Happy Holidays

We've had several days of rain and sprinkles this past week. We're told it's very unusual to see so much rain at one time and for so many days in a row. Last Friday night/Saturday morning Port St Lucie got 7” of rain which caused several road closings and also flooded the parking lots and back yards everywhere. (Yeah, we're really missing the northern weather patterns.... If that was frozen precipitation we would have had 6 ft of snow! ) We did have to bail out the dinghy which was very close to being total submerged. We had left it over night while staying with the kids. It only took about 10 minutes and we were off a running.

The winds are generally out of the east, north east, and range from 10 to 30 each day. Every once in a while we will see a calm flat day and then the strong severe winds again. We're having to try to learn these new patterns so we're better prepared to say what is a good day to travel and what is not. The “weather windows” are so very important to this new life. It's a very popular subject up at the marina building and patios. We've met so many other couples living aboard and enjoy trading stories and experiences with them. Some have already moved on to prepare for a “crossing”! The journey from Florida to the Bahamas isn't very far, but again that weather window combined with the northerly gulf stream make it a very calculated event.

We're so very happy and warm here in Stuart and we know it's going to be a difficult day when we detach from the mooring next month. We have two weeks of family fun ahead and then we'll be moving on.

Jim and I hope that you and your families are also doing well this holiday season and we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Living Aboard_Nov 2011

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Making Lists

Anymore, if there are more than 3 things to remember we need to write them down. And we haven't escaped making lists by simply sailing away. When we really got serious about the To Do list for our trip the lists were several pages long. We had a list of lists just to try to organize it all. No really, we had the house list to prepare it for the market. We had vehicle lists to keep them running and to prepare them for sale as well. We had all the work involved with liquidating the contents of the house, too. Then we had the boat lists! We got most of the work done, but not all of it. The house was sold without any problems. The vehicles were sold after a few necessary repairs. Our personal stuff was reduced to a more manageable load. And the boat was complete enough for us to set sail, kind of...

Now that we have finally reached Florida and warm weather we're back to working on the proverbial list. There were a few things we never quite finished before leaving PA and of course there are a few new entries to the list.

LM: After we write a few things down we think of a few more and all of a sudden it's amazing how long the list really is. It's just like still having the house.

JM: I was worried about being bored silly with nothing to do. There's always plenty to do.

If you know anything about us at all, you know we like to stay busy, we always need to have a project, and we like working on the boat. We're having a great time trying to put a dent in that list, and our new home gets more and more comfortable every day. We're adapting easily to the Live Aboard lifestyle here at Sunset Marina. We're surrounded by so many other full time Live Aboard couples and daily routines become a necessary behavior. Each day of the week might be designated as laundry day, or grocery day, or one of my favorites – go to the beach day! Everyone has their own routine and we all move about each day tending to our chores and saying hello as we pass one another at the dinghy docks. A few of our latest projects include: rewiring the inverter, sanding and conditioning the teak trim in the head, scribing and sanding a new swim platform before installing, polishing all the stainless steel on deck, and washing off the salt water stains on the boat's hull. The work never ends, even in retirement. Some things on our list would never have been accomplished up north. The season was so short that the priorities were very different. You do what you have to to keep the boat working and then try to use the boat as many days as you can before the season is over. When the season ends we would put the boat away for the winter and forget about the projects until spring. Now we have all 12 months to balance work and play! And the list...may it never be done!

Happy Thanksgiving From Stuart Florida!

Hello everyone and Happy Thanksgiving.  Jim and I are so very thankful this year for our continued health and all the love and support of our families.  We have achieved the first chapter of our dream (surviving the trip from Erie PA to Stuart/Port St. Lucie Florida) and we are very much looking forward to the next. 

Please continue to follow our journey and don't hesitate to post a comment.  Or if you prefer just send us an email.  We miss all our northern friends and especially our family.  Give us a call and then Come On Down! 

Jim and Linda

November 8-16

LM: Since our last chapter we've reached some family in Port St. Lucie. This last week of the trip included two nights in Vero Beach Marina utilizing the laundry and their intra-city bus routes for some re-provisioning. From there we anchored for a night behind Nettle's Island just outside the St Lucie River mouth. Friday was a blustery day and once again we battled strong winds and currents for that last 15 miles into Sunset Bay Marina, Stuart, Florida. We'll be staying here through Thanksgiving while spending as much time as possible with the kids and grandkids! Seeing them makes the last four months all worth it!

We're also working on the transition from “always-on-the-move” to true “Live-Aboards”. The reality of retirement and our unlimited time frames are all new for both of us.   Anywhere we stop now, we're surrounded by people living on their boats.  I knew we wouldn't be alone but I never imagined there were so many peolple doing this.  Full time, part time, seasonal, stay in one location, move around to favorite places, etc.  One of the guide books we use (printed in 2006) estimates the number of snow bird boats at more that 15K each year. We're trying to listen and learn from all this experience and most cruisers are happy to talk about their adventures. 

Jim has some maintenance and repairs to catch up on and I will be attending to the daily domestic parts of our routines. We are scoping out the local waters for carefree places to day sail. What do we do all day? You'll have to keep checking in with us to find out. JM: We're both so happy to finally be doing what we've wanted to do for so long.

So, what's happening where you are? jlmsail@yahoo.com

MANATEE MONDAY

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Special Edition – Manatee Monday!

Yesterday (Sunday 11/6) we motored through some very narrow sections in Mosquito Lagoon passing up Rockhouse Creek anchorages and the lagoon before anchoring just beyond the Haulover Canal Bridge. The tiny basin here has a public launch and room for one boat to anchor, two if you set a second anchor and can keep a safe distance between the two boats. We were very excited about the possibility of seeing some manatees. They are known to be plentiful in this area. The basin was very calm and quiet except for the pelicans, egrets and cormorants diving around looking for dinner. Otherwise we enjoyed a very quiet night. A few afternoon sprinkles sent all the fisherman and boaters home early. The sun sets earlier now too so once we had the anchors set we closed up the boat to keep the little biting bugs out. After dinner it was lights out and no sightings as of yet....

Manatee Monday!!! Before I had even sipped my first coffee we had Manatee sightings within 50 feet of the stern. After at least an hour and 21 pictures (see pics), we had to stop watching so we could get dressed and really start the day. What a great place to sit and watch these creatures float around and move along slowly. One manatee came right over to our boat, checked out the dinghy for a while, then put his snout right up onto the stern for a sniff. These things weigh 1000-1500 lbs. We are sure of there being 5 manatees, as we could see that many at the same time. There were probably a few more but they did not surface at the same times to be sure of a higher count. After finally getting under way we enjoyed another 39 miles of waterway which took us past Canaveral and Cocoa Beach areas. Winds built a few times to over 20 and we had a sudden downpour lasting just a few minutes. The Eau Gallie port is now part of Melbourne and located at ICW 914. We anchored in the Indian River here and just watched some incredible colors in the sky. It's not as if we've never seen a rainbow, but WOW, we just had a double full range rainbow so close and so big it took two shots to get it all with the camera! (see pics)

Jacksonville/St Augustine

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October 30 - November 5

Who ordered all this wind?!

140 more miles behind us this week (3467 to date) and a few great places kept us for a second day!

We made our way out of the Fernandina basin and followed the IntraCoastal Waterway all week. It's been a week of cold air, strong winds and a few light sprinkles so the ocean didn't sound very inviting. Sunday was still rather threatening as we left the Amelia River towards the St. John's Inlet. The area we had researched for that evening had a very strong current so we deployed a second anchor off the stern. This was a first for us but it seemed to help. The hold on the bottom settled the boat down and eliminated the swing throughout the night going back and forth with currents and wind. We even found some great TV reception with our rabbit ears and were able to watch football all afternoon! Sometimes it's the little things that make it a good day, eh?

