Log 69
Still on the Trent-Severn
5:30 AM
Wednesday, July 26, 2000
Deer Bay
Day 87
Ok I think I spoke to soon. I was saying that the Trent-Severn reminded me (actually all of us) of the Illinois River. Well in places is did, and still does, but for the last couple of days it has changed dramatically, and it’s now living up to its reputation of “natures gift to boaters”.
The first part of the Trent-Severn is like weeds connected by water, and locks. It was unbelievable. I have been cleaning out my engine strainers 3 times a day because they get all clogged up, and I’m afraid the engines will overheat. In many places it is like a driveway down a narrow channel of weeds. I’m not talking about weeds on the side of the channel; I’m talking about weeds in the water, and under the water. The water is very clear, so they must be able to grow because they can get light, but they are definitely a nuisance.
We have gone through 30 locks now, in a little over 115 miles. Most of the locks are easy, and most of them expect you when you get there, because the last lockmaster called ahead and told them you were coming. They average between 9 feet lift to 30 feet so far, but the most dramatic was the one at Peterborough. It is a little hard to describe but I’ll try. Picture two huge metal tubs of water sitting side by side, with a tower in the middle of them. One is 65 feet in the air, at the level of the water above, and the other is in the water below. As you approach the lock they lower the gate on the lower one so we can drive in. As we did this you could see a boat driving in the huge tub of water above. Once we got in you tie the boat to a rail, so it won’t move. The next thing that happens is they lift the gates to keep the water in, and you are now floating in a tub of water. In order to raise the lower one, they fill the tub on top with enough water to make it heavier than the lower one, and all of a sudden we start to rise in the air, while floating in this tub of water. Half way to the top you pass the other tub on the way down, and in about 2 to 3 minutes you are on top. 65 feet higher than you were. They open the front gate, and you drive out of the tub, and into the river above. Amazing. Terry and I were saying could you imagine the guy who first thought about designing that thing. People were saying, “You want to do WHAT?”
One of the things that you notice here is how friendly everyone is. I mean everyone. They seem happy to see you, and all to happy to help if they can. The lockmasters are all smiling, and they make locking through easy, and a pleasure. (We should transfer a few of these to the Illinois locks) Most of the locks have two people in them. One is full time, and the other is usually a student just working for the summer. Oh yea. I forgot to tell you, most all of the lock doors are operated manually. They are huge wooden doors with an arm on them that has teeth on it. This arm is then connected to, and through, the side of lock. This arm is then connected to a gear that fits into these teeth, and when the gear is turned it moves the arm back and forth. So…..if the lockmaster wants the doors opened two people (one on each side) grab these pipes (which are attached to the gears) sticking out of the ground, and push these pipes as they walk around in circles. Which turns the gear, which makes the teeth move the arm, which opens the doors. Does this make any sense? (It takes an average of 12 complete circles to open a door) These folks are doing all of this work, and still smiling.
Starting yesterday morning the scenery on the Trent-Severn seemed to change, and by afternoon is was dramatically different, and some of the neatest waters I have ever been in. The channel winds around hundreds of islands as it makes its way between the locks. If you have ever seen “On Golden Pond” you have an idea of what we are seeing, but with a lot more islands. Most of these islands are very small, and most have houses on them. It is amazing to see these homes, and trying to figure out how in the world they built them. In some cases the home takes up the entire island. All you see is a home built on a rock, with a garage built on the water for the boat. And as I say the channel winds it’s way through these, and in some cases between two islands that are no more than a couple of boat widths wide.
The weather has been near perfect. When we got on the boat last Friday evening, a storm has just passed through, and it turned clear, and sunny. It has been that way ever since. The early mornings are a little cool, (mid 50’s) but without any clouds, when the sun comes up it warms things up in a hurry. We normally start the day out with the bimini top down, and by mid day we need to put it up because it is too hot.
This morning we are anchored in Deer Bay. It is a beautiful medium sized bay just off of the main channel. We got here about 5:30 last night. As soon as we did, everyone (except me) went swimming, and used the bay to take a bath in. After that we all took a dinghy ride to explore the bay, and then Terry and I then took the dinghy to try to find Walter. (Remember the fish in “On Golden Pond”?) After a lot of casting, and only one small bass, we came back to the boat for some dinner, and a quite evening of relaxing as we gently swung around on our anchor line.
Today…
We need to head out of here about 7:45 because the locks open at 8:30. We will try to get as far as we can, but it is hard to judge just how far that will be. We usually don’t even make plans for the night until after lunch sometime because you just can’t tell.
The weather looks like it will be great today, but then we may be in for some rain the next couple of days.
I’ll keep you posted…
BK
Wednesday, July 26, 2000
Monday, July 24, 2000
Chapter 68: Lake Ontario and the Trent-Severn
Log 68
Lake Ontario, and the Trent-Severn
5:35 AM
Monday, July 24, 2000
Lock wall—lock #6
Trent-Severn Waterway
Frankford, Ontario
Day 85
Well the state of New York is behind us, and so is one of the Great Lakes. We just seem to be ticking these things off one at a time. I figured out that we have put over 4000 miles on the bottom of this boat.
Yesterday was an almost perfect day to cross Lake Ontario. Or any lake for that matter. We untied the lines at about 6:15, and by 6:30 we were at the mouth of the lake. The sun had just come over the only cloud we could see, and it was going to be a beautiful morning, and day.
The waves were probably about 2 feet when we first hit the lake. On top of that there was a slight chop, and it took me a couple of minutes to work with the trim of the boat, and the speed to make it as smooth as possible. The perfect combination seemed to be 1650 RPM (about 18mph), and a medium trim, which made the nose of the boat stick up a little to make the chop less of an issue. With that all done, I hit the autopilot and we were locked in on the other side, with 61 miles to go. If you look on the map, we crossed from Oswego, NY to Brighton, Ontario.
For the early part of the crossing the swells were more of an issue. They really didn’t bother us, but they were there. Jeanie noticed that the timing of the swells was just perfect with our speed because we would just get over one, and then lay in the bottom of another. Whatever the case the further we went the smoother it got, and by the time we were about 80% there, there was only a light chop, and we had picked up out RPM to about 1750.
The total crossing took exactly 4 hours. By the time we were on the other side the sun was high overhead, and it was getting nice and warm. We had left the bimini top down, so it was actually hot when we slowed down.
The next thing we had to find after the crossing was a small boat channel called the Murray Canal. It was nestled in a small cove, and is about 8 miles long, and would connect us to a small lake, and the town of Trenton. With some good chart work by Terry we found it no problem, and before you knew it we were there. From that point it was pretty straight forward as we moved through the canal, which included paying them a toll for using it. This was an interesting procedure. When they open the first bridge on the canal, as you are moving through it, they stick this long pole out to your boat, and they expect you to put $4 in it. I’m not sure what they would do if you just waved, and said’ “Thanks, we’ll catch you next time”, but I didn’t want to find out. By the way, I think this is also about the point where the girls started to speak Canadian. I don’t know how the Canadians really speak, but the girls seem to have it figured out. No matter what the question, or the answer, you just say, “Yaa…u betcha” (I think they’ve seen “Fargo” to many times)
Once in Trenton, we stopped at a marina, and got fuel (68 cents @ liter..You figure it out) and a pump out of the holding tank. This is also the place where you clear Canadian Customs. This was not a big deal, except when they ask me how much liquor we had on board. I was going to tell them, but I didn’t want them laugh, then come and board the boat to see for sure, so I said 2 cases of beer, some gin, and some rum. “How much rum and how much gin” they asked. “Oh…a small bottle each” was my reply, and that seemed to do it. (I figure if they do board the boat later, I’ll tell them that my wife had gone shopping, and I’m flabbergasted at how much she had bought)
We started the Trent-Severn at 1:30. It is just like the Erie Canal. Narrow waterways, and lots of locks. (In fact, it is a little early for this, but you could make a comparison of what we have seen so far to the Illinois River. The water is not as clean, but the scenery is very similar) these locks are much smaller than what we have been used to. They are only about 150 feet long, and 45 feet wide. Kind of interesting getting Headquarters in and out of them. I hope it doesn’t get very windy while we do this, or there could be trouble.
The guidebook says that at the top of lock #6 is a good place to stop for a while, or for the night, and they were right. We made it here about 3:30, and decided with what lay ahead, this was the best place to stop, so we did. After tying up Terry and I headed into town to get a fishing license. We now were going to be in Canada for a few days so we decided a license would be in order. The lockmaster said the hardware store would sell us a license, and they closed at 5, but when we made the 15-minute walk, and found the store, there was a closed sign in the window. As we were trying to figure out if we had any other options people started coming out of the hardware store door. It was obvious they were leaving for the day, and had just closed. Terry (smart thinker that he is) hollered across the street, “Hey…you wouldn’t think about selling a couple of out of towners a fishing license would ya?” They all looked at one another, and said, “sure, come on in” (You got to love these Canadians).
So fishing license in hand ($35 each, for 1 week…I sure hope we catch some fish) we head back to the boat. By the time we got back Deb had made friends with everyone at the lock, and we were set for the night. Jeanie and Deb had also been straightening up a little, and we were starting to talk about what sounded good for dinner. Good time for a cocktail.
With cocktail hour winding down, I washed the dinghy, while Terry and the girls started to prepare for dinner (some kind of a chicken dish where the chicken floats in a butter sauce…I think Terry called it curry chicken…great stuff). In between the cooking and the cleaning we threw the lines in the water to see if anything was there. Nope!
After dinner we had a special treat. Ice cream. The girls had bought some while we were fueling up in Trenton, and it was great. (4 different kinds) Terry went back out to try the fishing, the girls were watching something on TV, and I took a shower, and went to bed.
A GREAT DAY.
I’ll keep you posted…
BK
Lake Ontario, and the Trent-Severn
5:35 AM
Monday, July 24, 2000
Lock wall—lock #6
Trent-Severn Waterway
Frankford, Ontario
Day 85
Well the state of New York is behind us, and so is one of the Great Lakes. We just seem to be ticking these things off one at a time. I figured out that we have put over 4000 miles on the bottom of this boat.
Yesterday was an almost perfect day to cross Lake Ontario. Or any lake for that matter. We untied the lines at about 6:15, and by 6:30 we were at the mouth of the lake. The sun had just come over the only cloud we could see, and it was going to be a beautiful morning, and day.
The waves were probably about 2 feet when we first hit the lake. On top of that there was a slight chop, and it took me a couple of minutes to work with the trim of the boat, and the speed to make it as smooth as possible. The perfect combination seemed to be 1650 RPM (about 18mph), and a medium trim, which made the nose of the boat stick up a little to make the chop less of an issue. With that all done, I hit the autopilot and we were locked in on the other side, with 61 miles to go. If you look on the map, we crossed from Oswego, NY to Brighton, Ontario.
For the early part of the crossing the swells were more of an issue. They really didn’t bother us, but they were there. Jeanie noticed that the timing of the swells was just perfect with our speed because we would just get over one, and then lay in the bottom of another. Whatever the case the further we went the smoother it got, and by the time we were about 80% there, there was only a light chop, and we had picked up out RPM to about 1750.
The total crossing took exactly 4 hours. By the time we were on the other side the sun was high overhead, and it was getting nice and warm. We had left the bimini top down, so it was actually hot when we slowed down.
The next thing we had to find after the crossing was a small boat channel called the Murray Canal. It was nestled in a small cove, and is about 8 miles long, and would connect us to a small lake, and the town of Trenton. With some good chart work by Terry we found it no problem, and before you knew it we were there. From that point it was pretty straight forward as we moved through the canal, which included paying them a toll for using it. This was an interesting procedure. When they open the first bridge on the canal, as you are moving through it, they stick this long pole out to your boat, and they expect you to put $4 in it. I’m not sure what they would do if you just waved, and said’ “Thanks, we’ll catch you next time”, but I didn’t want to find out. By the way, I think this is also about the point where the girls started to speak Canadian. I don’t know how the Canadians really speak, but the girls seem to have it figured out. No matter what the question, or the answer, you just say, “Yaa…u betcha” (I think they’ve seen “Fargo” to many times)
Once in Trenton, we stopped at a marina, and got fuel (68 cents @ liter..You figure it out) and a pump out of the holding tank. This is also the place where you clear Canadian Customs. This was not a big deal, except when they ask me how much liquor we had on board. I was going to tell them, but I didn’t want them laugh, then come and board the boat to see for sure, so I said 2 cases of beer, some gin, and some rum. “How much rum and how much gin” they asked. “Oh…a small bottle each” was my reply, and that seemed to do it. (I figure if they do board the boat later, I’ll tell them that my wife had gone shopping, and I’m flabbergasted at how much she had bought)
We started the Trent-Severn at 1:30. It is just like the Erie Canal. Narrow waterways, and lots of locks. (In fact, it is a little early for this, but you could make a comparison of what we have seen so far to the Illinois River. The water is not as clean, but the scenery is very similar) these locks are much smaller than what we have been used to. They are only about 150 feet long, and 45 feet wide. Kind of interesting getting Headquarters in and out of them. I hope it doesn’t get very windy while we do this, or there could be trouble.
The guidebook says that at the top of lock #6 is a good place to stop for a while, or for the night, and they were right. We made it here about 3:30, and decided with what lay ahead, this was the best place to stop, so we did. After tying up Terry and I headed into town to get a fishing license. We now were going to be in Canada for a few days so we decided a license would be in order. The lockmaster said the hardware store would sell us a license, and they closed at 5, but when we made the 15-minute walk, and found the store, there was a closed sign in the window. As we were trying to figure out if we had any other options people started coming out of the hardware store door. It was obvious they were leaving for the day, and had just closed. Terry (smart thinker that he is) hollered across the street, “Hey…you wouldn’t think about selling a couple of out of towners a fishing license would ya?” They all looked at one another, and said, “sure, come on in” (You got to love these Canadians).
So fishing license in hand ($35 each, for 1 week…I sure hope we catch some fish) we head back to the boat. By the time we got back Deb had made friends with everyone at the lock, and we were set for the night. Jeanie and Deb had also been straightening up a little, and we were starting to talk about what sounded good for dinner. Good time for a cocktail.
With cocktail hour winding down, I washed the dinghy, while Terry and the girls started to prepare for dinner (some kind of a chicken dish where the chicken floats in a butter sauce…I think Terry called it curry chicken…great stuff). In between the cooking and the cleaning we threw the lines in the water to see if anything was there. Nope!
After dinner we had a special treat. Ice cream. The girls had bought some while we were fueling up in Trenton, and it was great. (4 different kinds) Terry went back out to try the fishing, the girls were watching something on TV, and I took a shower, and went to bed.
A GREAT DAY.
I’ll keep you posted…
BK
Sunday, July 23, 2000
Chapter 67: Oswego
Log 67
Oswego, NY
5:10AM
Sunday, July 23, 2000
Oswego Marina
Oswego, NY
Day 84
There’s a sign on the water tower here in town that says “ Oswego..Where the water never ends”. We left Chicago over 10 months ago, and we’ve been on the water ever since, so I guess they’re right.
Well as you can see by our location, we made it to Lake Ontario. In a few minutes (as soon as I can finish this log) we’ll be heading across it. The trip here was great. We left our slip in Brewerton about 6:30, and we made it to the first lock (lock #23 on the Erie Canal) by 7 AM when they opened. Once clear of that lock we had about 4 miles to go before we came to a place called three rivers, and joined the Oswego River, and the beginning of the Oswego Canal. This canal headed straight north, and took us to Oswego, NY (once we went through 7 locks) and the junction of Lake Ontario. When we got out of lock #8 (I know I said there were only 7 locks on the Oswego Canal, but some how they left out a number, and the last one is #8) we could see the lake, and it didn’t look good at all. There is a rock break wall at the lake’s entrance, and the waves were crashing over it like something out of a movie, so we decided that we’d make the trip when things calmed down.
