign of what is in store!
We landlubbers (dirt dwellers) have spent a sigificant amount of time in the last few days - raking leaves, cleaning out eavestroughs, etc.  You get the picture - I guess we just switched land jobs with boat jobs!
Keep well & keep in touch
Hugs
Liz & George

We are finally getting our shore legs back.  Miss getting rocked to sleep after a sumptuous meal, complete with supper apps.

Had a great time.  What a wonderful experience.

Sharon & Phil

Layover in New York

View of Manhatten and New York harbour from the dock

Ted & I rented a car to drive to Haledon for the second visit with Dr. Lembo to finish the root canal on Wednesday. We didn't realize that our GPS was set to "no tolls" so we ended up taking the scenic root from Weehawken to Haledon which was suppose to be 25 minute trip. We stopped at West Marine in NJ on the way back but by that time the freezing was coming out so I was anxious to get back. Soup and applesauce for dinner and I was asleep by 7:30. So much for enjoying NY! A front coming through the area means we stay at Lincoln Harbour Yacht Club until Saturday morning. Plus there is no way I could have stayed awake long enough for me to do my shift at the helm.

Thursday was a day of resting and working around the boat which means Ted worked and Diane rested. I learned that you should not take pain killers in the morning on an empty stomach. wooozzzzzzzzzzeee most of the morning. More soup for lunch and dinner. Tomorrow we hope to spend the day in NYC.

New York City

Our view from the Boatel at sunset of NY City

After consulting with Iris at the Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club, the crew headed out early this morning by ferry to tour New York for the day. The captain cleaned the rest of the grime off the boat from transiting the locks. Iris set me up with a ride to the dentist for an emergency root canal with Dr. Dominick Lembo (also a boater from  Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club).  Thank goodness for Iris! With antibiotics and pain killers in hand,  I headed back to the Boatel for the final dinner with our crew while enjoying a sunset in NY Harbour. Our crew leaves tomorrow morning to head back to Toronto and we will be spending another day in New York to finish off my root canal tomorrow.

New York, New York

We left Hyde Park yesterday morning at 08:40 and cruised down the Hudson River. We passed castles, bridges, barges, light houses and the famous West Point enroute to New York. The current was with us all day to give us a push down the river and the sun lit up the mountain to give us an amazing panoramic view.  We arrived at dock at Lincoln Harbor Yacht Club in Weehawken, NJ  at 16:35. Weehawken is across the harbour from Manhattan and is probably the best view of New York possible. After our celebratory toast to NY we headed out to dinner in the neighbourhood and got back to watch the lights of New York in our backyard. 

Our crew leaves tomorrow. What a amazing trip from TO to NY

As the sun comes up in Hyde Park, NY

We woke up to this backdrop as the sun was coming up. We discovered that the bandit got on the sundeck last night to search for food. No damage done.
 HINT - Double click on the pictures to enlarge.

The mighty Hudson

We left Troy NY at 11:00 and spent the day cruising the Hudson River to NY. We docked at Hyde Park around 6pm and enjoying a big pot of chicken stew on the boat. The fall colour were breathtaking today, the picture above was taken of the lighthouse at the entrance of Kingston, NY. We got some excited after dinner when an masked bandit boarded the boat. Ted spotted him sneaking onto the back swim platform and in the back door which we had left open to cool down the engine room. The captain quickly scrambled and chased our unwanted visitor off the boat. He waddled down the dock with his ringed tail between his legs. Funny thing is - it doesn't matter where you are in NY you can always hear or see a train going past night and day.

The final trek through the NY Canal to Troy NY

Tuesday October 12^th - The fog finally lifted and we had a great three hour crossing of Lake Oneida. We travelled most of the day with three sail boats and two other trawlers. We pushed on to make it to Lock 18 for the night but the lock master left right at 5pm and we arrived at 17:10 so we docked with Motor Vessel (M/V) Joanne Marie at the top of the lock for the night. 