With a continuous forecast for strong winds and cooler temps, we decided to venture off the ICW and explore the St. John's River into Jacksonville. It was 15 miles inland and more than worth the deviation. The city had fabulous floating docks just across the street from their sports arenas including the Jacksonville Jaguar's stadium. Except for game days, the entire place is free for overnight stays and includes access to fresh water. If you need electricity you can run a credit card through an automated system to activate your slip. There were approximately 100 slips. We were one of only two boats there on Monday night. We can only guess this is off season here. After a 1.25 mile hike into downtown we discovered the Landings. This complex was like a mini-mall, with two floors, and was built smack dab in the center of downtown on the waterfront. What a concept... There were stores and restaurants and fountains and sidewalks and..... free docks! (see pics)We moved here for our second day and night in Jacksonville. We also had quick access to their public transportation systems (3 trolley routes, buses and railway cars. ) We rode one of the trolleys and enjoyed a quick tour of an area we would never have reached on foot. Oh, and did I mention, the trolley was free!

The next big city on the coast is St. Augustine and we had no trouble moving from Jacksonville to there in one day. We also took advantage of the only warm day this week by staying over here for a second day, too. Thursday was beautiful. We took our dinghy ashore to the city marina and explored the downtown area for hours. The history and old buildings here are endless. (see pics) Jim found an ad on a bulletin board at the marina for someone selling two used bikes. We've been wanting to get bikes, so he called. We now have two collapsible Caribike bicycles. They're great and they stow nicely. We pedaled for several more hours that afternoon and have discovered a whole new angle for our adventures.

Well, it's back to the boat and the ICW, and time to get moving further south again. We've made our way through the Flagler Beach area and we are currently resting in the marina in Daytona Beach on the Halifax River. We stopped here for fuel around noon and the winds were starting to gust over 20 knots so we decided to play it safe. As of 7p we were still seeing 25+. We spent part of the afternoon browsing through their annual Art Festival where most of the artists were very busy holding onto their tents. Gotta go, it's time to turn our clocks back.

October 23-29

Reaching for our first finish line!

Well, as planned we exited the ICW on Monday morning through the Port Royal Sound and set sail for the Ossabaw Inlet. It was a beautiful sunny day with light winds from the north. We couldn't have planned the day any better if we had tried. The current was flowing out of the sound, carrying us into the ocean at about 8 knots or better. From there we turned southwesterly and managed to ride with a positive current all day long. It was a motor-sail, but hey, at least we got the sails out and it was a perfectly relaxing ride. The relaxation came to a end as we approach the Ossabaw Inlet. This was not a heavily traveled channel except for the local fisherman and we would not have any familiarity with the current shoaling areas. While it wasn't considered too hazardous by the cruising guides, we still had work hard to find the safe passage to the inside. This can make things just a little tense when you are suddenly unsure if you can make it inside without running aground. Jim got us through (I got too wound up) and the inside river was great. Arriving here at low tide gave us a view of the inside beach for a few hours. We dinghy'd ashore followed very closely by dolphins. What a sight to see right at water level in a 8' inflatable boat. For the first time since leaving home we walked barefoot in the sand and got our feet wet. (see pics) Each afternoon as we record the day's progress we look at distance to the next state border or when we'll cross the next degree of longitude, etc. As of Monday afternoon we were just 73 miles (as a crow flies) to the entrance to St Mary River Inlet and Fernandina Beach, Florida. This is the first Floridian port on the east coast.

From Ossabaw we motored inside the ICW to Doboy Island and then on to Brunswick Georgia. This was the only civilization we've seen for a while so it was time to go ashore and restock. You know the routine: laundry, groceries, wash off the boat, refill water tanks, get fuel, and squeeze in a little local sightseeing. Brunswick offered so much to our way of life we stayed a second night just so we could take advantage of everything they had to offer. We would have had to stay a week, but the second night was a wonderful thing.

So it's Friday and this is it. We will be in Florida by this afternoon! We're rested and refueled and off we go. From mile marker 680 to 714 should be a piece of cake. The decision to sail outside or stay in was answered for us. There was almost no wind and a light sprinkle starting. It was a slow quiet ride and we crossed the state line at 430p, dropped the anchor at 5p. We are anchored directly across from Fernandino Beach Marina (and a sweet smelling paper mill). The sunset was beautiful, current temp 71 with a low of 65 tonight. We'll be able to leave some hatched open :)

WE HAVE MADE IT TO FLORIDA, YEAH!

Next decision, move along or stay here another day? Saturday morning was a cold nasty thing. Wind gusts over 20 knots and rain. We're staying right here until the conditions improve. We have a whole new set of charts and guides for Florida to read so this will be a stay home day for sure.

2011-10-29

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October 17-22

This week started out on the cold side with the chance of rain in the forecast earlier in the week. Our plans to use an inlet to the ocean were postponed until later in the week due to the wind direction and velocity and the threat of thunderstorms. We're continuing to travel 30-50 miles a day and finding a place to anchor at night. The peaceful quiet solitude is really something to experience. On Monday we anchored in front of Hughes Marine in the Shallotte River. Other than a few fishing boats, we saw no other travelers on the water.

By Tuesday morning we were crossing into South Carolina. The view evolved to a more remote wilderness with few or no waterfront properties. We also noticed a sudden change in the foliage from all green to some browns and orange. We're starting to see native (not imported) palm trees mixed into the other types, too. The Waccamaw River provided several twists and turns where an anchor fit nicely. We stayed over a second night here in anticipation of that cold rainy day the local weather expert predicted. As it turned out Wednesday was warm and sunny most of the day and we took the opportunity to work on the boat. It's just like your house or apartment, there's always something that needs to be fixed or cleaned or both. Jim always has maintenance or rigging to attend to and Linda cleans out compartments in an attempt to find more room. The cold front did finally arrive and with it some very gusty wind making our second night a bit noisy.

We had a short hop to Georgetown SC and looked forward to an afternoon on shore before we spent the following day at sea. What's left of the Georgetown waterfront was disappointing. The cruising guides have failed to keep up with the economy here. We found a lot of empty store fronts and no convenience stores. Remember, this is the view of a town from the city docks. We're not seeing the world through a car window or local tour guide. Our experiences are being collected through the eyes and ears of a couple of sailors. We're reading a little bit about the history of the area as well as the more recent marina and provisioning information as we go, but sometimes that information isn't what we find. The basin here did give us the protected anchorage we were looking for so it was still a good place to have stopped. We were about 5 miles from the inlet to be used on Friday for a sail.

Friday finally gets here and we head for the ocean. The winds were light but at least we wouldn't be dodging channel markers and shoals all day long. We made the ride from Georgetown across the Winyah Bay with a nice strong current helping us reach 8.5-9.1 knots of boat speed and we're on our way. Our course will be WSW for the day as we aim for Charleston. The wind? Of course! The wind is from the WSW. Well, we sailed the best we could anyway with the engine running for support. It was a great day out there with small waves and relatively warm air. We arrived in the Charleston harbor at 6:38pm. Oh, by the way, sunset on Friday was at 6:38pm. It was a beautiful sight, but now we have to find our preselected anchorage in the dark. We dropped the hook at 8p and that's all we saw of Charleston. Was it worth it? Yes. But this day would have it's effects on us in the morning.