Without being able to cross, we made some alternative plans, and found a marina to enjoy the rest of the day. (It was only 1 PM) Once settled, we took the dinghy off the swim platform, and Terry and I went fishing. Well almost. We went out in the dinghy, and decided we better get a fishing license, but after tying up to a wall, and walking into town to buy one, and the place was closed, we decided to just take a boat ride and not risk being pulled over by some conversation police.
We thought we’d go out to the lake and see how big the waves were, and if it had calmed down any. We came around the lighthouse at the mouth of the harbor, and got caught in a huge wave that almost came over the side of the dinghy. (It looked like something out of Perfect Storm of something) I made a hard right turn, and gunned the 25 horse motor on the dinghy. We were down in the wave, and working our way out. As it turned out there was no problem, but we looked at one another and were glad we had decided not to cross.
One thing I did forget that happened while we were getting our slip. As I was leaving the boat I knocked one of our folding chairs in the water (Annie..remember the one you knocked in, and Donnie caught? That one!) and we spent the better part of an hour trying to hook it with something, and get it out. Which we did, while Deb and Jeannie watched, laughed, and took pictures.
The rest of the day was spent doing a number of things, but nothing if you know what I mean. For dinner we decided to go out because Terry and I were working on the charts, and we figure that this may be the last restaurant we see for a few days. The Trent-Severn coming up is fairly remote, and we will probably be eating on the boat. We found a good place right next to the marina, and all had great meals. After which we walked into town and went to the grocery store for some last minute stocking up. (I don’t mind being in a desolate area, but I didn’t want to run out of tonic)
Once back to the boat things slowed down pretty quickly. The girls took showers, and Terry and I tried to throw a line in the water, and see if we cound snag anything. (Which may have been the only way we would catch anything) All we ended up doing was practicing for the big cast, because we didn’t catch any fish. I hope with all of the opportunities ahead of us to catch some big fish, I don’t end up just saying, “All we did was cast”.
Today…
NOA weather says, “winds less than 10 mph, and waves 2 feet or less”.
As soon as the sun is up over the trees to warm things up a bit we’re heading out. The chart plotter says we’ve got about 65 miles to our destination (Trenton Canada) on the other side. From our slip it looks like it will be a great day to cross. It won’t be “dead calm” but it shouldn’t be too bad. Whatever the case…here we go.
I’ll keep you posted..
BK
Oswego, NY
5:10AM
Sunday, July 23, 2000
Oswego Marina
Oswego, NY
Day 84
There’s a sign on the water tower here in town that says “ Oswego..Where the water never ends”. We left Chicago over 10 months ago, and we’ve been on the water ever since, so I guess they’re right.
Well as you can see by our location, we made it to Lake Ontario. In a few minutes (as soon as I can finish this log) we’ll be heading across it. The trip here was great. We left our slip in Brewerton about 6:30, and we made it to the first lock (lock #23 on the Erie Canal) by 7 AM when they opened. Once clear of that lock we had about 4 miles to go before we came to a place called three rivers, and joined the Oswego River, and the beginning of the Oswego Canal. This canal headed straight north, and took us to Oswego, NY (once we went through 7 locks) and the junction of Lake Ontario. When we got out of lock #8 (I know I said there were only 7 locks on the Oswego Canal, but some how they left out a number, and the last one is #8) we could see the lake, and it didn’t look good at all. There is a rock break wall at the lake’s entrance, and the waves were crashing over it like something out of a movie, so we decided that we’d make the trip when things calmed down.
Without being able to cross, we made some alternative plans, and found a marina to enjoy the rest of the day. (It was only 1 PM) Once settled, we took the dinghy off the swim platform, and Terry and I went fishing. Well almost. We went out in the dinghy, and decided we better get a fishing license, but after tying up to a wall, and walking into town to buy one, and the place was closed, we decided to just take a boat ride and not risk being pulled over by some conversation police.
We thought we’d go out to the lake and see how big the waves were, and if it had calmed down any. We came around the lighthouse at the mouth of the harbor, and got caught in a huge wave that almost came over the side of the dinghy. (It looked like something out of Perfect Storm of something) I made a hard right turn, and gunned the 25 horse motor on the dinghy. We were down in the wave, and working our way out. As it turned out there was no problem, but we looked at one another and were glad we had decided not to cross.
One thing I did forget that happened while we were getting our slip. As I was leaving the boat I knocked one of our folding chairs in the water (Annie..remember the one you knocked in, and Donnie caught? That one!) and we spent the better part of an hour trying to hook it with something, and get it out. Which we did, while Deb and Jeannie watched, laughed, and took pictures.
The rest of the day was spent doing a number of things, but nothing if you know what I mean. For dinner we decided to go out because Terry and I were working on the charts, and we figure that this may be the last restaurant we see for a few days. The Trent-Severn coming up is fairly remote, and we will probably be eating on the boat. We found a good place right next to the marina, and all had great meals. After which we walked into town and went to the grocery store for some last minute stocking up. (I don’t mind being in a desolate area, but I didn’t want to run out of tonic)
Once back to the boat things slowed down pretty quickly. The girls took showers, and Terry and I tried to throw a line in the water, and see if we cound snag anything. (Which may have been the only way we would catch anything) All we ended up doing was practicing for the big cast, because we didn’t catch any fish. I hope with all of the opportunities ahead of us to catch some big fish, I don’t end up just saying, “All we did was cast”.
Today…
NOA weather says, “winds less than 10 mph, and waves 2 feet or less”.
As soon as the sun is up over the trees to warm things up a bit we’re heading out. The chart plotter says we’ve got about 65 miles to our destination (Trenton Canada) on the other side. From our slip it looks like it will be a great day to cross. It won’t be “dead calm” but it shouldn’t be too bad. Whatever the case…here we go.
I’ll keep you posted..
BK
Saturday, July 22, 2000
Chapter 66: Leaving Oneida Lake - Final Leg Begins...
Log 66
Leaving Oneida Lake, NY
5:15 AM
Saturday, July 22, 2000
EssKay Yards
Brewerton, NY.
Day 83
Our final leg has begun.
Deb, Terry, Jeanie, and I left Chicago at about 2 and arrived Syracuse at 4:30 eastern time. We thought we were going to have a problem when we were on the plane, and they announced that we should grab our stuff, and leave because the plane was broke, and they needed to find us one that worked. The good news was they found one that would fly very quickly, and we ended up only being about 35 minutes late arriving Syracuse. I would have bet a fair amount of money that that would not have happened, but it did.
Once we arrived in Syracuse, we got a taxi, and headed toward the boat. Along the way we dropped the girls off at the grocery store while Terry and I went to the liquor store. Liquor is very expensive here. They say they have a “sin” tax and things are 50% to 75% higher than at home. (The cab driver told us that cigarettes are $5 a pack. YIKES)
Terry and I finished quickly, and had the cab driver take us to the boat, and our plan was to come back and get the girls once they got finished. That would allow Terry and I a chance to unpack some things, and to get the boat ready. Everything went great. We unpacked things, and went to the marina and got the charts we would need for the rest of the trip. (I would love to have just ½ of the money back I have invested in charts that I’ll never use again)
The girls had no problems at the store, and we had the owner of the marina pick them up when they were done. (It was less than 5 minutes away)
By 7:30 we had all of our provisions for the first week, the boat was organized, we had eaten dinner (carry out Chinese) and we were sitting back to relax and plan our trip. I went in the engine room and got out the fishing poles so Terry and I could fish a little. As it turned out I went casting, and Terry went fishing. He caught a couple of large mouth bass right next to our boat. (That’s the same area the Steve Larry caught his fish when we were here 2 weeks ago) He is getting geared up for the big ones we think we’ll find up in the North Channel. The fishing must have tired him out, because almost as soon as he came in, he announced that he was done for the day, and heading to bed. We all followed.
Today…
Our plan is to head out about 6:30, and get to the first lock at 7AM. We have 6 locks to go today, and then we’ll be at Lake Ontario. Depending on the weather (The weather channel says it will be mostly sunny, and 70 degrees) we may cross Lake Ontario, and head to Kingston, Ontario, Canada. That would put us in good shape to join the Trent-Severn tomorrow, and get a jump on all of those 42 locks.
We have a long way to go, and some unbelievable territory to explore.
I’ll keep you posted…
BK
Leaving Oneida Lake, NY
5:15 AM
Saturday, July 22, 2000
EssKay Yards
Brewerton, NY.
Day 83
Our final leg has begun.
Deb, Terry, Jeanie, and I left Chicago at about 2 and arrived Syracuse at 4:30 eastern time. We thought we were going to have a problem when we were on the plane, and they announced that we should grab our stuff, and leave because the plane was broke, and they needed to find us one that worked. The good news was they found one that would fly very quickly, and we ended up only being about 35 minutes late arriving Syracuse. I would have bet a fair amount of money that that would not have happened, but it did.
Once we arrived in Syracuse, we got a taxi, and headed toward the boat. Along the way we dropped the girls off at the grocery store while Terry and I went to the liquor store. Liquor is very expensive here. They say they have a “sin” tax and things are 50% to 75% higher than at home. (The cab driver told us that cigarettes are $5 a pack. YIKES)
Terry and I finished quickly, and had the cab driver take us to the boat, and our plan was to come back and get the girls once they got finished. That would allow Terry and I a chance to unpack some things, and to get the boat ready. Everything went great. We unpacked things, and went to the marina and got the charts we would need for the rest of the trip. (I would love to have just ½ of the money back I have invested in charts that I’ll never use again)
The girls had no problems at the store, and we had the owner of the marina pick them up when they were done. (It was less than 5 minutes away)
By 7:30 we had all of our provisions for the first week, the boat was organized, we had eaten dinner (carry out Chinese) and we were sitting back to relax and plan our trip. I went in the engine room and got out the fishing poles so Terry and I could fish a little. As it turned out I went casting, and Terry went fishing. He caught a couple of large mouth bass right next to our boat. (That’s the same area the Steve Larry caught his fish when we were here 2 weeks ago) He is getting geared up for the big ones we think we’ll find up in the North Channel. The fishing must have tired him out, because almost as soon as he came in, he announced that he was done for the day, and heading to bed. We all followed.
Today…
Our plan is to head out about 6:30, and get to the first lock at 7AM. We have 6 locks to go today, and then we’ll be at Lake Ontario. Depending on the weather (The weather channel says it will be mostly sunny, and 70 degrees) we may cross Lake Ontario, and head to Kingston, Ontario, Canada. That would put us in good shape to join the Trent-Severn tomorrow, and get a jump on all of those 42 locks.
We have a long way to go, and some unbelievable territory to explore.
I’ll keep you posted…
BK
Sunday, July 16, 2000
Chapter 65: Two Weeks Remaining...
Log 65
2 Weeks remaining---Update
5:45 AM
Sunday, July 16, 2000
Sitting in my study at home
This is the first weekend Deb and I have been home since the first of May. (At one point I hadn’t slept in my bed at home for over 7 weeks) I’m sitting here planning our last two weeks of the trip, and I thought I’d get out an update to our status, and what we have left to do.
As I write this, the boat is in the small town of Brewerton, NY. If you were to look at a map of New York you would see a lake that runs east and west almost in the center of the state. That lake is Oneida Lake. The boat is located where Interstate 81 crosses that lake. Actually it is just to the west of there, but you get the idea. As I have written before, my original plans were to get it to Oswego, NY, and the bottom of Lake Ontario, But we ended up finding a great little marina, close to the Syracuse airport, so we decided to leave it there. I think it is going to work out great.
The remaining two weeks of our trip should be very exciting. Early last summer when we were testing the boat, we were in Michigan at a marina next to a fella, and we got talking about our boat, and that led us to the fact we were going to make the “Great Circle”. This guy went on to tell us he had made that trip. Twice! Well I must say I was a bit skeptical, but as he went on you could tell he was telling the truth. Anyway, during this conversation he ask me which way I was going once I got to Lake Ontario. I told him my plans were to go on to Lake Eire, then Lake Huron, and back around to Lake Michigan. “I went that way once” he said, “bad idea”, and he goes on to tell me the only way to make the trip is to cross Lake Ontario, and take the Trent-Severn Waterway. (I had heard about the Trent-Severn, but that’s about it. I didn’t have a clue what it was, or even where it was) He went on to say that was the only way to go, and it was some of the prettiest water he had ever seen in his life. Well I never forgot that conversation, although I was still planning on taking Lake Eire, because I didn’t feel we had enough time to take the “northern route”.
One of the great things about making this trip (or cruising in general) is the different people you meet, and listening to their stories. You normally start to talk to people when they see your boat name, and where your homeport is. You don’t see many boats from Illinois on the waterway, so they all want to know what you’re doing here. “You’re sure a long way from home” is a common response, and that starts the discussion. We have met people from all over the world, and they all have a story to tell. (Just thinking about all of the docks we have stood on, and had these discussions, gets me excited) The point of all of this is that during these conversations I have had many a discussion with captains who have taken the “northern route”, and every one (every single one) said it is some of the best boating, and most beautiful water they have ever been in. With all of those conversations in mind, I started doing some homework, and trying to figure out what all of the fuss was, and……… could we do this? After a fair amount of reading I figured out what the route would be, and…….yes…..we could do this.
So with that introduction, here is what our plans are for the final two weeks:
We get back to the boat on Friday, July 21st. Terry and Jeanie (Deb’s sister, and brother in law) will be with us for the entire time. They have been with us before, and they are a great crew.
We will depart Brewerton, NY on the 22nd, and finish the few miles remaining of the Eire Canal.
After 1 lock, and about 5 miles on the Eire Canal, we will join the Oswego Canal, and head due north.
On the Oswego Canal we will go about 20 miles, and through 5 locks before we reach Oswego, NY, and lake Ontario.
Depending on the time, and the lake conditions we will either stop for the night, or head northeast across Lake Ontario to Kingston, Ontario. We will now be in Canada for a while, and we will need to clear customs. (Some say they will board our boat, some say they won’t)
From Kingston we go a little southwest, to the town of Trenton, and to the beginning of the Trent-Severn Waterway. This waterway is about 240 miles long, with 42 locks. (Yes, 42 locks)
The Trent-Severn drops us at Port Severn, near the town of Midland, and the southwest corner of Georgian Bay. (You can see this on an atlas)
From there we will (depending on the weather conditions) either cross the Georgian Bay, or wind our way around the “small boat route”, and what they call the “Thousand Islands” (See…I told you I have been doing some reading) They say this area is absolutely awesome, but we will have to see how much time we have.
Across the Georgian Bay we come to Killarney, and the start of the North Channel. The North Channel is the body of water at the very northern end of Lake Huron. We will cross the North Channel, and end up joining Lake Huron at the northwest side, near Drummond Island.
From here we will skirt the northern end of Lake Huron, and join Lake Michigan at the Straits of Mackinac. Hopefully we will have time to stop at Mackinac Island.
Once we reach Lake Michigan, we will follow the eastern edge of the state, and work our way down to Benton Harbor, or maybe even Michigan City, before we cross Lake Michigan to Chicago.
From Chicago we have about 90 miles, and two days running to get us back to our slip in Ottawa, IL. (Our plan is to be back by Saturday, August 5th) where we left 11 months before that.
So that’s it. Our plan for the final two weeks. On one hand, it’s pretty straightforward, on the other, there is a lot of open water on this leg, and depending on the winds we will have to see how far we can get each day. There is also a tremendous amount of navigating, which I love, and Terry does as well. I’m sure we will have to sit a day or two along the way and wait for better weather, and I’m also sure we will have to “blast” on some other days to take advantage of “flat” water. That’s the adventure part.
What ever happens I want to be sure to soak all of this in, and enjoy the final leg.