Wednesday October 13^th – In the morning we awoke to more fog. We travelled 65 minutes to the next lock in fog.  Joanne Marie was  leading us through the twists and turns and hailed us on the VHF to say they were turning around to go to the dock at Little Falls which we had just past.  We decided to continue on to the lock and take the lead. We then realized that the lock was just 200 feet ahead of us. The fog was so thick that we couldn’t tell if the lock was open or closed. Once in the lock we all decided to pull over until the fog lifted, however one sailboat continued. MV Go Forth helped us dock and once again we waited for the sun to burn off the fog. We spent the morning travelling with Go Forth, Joanne Marie, and two other sailboats.  As the day wore on we remained alone in the locks with Go Forth with the other slower boats going in the lock behind us.  We now had the challenge of entering a full lock with wall that slanted at the top causing our fenders to roll up. We tried several techniques and finally decided  to put a fender side ways and finally it worked but not before we got a scrape along the side, but no big deal.   Go Forth needed to get through lock 8 to be able to get under a bridge before more rain came otherwise they would be stuck.  We discovered that our bow thrusters was not responding in the last lock, the breaker had gone but also the batteries were weak. I walked to the dock on the east side of the lock to catch lines and we docked their for the night on the east side of the lock which was more protected for the winds and rain of upcoming NorWester. The upper dock on the other side was newly finished but didn’t afford as much protection from the winds. We listened to the weather and decided that we would stay put for a day or two at this location and wait out the approaching storm.  We thought we had a protected location with trees all around us. We had only the soft sound of the waterfalls from the dam behind us as we headed off to bed after an exciting game of Farcle.

Thursday October 15^th – we woke up to 40 degree weather....burrr.  After a quick coffee I decided to head back to my warm bed to snooze for awhile. Ted & Phil headed up to get local knowledge from the lockmaster at lock 8. The next thing Ted was nudging me awake and announced that we had to get moving, that this was the worst place to wait with the impeding storm. So off we went in the rain. We had dropped the canvas top down a few feet to be able to clear all the bridges which was not a problem in good weather however now with rain, visibility was pretty poor out the front window. George worked with Ted to navigate through all the markers to the next lock. Now we approached the final locks at the Waterford Flight. The last 5 step locks were only a mile apart. We once again perfect our docking and locking techniques providing the captain with additional assistance in locking through with limited visibility.  A few times I jumped on the dock to handle lines and keep everything in control. The countdown was no on! Four more locks, three more, two more, one more aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh.   Once out of Lock 2 we slowly went past the Waterford town docks but there was no room for us. We pushed on and called the next marina on the radio but no answer.  So we moved on to the final lock, the dreaded federal lock.  We called the lock master for an opening since the light was red. No answer so we tie up to the wall. As soon as we tie up he opens the gates.  By this time our bow thrusters was weak so we couldn’t rely on it to get us into the lock and secured. After some frantic manoeuvres we managed to get secured in the lock. The problem in this lock was that they only have poles to rap a line around and no ropes hanging down.  To make things even more difficult the poles are spaced to far apart to be able to secure the boat at the bow and stern because the pole are over 65 feet apart.

Next we called Troy Docks on the VHF radio and the land line but still no answer. Isn’t anyone going to answer us today? We go downstream and come back up so that the current is in our favour. With a low bow thruster we are looking for help to dock but no help is available. After alot of quick action on the part of the crew we manage to miss the boat behind us and secure the boat with a few feet ahead and aft. Phew what an ordeal. I am soaked to the bone, not bad considering this was our only day of rain. Off to West Marine to buy new batteries for our bow thruster. 30 locks and our batteries are done.  We decide to spend two days at Troy to get marine supplies, groceries and do some boat maintenance and to wait out the impeding winds that have not yet happened Wind warning is now in effect but nothing so far.  We go to the local brew pub for dinner.