We decided to stay inside the ICW on Saturday to recover from the long day we just had finding Charleston. We were up and out around 830a. Linda: “I seemed to have lost my internal compass. Am I still on night vision mode? Is this a bad dream? Where am I? Jim come here and help me with the charts.” Jim: “go that way, away from the bridges” Long story short we put the engine in neutral and let it turn a slow 360. It seemed to reset our bearings and off we go. It's 845a and there's a bridge we can make in time for the 9a opening. Using the VHF, Jim hails the bridge operator requesting he hold the bridge if we don't quite make 9a. Well it's Saturday so the bridges open on demand, no problem. Wrong. The problem was Jim's compass hadn't reset yet. He hailed the wrong bridge. lol “Cap't I don't see you yet, when you get closer we'll open 'er up for ya.” Oops, wrong bridge. We then call the right bridge name and apologize to the first one. So the bridge opens and we're off, again. A few minutes later we proceed through Elliott Cut. This very narrow canal has a strong current, and it's against us of course. We knew this was coming as we had read about a few days earlier. We had the motor running at 2000 RPMs and a boat speed of 6.5 knots. Our actual speed over ground (SOG) was 2.7-3.0. It was the longest .3 miles ever! On the other end we spill into the Stono River. Aah? Which way? Right or left? Jim? “The book says go south” . OK, left it is. It took me 4 miles to figure our we were going the wrong way if wanted to stay on the ICW. We did a 180 and motored against the current again arriving back at the cross roads 1.5 hours later. Oh, wait. This gets even better. Have you ever wanted a redo We're finally headed in the right direction and the day settles into a familiar routine. Eventually we talk about where we think we should stop for the day and anchor. We have a bend in the course picked out and it should be fine. The chart shows this spot to be 12-16 feet deep.... you guessed it, it's not. When we suddenly reached 4.5 feet, the boat stops. We read somewhere: There are two kinds of boaters. Those that have run aground, and those that are lying about never having run aground. Our soft landing was no big deal and we were off the sand in a few minutes with the reverse throttle. We found an even better place a few miles later and decided to try to forget this day :)

We're in Beaufort SC now, and we're planning another ocean sail for Monday morning. Georgia is only about 20 miles south, and Florida is just over 100. This will be another exciting week as we celebrate those milestones as well as our 3 months out at sea.

2011-10-16

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October 10-16

It's Monday morning and we're on our way to the start of the ICW @ Norfolk, VA. This would be the last day “outside” for a while. With few notable issues, the day was like any other. Light winds and the hum of the Westerbeke engine. The approach to Norfolk was a busy place. This bay, if you can call it that, is a large merger of several rivers and ports. Hampton Roads as it's called today, is a huge commercial port as well the home of the Norfolk Naval base. This is where the big guys park! (see pics). We anchored at channel marker R36 also known as Statue Mile Zero (St M 0) with at least 20 other boats that would start their journey into the ICW in the morning, too.

Our first few hours on Tuesday included waiting for a few bridges to open as well as jockeying for position with all the other traffic. Power boats can move much faster than sail, and they have some powerful wakes to deal with. Generally the power boats lead the cluster, followed by all the sailboats in descending order of engine size. It takes a few miles for this all to work out and in the mean time everyone wants to be first. We're all on VHF channel 13 communicating our intentions and politely passing on the port side. Well that's how it's supposed to work. Not all captains follow these simple rules. More than once we've witnessed some not so nice passing and are keeping a constant watch for it. The waterway is narrow and depths can range from 20+ feet to as low as 8 if you weave away from the rum line too far. The guides we're using have mentioned more that once the importance of staying alert for shallow water and debris (see pics of the tree stumps). This combined with the passing scenarios can be rather exciting at times. We also listened to several communications coming out of the Naval Base. Imagine hearing something like this as your riding along: “This is WARSHIP 72 preparing to embark from berth # 12 heading to channel mark R6. Standing by on 16”.

We caught up to all the larger boats by mid afternoon since they had already stopped for the day. (see pic) We were happy with our progress for our first day and found the recommended anchorage just a few more miles beyond the busy marina area. You probably won't find Buck Island, but that's where we stayed. ICW_St M 56.

From here we found the Alligator River, the Alligator/Pungo canal, Pungo River, Neuse River, Adams Creek anchoring every night when the time was right. On Friday we were in Morehead City, NC. No relation of course, but we did buy a few shirts to mark the occasion. This was our first marina stop in 11 days. We were running low on fresh water, fuel, groceries, and clean towels. The city marina fit the bill for all these needs and we enjoyed a nice warm afternoon there running errands.

Saturday brought us to ICW_St M 245 and the Mile Hammock Bay and Sunday we finished the day just south of Wrightville Beach, the Carolina Inlet ICW_St M 295. The properties along the ICW these last few days has been very interesting. This must be where all the North Carolina money is spent. (see pics). We've had some discussion about which houses may actually be hotels or condo/time shares as opposed to singe family homes. One place even had a giraffe (see pic)!

We're moving along at a good pace and should not have any trouble reaching Florida by early November. We're hoping to use a few inlets this coming week to escape the confines of the ICW and sail along via the Atlantic. We'll let you know how that works out next week!

2011-10-09

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On the road again...

...just can't wait to get on the road again.

We traveled about 100 miles back and forth this week within the Chesapeake Bay. What a great place for boating, truly. If you've never been here, add this to your places to visit in the future. Everything here is about boating. The area is easy to navigate and there are hundreds of places to see and enjoy. We anchored out in 9 different areas over the last two weeks and enjoyed them all. We've resumed our southern course and should see Norfolk VA and the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW) sometime tomorrow afternoon or early Tuesday morning.

With a stay at the Liberty Marina in the South River last Monday we were able to catch up with several of Linda's cousins that she hasn't seen in about 18 years. It was a wonderful evening of hugs and sharing memories. (Thanks for picking us up and for the pizzas everyone!) Later in the week we had another visit from Jim's cousins. They brought the long awaited Screen and UV enclosures we'd ordered back in July from a place in St. Catherine’s ON. (see pics after this posting). After leaving this Marina we had our eyes on a few creeks that we had passed up on the way in, so off we went for an anchorage marked on our charts. We found a very interesting sight in Church Creek (see pics) in the exact location of the recommended anchorage – a recently sunken sailboat. We have no idea what happened but couldn't resist taking pictures as well as a quick ride around it. We liked this spot so well we left and came back for a second night! It was quiet and remote and only about ¼ mile off the main river.

This second week in the Chesapeake not only gave us those opportunities to see family but it also fit well with the schedule for the Annapolis Boat Show! This is said to be the largest “in the water” boat show in the country as well as the longest running, this being the 42^nd or 43^rd year. We anchored just outside Spa Creek near the Naval Academy fields and took a water taxi into shore. Not having been to this before, we were both impressed with the large number and variety of vendors not to mention all the boats brought in for anyone to board. You've heard the expression “like a kid in a candy store”? It's a good thing we didn't bring very much $ with us. :) We did find a solution for our not so comfortable V-berth (see pics) and managed to spend all the money that we did bring along.

We're in Deltaville VA tonight. This is where we found our boat almost 3 years ago at this time. Who would have thought the Sabre would find her way back home after so long, but she did.

Happy Columbus Day everyone!

9/26 – 10/2 Chesapeake Bay visits

We had a nice week in the Bay, stopping in a few rivers, creeks, coves to anchor, and tracking only about 100 miles. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge was another beautiful view, although we do not recommend staying anywhere near it overnight. The traffic noise below in Kent Narrows was hard to ignore. We did learned how to smash and eat a Maryland Blue Crab at Harris Crab House, so it wasn't a total loss to have stopped there. The marina there was actually a “dock-ominium” and each slip is owned individually. They keep a few open for transients but otherwise they are were all full. These were not floating docks, rather very rough cut telephone poles and limited room within the basin to maneuver. Imagine what you might pay to have a slip just over the bridge from Annapolis..... try 115K or more!

We dropped a hook in Reed Creek up in the Chester River, and again in Ogleton Lake on the western shore just a few miles from Annapolis. There are blue crab fisherman in most every little nook and cranny of the Bay. We've learned about and watched what are called “trot lines”. This is a very unique fishing method, one we've certainly never heard of before.