It’s hard to believe it is getting close to being over. We’ve come a long way, but we’ve got a ways to go.
YeeeeHaaaaa!
BK
2 Weeks remaining---Update
5:45 AM
Sunday, July 16, 2000
Sitting in my study at home
This is the first weekend Deb and I have been home since the first of May. (At one point I hadn’t slept in my bed at home for over 7 weeks) I’m sitting here planning our last two weeks of the trip, and I thought I’d get out an update to our status, and what we have left to do.
As I write this, the boat is in the small town of Brewerton, NY. If you were to look at a map of New York you would see a lake that runs east and west almost in the center of the state. That lake is Oneida Lake. The boat is located where Interstate 81 crosses that lake. Actually it is just to the west of there, but you get the idea. As I have written before, my original plans were to get it to Oswego, NY, and the bottom of Lake Ontario, But we ended up finding a great little marina, close to the Syracuse airport, so we decided to leave it there. I think it is going to work out great.
The remaining two weeks of our trip should be very exciting. Early last summer when we were testing the boat, we were in Michigan at a marina next to a fella, and we got talking about our boat, and that led us to the fact we were going to make the “Great Circle”. This guy went on to tell us he had made that trip. Twice! Well I must say I was a bit skeptical, but as he went on you could tell he was telling the truth. Anyway, during this conversation he ask me which way I was going once I got to Lake Ontario. I told him my plans were to go on to Lake Eire, then Lake Huron, and back around to Lake Michigan. “I went that way once” he said, “bad idea”, and he goes on to tell me the only way to make the trip is to cross Lake Ontario, and take the Trent-Severn Waterway. (I had heard about the Trent-Severn, but that’s about it. I didn’t have a clue what it was, or even where it was) He went on to say that was the only way to go, and it was some of the prettiest water he had ever seen in his life. Well I never forgot that conversation, although I was still planning on taking Lake Eire, because I didn’t feel we had enough time to take the “northern route”.
One of the great things about making this trip (or cruising in general) is the different people you meet, and listening to their stories. You normally start to talk to people when they see your boat name, and where your homeport is. You don’t see many boats from Illinois on the waterway, so they all want to know what you’re doing here. “You’re sure a long way from home” is a common response, and that starts the discussion. We have met people from all over the world, and they all have a story to tell. (Just thinking about all of the docks we have stood on, and had these discussions, gets me excited) The point of all of this is that during these conversations I have had many a discussion with captains who have taken the “northern route”, and every one (every single one) said it is some of the best boating, and most beautiful water they have ever been in. With all of those conversations in mind, I started doing some homework, and trying to figure out what all of the fuss was, and……… could we do this? After a fair amount of reading I figured out what the route would be, and…….yes…..we could do this.
So with that introduction, here is what our plans are for the final two weeks:
We get back to the boat on Friday, July 21st. Terry and Jeanie (Deb’s sister, and brother in law) will be with us for the entire time. They have been with us before, and they are a great crew.
We will depart Brewerton, NY on the 22nd, and finish the few miles remaining of the Eire Canal.
After 1 lock, and about 5 miles on the Eire Canal, we will join the Oswego Canal, and head due north.
On the Oswego Canal we will go about 20 miles, and through 5 locks before we reach Oswego, NY, and lake Ontario.
Depending on the time, and the lake conditions we will either stop for the night, or head northeast across Lake Ontario to Kingston, Ontario. We will now be in Canada for a while, and we will need to clear customs. (Some say they will board our boat, some say they won’t)
From Kingston we go a little southwest, to the town of Trenton, and to the beginning of the Trent-Severn Waterway. This waterway is about 240 miles long, with 42 locks. (Yes, 42 locks)
The Trent-Severn drops us at Port Severn, near the town of Midland, and the southwest corner of Georgian Bay. (You can see this on an atlas)
From there we will (depending on the weather conditions) either cross the Georgian Bay, or wind our way around the “small boat route”, and what they call the “Thousand Islands” (See…I told you I have been doing some reading) They say this area is absolutely awesome, but we will have to see how much time we have.
Across the Georgian Bay we come to Killarney, and the start of the North Channel. The North Channel is the body of water at the very northern end of Lake Huron. We will cross the North Channel, and end up joining Lake Huron at the northwest side, near Drummond Island.
From here we will skirt the northern end of Lake Huron, and join Lake Michigan at the Straits of Mackinac. Hopefully we will have time to stop at Mackinac Island.
Once we reach Lake Michigan, we will follow the eastern edge of the state, and work our way down to Benton Harbor, or maybe even Michigan City, before we cross Lake Michigan to Chicago.
From Chicago we have about 90 miles, and two days running to get us back to our slip in Ottawa, IL. (Our plan is to be back by Saturday, August 5th) where we left 11 months before that.
So that’s it. Our plan for the final two weeks. On one hand, it’s pretty straightforward, on the other, there is a lot of open water on this leg, and depending on the winds we will have to see how far we can get each day. There is also a tremendous amount of navigating, which I love, and Terry does as well. I’m sure we will have to sit a day or two along the way and wait for better weather, and I’m also sure we will have to “blast” on some other days to take advantage of “flat” water. That’s the adventure part.
What ever happens I want to be sure to soak all of this in, and enjoy the final leg.
It’s hard to believe it is getting close to being over. We’ve come a long way, but we’ve got a ways to go.
YeeeeHaaaaa!
BK
Friday, July 07, 2000
Chapter 64: Erie Canal to Oneida Lake
Log 64
Erie Canal—Oneida Lake
6:30 AM
Friday, July 07, 2000
Ess-Kay Yards
Brewerton, NY
Day 81
It started out cold today. When we got up, the outside temperature said 48 degrees. The sky was crystal clear so we knew it was only a mater of time before it warmed up. We wanted to make the 7 AM opening at our first lock of the day, so we left our marina wall at about 6:30. We had not gone a mile when it started to get pretty foggy. Where we were the fog had gone, but further down the canal, it was narrower, and the trees were taller, and the sun wasn’t high enough to melt the fog. The further we went the foggier it got, until you couldn’t see the banks of the canal, even though it was very narrow. No problem though, I just slowed down a little more, and used the radar to help guide us through. As it turned out it didn’t last but a few miles, and the sun was up enough to do its work, and by then we were almost to our first lock.
Speaking of locks, we reached the highest point of locks today. When we got to lock 20 we had climbed 410 feet and traveled 108 miles from where we joined the canal at Troy. As you can imagine we had been lifting all of this way, and the next two locks (# 21, and #22) we dropped down 25 feet each time to reach level of Oneida Lake.
We reached Oneida Lake about 11 AM. Earlier than we had planned. The trip across is about 20 miles of so, and I picked it up a good bit, so we made it in a little over and hour. I’m sure those Detroit engines were very glad to get some good use, after having to been at idle for so long on the canal. Shortly after noon, we found the other side of Oneida Lake, and rejoined the Erie Canal. Our plan was to stop here, and then go through the final lock on the Erie tomorrow, and then up the Oswego Canal to join Lake Ontario. As we were fueling up, ($1.49) the lady who runs the marina (Kim) and I were talking and she asked where we were headed. I told her our plans, and she said, “Why would you do that?” She said that the Syracuse airport was only 15 minutes away, and everything we needed to stock up was real close to here. She had room for the boat, and she would take good care of us, and the boat. Done! Plans changed, and we are here at the Marina (Ess-Kay Yards) where we will leave the boat for a couple of weeks.
With those plans done, we tied up the boat in our semi-permanent slip, and decided Steve and I would go fishing. He went with Kim, the marina owner, to a bait shop, and I worked on cleaning the dinghy, and getting it off the back, so we could find the big fish.
Well as you can imagine the big fish are still there, and we ended up coming back without dinner. The good news was the girls had been cooking, and had a great batch of spaghetti sauce heating up. We decided it needed time to slow cook, so we all jumped in the dinghy in search of the perfect Pina Coloda. (By the way just saying that should tell you we have finally reached civilization again, and there are marinas, and waterside restaurants all over the place) The first place we stopped at looked great, and Deb was all set for one of those fancy drinks, and take it with us in the dinghy. We had a little trouble getting anyone’s attention, and when we did she informed us that they had no “to go” glasses. Oh well, there are more places, lets jump back in the dinghy, and go somewhere else. The next place we went to they had this old lady bartender who looked like she could care less about what we needed, and it turns out that was in fact the case. Deb said do you have any to go glasses, to which she shook her head yes. Great Deb said, I’ll have a Pina Colada. “Don’t have any” was her response. “We’re all out of the stuff” “Got margaritas though”. Well Deb’s heart was broken, but Steve and Claudia took this lady up on her offer for the Margaritas. While we were paying for those drinks, the lady says, “Ever had a blue moon?” (If you saw this lady there would be a lot of things that would go through your mind about now) “No can’t say if I have” I told her “what’s it look like?”
It’s a beer she tells me, and then gives us two small glasses to sample. It turned out to be darn good, so Deb and I ordered a couple of glasses to go. She proudly fills up two medium sized plastic glasses, and then tells us we owe her $7. (No wonder she was pushing them, if you sell enough beer at that price you can do real well)
After a short dinghy ride to finish our drinks, we went back to the boat for some of the spaghetti. It was great, and we enjoyed relaxing with a good meal. After dinner Steve and Claudia went walking with a fishing pole in Steve’s hands, and Steve ending up catching a couple of fish.
Another great boating day. I’ll keep you posted…
BK.
Erie Canal—Oneida Lake
6:30 AM
Friday, July 07, 2000
Ess-Kay Yards
Brewerton, NY
Day 81
It started out cold today. When we got up, the outside temperature said 48 degrees. The sky was crystal clear so we knew it was only a mater of time before it warmed up. We wanted to make the 7 AM opening at our first lock of the day, so we left our marina wall at about 6:30. We had not gone a mile when it started to get pretty foggy. Where we were the fog had gone, but further down the canal, it was narrower, and the trees were taller, and the sun wasn’t high enough to melt the fog. The further we went the foggier it got, until you couldn’t see the banks of the canal, even though it was very narrow. No problem though, I just slowed down a little more, and used the radar to help guide us through. As it turned out it didn’t last but a few miles, and the sun was up enough to do its work, and by then we were almost to our first lock.
Speaking of locks, we reached the highest point of locks today. When we got to lock 20 we had climbed 410 feet and traveled 108 miles from where we joined the canal at Troy. As you can imagine we had been lifting all of this way, and the next two locks (# 21, and #22) we dropped down 25 feet each time to reach level of Oneida Lake.
We reached Oneida Lake about 11 AM. Earlier than we had planned. The trip across is about 20 miles of so, and I picked it up a good bit, so we made it in a little over and hour. I’m sure those Detroit engines were very glad to get some good use, after having to been at idle for so long on the canal. Shortly after noon, we found the other side of Oneida Lake, and rejoined the Erie Canal. Our plan was to stop here, and then go through the final lock on the Erie tomorrow, and then up the Oswego Canal to join Lake Ontario. As we were fueling up, ($1.49) the lady who runs the marina (Kim) and I were talking and she asked where we were headed. I told her our plans, and she said, “Why would you do that?” She said that the Syracuse airport was only 15 minutes away, and everything we needed to stock up was real close to here. She had room for the boat, and she would take good care of us, and the boat. Done! Plans changed, and we are here at the Marina (Ess-Kay Yards) where we will leave the boat for a couple of weeks.
With those plans done, we tied up the boat in our semi-permanent slip, and decided Steve and I would go fishing. He went with Kim, the marina owner, to a bait shop, and I worked on cleaning the dinghy, and getting it off the back, so we could find the big fish.
Well as you can imagine the big fish are still there, and we ended up coming back without dinner. The good news was the girls had been cooking, and had a great batch of spaghetti sauce heating up. We decided it needed time to slow cook, so we all jumped in the dinghy in search of the perfect Pina Coloda. (By the way just saying that should tell you we have finally reached civilization again, and there are marinas, and waterside restaurants all over the place) The first place we stopped at looked great, and Deb was all set for one of those fancy drinks, and take it with us in the dinghy. We had a little trouble getting anyone’s attention, and when we did she informed us that they had no “to go” glasses. Oh well, there are more places, lets jump back in the dinghy, and go somewhere else. The next place we went to they had this old lady bartender who looked like she could care less about what we needed, and it turns out that was in fact the case. Deb said do you have any to go glasses, to which she shook her head yes. Great Deb said, I’ll have a Pina Colada. “Don’t have any” was her response. “We’re all out of the stuff” “Got margaritas though”. Well Deb’s heart was broken, but Steve and Claudia took this lady up on her offer for the Margaritas. While we were paying for those drinks, the lady says, “Ever had a blue moon?” (If you saw this lady there would be a lot of things that would go through your mind about now) “No can’t say if I have” I told her “what’s it look like?”
It’s a beer she tells me, and then gives us two small glasses to sample. It turned out to be darn good, so Deb and I ordered a couple of glasses to go. She proudly fills up two medium sized plastic glasses, and then tells us we owe her $7. (No wonder she was pushing them, if you sell enough beer at that price you can do real well)
After a short dinghy ride to finish our drinks, we went back to the boat for some of the spaghetti. It was great, and we enjoyed relaxing with a good meal. After dinner Steve and Claudia went walking with a fishing pole in Steve’s hands, and Steve ending up catching a couple of fish.
Another great boating day. I’ll keep you posted…
BK.
Thursday, July 06, 2000
Chapter 63: Erie Canal to Ilion
Log 63
Eire Canal-Ilion NY.
5:20 AM
Thursday, July 06, 2000
Ilion Marina
Ilion, NY.
Day 81
This is what I thought the Eire Canal was: A long narrow man made channel that went through towns that had docks next to their downtown areas. As you traveled this canal, you would stop each night at one of these little towns, and enjoy their local flair. Sort of like the canal systems in Europe. (Who knows where I got this idea)
I now know what the Eire Canal is. It’s a road of water. A scenic road that is in the middle of nowhere, and takes you to somewhere, but along the way there is no place to really stop. If you picture this kind of road, (like maybe a desolate back road) only water, that’s what the Eire Canal is. With all of that said, it is beautiful. There are lots of hills, and some mountains, and almost always there are trees growing up to the canal edge. Most of what we are on is the Mohawk River, but it is connected by man-made waterways, and lots of locks. (We have gone through 19 in two days). Yesterday we went through a lock that lifted us up over 40 feet, in about 11 minutes.
We untied at about 6:30 yesterday, and made it to our first lock at exactly 7AM. The sky was a bright blue, sunny, and with a slight chill in the air. (About 64 degrees) This is one of the few times since we have left home that I had to wear a sweat suit to drive the boat. The night we spent in Amsterdam we had the misfortune to meet a couple of boats that were going the same place we were. These were two McKenna 57 foot boats that had captains on them and they were delivering them somewhere. We don’t know where because we didn’t want to talk to them. (To long a story, let’s just say they were not your normal kind of boaters) Anyway….as I have said there is a speed limit of 10 MPH on the waterway, and we wanted to get ahead of these guys, so we wouldn’t have to lock through with them all of the way. When we left the lock wall in Amsterdam there was no sign on life on their boats so we knew we would make it to the first lock before them, and stay ahead of them all day. Well, by the second lock (where we had a slight delay getting in the lock) they were right behind us, and we knew they would probably catch us at the next lock. As we were locking through, and talking to the lockmaster, we mentioned these two boats behind us, and he said he had heard about them. It seems that they had already had two warnings about their speed. He went on to tell us that although he personally couldn’t give them a ticket, he could sure make their life miserable, by finding all kinds of ways to slow down the lock process. Well that was at lock # 12, and for the rest of the day we were talking to the lockmasters warning them about the two upcoming McKenna boats. It became a game to Steve, and he was really having a good time trying to get the lockmasters to delay these guys coming through the locks. (Like saying “Why do you think those guys feel that all lockmasters are hicks”?) By the end of the day they ended up being a couple of hours behind us, and I’m sure very frustrated with the slowness of the New York Canal System.