Saturday October 16^th.  Saturday morning we were off to the local Saturday farmers market near the canal.  We all went for a walk and brought back bags of local produce, bread and cheeses.  Off to the grocery store for the rest of the provisions with Liz and Joe our dock master.  Back to the boat in time to head out for the Troy annual Chowder Fest – amazing is the only way to describe this event. Hundreds of people showed up to test chowders from chefs  from the area. There was a total of over 25 chowders  of which we managed to sample 10 and voted for our favourites. What a great community fun raiser. I think we will plan a Chowder Fest in George Town this winter. We return to the boat with full bellies to finish some maintenance work before dinner. But then again how many ways can you do Lobster chowder? We had to get all the grime off the boat from the locks and wash the fenders. After much discussion on tides and what time to leave, we have dinner and computer time before bed. The storm and strong winds that were forecasted never happened. Tomorrow the Hudson River to NY.  

One of the cooks heating up chowder in the makeshift booths. Note the crowds in line!

FOG

Fogged in this morning at the dock. We had planned to leave at first light but we can't see across the channel. Lake Oneida does have markers however the rocks are big and unforgiving if you miss a marker in the fog and our radar is down to get through the bridges. Oh well breakfast at the dock. We have a free use of a courtesy car at the marina to go into town but we are just waiting for the sun to come out to burn off the fog.

Cruising the Oswego Canal

Everyone was up at 5:45am to prepare our departure from the Oswego. Early morning but we were all excited to start cruising after 5 days at the dock. We went to see Social Network at the local theatre last night, amazing movie (definitely recommend it to everyone) and probably the last movie for us for awhile. Good cruising day today, it started out cloudy but the sun came out this afternoon making the color of the leaves even more spectacular. Everyone got the hang of the locks especially since the first 3 locks are only five minutes apart. We cruised most of the day with 5 other boats in the locks together, so we quickly got into the groove. The sailboat in front of us gave us a fright when he came to a dead stop in front of us with wash from a dam right beside us. Ted maneuvered the boat like an expert to keep us from hitting the break wall. Once docked along the wall Ted had a few words with the other boat and explained the danger he put us in with such a stupid maneuver. But being a captain and a gentlemen Ted was always in control - no damage and no hard feelings. All in all we had a amazing day. We had drinks and devoured an amazing spinach dip at sunset and made a toast to another for a successful cruising day. We are now a dock at Brewerton NY for the night with hydro for the first time since we left Toronto last Monday. Had a bubble bath tonight....Life is good.
PS from Liz  our experiences to date have been so neat as our activities are quickly determined by the weather which in turn affects everything else.  Our forced stay in Oswego gave us the opportunity to get to know our Captain and his First Mate and they are awesome hosts.  We are enjoying gourmet fare, adventures, games, lots of laughs and each other - what more can you ask!  Our accomodation is first class and I highly recommend the whole package!
Please feel free to post your comments

Locks opening tomorrow

Locks are finally opening tomorrow so we are on the move again. We toasted to 10-10-10-10-10 last night. Ten minutes after ten on the tenth of the tenth month 2010. Pretty cool. We will remember Oswego fondly.

Crossing Lake Ontario to Oswego

Monday October 4^th we got up and studied the forecast and decided that we had a window to cross Lake Ontario. We got word from a friend waiting in Oswego that the locks were closed due to high water from the rain however we decided it was time to go. Once our friends and traveling companions Sharon, Phil, George and Liz arrived, we wasted no time to depart Harbourfront  with our first port of call being Oswego NY where we would clear customs. Our first leg would be hugging the north shore to give us protection from the north east winds.  We all marvelled at the beautiful sunset that surrounded the city of Toronto as we said goodbye for the winter. Once everyone settled into the motion of the boat and wave pattern  we had a relatively smooth cruise to Popham Bay where we anchored at 3:00am for the night. During the cruise everyone managed to sleep even over the noise of the engine.  Lifting anchor in the morning presented us with our first challenge; our new anchor chain which we purchased last year did not quite match the gypsy cogs causing the chain to slip when we tried to lift anchor. The men used their creativity to figure out a solution that would work to lift the anchor proving that three heads are always better than one. 