We found ourselves in Little Choptank River on Thursday afternoon. Sister Barbara and her husband Ray own a home on the eastern shore and our boat tied up nicely to their dock! We spent all day Friday just running errands and restocking the boat while waiting for Barb and brother Joe to arrive. It promised to be a wonderful weekend and good times with family......

Saturday morning brought October. Saturday also brought cold air, strong winds and an unusually low tide. Our plan to take them out for a sail ended when we could see the bottom paint from shore and knew that the boat was sitting on the muddy bottom. LOL Their normal 5' minimum depth fell to about 3'4”. There was no danger to the boat, but it wasn't going anywhere for a few hours. Anyway, we enjoyed the time we stayed with them and planned our exit from the dock on Monday morning accordingly. :)

We're at the Liberty Marina in the South River tonight and have plans for dinner with Linda's local cousins tonight. If the weather doesn't improve tomorrow we may be reconsidering another week in the Bay and resume our southern route! We're seeing the first reported snow falls in WV on the Weather Channel. Oh Boy, it's time to go!

2011-09-26

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September 18 to 24

Sunday morning was a windy one, and we were moored in the perfect location to watch the local sailboats races. There appeared to be several races happening all over the Sound. We watched a fleet of J24's run several windward_leeward patterns and launch Spinnakers. We reminisced about our racing days and watched for quite a while as these sailors raised and lowered their sails around the windward mark. One of these days we'll get our spinnaker back out again! When the time was right (current running into the east river) we set off for the trip through New York City. Navigation was well marked and we had no problem making our way down the river and into the bay. The water side view of Manhattan, and every other place we saw, was fantastic. We've all seen pictures in tour books or on the internet, but there is nothing like seeing it live and in person! The Statue of Liberty is really something to see. Watch for those pics to be uploaded.

From City Island and New York City we ended the day in Sandy Hook, NJ. For some reason we often find ourselves heading into the setting sun and blinded by the bright beams and salty dodger window. Sandy Hook was no exception. Anyway, we grabbed a spot to stay and were promptly told that particular mooring ball was private and unavailable. We decided to move back over to the anchoring basin, and settled in. Unfortunately the anchor did not. We were drifting.... So we pull it back up and try again... It's not holding and we don't know why. There are several other boats around us and they seem fine. Well by this time the sun is gone and we're completely in the dark. We pull the chain back in and try again. We did finally catch the bottom but found ourselves standing watch for several hours afterward just to be sure. This is not a great way to end what was otherwise a very nice day.

We logged 250 more miles last week and we're finally feeling like we're on track. The threat of cold air and snow are but a distant memory. We've not planning the annual haul out for the year and we even dug our shorts back out a few days ago. Our summer has finally begun! The outer coast of New Jersey was an easy ride with a few small inlets available to duck into. We passed Atlantic City and Wildwood without stopping and certainly saved some money by doing so. Again, these are magnificent views from the ocean side and one that few people really see. On the southern end of the state we relaxed in Cape May for two nights. What a nice, clean, friendly, fancy, tourist town. BIG homes, BIG boats, and lots of intercity inlets. Real estate prices are unreal. If you like fishing, this is the place to be. Hundreds of large boats loaded with outriggers, etc. We were the only sailboat at the Lutchs Marina. We toured the coastline on bicycles. Had great views of the sandy beaches and shops. After a nice dinner out, we relaxed on board and prepared for the next course, northward into the Delaware Bay.

After just one overnight on the anchor we were through the Bay and into the Delaware River. And here we go again, another canal. The C&D canal takes you through Delaware into Maryland and the north end of the Chesapeake Bay. YEAH! It was an easy ride and there were no locks or bridges to wait for. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the hurricane season and heavy rains, many areas on the east coast are under flood watches. This has all the rivers running high and dumping debris into the bays. We spent much of the time in the Delaware River and the canal just trying to avoid the logs and sticks floating by. We're currently anchored in the Sassafras River if you want to find that on a map. We've been sorting clutter, reorganizing some storage, and just doing some mindless chores.

The Chesapeake Bay's eastern and western shores are loaded with places to go, things to do and people to see. The Annapolis Boat show is coming up soon, we have cousins in the Chester and Baltimore areas, a sister in Cambridge, more cousins from Alexandria VA, and a niece there too. We're planning to be leaving the Chesapeake Bay in 10 days or so. We'll see where the wind takes us :)

Finally, southward bound!

Since leaving the Sandwich Marina on Cape Cod last Sunday we've traveled another 200 miles and touched down in 4 more states. The sun has gotten brighter and the temps are slightly more tolerable. Daytime temps are in the upper 60's/low 70's, but nights are still down in the 40's. We've now been on the go for 8 weeks.

The ride through the Cape Cod Canal was very scenic. There were beautiful homes along the shorelines and paved bike trails on either side. This narrow channel also has a very strong current so our departure had to be carefully timed. We started just after 11a, and right outside the basin we were already in a 3 knot current. As the canal widens into Buzzard Bay the winds and waves grew. The other side seemed to be a very different place than the calm one we had just left behind. It's interesting to see what the natural land formations and other obstructions do to the size and strength of the wind and the waves. This is the way of life for sailors here. We're still so very ignorant to their ways and often wonder if we would even be boaters if this is what we had to deal with every day. We made a short day of it as soon as we cleared the canal area by ducking into the Elizabeth Islands. Woods Hole channel also led into Hadley Harbor where we found a very nice area to anchor for the night. We were surprised to see so many other boats already there when we arrived just after 2p. It was reassuring to find other boats. We knew we were in a safe place.

Our next leg took us back through the Wood Hole channel south into Vineyard Sound. We cruised along the shores of Martha's Vineyard to our port and the Elizabeth Islands to starboard. After a rather long, cold, windy day we reached Block Island and the Great Salt Pond. This island is about 10 miles south of the shores of Rhode Island. We decided to take a day off, and stayed another night in the pond on Wednesday. This gave a chance to reassemble the dinghy and the ability to get ourselves to shore for some sightseeing. Block Island is very small, about 7.5 miles long and 3 miles wide. In spite of it's size, there are about 900 permanent residence and they have a K-12 school with over 100 students enrolled. There are facilities for cruise ships to land as well as all the other tourist type shops along the waterfront. We had a nice quiet lunch at the Poor People's Pub. Appropriate for us don't you think? We're towing the dinghy now, making it an easy option for transportation to shore as needed. Prior to this we had no use for the small craft and had kept it stored below. Now we have more room down below, or do we? Where did that space go already?

Our next port of call was New London CT. We found fuel and a marina to stay in for the night. Our attraction to this place was not the fuel or the marina. We were planning a road trip to our favorite marine supply store – DEFENDER. We knew it was less than 3 miles from this location by cab. Just like your house, the boat may never be done. There's always a repair or modification waiting to be done. Or an idea for an improvement you'd like to make if only you had the time and money and skills to do it yourself. If you don't already know this about us, we love to remodel, redesign, redo things and our yacht is just our latest ongoing project. We had a successful trip to the store, and now have a few new projects to tinker with. New London is also home to the US Coast Guard Academy and as a rather busy naval port. We could see the training vessel EAGLE as we entered and exited the harbor. It's appearance was that of a tall ship.

The next morning, as we left the harbor around 9a, a Coast Guard vessel was headed straight at us at a very high rate, pushing large wakes off either side. Hmm, wonder what's going on....we better change course. Are they headed for us, or just don't see us? I suppose they do have right of way under any and all circumstances, right? As it turns out, they are kinda headed for us. Their course caused us to alter our course which is exactly what they intended to do. That, and the deck mounted machine gun, was very persuasive. This vessel was providing protective escort service to a Navy Submarine! We didn't spot it until the Coast Guard boat forced our turn away from the channel. It was just barely above the water surface, and there were a few crew members standing on top of it. Wonder what they were holding on to. The coast guard boat rode along side us for several minutes before turning back and continuing into the harbor. It was very exciting. We were just standing there with our mouths gaped open. What a couple of goofs, eh? We wanted to take pictures but the gun was rather intimidating.....