We reached Ilion NY by about 2:30 in the afternoon. It was really too early to stop, but it was the only place for quite a while where you could tie up, and have electricity as well. So we took advantage of it, and made it a relaxing afternoon of cleaning up the boat, and telling stories.
At the marina (they call it a marina, but actually it’s not a marina, it’s just a long wall where about 8 to 10 boats can tie up) they said you could you could call two different local restaurants, and they would come and get you for dinner. We studied the different menus, and decided on one, and I called for reservations, and a pick-up. It really worked out great. Not only did they pick us up, but the food was great, and on the way back the owners wife stopped at the grocery store so we could run in and get a couple of things. Back at the boat we had a nightcap, watched a little TV, and off to bed. Two good days on the Erie Canal.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Eire Canal-Ilion NY.
5:20 AM
Thursday, July 06, 2000
Ilion Marina
Ilion, NY.
Day 81
This is what I thought the Eire Canal was: A long narrow man made channel that went through towns that had docks next to their downtown areas. As you traveled this canal, you would stop each night at one of these little towns, and enjoy their local flair. Sort of like the canal systems in Europe. (Who knows where I got this idea)
I now know what the Eire Canal is. It’s a road of water. A scenic road that is in the middle of nowhere, and takes you to somewhere, but along the way there is no place to really stop. If you picture this kind of road, (like maybe a desolate back road) only water, that’s what the Eire Canal is. With all of that said, it is beautiful. There are lots of hills, and some mountains, and almost always there are trees growing up to the canal edge. Most of what we are on is the Mohawk River, but it is connected by man-made waterways, and lots of locks. (We have gone through 19 in two days). Yesterday we went through a lock that lifted us up over 40 feet, in about 11 minutes.
We untied at about 6:30 yesterday, and made it to our first lock at exactly 7AM. The sky was a bright blue, sunny, and with a slight chill in the air. (About 64 degrees) This is one of the few times since we have left home that I had to wear a sweat suit to drive the boat. The night we spent in Amsterdam we had the misfortune to meet a couple of boats that were going the same place we were. These were two McKenna 57 foot boats that had captains on them and they were delivering them somewhere. We don’t know where because we didn’t want to talk to them. (To long a story, let’s just say they were not your normal kind of boaters) Anyway….as I have said there is a speed limit of 10 MPH on the waterway, and we wanted to get ahead of these guys, so we wouldn’t have to lock through with them all of the way. When we left the lock wall in Amsterdam there was no sign on life on their boats so we knew we would make it to the first lock before them, and stay ahead of them all day. Well, by the second lock (where we had a slight delay getting in the lock) they were right behind us, and we knew they would probably catch us at the next lock. As we were locking through, and talking to the lockmaster, we mentioned these two boats behind us, and he said he had heard about them. It seems that they had already had two warnings about their speed. He went on to tell us that although he personally couldn’t give them a ticket, he could sure make their life miserable, by finding all kinds of ways to slow down the lock process. Well that was at lock # 12, and for the rest of the day we were talking to the lockmasters warning them about the two upcoming McKenna boats. It became a game to Steve, and he was really having a good time trying to get the lockmasters to delay these guys coming through the locks. (Like saying “Why do you think those guys feel that all lockmasters are hicks”?) By the end of the day they ended up being a couple of hours behind us, and I’m sure very frustrated with the slowness of the New York Canal System.
We reached Ilion NY by about 2:30 in the afternoon. It was really too early to stop, but it was the only place for quite a while where you could tie up, and have electricity as well. So we took advantage of it, and made it a relaxing afternoon of cleaning up the boat, and telling stories.
At the marina (they call it a marina, but actually it’s not a marina, it’s just a long wall where about 8 to 10 boats can tie up) they said you could you could call two different local restaurants, and they would come and get you for dinner. We studied the different menus, and decided on one, and I called for reservations, and a pick-up. It really worked out great. Not only did they pick us up, but the food was great, and on the way back the owners wife stopped at the grocery store so we could run in and get a couple of things. Back at the boat we had a nightcap, watched a little TV, and off to bed. Two good days on the Erie Canal.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Wednesday, July 05, 2000
Chapter 62: Troy to Amsterdam
Log 62
Troy NY to Amsterdam NY
5:10 AM
Wednesday, July 05, 2000
Tied to lock #11 wall
Amsterdam NY.
Day
The guidebook says to leave Troy docks at 7 AM to get the best jump on the Eire Canal, and that is exactly what we did. Steve and I were both up early. I got up to write this log, and he must have got up to clean, because that is exactly what he did. By the time 6:30 came around we were both antsy to get started, and by 6:45 we were rolling.
The first lock was Troy Lock, and it was only about ½ mile away. They opened at 7 AM, and were their first customer. We were also joined by a 60+ foot Viking Sport Fish (Eagle One) who was behind us at the Troy Town Dock. They had a captain, and crew aboard, as well as the new owners, and were heading to Sturgeon Bay, WI.
Once we exited the Troy Lock we only had about 2 miles to go before we had to make a decision on whether we go north toward Lake Champlain, or west on the Eire Canal. The first lock we came to was Lock #2. (No fancy names for these New Yorkers….and where did lock #1 go to?) It was an old lock and when you got to the top of the 45-foot lift you could look over at the original lock that was dug by hand back over 170 years ago. We no more than got out of that lock and we were back in another one (Lock #3). Then another, then another. We actually went through 5 locks in about 2 to 3 miles. All of them lifted us between 15 and 45 feet, so before we were done we had been lifted about 167 feet in a very short time. Once we got out of lock # 6 things started to spread out a little, and the locks were about 30 minutes to an hour apart. This is the way they explain them in the guidebook, and the reason is they have a speed limit on the water, and so everyone goes the same speed if you are “canalling”.
So far this has been very different than I expected. I pictured a fairly narrow canal that was man made, and all along the way there would be towns where boats could tie up, and walk into the towns to enjoy the local flair. In fact what we have found is very similar to the Illinois River, and it’s locking system. In this case we are on the Mohawk River, and you really don’t see any marinas of any size. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It is very pretty, and a pleasure to navigate, it’s just not what I expected. Yet. As I read the book I think some of those towns where you tie up near there downtown areas may be coming up. (At least they show pictures that look like that)
We got to lock #11 about 2:30, and after going through we saw a pretty little park, and it was located next to a town, so we decided to stop for the night. (There were no marinas for a long ways ahead) Once we tied up to the lock wall Steve and Claudia went exploring into town (Amsterdam) to get their bearings, and see where we could eat dinner. After about an hour they came back to announce that based on their observations the town was a lost cause, and the best place to eat was on the boat. (So much for quaint little towns with lots of personality)
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, and reading about what was to come on the canal. (I have read that book a few times now, but I’m still not sure where we will end up, because it’s hard to plan with all of the locks) We did end up eating on the boat (great chicken on the grill with some of Debs great pan fried potatoes) and just sitting around watching the boats go by. We ended the evening watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and the New York Fireworks on TV. In total we had a great first day on Eire Canal.
Today…
The sun is up now, and it promises to be a very pretty day. We need to get out of here by 6:30 so we can be at lock #12 by 7 AM when they open. That should give us a good start on the day. I don’t know where we’ll end up yet; we’ll just have to see how the locks treat us.
By the way Happy Anniversary to Les and Ann Walleck. I know today is their wedding anniversary, but I’m not sure how many years. 26? Have a great day!!
I’ll keep you posted…
BK.
Troy NY to Amsterdam NY
5:10 AM
Wednesday, July 05, 2000
Tied to lock #11 wall
Amsterdam NY.
Day
The guidebook says to leave Troy docks at 7 AM to get the best jump on the Eire Canal, and that is exactly what we did. Steve and I were both up early. I got up to write this log, and he must have got up to clean, because that is exactly what he did. By the time 6:30 came around we were both antsy to get started, and by 6:45 we were rolling.
The first lock was Troy Lock, and it was only about ½ mile away. They opened at 7 AM, and were their first customer. We were also joined by a 60+ foot Viking Sport Fish (Eagle One) who was behind us at the Troy Town Dock. They had a captain, and crew aboard, as well as the new owners, and were heading to Sturgeon Bay, WI.
Once we exited the Troy Lock we only had about 2 miles to go before we had to make a decision on whether we go north toward Lake Champlain, or west on the Eire Canal. The first lock we came to was Lock #2. (No fancy names for these New Yorkers….and where did lock #1 go to?) It was an old lock and when you got to the top of the 45-foot lift you could look over at the original lock that was dug by hand back over 170 years ago. We no more than got out of that lock and we were back in another one (Lock #3). Then another, then another. We actually went through 5 locks in about 2 to 3 miles. All of them lifted us between 15 and 45 feet, so before we were done we had been lifted about 167 feet in a very short time. Once we got out of lock # 6 things started to spread out a little, and the locks were about 30 minutes to an hour apart. This is the way they explain them in the guidebook, and the reason is they have a speed limit on the water, and so everyone goes the same speed if you are “canalling”.
So far this has been very different than I expected. I pictured a fairly narrow canal that was man made, and all along the way there would be towns where boats could tie up, and walk into the towns to enjoy the local flair. In fact what we have found is very similar to the Illinois River, and it’s locking system. In this case we are on the Mohawk River, and you really don’t see any marinas of any size. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. It is very pretty, and a pleasure to navigate, it’s just not what I expected. Yet. As I read the book I think some of those towns where you tie up near there downtown areas may be coming up. (At least they show pictures that look like that)
We got to lock #11 about 2:30, and after going through we saw a pretty little park, and it was located next to a town, so we decided to stop for the night. (There were no marinas for a long ways ahead) Once we tied up to the lock wall Steve and Claudia went exploring into town (Amsterdam) to get their bearings, and see where we could eat dinner. After about an hour they came back to announce that based on their observations the town was a lost cause, and the best place to eat was on the boat. (So much for quaint little towns with lots of personality)
The rest of the afternoon was spent relaxing, and reading about what was to come on the canal. (I have read that book a few times now, but I’m still not sure where we will end up, because it’s hard to plan with all of the locks) We did end up eating on the boat (great chicken on the grill with some of Debs great pan fried potatoes) and just sitting around watching the boats go by. We ended the evening watching Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and the New York Fireworks on TV. In total we had a great first day on Eire Canal.
Today…
The sun is up now, and it promises to be a very pretty day. We need to get out of here by 6:30 so we can be at lock #12 by 7 AM when they open. That should give us a good start on the day. I don’t know where we’ll end up yet; we’ll just have to see how the locks treat us.
By the way Happy Anniversary to Les and Ann Walleck. I know today is their wedding anniversary, but I’m not sure how many years. 26? Have a great day!!
I’ll keep you posted…
BK.
Monday, July 03, 2000
Chapter 61: Kingston to Troy
Log 61
Kingston NY to Troy NY
4:00 PM (cocktail hour)
Monday, July 03, 2000
Troy Town Dock Marina
Troy NY.
I thought I’d try something different. With Steve Larry aboard he gets up so early that I don’t have time to write a morning log sometimes, so I thought I’d get a jump on today’s entry.
Today we went from Kingston to Troy NY. About 60 miles on the Hudson River. It was an easy trip, and we made it to our dock about 2 PM.
The morning started out with a bright sun, and very little wind. Kingston looked quite a bit different than it did last night, with all of the festivities going on. Most of those happy boaters last night, were still sleeping this morning as we passed them on the creek that led us back to Hideaway Marina. Steve was up early, and cleaning the boat like we were going to sell it, or something. I tried to get off a log, and ended up doing so, but it was tough to concentrate with him scurrying around everywhere. We needed fuel, so we left our slip at about 7:30, in order to go out in the channel, and around the bend to another marina that opened at 8 AM. They had fuel, but the cost was $1.89 a gallon. Yikes, we have finally hit that high priced fuel that we heard about. I decided not to fill up, and hope the price would get cheaper somewhere else.
The trip north was about the same as yesterday. The Hudson continues to impress us. High banks, beautiful scenery and easy to navigate. The only thing to worry about is all of the debris that is floating. To most boaters it would be a big deal, but if you have boated on all the rivers we have, you are somewhat used to it. Anyway, if you keep a sharp eye out you have no problem.
We got here a little earlier than normal because I went fast a good part of the way, and that allowed us time to get to the grocery store, and also the hardware store. For a while now we have had a problem with the faucet in the galley. It has one of those sprayers on it, and all of a sudden it quit coming out of the faucet, and will only come out of the sprayer. At first it seemed like a big hassle, but we have learned to live with it. When Steve got aboard he thought he knew how to fix it, so when we got here today he took it apart. The good news is, it was exactly as he had said, and we took off about 8 blocks to the hardware store. The bad news is they didn’t have the thing we needed, so we wasted a trip. (Well not totally, because we stopped at the liquor store on the way back and got a few things. Which reminds me it’s almost time for a gin and tonic)
4:30 AM
Tuesday, July 04, 2000
I ended the log at exactly the point above, and got a gin and tonic, and never made it back to it, so I’ll finish it now.
As the time shows, it’s very early here. I woke up at about 4, and thought about the day, and all we had to do, so I just got up. The coffee is brewing, the weather channel is on, and I’m on a boat, so I’m getting a great start to this Forth of July.. Although it’s dark outside, it looks like it will be a nice day here.
Meanwhile….back to yesterday.
On our way back from the hardware store, it started to rain, and continued for the next couple of hours. Steve and Claudia decided to hitch a ride to the local grocery store, and Deb and I stayed on the boat. I needed to have some time to review the cruising guide and get an understanding of the Eire Canal. (Which is why I ended the log so abruptly above) Once back from the store we all cleaned up, and made it up to the local Brewery for some dinner, and got to bed early, so we could be ready for an early morning.
Side note: I forgot to tell you a great story that happened while we were in Kingston. The marina we stayed in (Hideaway Marina) was located all the way back on a small creek. It was very narrow, and normally only smaller boats were back there, but the owner said he had room, so we ended up tying up to a dock next to the boat ramp. (Actually it was the one you use to tie to when you drop off your boat) The dock was about 40 or 45 feet long, and our boat is 50 feet. Anyway, it was tight getting around us in the channel. As we were sitting on the boat waiting for the fireworks, a sailboat, with the wife driving, were going past us when she ran aground. (It was low tide, and she only had about 3 to 4 feet of water) You could tell the husband was upset, and he was explaining to his spouse the rules of the road, and what she had done wrong. After a fair amount of animation (with a lot of people sitting on their boats watching all of this) he took over and tried, in vain, to use the engine to get off the mud. About this time the owner of the marina (a big guy that looks like an older Grizzly Adams with a pony tail) came over in his boat to help him by pulling him backwards off the shoal. It was obvious to everyone watching that the husband was making a big deal about this, and was directing everything. Well Grizzly (actually his name was John) did just what he should and pulled the sailboat backwards, and she (the boat, not the wife) was floating again. The husband, now completely in charge, was going to show his wife the way this should be done. He reached down to fire up the outboard engine that powered their boat, and really gave it the gas. The boat took off, and he drove it exactly where his wife had gone, only this time much faster, and in front of the entire world he ran aground, much harder, because of his speed. It was great. Everyone cheered, and clapped, and he went below, telling everyone that he was done, and his wife was in charge. Which, from my point of view, was a smart decision, because when John pulled her off the shoal, she calmly drove off without a problem.
Back to today…..