Tuesday Oct 5^th - We departed the anchorage having secured everything on the boat for the second leg of the trip across Lake Ontario. We prepared lunch so that we did not have to do galley duty in rough weather. Once we left the protection of our anchorage at Popham and surrounding islands, the winds and waves increased over the next few hours. The crossing was to be 8 hours but it became quickly evident that we could not maintain that course due to the wind and wave direction. We altered course to port to take the waves more on the bow and reduce the rolling action. We continued to do adjustments for the next two hours and then it became clear when the winds increased that we needed to find an alternative destination for the night. We decided on heading to Main Duck Island which affords protection for NE winds on the south side of 2 mile island. The option of turning broadside into the waves to continue our four hour crossing was no longer an option. We set the GPS and altered our course for a 2 hour cruise to Main Duck Island.  Over the next hour things started to settle down, the waves reduced and it was almost flat once we settled into the last hour approach to Main Duck. We anchored and enjoyed dinner in a nice protected anchorage. At about 11 pm the winds switched to NW which were not forecast to change until Thursday. Diane was up periodically checking the perimeter alarm on the anchor until Ted took over at 2am.

Wednesday Oct 6^th brought blue skies, sunshine and a smooth final crossing of Lake Ontario from Main Duck to Oswego, NY.  With the thought of rough weather behind us, the heavy sweaters were replaced with t-shirts and sunglasses as everyone enjoyed a relaxing three hour cruise and lunch at the upper flybridge on our final approach to the USA. This is the way Lake Ontario should always be.  Getting unto the wall posed a challenge for the captain and crew. Due to the efforts to lower the water levels in the Oswego River, the water rushing out of the river combined with the winds from the Lake was causing a lot of confused eddies and currents which was making it difficult to turn in the channel. As always, our Captain Ted remained calm and managed to safely manoeuvre the boat to the wall without incident.  Once we were secured, we walked to the marina to clear customs and acquire our cruising permit that would enable us to cruise through the US without having to clear in at every state. 

Thursday & Friday October 7 & 8^th – We spent time doing work on the boat and getting to know the town of Oswego. The water is still rushing past us as they try to reduce the water levels in order to re-open the locks.  Early Thursday morning a large 100’ yacht named Perseverance docked behind us on the wall. The captain mentioned to us in the morning that he came close to hitting our boat when he trying to dock. He had not expected the water action to be as much of a concern until he started to lose control and had to take immediate and decisive action to avoid hitting us.  This was another close call and the reason why we must be on alert for other boats coming in to dock.  Finally there was time for that haircut that I was hoping to get before I left Toronto!  Our traveling companions say they have never been so well fed and that they are enjoying their experiences on board with an amazing combination of nail biting passages, breath taking scenery, relaxing, reading and playing games.  There is enough laughter and shouting during the nightly games to be cause for complaints to the local noise bylaw enforcement officer.

Saturday October 9^th – The weather is beautiful and we take advantage to go for a daily walk along the Oswego River. The water is still running fast and we passed the site where two local fishermen died last week when they got swept up by the raging river. They were in the water with hip waders but no life jackets.  Rescuers managed to save two of the four men last week but still today we see men in the water with no life jackets, so obviously the lesson was no learned. The city proposes to pass legislation next year requiring fishermen in the water to wear lifejackets.  Back to the boat for dinner and then to the Oswego Cinema for a movie night.  Our friends paid as seniors and we managed to do the same  (even me) but ofcourse I let Ted buy the tickets. Back to the boat for another Farcle challenge.

Departure date delayed

The countdown to our departure day ended today but we are still here at Harbourfront! The weather looked so good at the beginning of the week for us to leave today, but as luck would have it mother nature changed her mind. We have spent the last few days getting ready and saying good-bye, we learned in our first year that sometimes we say good-bye a few times before we really leave. The weather looks calm in the harbour here but it is deceiving because out "there" on the lake the wind is blowing around 20 knots with 5-6 foot waves, which we know is no fun. So we wait. It's no fun to start the first day of a long trip wishing it was over - so we wait because we know from experience that Lake Ontario can be mean. So we are cooking a turkey and having an early Thanksgiving dinner with our kids and say goodbye again. It doesn't seem as hard leaving our kids this year because with facebook, skype, email, satellite phone we can still keep in touch with them. No back to baking cookies and getting more ready (your never really ready). Till Wednesday... departure day.