We saw some rain in New London on Thursday evening, so Friday was cold and choppy in Long Island Sound. A cold front and north winds moved in with that rain. We continued west reaching Jefferson Harbor on Long Island that night. The harbor did not provide much protection from the wind or the waves in the Sound, so our night was a bit rocky. After a quick stop on shore in the morning we headed for City Island. This puts us at the end of Long Island Sound and just outside the start of the East River. We're headed for NYC and a cruise past all the famous sights on Sunday afternoon. Next stop, Sandy Hook NJ.

For those of you that may be interested, here are a few bits of information on the financial side of this adventure:

The approximate cost per gallon of diesel fuel in Canada was $6.90. With all the motoring we did that put our expenses in August at more than twice what we had anticipating them to be.

After the exchange rate, the bank fees on debit card transactions, and Canada's tax system, we paid somewhere in the neighborhood of 20% on top off everything we purchased.

Cell Phone roaming charges while in Canada cost us about $300. If you plan to stay there for any length of time, use a pay phone to call home.

Dock fees have ranged from a flat rate of $9 to as high as $6/foot. We anchor out as much as possible.

Some marinas/clubs are charging for their water and power on top of the dockage. We haven't needed to charge our systems on shore due to the great success of the solar panels. Good investment for this application.

On the domestic front:

Pressure cooker is great. Slow cook rice done in 15 minutes. Whole (cubed) squash ready in 12 minutes.  Efficient as well as delicious!

Double ziplock bag your fresh bread and it stays fresh for as long as two weeks without drying or molding.

Farmer's markets are a favorite of ours now. We love fresh vegetables with every meal, or as a meal!

Laundry is an issue. Facilities are not readily available and storage of the dirty clothes can become a nuicance.

Creative cooking can be fun. But in the end, “Hunger makes a good sauce.” Virginia Moorhead

Next time - photos and comments about the East River and our cruise past New York City!

Last of August photos

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ME, NH, and MA

We've put 200 more miles behind us, over 1900 to date, and just 1000 more to reach Port St. Lucie FL! It's good to be back out on the high seas and re-acquire our sea legs. We've moved south of the Gulf of Maine passing though Booth Bay, Kennybunkport and Wells Harbor. We had hoped to stay with the George #41 but he wasn't home (the club rates there ranged from $4 to $6 dollars a foot for the night, not in our budget). Instead we tied up to a fisherman's pier in Wells Harbor (for free) for the night. We heard lots of stories about the Presidential visits to this pier including the frequent boat trips over to Wells Harbor for dinner at a favorite restaurant just up the street. We were probably tied to the same cleats that George uses.

Having arrived at low tide(of course) the water within the break wall was fast and furious with a strong outgoing current. We had an rather “unusual” landing. Upon approach to the pier my co-pilot says: “hey, turn here between these mooring balls”. So I did, and we quickly found out why there were so many so close together. These weren't mooring balls. These were warning buoys for the shallow waters in the center of this basin. We ran aground. It was soft mud or sand and we quickly and easily backed off. No damage done, but we had to back up and try again. As we continued on and completed our graceful approach to the pier, the current took a hold of our stern. Jim had already jumped off with the bow line but had no way of reaching for the stern before we where perpendicular to the dock. It was an easy fix as he simply loosened the line and walked up the dock with some motor assistance from the helm. The best part was the family on the dock that was watching this whole thing unfold. The very young son says to his mother: “Mom, Mom, Come here. A very “unusual” thing is going on over here. Mom, Mom, look at the boat. There's a woman driving the boat!” That made my (Linda) day!

We've now completed the coast of Maine, breezed by New Hampshire and entered into Massachusetts waters. We're sitting in Sandwich Marina at the east end of the Cape Cod Canal. The Canal is a blessing, as it eliminates a trip around Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard keeping us on the inside rather than the ocean side of this area. We're also now south of the Erie latitudes measuring in at 41 degrees, 46min (vs.42.08)!

Just outside this waterway is a protected home for the Right Whales. We didn't see any, but we did spot a dolphin on our way into the marina. We also spotted two Navy Vessels with several crew members on each dressed in camouflage and standing ready next to the deck mounted machine guns. We suspect these exercises are being done in conjunction with the 9/11 events. The fuel attendant claims he's never seen these groups in there before. For a minute there I thought we were being followed. Tonight we may take advantage of a pizza shop that delivers to the boat, or walk into town and spend a few bucks at the ice cream shop, or both. :) Have a great week!

Crossing to Maine

39 days in Canada was enough

USA here we come!

Our first night sail (motor)

Well, Hurricane Irene became a “non-event” in Nova Scotia and we are very thankful for that. After waiting it out and reassembling the boat we finally left Bridgewater and the LaHave River Yacht Club on Tuesday morning just after sunrise. The distance between Canada and USA is just a few hundred miles now. Our goal was to reach Maine before Labor Day weekend. The delay for weather may have made that impossible now. After an uneventful day of motor-sailing we stopped for the night in Lockeport NS. This quiet little harbor sits just east of the Sable Islands and the start of “The Bay of Fundy”. As we've read in our cruising guides and other navigational resources, the Bay of Fundy has very strong currents and can be difficult and/or impossible to cross if your timing is off. It can take anywhere from one long day to as long as a week to find your way over to the northeast shores of Maine. We find ourselves in very unfamiliar circumstances once again. Some local knowledge would really be nice right now.

During the afternoon and evening in Lockeport we met and talked with two other cruising couples. FARING was heading back home to Bath, ME. after having spending several weeks in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia. ISLAND PURSUIT was heading south for the winter, leaving their home in Newfoundland behind. Both captains offered a wealth of knowledge and experience in terms of where to go next and how to get there. Ken and Heather (FARING) were planning a straight through crossing the following day with Bar Harbor as their destination. It was approximately 150 miles, but this would eliminate Fundy as well as several more days in Nova Scotia before crossing over. Jake and Blanche (ISLAND PURSUIT) were still considering a few directions and had their eyes on a similar track. Maybe they would sail due south and head straight for Cape Cod. Both yachts were talking about a trip that would require sailing through the night. We both knew this day was coming, we just didn't know it would be today.

So there it was. A solution to our troubles. An offer for a guide across the Gulf of Maine/Bay of Fundy. We're so excited (fear and panic are often confused with excitement) we can't sleep. We agreed that this was what we needed to do, and accepted the offers for help throughout the night to get us there. On Wednesday the three ships left together at noon. The air was still very cool (COLD) and the winds were light. The plan was to arrive in the vicinity of the Sable Islands just after the tide and current switch to a favorable direction for our course across. We took turns at the helm, and helped one another stand watch. After sunset was when the panic really set in. Not having experienced navigation after dark made it a little scary at first. The on board instruments have back lighting so that was not a problem. But we have no headlights like a car, and the lights from shore as well as the many fishing boats made things a little confusing for a while. Eventually those were all but gone too. The only lights left were those coming from the thousand and thousands of beautiful stars. What a site. FARING made radio contact with each of us every hour to share information and weather updates, and to make sure we (Y-Knot 3) were still OK. Just before sunrise FARING saw a freighter on their radar that appeared to be on a collision course with our tandem of yachts. Ken made contact with the captain to be sure that they see the three of us. The freighter made a slight course adjustment and we were saved. How cool is that?

Having survived the night was an incredible feeling. We each had 3 or 4 hours of sleep (an hour at a time), but it was time to start a new day. We raised the sails, changed to a new heading, and bid our fellow yachtsmen farewell. We were headed for the coast of Maine with hopes of reaching somewhere further south than Bar Harbor. We had a good day and finally tied up in Rockland ME sometime after 7p. 31 hours and 195 miles later, we slept.