It’s starting to get light out now (5:10). The weather channel shows it will be mostly sunny, and somewhere in the 80’s. I’m not sure how far we will get today on the Canal. I’ve done some reading about the trip ahead, but I need to do more, just as soon as I finish this. (Then I’ll use my cell phone to send it off) I do know that we have about 28 locks to go through before we get to Oswego NY, where we will leave the boat for a couple of weeks while I go back to work. I also know that the accommodations along the way will be somewhat less that we have come accustomed to. Rather than normal marinas, we will be tied along walls of towns, or lock walls. As I look at the guides it talks about electricity availability (or lack there of). There is a good chance we will be running the generator some nights. Oh well it’ll be an adventure.
So I guess I should get going. Steve will be up soon, and we need to be ready to leave about 6:45, because the locks open at 7 AM.
I’ll keep you posted….
BK.
Kingston NY to Troy NY
4:00 PM (cocktail hour)
Monday, July 03, 2000
Troy Town Dock Marina
Troy NY.
I thought I’d try something different. With Steve Larry aboard he gets up so early that I don’t have time to write a morning log sometimes, so I thought I’d get a jump on today’s entry.
Today we went from Kingston to Troy NY. About 60 miles on the Hudson River. It was an easy trip, and we made it to our dock about 2 PM.
The morning started out with a bright sun, and very little wind. Kingston looked quite a bit different than it did last night, with all of the festivities going on. Most of those happy boaters last night, were still sleeping this morning as we passed them on the creek that led us back to Hideaway Marina. Steve was up early, and cleaning the boat like we were going to sell it, or something. I tried to get off a log, and ended up doing so, but it was tough to concentrate with him scurrying around everywhere. We needed fuel, so we left our slip at about 7:30, in order to go out in the channel, and around the bend to another marina that opened at 8 AM. They had fuel, but the cost was $1.89 a gallon. Yikes, we have finally hit that high priced fuel that we heard about. I decided not to fill up, and hope the price would get cheaper somewhere else.
The trip north was about the same as yesterday. The Hudson continues to impress us. High banks, beautiful scenery and easy to navigate. The only thing to worry about is all of the debris that is floating. To most boaters it would be a big deal, but if you have boated on all the rivers we have, you are somewhat used to it. Anyway, if you keep a sharp eye out you have no problem.
We got here a little earlier than normal because I went fast a good part of the way, and that allowed us time to get to the grocery store, and also the hardware store. For a while now we have had a problem with the faucet in the galley. It has one of those sprayers on it, and all of a sudden it quit coming out of the faucet, and will only come out of the sprayer. At first it seemed like a big hassle, but we have learned to live with it. When Steve got aboard he thought he knew how to fix it, so when we got here today he took it apart. The good news is, it was exactly as he had said, and we took off about 8 blocks to the hardware store. The bad news is they didn’t have the thing we needed, so we wasted a trip. (Well not totally, because we stopped at the liquor store on the way back and got a few things. Which reminds me it’s almost time for a gin and tonic)
4:30 AM
Tuesday, July 04, 2000
I ended the log at exactly the point above, and got a gin and tonic, and never made it back to it, so I’ll finish it now.
As the time shows, it’s very early here. I woke up at about 4, and thought about the day, and all we had to do, so I just got up. The coffee is brewing, the weather channel is on, and I’m on a boat, so I’m getting a great start to this Forth of July.. Although it’s dark outside, it looks like it will be a nice day here.
Meanwhile….back to yesterday.
On our way back from the hardware store, it started to rain, and continued for the next couple of hours. Steve and Claudia decided to hitch a ride to the local grocery store, and Deb and I stayed on the boat. I needed to have some time to review the cruising guide and get an understanding of the Eire Canal. (Which is why I ended the log so abruptly above) Once back from the store we all cleaned up, and made it up to the local Brewery for some dinner, and got to bed early, so we could be ready for an early morning.
Side note: I forgot to tell you a great story that happened while we were in Kingston. The marina we stayed in (Hideaway Marina) was located all the way back on a small creek. It was very narrow, and normally only smaller boats were back there, but the owner said he had room, so we ended up tying up to a dock next to the boat ramp. (Actually it was the one you use to tie to when you drop off your boat) The dock was about 40 or 45 feet long, and our boat is 50 feet. Anyway, it was tight getting around us in the channel. As we were sitting on the boat waiting for the fireworks, a sailboat, with the wife driving, were going past us when she ran aground. (It was low tide, and she only had about 3 to 4 feet of water) You could tell the husband was upset, and he was explaining to his spouse the rules of the road, and what she had done wrong. After a fair amount of animation (with a lot of people sitting on their boats watching all of this) he took over and tried, in vain, to use the engine to get off the mud. About this time the owner of the marina (a big guy that looks like an older Grizzly Adams with a pony tail) came over in his boat to help him by pulling him backwards off the shoal. It was obvious to everyone watching that the husband was making a big deal about this, and was directing everything. Well Grizzly (actually his name was John) did just what he should and pulled the sailboat backwards, and she (the boat, not the wife) was floating again. The husband, now completely in charge, was going to show his wife the way this should be done. He reached down to fire up the outboard engine that powered their boat, and really gave it the gas. The boat took off, and he drove it exactly where his wife had gone, only this time much faster, and in front of the entire world he ran aground, much harder, because of his speed. It was great. Everyone cheered, and clapped, and he went below, telling everyone that he was done, and his wife was in charge. Which, from my point of view, was a smart decision, because when John pulled her off the shoal, she calmly drove off without a problem.
Back to today…..
It’s starting to get light out now (5:10). The weather channel shows it will be mostly sunny, and somewhere in the 80’s. I’m not sure how far we will get today on the Canal. I’ve done some reading about the trip ahead, but I need to do more, just as soon as I finish this. (Then I’ll use my cell phone to send it off) I do know that we have about 28 locks to go through before we get to Oswego NY, where we will leave the boat for a couple of weeks while I go back to work. I also know that the accommodations along the way will be somewhat less that we have come accustomed to. Rather than normal marinas, we will be tied along walls of towns, or lock walls. As I look at the guides it talks about electricity availability (or lack there of). There is a good chance we will be running the generator some nights. Oh well it’ll be an adventure.
So I guess I should get going. Steve will be up soon, and we need to be ready to leave about 6:45, because the locks open at 7 AM.
I’ll keep you posted….
BK.
Chapter 60: New York City to Kingston
Log 60
NYC to Kingston, NY.
5:50 AM
Monday, July 03, 2000
Hideaway Marina
Kingston, NY.
Day 78
Steve and Claudia arrived right on schedule. They caught a 6:30 AM flight from Chicago, and got to the boat about 10:30 on Saturday. The day was just beautiful. Sunny, and about 83 degrees.
Once we straightened up their stuff, we took a cruise of the New York Harbor. We went up the East River, which is between Manhattan, and Brooklyn. (I’m assuming somewhere along here we went under the Brooklyn Bridge) This is also the river that takes you out to Long Island Sound. We also went along, and around the Statue of Liberty again. Quite a sight from the boat.
For dinner we took the ferry from our marina to Manhattan. We have done that three times now, looking for a place to eat. The first time was with Rome and Theresa, and we ate at a place called Fox Hounds. The next time just Deb and I went over (on Friday night), we thought it over, and we ate at a place called Fox Hounds. On Saturday night with Steve and Claudia we introduced them to a great place called…..you guessed it…..Fox Hounds. Hey it was a good place.
Sunday…
We left New York with a lot going on. Here is a small example…
· They are expecting about 40 million people to be on the New Jersey Turnpike.
· About 160 Tall Ships will be there. The largest gathering in history.
· The carrier “The John F. Kennedy” will be in the harbor with President Clinton on board.
· They plan on the largest fireworks display in the world.
· They expect 40,000 boats in the harbor to see the fireworks. Yes…that’s 40 THOUSAND!
· Protection?? The State Police—Secret Service—NYC Police—FBI—Coast Guard and the Navy.
They are missing one thing though. Headquarters. We got the heck out of there, so I guess there will only be 39,999 boats now. (Call me boring, but there is no way I would want to be a part of that)
The trip up the Hudson was just awesome. It was everything I could ever expect, and a lot more. The first thing we encountered was a May Day call on the ship to shore radio. Someone was calling the Coast Guard saying they were taking on water and sinking near the George Washington Bridge. This was interesting to me, because we were just south of the bridge, and I immediately got the binoculars out and looked to see if I could see someone, and possibly help. The strange thing was no one was around. The caller told the Coast Guard they had 5 persons aboard, and going down. For the next few minutes there was a lot of chatter on the radio, but no one heard from the distressed boat again. I called the Coast Guard, and told them I was near the bridge, and I didn’t see anyone. The next thing you see is a Police boat, and then a helicopter, and then a Coast Guard boat. We saw the Coast Guard up close. Very close. In fact they had their blue lights on and pulled us over. They asked us a lot of questions, and took our boat information. I think, and so do they, that it was a crank call. A shame to have all of that happen for nothing, but it was an exciting way to leave the city.
North of NYC the Hudson is absolutely spectacular. Tall cliffs line the sides of the water, and it is wide and easy to navigate. In fact the entire 90 miles we went yesterday was very pretty. We passed West Point (that was really neat) and made our way up to Kingston, NY. All along the way we passed boats heading south. We assumed they were all heading to NY for the big show. It was a beautiful day, and a joy to spend it on a boat on the Hudson.
The Guide Book describes Kingston as sort of oasis. It is the only main stop off between NYC and Troy, NY. (Which is where we turn west, and join the Eire Canal) What we found in Kingston was a small town in need of jobs. They were having their July 4th celebration, and you could tell there was a fair amount of poverty. Nonetheless, everyone was having a great time. We found our way from our marina, to Rosita’s, a Mexican restaurant in the heart of town. It turned out to be a good place to eat, and afterwards we walked around the town, and watched all of the festivities. The boats were fender to fender. All waiting to see the main event. The fireworks. Which I must say was very good. (Although I can’t figure out why they have to have them so late. 9:45 Come on.) Good day!
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
NYC to Kingston, NY.
5:50 AM
Monday, July 03, 2000
Hideaway Marina
Kingston, NY.
Day 78
Steve and Claudia arrived right on schedule. They caught a 6:30 AM flight from Chicago, and got to the boat about 10:30 on Saturday. The day was just beautiful. Sunny, and about 83 degrees.
Once we straightened up their stuff, we took a cruise of the New York Harbor. We went up the East River, which is between Manhattan, and Brooklyn. (I’m assuming somewhere along here we went under the Brooklyn Bridge) This is also the river that takes you out to Long Island Sound. We also went along, and around the Statue of Liberty again. Quite a sight from the boat.
For dinner we took the ferry from our marina to Manhattan. We have done that three times now, looking for a place to eat. The first time was with Rome and Theresa, and we ate at a place called Fox Hounds. The next time just Deb and I went over (on Friday night), we thought it over, and we ate at a place called Fox Hounds. On Saturday night with Steve and Claudia we introduced them to a great place called…..you guessed it…..Fox Hounds. Hey it was a good place.
Sunday…
We left New York with a lot going on. Here is a small example…
· They are expecting about 40 million people to be on the New Jersey Turnpike.
· About 160 Tall Ships will be there. The largest gathering in history.
· The carrier “The John F. Kennedy” will be in the harbor with President Clinton on board.
· They plan on the largest fireworks display in the world.
· They expect 40,000 boats in the harbor to see the fireworks. Yes…that’s 40 THOUSAND!
· Protection?? The State Police—Secret Service—NYC Police—FBI—Coast Guard and the Navy.
They are missing one thing though. Headquarters. We got the heck out of there, so I guess there will only be 39,999 boats now. (Call me boring, but there is no way I would want to be a part of that)
The trip up the Hudson was just awesome. It was everything I could ever expect, and a lot more. The first thing we encountered was a May Day call on the ship to shore radio. Someone was calling the Coast Guard saying they were taking on water and sinking near the George Washington Bridge. This was interesting to me, because we were just south of the bridge, and I immediately got the binoculars out and looked to see if I could see someone, and possibly help. The strange thing was no one was around. The caller told the Coast Guard they had 5 persons aboard, and going down. For the next few minutes there was a lot of chatter on the radio, but no one heard from the distressed boat again. I called the Coast Guard, and told them I was near the bridge, and I didn’t see anyone. The next thing you see is a Police boat, and then a helicopter, and then a Coast Guard boat. We saw the Coast Guard up close. Very close. In fact they had their blue lights on and pulled us over. They asked us a lot of questions, and took our boat information. I think, and so do they, that it was a crank call. A shame to have all of that happen for nothing, but it was an exciting way to leave the city.
North of NYC the Hudson is absolutely spectacular. Tall cliffs line the sides of the water, and it is wide and easy to navigate. In fact the entire 90 miles we went yesterday was very pretty. We passed West Point (that was really neat) and made our way up to Kingston, NY. All along the way we passed boats heading south. We assumed they were all heading to NY for the big show. It was a beautiful day, and a joy to spend it on a boat on the Hudson.
The Guide Book describes Kingston as sort of oasis. It is the only main stop off between NYC and Troy, NY. (Which is where we turn west, and join the Eire Canal) What we found in Kingston was a small town in need of jobs. They were having their July 4th celebration, and you could tell there was a fair amount of poverty. Nonetheless, everyone was having a great time. We found our way from our marina, to Rosita’s, a Mexican restaurant in the heart of town. It turned out to be a good place to eat, and afterwards we walked around the town, and watched all of the festivities. The boats were fender to fender. All waiting to see the main event. The fireworks. Which I must say was very good. (Although I can’t figure out why they have to have them so late. 9:45 Come on.) Good day!
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Saturday, July 01, 2000
Chapter 59: New York City
GCT Log 59
New York City
5:30 AM
Saturday, July 01, 2000
Liberty Landing Marina
Jersey City, NJ.
Day 78
Well the boat hasn’t moved for the last two weeks, but I thought I’d keep everyone up to date.
We arrived New York on Friday, June 17th. It was a great day, and quite spectacular to come into the New York Harbor, and see the Statue of Liberty. I ended up leaving the boat the next day, (While everyone else stayed on the boat, and went home on Sunday) and heading for Richmond, VA, and I stayed there the next 12 days. I came home from Richmond on Wednesday, June 28th, and after a day in the office, Deb and I headed back to the boat.
Yesterday (Friday, June 30th) Deb and I flew from Chicago to Newark, NJ, and took a short cab ride to the boat. It’s really easy to get here, because all you do is tell the cab driver to head to the Statue of Liberty State Park. The boat was just as we left it, only a little dirtier. (Which I need to work on as soon as it gets a little warmer) We did have to move the boat yesterday to another slip in the marina because they are trying to make room for some of the tall ships that will be coming in. (we leave in the morning, so I’m not sure if we’ll get to see any)
The rest of the day yesterday was spent just getting our bearings again, and organizing the boat. I have been so busy, that I didn’t even have a plan on where we would stay once we head north up the Hudson, so I worked on making those reservations. (Which turned out to be quite a hassle because of July 4th) Deb got ready for our next crew.
Once we were organized, we needed to get some groceries, so we caught a ferry from our marina to Manhattan. (5 minute ride across the Hudson for $5) Our plan was to get an early dinner, and then stop at a grocery store on our way back. (It does make you think about what you will buy when you know you have to carry it back on a ferry) We went to the same restaurant that we ate at when we were here a couple of weeks ago, and were not disappointed. As I had said before, it is typical New York, and the food is good. Plus…. they have a grocery store across the street.
After our trip to NY, we were back at the boat before 8PM. It was a beautiful night, so Deb went up top to watch all of the activity. I joined her for a while, but I got up way too early yesterday, so I didn’t last long. In fact we were both in bed by 9:30.
Today..
New crew this morning. Steve, and Claudia Larry (Steve is a VP with our company) will join us for the week, and our trip to Lake Ontario. They fly in from Chicago, and should arrive about 11 AM. As I said, I haven’t done a very good job of planning this week yet, so I’ve got to get busy and do this.
The sun is up now, and it looks like it will be a beautiful day in New York. I need to install our new radio on the bridge (the one to replace the one that got wet when we were in Wrightsville Beach, NC) I also need to wash the boat, and get ready to head up the Hudson, and across the Eire Canal.
No more salt water. Only fresh water from here on.
Leg # 4 begins today.
I’ll keep you posted…
BK.
New York City
5:30 AM
Saturday, July 01, 2000
Liberty Landing Marina
Jersey City, NJ.
Day 78
Well the boat hasn’t moved for the last two weeks, but I thought I’d keep everyone up to date.
We arrived New York on Friday, June 17th. It was a great day, and quite spectacular to come into the New York Harbor, and see the Statue of Liberty. I ended up leaving the boat the next day, (While everyone else stayed on the boat, and went home on Sunday) and heading for Richmond, VA, and I stayed there the next 12 days. I came home from Richmond on Wednesday, June 28th, and after a day in the office, Deb and I headed back to the boat.
Yesterday (Friday, June 30th) Deb and I flew from Chicago to Newark, NJ, and took a short cab ride to the boat. It’s really easy to get here, because all you do is tell the cab driver to head to the Statue of Liberty State Park. The boat was just as we left it, only a little dirtier. (Which I need to work on as soon as it gets a little warmer) We did have to move the boat yesterday to another slip in the marina because they are trying to make room for some of the tall ships that will be coming in. (we leave in the morning, so I’m not sure if we’ll get to see any)
The rest of the day yesterday was spent just getting our bearings again, and organizing the boat. I have been so busy, that I didn’t even have a plan on where we would stay once we head north up the Hudson, so I worked on making those reservations. (Which turned out to be quite a hassle because of July 4th) Deb got ready for our next crew.
Once we were organized, we needed to get some groceries, so we caught a ferry from our marina to Manhattan. (5 minute ride across the Hudson for $5) Our plan was to get an early dinner, and then stop at a grocery store on our way back. (It does make you think about what you will buy when you know you have to carry it back on a ferry) We went to the same restaurant that we ate at when we were here a couple of weeks ago, and were not disappointed. As I had said before, it is typical New York, and the food is good. Plus…. they have a grocery store across the street.
After our trip to NY, we were back at the boat before 8PM. It was a beautiful night, so Deb went up top to watch all of the activity. I joined her for a while, but I got up way too early yesterday, so I didn’t last long. In fact we were both in bed by 9:30.
Today..
New crew this morning. Steve, and Claudia Larry (Steve is a VP with our company) will join us for the week, and our trip to Lake Ontario. They fly in from Chicago, and should arrive about 11 AM. As I said, I haven’t done a very good job of planning this week yet, so I’ve got to get busy and do this.
The sun is up now, and it looks like it will be a beautiful day in New York. I need to install our new radio on the bridge (the one to replace the one that got wet when we were in Wrightsville Beach, NC) I also need to wash the boat, and get ready to head up the Hudson, and across the Eire Canal.
No more salt water. Only fresh water from here on.
Leg # 4 begins today.
I’ll keep you posted…
BK.
Wednesday, June 28, 2000
Chapter 58: Cape May to New York City
Log 58
Cape May, NJ to New York City
2:00 PM
Wednesday, June 28, 2000
Richmond Airport
Richmond, VA.
Day??
Well it’s time to update my logs. It has been some time since I sat down and tracked our progress, and a lot has happened. So let me get everyone updated.
Day 74
The trip from Cape May to Atlantic City was some the roughest of the entire trip. We had planned to leave Cape May early, but heavy fog, and rain had us rethink our decision, so we decided to delay our departure while the girls made us a great breakfast. While waiting I watched the weather, and
listened to the ship to shore. The prediction was for the rain to pass, and then to return again later in the day. As I waited, I got antsy, so we decided to leave about 9 AM, and try to head out and see what it was like.
The trip from the marina to the Atlantic was only a mile, or less. While we were heading out we could tell that it didn’t look to good, and as we entered the mouth of the channel the boat started to climb over the swells. By the time we were out in the Atlantic we could tell we were in for a long trip, even though it was only about 35 miles. Our course up to Atlantic City showed to be about 60 degrees on the autopilot, but the waves (on the dock they said they were 4 to 6 with a regular 7 tossed in for good measure) wouldn’t let me follow that heading because it was too rough. I ended up having to almost tack like a sail boat would in order to make it as comfortable as possible, and even then it was almost impossible to stand up. Deb found a new spot on the boat. She ended up perching between the kitchen counter, and the electrical panel. (I realize that doesn’t mean anything to some of you, but if you have been on the boat you’ll know exactly where I mean) That position was as far back as you can get inside the boat (which is always the smoothest spot) and it was next to the window, so she could see out. The good news was seeing out the window helped her not to be as sea sick (which she still was) but the bad news was she could see the large swells coming toward the boat, and occasionally she would call out “hold on” as a rouge wave would hit us on the side. The other thing about this leg was we couldn’t see hardly anything. The fog remained pretty thick, so I had to count on the radar to make sure we were tracking the shoreline. It was interesting.
We arrived Atlantic City about 1:30 PM. We stayed at Trump Plaza Marina, which is very close inside the harbor, and you would never guess that it was bad out there (the Atlantic) at all. Inside it was a light wind, and actually very pleasant. You could also tell it was starting to warm up, which is exactly what the prediction was.
The afternoon was spent recouping from the trip, and getting our bearings around the harbor. We all took a walk around the marina, and we also went into the large Trump casino attached to the marina. Looking back it was kind of neat to see that, but when we were there I didn’t take advantage of it at all. When I’m on a boat that is all I do. Boat.
For dinner we made reservations at the Trump Marina restaurant, and got a table overlooking the harbor. We had a great dinner, even though it was the most we had paid so far. You would think that after that we would all head to the casino to try our luck, but instead we didn’t even talk about it, and just naturally headed back to the boat. Looking back it seems strange, but at the time, it made perfect sense.
Day 75
The weather was predicted to be better than yesterday, but still 2 to 4 footers on the ocean. We decided to get an early start before the winds picked up, and things had a chance to stir up more than they were. Coming out of the harbor you could tell it was much better than the day before, but still fairly rough. We had about 50 miles to go to get to Manasquan Inlet, and the heading was about 35 degrees. We had now spent the last two days driving from inside, so this was normal for us to take our positions. Barb and Theresa on the couch, Rome up near the helm, and Deb on her “panel perch”. As it turned out the trip was not that bad. It certainly wasn’t smooth, but after the day before we were grateful for anything less. It was also a lot foggier. I had to keep a very close eye on the radar, because the visibility was down to less than a quarter of a mile. How do we know? Because a couple of times I had a strong signal on the radar which caused us to alter our course, and we found out when we got very close that they were boats sitting out there fishing, and you couldn’t see them until you were almost on top of them. Without the radar, we would have been lost. Seriously lost. But between the radar, autopilot, and chart plotter, we were in great shape. (A couple of times I pointed out to Deb what great decisions I had made by purchasing these badly needed items) They especially became important when we reached the mouth of Manasquan Inlet. It was so foggy we couldn’t find it, so I used the chart plotter to point to the center of the harbor, and the radar to keep us from hitting anyone. It worked, and once inside the harbor the sky was clear, and not foggy at all.
Rome called Manasquan a weekend town. You could tell it was meant for tourists to come down on a weekend and rent small houses, and condos along the ocean. There were a few marinas, and although they were fairly old, they were adequate. Our marina was nothing special, but it did border the town, and we could walk to a neat little bar/restaurant, which over looked the small harbor. We took advantage of that, and went over there for a late lunch. After lunch while others took walks, and relaxed I spent most of my time on the phone, and working on Pro Source stuff. Things were really heating up in Richmond, and I needed to be in touch. Based on what was going on, I needed to be making a decision shortly as to what I was going to do. I really needed to be there.
Dinner was planned on the boat. I’m sure we had something very good, but I honestly can’t remember what it was. (Hey………it’s been almost 2 weeks) In fact, I can’t seem to remember much about the rest of the evening, but as I say, I’m sure it was great!
Day 76
The day began with a beautiful morning, a bright sun, and no breeze. We had decided to leave early, so we could take advantage of the calm seas, and get to New York early. Everyone was up early, and looking forward to getting to New York. I was excited, and hoping that the Atlantic would cooperate with us today. For the last 3 days we had been in rough seas, and rough weather, and we needed a break. Well we got it. As we headed out into the Atlantic the swells were very gentle, and wide apart, and it made the going easy. Rather than drive from the lower helm, we decided to go up top, because we wanted to come into New York the right way. The sun was coming up, and it was really neat to see it develop over the top of all that water (I swear I could see London) I set up the chart plotter for a buoy in the middle of the New York City Hudson River channel, and locked the auto pilot in on that heading. (26 miles at about 22 degrees)
Side note: When we were in Manasquan we met another couple that were on a boat “The Patty” making the Great Circle Trip (I wonder why I always capitalize this?) This guy was a dandy. They had a single engine trawler style boat, and he was heading to New York too. During the afternoon before, he came over to our boat, and asked if he could tag along with us up to New York because, as he put it “I don’t know why this leg scares me so much, but I sure would like to follow someone into New York. If it’s nice out, no problem, but I’d like to follow you if you don’t mind.” What could I say? “No problem” I said”, we’ll leave at about 6:30”.
So anyway with “The Patty” close behind we were head’n to New York. As it turned out the swells were just enough to make me want to go a little faster than they could go, and it was a gorgeous morning, so I called The Patty and asked if they were ok, and if so I was going to pick it up a little so we could “ride” the swells. (The wind was out of the south, so the swells were almost on our stern)
The rest of the story has two versions. I’ll tell the good one first.
About half way to New York I brought the throttles back to almost an idle, and we traveled that way all the way in. The morning was just perfect. Sunny, with a slight breeze at our backs, and the anticipation of seeing The Statue of Liberty.
We hit our marker about 9:00, and joined the ship channel heading for the Hudson. The first thing that came into view was the New York skyline. The sun was still not all the way up yet, and it was great as it shined on the buildings. As this was happening, all of a sudden a butterfly appeared out of nowhere, and flew just above the fly bridge, as if to welcome us. Then we looked up and the Concord was flying above us, landing gear down, preparing to land. We were all commenting how neat this was when in the distance we could see three helicopters coming down the Hudson. As it turned out it was the President’s helicopter (well we can’t verify that he was in it, but it was the one you always see that lands on the White House lawn), and two escorts. By now we are thinking “WOW” this is quite a welcome.
The next thing we recognized was Coney Island, and then we spot the Empire State Building. I’m thinking this is really neat stuff, and I asked Deb to fix us a bloody mary so we’d be ready to toast when the Statue comes into view. With bloody mary in hand we come under the Verrenzano Bridge, which connects New Jersey to Manhattan. As we do the Statue of Liberty comes into view, and it was pretty special. I’m sure it didn’t have the same meaning that some of our ancestors felt, but I will tell you it was neat, and Barb must have taken a hundred pictures. In fact I just saw some of the pictures that Deb took, and they are great.
Once we passed the Statue we made our way up the Hudson a little ways to see what else we could see. (While we were doing this, a blimp flew overhead, and a jet fighter buzzed us, so the welcome from the sky was complete) The city is getting ready for the Tall Ships to arrive so there were posters everywhere, and people were getting ready to celebrate the 4th. We only went a mile or two up the Hudson, but it was quite a treat to see New York this way. (I can’t wait to go all the way up the Hudson on the next leg)
Our marina is called Liberty Landing. It’s located just across the Hudson from Manhattan, and right next to Ellis Island. As you sit on the back of the boat and look east you see the Manhattan skyline. Look to the Northeast and you see the Empire State Building, and if you look just a little south you see the Statue of Liberty. Like I said. Neat.
Once tied up in our slip we got our bearings, and toured the marina a little bit. The place was quite a buzz of activity because they had over 50 large “muscle boats” (Donnie….you would have loved it!) The dock master told me he was expecting the Mayor, celebrities, bands, and it was going to be quite a happening. He was right, but you could tell that these folks thought they were something special. They walked around like everyone else should be impressed or something. If so, we couldn’t tell why. Oh well.
For dinner we took the ferry that stopped at our marina, and went to Lower Manhattan, in the heart of the financial district, and found a neat “New York style” restaurant. It was not the best place we had ever eaten, but it was perfect for us to experience a typical New York eatery. On the ferry ride back, the night, and the view were just unbelievable. There was a full (and I mean we’re talking FULL) moon that was coming up over the skyline. Something I’ll always remember. Back at the boat everyone sat on the back deck, and enjoyed a Baileys before bed. Great Day!
I’ll keep you posted…
BK
Cape May, NJ to New York City
2:00 PM
Wednesday, June 28, 2000
Richmond Airport
Richmond, VA.
Day??
Well it’s time to update my logs. It has been some time since I sat down and tracked our progress, and a lot has happened. So let me get everyone updated.
Day 74
The trip from Cape May to Atlantic City was some the roughest of the entire trip. We had planned to leave Cape May early, but heavy fog, and rain had us rethink our decision, so we decided to delay our departure while the girls made us a great breakfast. While waiting I watched the weather, and
listened to the ship to shore. The prediction was for the rain to pass, and then to return again later in the day. As I waited, I got antsy, so we decided to leave about 9 AM, and try to head out and see what it was like.
The trip from the marina to the Atlantic was only a mile, or less. While we were heading out we could tell that it didn’t look to good, and as we entered the mouth of the channel the boat started to climb over the swells. By the time we were out in the Atlantic we could tell we were in for a long trip, even though it was only about 35 miles. Our course up to Atlantic City showed to be about 60 degrees on the autopilot, but the waves (on the dock they said they were 4 to 6 with a regular 7 tossed in for good measure) wouldn’t let me follow that heading because it was too rough. I ended up having to almost tack like a sail boat would in order to make it as comfortable as possible, and even then it was almost impossible to stand up. Deb found a new spot on the boat. She ended up perching between the kitchen counter, and the electrical panel. (I realize that doesn’t mean anything to some of you, but if you have been on the boat you’ll know exactly where I mean) That position was as far back as you can get inside the boat (which is always the smoothest spot) and it was next to the window, so she could see out. The good news was seeing out the window helped her not to be as sea sick (which she still was) but the bad news was she could see the large swells coming toward the boat, and occasionally she would call out “hold on” as a rouge wave would hit us on the side. The other thing about this leg was we couldn’t see hardly anything. The fog remained pretty thick, so I had to count on the radar to make sure we were tracking the shoreline. It was interesting.
We arrived Atlantic City about 1:30 PM. We stayed at Trump Plaza Marina, which is very close inside the harbor, and you would never guess that it was bad out there (the Atlantic) at all. Inside it was a light wind, and actually very pleasant. You could also tell it was starting to warm up, which is exactly what the prediction was.
The afternoon was spent recouping from the trip, and getting our bearings around the harbor. We all took a walk around the marina, and we also went into the large Trump casino attached to the marina. Looking back it was kind of neat to see that, but when we were there I didn’t take advantage of it at all. When I’m on a boat that is all I do. Boat.
For dinner we made reservations at the Trump Marina restaurant, and got a table overlooking the harbor. We had a great dinner, even though it was the most we had paid so far. You would think that after that we would all head to the casino to try our luck, but instead we didn’t even talk about it, and just naturally headed back to the boat. Looking back it seems strange, but at the time, it made perfect sense.