We're back in the USA and we're looking forward to the east coast adventures. We did take a short break from the cruising world to spend the Labor Day weekend with our family in DC. We attending our niece Ashlee and Mark's wedding in Alexandria, while also catching up with Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles, and few cousins. It was a great side trip and we're so happy that we were able to get there.

We're back on board and ready to start again.  Talk to you again soon.

August 21-29

This past week has been comprised of some long and somewhat boring days. Being anxious to reach Maine, and watching the miles click by so slowly has been rather frustrating. Now we're also watching the progress of the season's first hurricane.

Last Sunday we completed the Northumberland Straight with a nice sunny ride from Wood Island, PEI to the Canso Straight. There's a lock in the straight which allows boat traffic to overcome very strong currents. We were not looking forward to waiting at another lock so we crossed our fingers all afternoon that the passage would be quick. The area between St George Point and the straight was beautiful. We spotted dozens of pilot whales, a few small dolphins and a seal or two. Their graceful movement through the water is definitely something to watch. The Canso Lock – 10 minutes and we were done! What a great ending to a beautiful day. We arrived in Hawkesbury, NS at 5p and enjoyed a quiet night tied to their docks.

We're sailing more now, giving the motor a much deserved rest. The winds are now WSW as we move along the Atlantic shores of Nova Scotia. So far the seas have been low rolling waters with a few gusts over 15 knots each afternoon. We met a couple in Canso that crossed the Atlantic a few years ago. We enjoyed an evening of intense conversation with them and learn a few things about ocean crossings, too. We've been moving cautiously along the coast as we adjust to ocean waters and the need for constant weather reports. We anchoring along the way in Whitehead-Marshall Cove and then Beaver Harbour. We're using information from a cruising guide along with the data in the chartplotter to scope out each day's travel. So far the information has been great and not steered us wrong.

We reach Halifax on Thursday night. The Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron took us in for the night (for a hefty fee of course) and we stayed long enough to do a little laundry in the morning. This club was established in 1837. As we were wandering the grounds and admiring the main facilities we found a trophy case. There were several large sterling silver racing trophies from the early 1900's. Very cool. We were also asked several times if we were lost or needed something. Maybe our casual attire drew the attention? Oh well. We took another ride along the shores of downtown Halifax before departing the area. We were able to tie up at a public dock and walk up and down the boardwalks there. They offer charters of all kinds, car ferry service, and tour boats as well as an abundance of souvenir shops and salt-water taffy vendors. We managed to get out with only $10 having been spent. :)

Next stop was just outside the Halifax area in Ketch Harbour. Saturday morning presented dense fog so there we sat doing small projects until 10a. The fog lifted and we were off. We had an uneventful motor sail to LaHave River. We're holding up in here until the effects of the hurricane have past. We spent all day Sunday preparing the boat for the heavy winds. We took down the dodger and bimini, the jib sail, and added line around the mainsail to keep it secure. After moving the boat out into the river basin with the others, we were brought back to shore where we stayed for the night. The club house was warm and the couches were comfortable.

Today we can start reassembling our sails and canvas. The worst of the storm threats have passed. We heard strong winds and some rain here, but there appears to be no damage anywhere. The forecast today includes strong winds until this evening. We'll be staying here another day and then head back out on Tuesday.

It's hurricane season - Irene headed this way

To all our readers, we're in a safe place.  The southeast shore of Novia Scotia has not been identifed as part of the direct "track" for Hurricane Irene.  We do expect to see strong winds and rain sometime in the next 24-48 hours.  We are staying in Bridgewater,NS tonight and will be monitoring the storm's progress from there. 

Quebec City to Gaspesie Peninsula

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The Atlantic Ocean is only 5 miles away!

We've recorded 378 miles in this week's log and 1270 miles to date.  To help put that into perspective for the non-boaters, you need to consider that our top speed with the engine running and relatively calm conditions is about 7 knots per hour.  When we're under sail we can see as much as 8-9 knots/hr before we need to start reducing sail area (winds get too strong) Imagine driving your car anywhere at 8 miles an hour.  How long would you last before you resumed normal speed limits? lol  If we motor from 7a to 5p, we might see 70 miles in a day. Unlike the interstate highways, there are no rest stops and there may or may not be a suitable place to stop for the night when you decide you've had enough boating for the day so we have to plan each day according to the locations of marinas and anchorages.  Add to the equation the tides and currents and the effects of wind direction. We've had a 20 mile day and we've had a 92 mile day.  We've also had 3 days so far with no miles recorded due to poor weather.  Our average as of today is 42 miles/day.  We think that's pretty good.

The air and water temps are higher this week than last, and the sun has been more visible.  Warm air and sunshine, just what we're looking for! 

Ports of call this week included:
Grande Vallee to Anse-a-Beaufils on the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec; Escuminac, Boctouche, and Tormentine in New Brunswick; Wood Island on Prince Edward Island and finally down into the St George Bay to the Canso Strait and for tonight it's Hawkesbury, Novia Scotia.  That's brings the count of Canadian provinces visited to 5, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Novia Scotia. 

We watched dozens of pilot whales, a small pod of dolphins and a few seals this afternoon as we passed through the St George Bay area.  What a sight, and so very exciting.  Closest views were about 25 yards away.

We're having a great time.  We're both enjoying the adventure as well as the rare opportunities to rest and relax with a good book.  If you have a question or want to hear more about a particular aspect of our trip, send us an email! 

Reaching for the Northern Latitudes

79º 16 minutes

August 8–14; After a nice rest in Quebec City we were looking forward to Monday morning and another week of adventure.

We were in the marina's lock at 9 o'clock and headed back out into the river. Everything seemed ok as we left. We should have stayed another day. As we motored out of the protection of the harbour and back into the river everything changed. It was windy, cold and raining. Winds were from the NE, 15-20 knots directly on our bow. The current was against us as well, reducing boat speed to almost zero, and it rained off and on all day. We were already out there and committed, so we made the decision to continue on. Our destination was to be a quiet anchorage @ Ile aux Courdes. 50 miles and 11 hours later we arrived and dropped the anchor. This was the pattern all week and we had to remind one another several times a day of the ultimate goal, south. We've now rotated our wardrobes and donned the foul weather gear. Long pants and multiple sweatshirts is the style of the week. Tuesday we were able to reach a tiny marina in Cap-A-L'aigle only completing 20 miles. We confirmed the presence of salt water and the water temp has dropped from the upper 60's to just 48º F. Jim keeps asking people “does the river freeze over in the winter?” We better not still be here to find out. :)

The currents and the tides are two things we have no experience with. We have books on the subject which we have both read. And there are tide tables embedded in our electronic charts. Now what? After two days of what we would consider failed attempts, we changed our interpretation of the data. If we understand it at all, the tides would suggest that we leave Wednesday morning at 4am to have the greatest advantage of that day. So off we go into the dark to conquer the river. We arrived in Tadoussac no worse for the wear @1p. It rained all afternoon and night. I took a nap. In spite of the cold and the damp, it was a better day. We've spotted our first whale and first dolphins! Tadoussac is located at the mouth of the Saguenay River. It's a beautiful, fascinating place. If it wasn't so cold we might have stayed longer. The area is home to many of the endangered beluga whale.

Next stop, anchored in Baie du-Ha-Ha in the Parc National du BIC. It was not a funny haha after listening to the winds all night and holding on tight to the berth so we didn't roll around. We failed to anchor close enough to shore due to the heavy fog and zero visibility, so we were exposed to the river's torment all night long. Needless to say, we were up very early and left there as soon as we could see the bow of the boat through the continued fog. It was off to Rimouski on Friday where we were able to borrow bicycles and pedal to the mall. What a hoot!