Day 75
The weather was predicted to be better than yesterday, but still 2 to 4 footers on the ocean. We decided to get an early start before the winds picked up, and things had a chance to stir up more than they were. Coming out of the harbor you could tell it was much better than the day before, but still fairly rough. We had about 50 miles to go to get to Manasquan Inlet, and the heading was about 35 degrees. We had now spent the last two days driving from inside, so this was normal for us to take our positions. Barb and Theresa on the couch, Rome up near the helm, and Deb on her “panel perch”. As it turned out the trip was not that bad. It certainly wasn’t smooth, but after the day before we were grateful for anything less. It was also a lot foggier. I had to keep a very close eye on the radar, because the visibility was down to less than a quarter of a mile. How do we know? Because a couple of times I had a strong signal on the radar which caused us to alter our course, and we found out when we got very close that they were boats sitting out there fishing, and you couldn’t see them until you were almost on top of them. Without the radar, we would have been lost. Seriously lost. But between the radar, autopilot, and chart plotter, we were in great shape. (A couple of times I pointed out to Deb what great decisions I had made by purchasing these badly needed items) They especially became important when we reached the mouth of Manasquan Inlet. It was so foggy we couldn’t find it, so I used the chart plotter to point to the center of the harbor, and the radar to keep us from hitting anyone. It worked, and once inside the harbor the sky was clear, and not foggy at all.
Rome called Manasquan a weekend town. You could tell it was meant for tourists to come down on a weekend and rent small houses, and condos along the ocean. There were a few marinas, and although they were fairly old, they were adequate. Our marina was nothing special, but it did border the town, and we could walk to a neat little bar/restaurant, which over looked the small harbor. We took advantage of that, and went over there for a late lunch. After lunch while others took walks, and relaxed I spent most of my time on the phone, and working on Pro Source stuff. Things were really heating up in Richmond, and I needed to be in touch. Based on what was going on, I needed to be making a decision shortly as to what I was going to do. I really needed to be there.
Dinner was planned on the boat. I’m sure we had something very good, but I honestly can’t remember what it was. (Hey………it’s been almost 2 weeks) In fact, I can’t seem to remember much about the rest of the evening, but as I say, I’m sure it was great!
Day 76
The day began with a beautiful morning, a bright sun, and no breeze. We had decided to leave early, so we could take advantage of the calm seas, and get to New York early. Everyone was up early, and looking forward to getting to New York. I was excited, and hoping that the Atlantic would cooperate with us today. For the last 3 days we had been in rough seas, and rough weather, and we needed a break. Well we got it. As we headed out into the Atlantic the swells were very gentle, and wide apart, and it made the going easy. Rather than drive from the lower helm, we decided to go up top, because we wanted to come into New York the right way. The sun was coming up, and it was really neat to see it develop over the top of all that water (I swear I could see London) I set up the chart plotter for a buoy in the middle of the New York City Hudson River channel, and locked the auto pilot in on that heading. (26 miles at about 22 degrees)
Side note: When we were in Manasquan we met another couple that were on a boat “The Patty” making the Great Circle Trip (I wonder why I always capitalize this?) This guy was a dandy. They had a single engine trawler style boat, and he was heading to New York too. During the afternoon before, he came over to our boat, and asked if he could tag along with us up to New York because, as he put it “I don’t know why this leg scares me so much, but I sure would like to follow someone into New York. If it’s nice out, no problem, but I’d like to follow you if you don’t mind.” What could I say? “No problem” I said”, we’ll leave at about 6:30”.
So anyway with “The Patty” close behind we were head’n to New York. As it turned out the swells were just enough to make me want to go a little faster than they could go, and it was a gorgeous morning, so I called The Patty and asked if they were ok, and if so I was going to pick it up a little so we could “ride” the swells. (The wind was out of the south, so the swells were almost on our stern)
The rest of the story has two versions. I’ll tell the good one first.
About half way to New York I brought the throttles back to almost an idle, and we traveled that way all the way in. The morning was just perfect. Sunny, with a slight breeze at our backs, and the anticipation of seeing The Statue of Liberty.
We hit our marker about 9:00, and joined the ship channel heading for the Hudson. The first thing that came into view was the New York skyline. The sun was still not all the way up yet, and it was great as it shined on the buildings. As this was happening, all of a sudden a butterfly appeared out of nowhere, and flew just above the fly bridge, as if to welcome us. Then we looked up and the Concord was flying above us, landing gear down, preparing to land. We were all commenting how neat this was when in the distance we could see three helicopters coming down the Hudson. As it turned out it was the President’s helicopter (well we can’t verify that he was in it, but it was the one you always see that lands on the White House lawn), and two escorts. By now we are thinking “WOW” this is quite a welcome.
The next thing we recognized was Coney Island, and then we spot the Empire State Building. I’m thinking this is really neat stuff, and I asked Deb to fix us a bloody mary so we’d be ready to toast when the Statue comes into view. With bloody mary in hand we come under the Verrenzano Bridge, which connects New Jersey to Manhattan. As we do the Statue of Liberty comes into view, and it was pretty special. I’m sure it didn’t have the same meaning that some of our ancestors felt, but I will tell you it was neat, and Barb must have taken a hundred pictures. In fact I just saw some of the pictures that Deb took, and they are great.
Once we passed the Statue we made our way up the Hudson a little ways to see what else we could see. (While we were doing this, a blimp flew overhead, and a jet fighter buzzed us, so the welcome from the sky was complete) The city is getting ready for the Tall Ships to arrive so there were posters everywhere, and people were getting ready to celebrate the 4th. We only went a mile or two up the Hudson, but it was quite a treat to see New York this way. (I can’t wait to go all the way up the Hudson on the next leg)
Our marina is called Liberty Landing. It’s located just across the Hudson from Manhattan, and right next to Ellis Island. As you sit on the back of the boat and look east you see the Manhattan skyline. Look to the Northeast and you see the Empire State Building, and if you look just a little south you see the Statue of Liberty. Like I said. Neat.
Once tied up in our slip we got our bearings, and toured the marina a little bit. The place was quite a buzz of activity because they had over 50 large “muscle boats” (Donnie….you would have loved it!) The dock master told me he was expecting the Mayor, celebrities, bands, and it was going to be quite a happening. He was right, but you could tell that these folks thought they were something special. They walked around like everyone else should be impressed or something. If so, we couldn’t tell why. Oh well.
For dinner we took the ferry that stopped at our marina, and went to Lower Manhattan, in the heart of the financial district, and found a neat “New York style” restaurant. It was not the best place we had ever eaten, but it was perfect for us to experience a typical New York eatery. On the ferry ride back, the night, and the view were just unbelievable. There was a full (and I mean we’re talking FULL) moon that was coming up over the skyline. Something I’ll always remember. Back at the boat everyone sat on the back deck, and enjoyed a Baileys before bed. Great Day!
I’ll keep you posted…
BK
Monday, June 12, 2000
Chapter 56: Baltimore
Log 56
Baltimore, MD.
6:00 AM
Monday, June 12, 2000
Inner Harbor Marina
Baltimore, MD.
Day 71
Before I begin this log I want to say a special hello, and congratulations to “Uncle Bill”. He just had a birthday recently (he turned 80), and Deb and I missed the party. (Which was also a party to celebrate his sons (Mort) retirement from 35 years of teaching) Anyway, happy birthday Uncle Bill, Deb and I hope you have many more. (Ps. Keep those boat shoes handy, cause you’ll need them when we return)
I’m sitting here this morning looking out the back of the boat at beautiful downtown Baltimore. Our slip faces directly across the water and so we can sit on the back deck and look at all of the activity, and this place is very busy. Well at least it was yesterday. This morning it’s fairly quite.
Baltimore is a really neat harbor. It is has been totally redone over the last several years. In the beginning they just fixed up the area adjacent to the immediate downtown, but in the last few years they have keep expanding, and it continues to get better. Some of you who are reading this have been here with us before, but let me tell you it has changed a lot. When we used to come here there was only one marina. (The one we are staying in) Now there are several, and they are huge. Boating is definitely alive and well in Baltimore.
Yesterdays trip was an easy one, and a great one. The waves were almost non-existent. It was one of those mornings where the water had a slight lazy ripple to it. In other words it was almost “dead calm”.
I followed the ship channel most of the way from Annapolis, just so I wouldn’t have to deal with the crab pots. If you haven’t been here, there are crab pots everywhere. On one hand this is a good thing, because many people can make a living from this, and people love “Maryland Blue Crabs”. On the other hand they are a real nuisance to other boaters. If you relax for even a little bit you could hit on of these, and you could have big problems.
Let me explain. A crab trap is just a cage that has a piece of meat in it. There is an opening where crabs can get in, but they can’t get out. (Similar to a fish trap, or a rabbit trap) These traps sit on the water’s floor, so they need a way to mark them. They do this with what they call a crab pot, or a floating buoy that marks that trap. (Each person has a special way they mark their own traps by different colors, etc.) These buoys are connected to the traps by line, or in some cases by chain. If you make a mistake, and run over one of these buoys, it can get wrapped up in your prop, and at the very least cause you to have to go under the boat, and cut off the rope. (Although I have learned a trick over the years that you can back up the boat very fast, and try to “spin” the rope off because the shaft is turning the opposite way that it was wrapped around in the first place) There have also been stories of people running over traps, and they got wrapped around the prop, and punctured holes in the bottom of the boats. Bottom line. Stay away from the crab pots. (Oh……the life of a mariner. One thing to deal with after another)
So anyway….after a short 3 hour cruise we ended up in Baltimore. After a pump out, and some fuel, ($1.30 with Boat US discount) we tied up to our slip, and washed down the boat. (By the way I must say that Rome is getting pretty good at this. He, like the other crews we have had aboard, has really helped us) Once this was done, and we took a break because it was sooo hot, we decided to take a dinghy ride. In order to get through it we all hosed down just before heading out, so we could stay cool enough. It worked, and we had a great time exploring the harbor.
For dinner we walked up to the Rusty Scupper, which is located right on the marina grounds. I think we all agreed we had our best meal yet. (Would anyone like some of this food we bought, and thought we would eat?) After dinner Deb, and I went for a walk around the harbor area and found a great band playing on the sidewalk that we stopped and listened to. Rome and Theresa changed into some power walking clothes, and “walked very fast” to get some exercise. Back at the boat I watched the NBA game, and everyone else sat on the top of the boat, and enjoyed the night view of the harbor.
Today (by the way it’s already 78 degrees, and is forecast to be in the mid 90’s) we will not be moving the boat, but it will be a mixed bag of activity. I’ve got a mechanic coming aboard to change the oil in the engines, and also look at a couple of oil leaks. I also want to work on the charts, and get ready for the remaining miles to New York. Rome and Theresa said they are going to do some exploring around the city, to see what’s here. Deb will be getting ready for her Mom to join us. Barb (Deb’s Mom) will be coming in from Ohare today, and landing about 4:30 this afternoon. We have given her an address to tell the taxi driver to take her to, and we’ll be waiting. It should be interesting. Barb is so excited to be coming, and seeing some of this stuff, she can’t stand it.
Speaking of “seeing some of this stuff” I must tell you I am having some weird feelings the last few days. I’m not sure what it is, so I know I can’t describe it, but it is kind of like a mixture of contentment, and regret. (See I knew I couldn’t describe it) I think what is happening is I am starting to realize that in a few short weeks this trip will be over, and all of this will be behind me. I am not looking forward to that feeling. So with this in mind I find myself wanting to make every minute of every day count, so I never look back with any regret. The good news is I realize how fortunate Deb and I are, and we don’t take any of this for granted. This trip so far has exceeded my dreams, and is certainly something I’ll remember forever. (Or until we do it again)
With that said, I better end this, so I can “live this dream” for one more day.
I’ll keep you posted….
BK.
Baltimore, MD.
6:00 AM
Monday, June 12, 2000
Inner Harbor Marina
Baltimore, MD.
Day 71
Before I begin this log I want to say a special hello, and congratulations to “Uncle Bill”. He just had a birthday recently (he turned 80), and Deb and I missed the party. (Which was also a party to celebrate his sons (Mort) retirement from 35 years of teaching) Anyway, happy birthday Uncle Bill, Deb and I hope you have many more. (Ps. Keep those boat shoes handy, cause you’ll need them when we return)
I’m sitting here this morning looking out the back of the boat at beautiful downtown Baltimore. Our slip faces directly across the water and so we can sit on the back deck and look at all of the activity, and this place is very busy. Well at least it was yesterday. This morning it’s fairly quite.
Baltimore is a really neat harbor. It is has been totally redone over the last several years. In the beginning they just fixed up the area adjacent to the immediate downtown, but in the last few years they have keep expanding, and it continues to get better. Some of you who are reading this have been here with us before, but let me tell you it has changed a lot. When we used to come here there was only one marina. (The one we are staying in) Now there are several, and they are huge. Boating is definitely alive and well in Baltimore.
Yesterdays trip was an easy one, and a great one. The waves were almost non-existent. It was one of those mornings where the water had a slight lazy ripple to it. In other words it was almost “dead calm”.
I followed the ship channel most of the way from Annapolis, just so I wouldn’t have to deal with the crab pots. If you haven’t been here, there are crab pots everywhere. On one hand this is a good thing, because many people can make a living from this, and people love “Maryland Blue Crabs”. On the other hand they are a real nuisance to other boaters. If you relax for even a little bit you could hit on of these, and you could have big problems.
Let me explain. A crab trap is just a cage that has a piece of meat in it. There is an opening where crabs can get in, but they can’t get out. (Similar to a fish trap, or a rabbit trap) These traps sit on the water’s floor, so they need a way to mark them. They do this with what they call a crab pot, or a floating buoy that marks that trap. (Each person has a special way they mark their own traps by different colors, etc.) These buoys are connected to the traps by line, or in some cases by chain. If you make a mistake, and run over one of these buoys, it can get wrapped up in your prop, and at the very least cause you to have to go under the boat, and cut off the rope. (Although I have learned a trick over the years that you can back up the boat very fast, and try to “spin” the rope off because the shaft is turning the opposite way that it was wrapped around in the first place) There have also been stories of people running over traps, and they got wrapped around the prop, and punctured holes in the bottom of the boats. Bottom line. Stay away from the crab pots. (Oh……the life of a mariner. One thing to deal with after another)
So anyway….after a short 3 hour cruise we ended up in Baltimore. After a pump out, and some fuel, ($1.30 with Boat US discount) we tied up to our slip, and washed down the boat. (By the way I must say that Rome is getting pretty good at this. He, like the other crews we have had aboard, has really helped us) Once this was done, and we took a break because it was sooo hot, we decided to take a dinghy ride. In order to get through it we all hosed down just before heading out, so we could stay cool enough. It worked, and we had a great time exploring the harbor.
For dinner we walked up to the Rusty Scupper, which is located right on the marina grounds. I think we all agreed we had our best meal yet. (Would anyone like some of this food we bought, and thought we would eat?) After dinner Deb, and I went for a walk around the harbor area and found a great band playing on the sidewalk that we stopped and listened to. Rome and Theresa changed into some power walking clothes, and “walked very fast” to get some exercise. Back at the boat I watched the NBA game, and everyone else sat on the top of the boat, and enjoyed the night view of the harbor.
Today (by the way it’s already 78 degrees, and is forecast to be in the mid 90’s) we will not be moving the boat, but it will be a mixed bag of activity. I’ve got a mechanic coming aboard to change the oil in the engines, and also look at a couple of oil leaks. I also want to work on the charts, and get ready for the remaining miles to New York. Rome and Theresa said they are going to do some exploring around the city, to see what’s here. Deb will be getting ready for her Mom to join us. Barb (Deb’s Mom) will be coming in from Ohare today, and landing about 4:30 this afternoon. We have given her an address to tell the taxi driver to take her to, and we’ll be waiting. It should be interesting. Barb is so excited to be coming, and seeing some of this stuff, she can’t stand it.