After 6 days of rain and strong NE winds, change was finally here. The sun reappeared, the winds calmed to 3-5 kts out of the west, and the water was calm as it ever gets. Saturday we made 70 miles to a nice anchorage in Les Mechins, and Sunday another 75 miles to Grande Vallee, both on the rim of the Gaspesie Peninsule. Tripmeter now at 900 nautical miles. We've spotted a few more Minke whales, dolphins, and even stared down a Grey seal this morning. We have also now passed the northern most point of this voyage (79 degrees 16 minutes) at 2:38p EST Sunday afternoon!! Tomorrow we will official leave the St Lawrence River and begin navigating the Gulf of St. Lawrence. We're also changing time zones this week as we cross into New Brunswick and Atlantic Daylight. It will be an hour later than EST and 4 hours ahead of AZ. Maybe we'll even get some cell phone coverage again. Sorry if we've missed your calls or failed to answer an email timely. We try every day but some places don't have WiFi. We're going to look into an antenna/receiver of some kind as soon as we're back in the States.

Pictures from Linda

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Week 1 in August

We've now logged 576 miles since leaving Erie, and 304 just this past week.  Our progress should continue to improve now that the St Lawrence River, river locks and fixed bridges are behind us.  Since traversing Lake Ontario last week we've passed through several beautiful areas in the St Lawrence river.  There was even a peninsula named Presqu 'ile at the entrance to the Murray Canal.  Felt like we were home for a minute there.  It was shallow water but a very pretty place to see as we motored along.  The canal took us to the Bay of Quinte and the north channel.  This is where you would find all those islands.  They refer to them as the Thousand Islands, but there are reportedly more than 1800, most with names on the charts, and many more without.  Amazing, that's all I can say.  

This past week has been a long one. The scenery is great but the controlled passageways are frustrating. The river is narrow and often too shallow outside the bouys. We've also had an east wind for the last three days which would not have allowed us to sail anyway. Hour ofter hour of motoring is not what we expected. There were 7 more locks in the St Lawrence River between the Thousand Islands and Montreal. Due to heavy commercial traffic we were left in a waiting que at every single one, sometimes as long as 3 hours, waiting for the locks to clear and permit pleasure craft to enter. It took us 3 days to make it through the 7 locks. In addition there were a few lift bridges and the operators there seem to ignore sail boats, or maybe just American sailboats we're not sure. At one bridge we were overtaken by a freighter, no problem. We moved over and gave him room. We observed all the the proper behaviors. But just as his stern cleared the bridge (with us less than 100' behind) the bridge came down leaving us on the outside looking in. I cannot write the words that came out of my mouth at that moment. In fact I had to leave the helm and go down below until the bridge reopened... 1 ½ hours later. You can imagine what I was thinking, eh?

We're trying to put some big miles in each day right now to catch up for the time lost due to the late departure day. Leaving a month later will make a big difference when we finally reach the east coast. We DO NOT want to see snow or any other form of precipitation associated with that season :) The sooner we start logging course headings closer to 180 degrees the better!  We had an overnght in Kingston ON, then Prescott and Cornwall.  On Thursday we finally made it through the last 2 locks on this river. Yeah!  Now we can move at our own pace and not have to wait for anyone else.

We've found some nice coves to anchor in at night, saving the budget a little.  The boat and all those upgrades we made have been working very well.  The solar panels are providing enough energy to restore the house batteries each day. The refrigeration is adequate.  The dry goods are still dry and the water tanks wet. Just the way we like them.  After three nights in the wilderness we decided it was time for a landing.  We need to refuel and restock so here we are in Quebec City. After the Welland Canal and the St Lawrence River locks (15) we thought we had seen it all and had put that part of the trip behind us. . Well, let me tell you. Here's the OMG part.
The entrance to the Quebec City marina is protected by a lift bridge and a leveling lock due to the high and low tides here.  And then there is the current (5.5 knots) and the prevailing wind ( 0-15 knots) to deal with as you approach.   We radioed into the marina to request entrance and they said "your number is 27, wait to hear your number called on the radio and then proceed into the lock”. The waiting basin was similar in size to the area just outside our yacht club at home (GO PIYC!) Imagine 15-20 boats milling around in a small area with wind and current and bow thrusters, etc. This was a sardine can. There were 13 boats inside the lock when it finally closed and we were rafted together from bow to stern to port to starboard. We got the call to enter and pull in...between boats already tied on each side of the lock. We rafted to port and that left maybe 5 feet to the starboard boat. We were smack dab in the middle of the cluster. It was a very exciting situation. And there were pedestrian spectators all around this lock on the sidewalks watching. Talk about pressure at the helm. When we made it through there and into a slip, we stayed wound up for at least an hour. That was an OMG for sure.
The city is beautiful. There are alot of lights on after dark and we had front row seats to the Aurora Borealis.  This is the name of the 3D adventure played on the side of a building right next to the marina basin.  It plays every night all year round and it was the most incredible thing we ever saw.  The sound and the pictures and the images and the colors were breathtaking.  It is a story of the history of Quebec put to music.  There were images from each of the Wars, the inventions that occured throughout the world, etc.  We didn't see the end as it runs until midnight.   Well, it's off to the market. Talk with you all again soon.  Send us some email too. We still want and need to hear about what's happening in your world, too.

It was Tuesday 7/26 and thankfully the Welland Canal was open and running well. The prior two days did not allow for any pleasure boat traffic to enter so we were worried all night that we would be laying over another day in Port Colbourne. We made the passage through with very little incident, with our only casualty being a fender we thought was tied to the stern rail that wasn't. We were traveling through with a 50' power boat and the 10-15 kt crosswinds gave him quite a bit of trouble throughout the day. The channel is rather narrow and has very little room to recover if you lose your steering, so the low speed between locks and the approach to the wall can be tricky for the higher profile boats. We managed to coast in and out of each lock pretty well. After the first few stops the maneuvering became pretty routine, and boring really. There are 8 locks between the Erie and Ontario Lakes. The first lock only adjust a few feet according to the current lake level, but the other 7 took us down 46 feet at a time. As the water is released from the lock, the boat just goes down with it. The canal workers provide each vessel with two lines attached to the shore. As you are lowered you have to hold that line through a cleat on the bow and stern and release them at about the same rate as the water level is going down. Too fast or too slow can make the boat move back and forth against the wall and will scuff your hull up. Just when we thought we had this day behind us, we arrived in the Weller Harbor at the north end of the canal. Lake Ontario was wild and windy, presenting 10+ ft waves and 20+ knot winds on the bow. We got pushed around a bit, and the engine had to work a little harder to get us out and around the rocky breakwall protecting the marina. It was a very long day and we were very relieved when we finally tied up in St Catherine's Marina that night. Not bad for a 12 hour day, eh?
We've since moved on from St Catherine's by way of Niagara-on-the-Lake, north to Colbourgh, past the Presq'ile Peninsula, Murray Channel into the Bay of Quinte, past Belleville, Deseronto, Picton, Bath, Collins Bay, North Channel waters and Kingston ON. We're now at the start of the St. Lawrence River and will begin navigating through the Thousand Islands tomorrow.
The coastline of northern Lake Ontario is beautiful. There are hundreds of miles of shoreline and small inlets everywhere you look. We've seen properties ranging from nothing more than a clearing with a tent, to acres with a mansion and private boat launch. It's really amazing how much more the Canadians have done on their shores than what we see in Lake Erie. If you're looking for a place to get away, this is one you should consider.
We've spent the last two nights just on the anchor, and tonight we're tied to a dock without power or water hook ups. Talk about roughing it....actually we're really enjoying it. With our fresh water tanks of 100 gallons, and the power plant(solar panels) Jim built on top of the bimini (lol), we don't need the support of a club or marina every day. We haven't established the threshold yet, but a few days at a time is great! I guess that if the diesel runs low, or the beer runs out, we'll go ashore :) We're already adjusting quickly to the change in our daily activity levels. We work very hard sometimes to physically get through the day, and not so much on other days. We are also feeling different about food. The frequency and quantities are very different. I'm sure we always ate 3 meals a day because that's what you're supposed to do. Now that we are away, we eat when we're ready. Ready has become a mid-morning brunch/snack and a modest dinner. This morning before we set off, we cooked a whole summer squash in the pressure cooker. This is an appliance I have no experience with but it was recommended that we have one since they are so efficient. It's 9p and the squash is still in there, depressurizing :) since the seal will keep it from spoiling until it's opened. I wonder if it's done? We aren't hungry as of yet so it'll have to wait until tomorrow.

We've started our journey!

It's Friday July 23 and it's hot and sticky. After a long day in our slip trying to finish the critical projects, the wiring is 99% complete and we managed to soap up and sprayed off the boat.  ALL our remaining cargo(junk) has been loaded and stored as well as it can be for now.  It's 4:00p and we have just signed out on the Presque Isle Yacht Club's trip log.   Our son Louis just motored through our dock basin on his boat with several passengers to wish us one more good by...

Au Revoir to all our local friends and family!!

A motor ride across the bay was just about all we could do this late in the day.  After filling the fuel tank and setting anchor we took a long needed swim and rest in the Presque Isle Marina.  We set off through the channel on Sunday morning just after 8am.  ARR Port Dover @ 4p.  The Erie Beach Hotel being our ultimate destination and the only reason we continue to visit this port.  They have, by far, the best Lake Erie perch in the great lakes!  One platter = 1 lbs. = $31.99+15% tax = total satisfaction!  Oh, and don't forget a few slices of celery bread!

Monday was the leg from Pt Dover to Pt Colburne, 40 miles.   This is the entrance to the Welland Canal and the count down of our final hours on Lake Erie.  ARR 3:30p.  We just visited with another transient captain who has unsuccessfully entered the canal for two days already and is hoping tomorrow will be the third and final attempt. Apparently there are some issues with inoperable doors in the areas of Locks 3-5....and 35+ freighters and boats jammed up in the system.  We plan to join this captain @ 6a to attempt the passage north to Lake Ontario.  If the canal is closed we'll have a layover day here in Colburne. 

Signing off for now,
 Jim and Linda

First Shake-Down

Friday July 15th; 7am; light wind(3-5 kts); moderate temps (+/_ 70); heading west to Grand river and Fairport harbor.  The wind never did grow and we motored the entire trip (58 miles) to the Grande River and Fairport Harbour area.  The plan "was" to moor for free at John Dur's store and have some work done on the boat while we layed over...  There were no slips available there, or at the GRYC, so we were forced to tie up at the marina.  It was hot, humid and noisey!  The boat work didn't get done either.
We did have the pleasure of granddaughter Megan on Friday night and grandson Jared on Saturday night.  We watched a championship baseball game on saturday afternoon and ate plentifully all weekend. Sunday was a difficult ride from fairport to geneva with kids and friends and no wind, again...  After the drop off we continued on to Ashtabula. 
Monday = Ashtabula to Erie...sail, then motor, then sail , then thunder..lightening..light rain..motor...sail...motor...sunshine... AND THEN THE MAN EATING FLIES!! we really need our bug guy. Clay,are you?
Shake-down?  oh, yeah.  the boat.  The main issues continue to be the unfinished installation of electronic equipment and the lack of storage space...we'll get to that asap.  I vow to rid our vessel of 50 pounds of stuff or 50 items by friday!!  Jim vows to finish the wiring, right Jim?  We cannot function with the current load... seriously, the boat and the sailing/navigating parts are not an issue.  Tentative Bon Voyage = Friday July 22, 2011

We're getting closer!

The lists are getting shorter and the remaining parts to install are definitely fewer.  We were able to mount the solar panels this morning and start looking at the actual wiring designs. The wiring is still the biggest remaining workload for us.  We have the inverter/charger, battery monitor, regulators, starting battery, and house battery cables to complete. 

We did manage to go sailing on Sunday and the conditions were great on the lake.  And last night we gave the dinghy and new outboard a test run.  We have an 8hp Tahatsu and it ran very smoothly.  This also gave us a chance to test the mini-crane to lower the OB on the stearn which also worked great.

We're still planning that shake-down trip to Ohio by the end of the week.  Our yacht club and the surrounding areas are full of events this weekend so it will be a good time to get away.  We hope to start writing about actual travel very soon!

Happy July 4th Everyone!

We just returned from a bountiful feast at sister Patty's and are forced to resume work on the boat. The autopilot is the latest project and it looks like that will be mounted by the days end. We've been playing hooky some this weekend due to all the activity at the club and the presence of so many other club members being around. We've made so many nice friends and acquaintances here that we will surely miss them as we travel. Our first overnight trip will be a quick run to the west on Lake Erie to Grande River to have the lifelines replaces which we had planned to do right along. The wear and tear is not always obvious and ours are over 20 years old. This will also give us a chance to put the other systems through some testing.

We finally got some sailing in this weekend too.  Saturday was our first sail of the season and in looking back through old log books it appears that we have been out of the sport for over 9 months!  We felt rusty and the boat felt sluggish (must be all the extra stuff on board). Yesterday's sail was much better and we felt ourselves falling back into our familiar routines.  We found Louis out there on his Blue Nose and performed the traditional first crossing of paths which includes the tossing of shelled peanuts at the other vessel!   

Final Departure remains listed as : TBA

First week on board

Good Morning Family and Friends! 
We've had a very busy week and continue working hard toward our first sail of the season.  It's hard to believe that the first month of summer is already gone. Time is moving so quickly we are losing track of the days.  The mast and rigging are up and the sails are attached.  Jim will be tuning the rig this week as we continue to find the right homes for each of the sheets and halyards.  9 months is a long time ago and that's how long it's been since we took the rig apart.
As fate would have it, we have already had several opportunities to "shake" a few things out without ever leaving our slip.  What better place to have something not work than right here at home, right?  We filled the water tanks, turned on the switch for pressurized water and learned we had a leak somewhere.  We filled the sink in the galley to wash dishes and when it drained we found a leak there too.  Last night we lost shore power, again, and remembered that we had the wrong extension cord here and the right one at our storage building.  These things sound simple and they are, but trust us when we tell you they are not so simple when your are out of town, without a car to run to the store, or in a town that has no store. Been there done that.
Oh, did I already mention the beautiful weather we saw this week? That's a no, unless you think thunder, lightening, overcast skies and rain are beautiful.  The blessing here is that we didn't miss anything good out on the lake while we stayed inside and worked on the boat.  Another blessing this week included our celebrations on Friday which included local family, several yacht clubs friends, and our very own Monsignor Snyderwine who delivered Birthday Blessings for Jim, Traveler Blessings for our trip, and a special blessing on our vessel.  Thank you Monsignor!

Land vs.Lake

Hello everyone!  Well, we have one day left on shore. We are moving onto the boat tomorrow, ready or not.  We've been very busy since the last blog posting with Graduation, grad parties, family gatherings, cleaning the house out, final closing on the house, and pushing the boat work to a point where we could launch. We've been floating since Thursday. What a great feeling.  We still have a least a few weeks of work to complete the remaining upgrades and electronics installations.
Life on the water is very different than what we're all use to. If you didn't like camping as a kid you wouldn't like this life style either. You have very little personal space and no room for clutter.  If it's not tied down or put away expect to find it on the floor in a heap when you get back from a sail.  We're still struggling with the reduction of shoes,clothes, small tools, and various other bags of "stuff".  In the coming weeks these will all surely reach more managable volumes.  We're planning to take as many "shake down" trips as necessary to ensure all systems are working properly and our confidence levels are peaked.  The actual sail away date is now listed as TBD.