Speaking of “seeing some of this stuff” I must tell you I am having some weird feelings the last few days. I’m not sure what it is, so I know I can’t describe it, but it is kind of like a mixture of contentment, and regret. (See I knew I couldn’t describe it) I think what is happening is I am starting to realize that in a few short weeks this trip will be over, and all of this will be behind me. I am not looking forward to that feeling. So with this in mind I find myself wanting to make every minute of every day count, so I never look back with any regret. The good news is I realize how fortunate Deb and I are, and we don’t take any of this for granted. This trip so far has exceeded my dreams, and is certainly something I’ll remember forever. (Or until we do it again)
With that said, I better end this, so I can “live this dream” for one more day.
I’ll keep you posted….
BK.
Sunday, June 11, 2000
Chapter 55: Annapolis
Log 55
Annapolis, MD.
6:30 AM
Sunday, June 11, 2000
Yacht Basin Co.
Annapolis, MD.
We had a great day yesterday. It was a short 40 or so miles from Solomon Island to Annapolis. The morning was just perfect, with a light wind from the south, and crystal blue skies. As we came out of our marina, and rejoined the Chesapeake, I set the chart plotter to the mouth of the Severen River (Annapolis), and hit the autopilot. For the next 4 hours we cruised at about 10 mph, and enjoyed the day, and the bay. We decided to go slow all the way to Annapolis, and it was definitely the right decision.
Side note: As you have noticed, we have not had any maintenance items lately. In fact everything is working great, but we did have an issue I had to deal with. A couple of nights ago the water pump was running much more than usual. (You can hear it when it runs, and we are always listening for any sounds that are not normal) I also noticed that when we got to Solomon Island the water level in the water tank looked strangely low. It concerned me that we had developed a leak somewhere. I looked everywhere, and couldn’t find anything, so when we went to bed I shut off the water to be sure. In the middle of the night I woke up and had an idea of what could be the problem, and sure enough it was. We have a wash down nozzle on the bow of the boat to wash down the anchor, and Steve always uses it to hose himself down to cool off. Well, it seems he forgot to turn it off, and it was leaking down into the anchor compartment, and draining outside. I can tell you it made my morning to find out that this was the problem, and not so many other things that could be a huge pain. So…..still no maintenance problems.
We arrived Annapolis a little after 1 PM. It was hot by then, so washing the boat down, and getting wet was not a problem. After everything was clean, we put the dinghy in the water, packed a cooler, and saw Annapolis by dinghy. We had a good time, but it was very hot, and I was looking forward to getting back to the boat, and sit inside for a while. (Which is exactly what I did)
For dinner we walked into Annapolis (only about 2 or 3 blocks), and took our chances without a reservation. We wanted to eat at a place called Middletown Tavern (Deb and I have been there, and it is kind of neat. It is where George Washington, and his buds used to hang out) and as it turned out they had a place for us. The waiter, and the food were great. The only issue was the prices were a little high, but “hey, we’ll worry about the cost later.” I can see with Rome and Theresa aboard, we might as well sell some of this stuff in the refrigerator, because the chances of us using it are slim.
After dinner Deb and I went for an ice cream cone, and took a slow walk back to the boat. Rome and Theresa decided to walk around Annapolis, and head back later. Which is exactly what they did, because when I went to bed they were not back yet. In fact I’m assuming they made it back, because I haven’t seen them yet this morning. (By the way, if you have never been to Annapolis, and you get the chance, you should go, because it is a great small city)
Today is even easier than yesterday. We are only going to Baltimore, which is probably only about 20 miles by water. We have made this trip many times when we lived here, and it’s great. We have reservations at Inner Harbor Marina, where we have been many times, and I’m looking forward to seeing it again. Baltimore Harbor is a wonderful place, and although I’m sure it’s changed in the last few years, I’ll bet it has changed for the better.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Annapolis, MD.
6:30 AM
Sunday, June 11, 2000
Yacht Basin Co.
Annapolis, MD.
We had a great day yesterday. It was a short 40 or so miles from Solomon Island to Annapolis. The morning was just perfect, with a light wind from the south, and crystal blue skies. As we came out of our marina, and rejoined the Chesapeake, I set the chart plotter to the mouth of the Severen River (Annapolis), and hit the autopilot. For the next 4 hours we cruised at about 10 mph, and enjoyed the day, and the bay. We decided to go slow all the way to Annapolis, and it was definitely the right decision.
Side note: As you have noticed, we have not had any maintenance items lately. In fact everything is working great, but we did have an issue I had to deal with. A couple of nights ago the water pump was running much more than usual. (You can hear it when it runs, and we are always listening for any sounds that are not normal) I also noticed that when we got to Solomon Island the water level in the water tank looked strangely low. It concerned me that we had developed a leak somewhere. I looked everywhere, and couldn’t find anything, so when we went to bed I shut off the water to be sure. In the middle of the night I woke up and had an idea of what could be the problem, and sure enough it was. We have a wash down nozzle on the bow of the boat to wash down the anchor, and Steve always uses it to hose himself down to cool off. Well, it seems he forgot to turn it off, and it was leaking down into the anchor compartment, and draining outside. I can tell you it made my morning to find out that this was the problem, and not so many other things that could be a huge pain. So…..still no maintenance problems.
We arrived Annapolis a little after 1 PM. It was hot by then, so washing the boat down, and getting wet was not a problem. After everything was clean, we put the dinghy in the water, packed a cooler, and saw Annapolis by dinghy. We had a good time, but it was very hot, and I was looking forward to getting back to the boat, and sit inside for a while. (Which is exactly what I did)
For dinner we walked into Annapolis (only about 2 or 3 blocks), and took our chances without a reservation. We wanted to eat at a place called Middletown Tavern (Deb and I have been there, and it is kind of neat. It is where George Washington, and his buds used to hang out) and as it turned out they had a place for us. The waiter, and the food were great. The only issue was the prices were a little high, but “hey, we’ll worry about the cost later.” I can see with Rome and Theresa aboard, we might as well sell some of this stuff in the refrigerator, because the chances of us using it are slim.
After dinner Deb and I went for an ice cream cone, and took a slow walk back to the boat. Rome and Theresa decided to walk around Annapolis, and head back later. Which is exactly what they did, because when I went to bed they were not back yet. In fact I’m assuming they made it back, because I haven’t seen them yet this morning. (By the way, if you have never been to Annapolis, and you get the chance, you should go, because it is a great small city)
Today is even easier than yesterday. We are only going to Baltimore, which is probably only about 20 miles by water. We have made this trip many times when we lived here, and it’s great. We have reservations at Inner Harbor Marina, where we have been many times, and I’m looking forward to seeing it again. Baltimore Harbor is a wonderful place, and although I’m sure it’s changed in the last few years, I’ll bet it has changed for the better.
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Saturday, June 10, 2000
Chapter 54: Norfolk to Solomon Island
Log 54
Norfolk to Solomon Island, MD.
6:00 AM
Saturday, June 10, 2000
Zahniser’s Yachting Center
Solomon Island, MD.
Day 69
We debated yesterday on exactly how to count the days on this trip. Should we count the days we spent in Norfolk as part of the Great Circle? Well we decided that although I worked, we were on the boat, and they should be counted. So today we begin day 69.
Rome and Theresa Hubert are aboard now. They got on Thursday evening, and their first day was a great one. The day began with me returning my rental car, and trying to get the boat ready to resume our voyage. It has been almost two weeks since I paid any attention to the boat, and I wasn’t ready to go. It took me a while to get everything “back to cruising normal”. (You know…charts, cruising guides, electronics, secure the dinghy, and make sure nothing falls over, etc.)
The day started out sunny, and stayed that way all day long. We left our slip of 2 weeks about 8:15, and headed out into the Norfolk Harbor, and towards the Chesapeake. You could tell it was going to be pretty, and it certainly was.
We joined the Chesapeake where it actually ends. This is where it joins the Norfolk Harbor, and the Atlantic Ocean. This is also the widest part of the entire Bay. The wind was out of the Southwest, and that made the waves just about perfect for us. They were hitting us on our port stern, and not bothering us at all. In fact it was perfect cruising all of the way yesterday.
It was great to be on the Chesapeake Bay again. When we lived on the east coast in the middle 80’s we did a lot of boating on the Bay, and it is some of my fondest memories. This is a great place to have a boat.
Our trip yesterday was about 100 miles. We ended up at a place called Solomon Island. It is one of many Maryland boating communities that dot the perimeter of the Chesapeake. They are all unique, but they also all look the same. As I was walking the dock last night it brought back many memories of a lot of marinas that look just like this one. I know I won’t be able to describe the difference between these types of marinas, but they are definitely different than the places we have come from.
We arrived at our marina about 3:30, and after getting some fuel ($1.11) we tied up to our slip, and cleaned up the boat. It was hot as we cleaned up, and predicted to get hotter. Deb went up to check in, and try to make some reservations for dinner. Although we have been eating on the boat a lot during this trip, I predict we will eat out a lot on this leg. We will be in a lot of neat spots, and many of these marinas do not want you grilling on the dock. Also Rome and Theresa enjoy eating out, so I think this will be the rule, not the exception.
As I said, we had a great (actually awesome) day of cruising, but the thing we will remember most about the day was the waitress at the restaurant.
Her name was Renee’, (about 21, blond, with pierced stuff everywhere) and she was a “dandy”. She had no clue what she was doing, and no clue what any waitress in the US should do. I’m sure if you ask her “What do you think some of the duties of a “normal” waitress should be?” She would look at you with a very blank stare, throw her head back a little, and say “Whaaaaaaat?”. The dinner was good, but she was the real entertainment. Example. When she first showed up, she took our drink order. No problem, right? Well they never came, and they never came. She finally shows up and says, “If you order now, I’ll go get your drinks”. Like she was holding them as ransom or something. Well guess what. We had our drinks BEFORE she took our order. Anyway, you get the picture. Like I said we will be talking about Renee’ for a while.
Today is going to be great! The weather is perfect for boating. Hot, and sunny. In fact they say it will probably hit about 100 degrees. We only have about 40 miles to go to get to Annapolis, so I plan to get a late start (9:00) and take our time with a slow cruise up the bay. I can’t wait to get there again. It is a great boating spot, and they have one of the best marine stores I have ever been in. Yeee Haa!
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Norfolk to Solomon Island, MD.
6:00 AM
Saturday, June 10, 2000
Zahniser’s Yachting Center
Solomon Island, MD.
Day 69
We debated yesterday on exactly how to count the days on this trip. Should we count the days we spent in Norfolk as part of the Great Circle? Well we decided that although I worked, we were on the boat, and they should be counted. So today we begin day 69.
Rome and Theresa Hubert are aboard now. They got on Thursday evening, and their first day was a great one. The day began with me returning my rental car, and trying to get the boat ready to resume our voyage. It has been almost two weeks since I paid any attention to the boat, and I wasn’t ready to go. It took me a while to get everything “back to cruising normal”. (You know…charts, cruising guides, electronics, secure the dinghy, and make sure nothing falls over, etc.)
The day started out sunny, and stayed that way all day long. We left our slip of 2 weeks about 8:15, and headed out into the Norfolk Harbor, and towards the Chesapeake. You could tell it was going to be pretty, and it certainly was.
We joined the Chesapeake where it actually ends. This is where it joins the Norfolk Harbor, and the Atlantic Ocean. This is also the widest part of the entire Bay. The wind was out of the Southwest, and that made the waves just about perfect for us. They were hitting us on our port stern, and not bothering us at all. In fact it was perfect cruising all of the way yesterday.
It was great to be on the Chesapeake Bay again. When we lived on the east coast in the middle 80’s we did a lot of boating on the Bay, and it is some of my fondest memories. This is a great place to have a boat.
Our trip yesterday was about 100 miles. We ended up at a place called Solomon Island. It is one of many Maryland boating communities that dot the perimeter of the Chesapeake. They are all unique, but they also all look the same. As I was walking the dock last night it brought back many memories of a lot of marinas that look just like this one. I know I won’t be able to describe the difference between these types of marinas, but they are definitely different than the places we have come from.
We arrived at our marina about 3:30, and after getting some fuel ($1.11) we tied up to our slip, and cleaned up the boat. It was hot as we cleaned up, and predicted to get hotter. Deb went up to check in, and try to make some reservations for dinner. Although we have been eating on the boat a lot during this trip, I predict we will eat out a lot on this leg. We will be in a lot of neat spots, and many of these marinas do not want you grilling on the dock. Also Rome and Theresa enjoy eating out, so I think this will be the rule, not the exception.
As I said, we had a great (actually awesome) day of cruising, but the thing we will remember most about the day was the waitress at the restaurant.
Her name was Renee’, (about 21, blond, with pierced stuff everywhere) and she was a “dandy”. She had no clue what she was doing, and no clue what any waitress in the US should do. I’m sure if you ask her “What do you think some of the duties of a “normal” waitress should be?” She would look at you with a very blank stare, throw her head back a little, and say “Whaaaaaaat?”. The dinner was good, but she was the real entertainment. Example. When she first showed up, she took our drink order. No problem, right? Well they never came, and they never came. She finally shows up and says, “If you order now, I’ll go get your drinks”. Like she was holding them as ransom or something. Well guess what. We had our drinks BEFORE she took our order. Anyway, you get the picture. Like I said we will be talking about Renee’ for a while.
Today is going to be great! The weather is perfect for boating. Hot, and sunny. In fact they say it will probably hit about 100 degrees. We only have about 40 miles to go to get to Annapolis, so I plan to get a late start (9:00) and take our time with a slow cruise up the bay. I can’t wait to get there again. It is a great boating spot, and they have one of the best marine stores I have ever been in. Yeee Haa!
I’ll keep you posted.
BK.
Monday, May 29, 2000
Chapter 53: Memorial Day in Norfolk
Log 53
Memorial Day in Norfolk
4:10 PM
Memorial Day
Monday, May 29, 2000
Waterside Marina
Norfolk, VA.
Have you ever heard of a Nor’easter? Have you ever been in one? Me either…until today. At least that’s what the dock master just told us is happening. Here are some of the conditions happening as we speak:
· Winds at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay (about 2 miles from where we are) are 40 mph
· Seas are 6 to 11 feet depending on where you are on the Atlantic
· Tides..3 feet above normal
· In the marina where we are they will have to turn the power off, because the water will be over the power boxes. We are lucky enough to be on a floating dock, so we should be fine. People who are tied to the fixed pier (which will be under water in about 20 minutes) will have a time of it, until the tide goes out. The water is up to the bottom of the pier, and high tide is not for another 3 hours (according to the dock master) it will be interesting to see how they handle their boats.
· The winds at the marina are about 15 to 20 mph. (I just asked Deb what she thought they were and she said “oh I don’t know, it seems like about a hundred to me”
· The boat is rocking from the winds hitting us directly on the side
· It is pouring down rain, and it’s coming sideways
During all of this, what have we been doing?
The morning was spent doing some organizing. Me with work, and Deb with the checkbook. I kept thinking the rain would let up, but it has just kept getting worse. We tried to go out a couple of times, but the rain kept us inside. Then at about 2 o’clock, we said the heck with it, and put on our rain gear, and went out. It was pouring! We walked around the marina, and to the small mall, which borders our marina. Inside people looked at us a little funny in our rain suits (well actually they looked at Debbie funny, because hers is yellow), but we got used to it. They were having a small jazz concert inside with a young band, so we sat and watched, while we had a beer. I got tired of that in a hurry, so we decided to head back out, and if possible it seemed like the rain had gotten even worse.
As we were walking back we ran into a guy dressed in an expensive rain suit, and assuming he was on a sailboat, we asked him where he came in from. He said they came in today from about 50 miles away, but they came up the Intracoastal today, because it was so rough outside. In fact he said he was talking to another boat that came in from the outside, and they said they were dealing with some 23 footers. Can that be? I don’t know, but that’s what he said.
What I do know is that I’m just real glad we’re here. Yesterday when I listened to the weather I knew we needed to get going, and cross the Albemarle Sound because it was predicted to get worse. And were they ever right. If we would have been behind one more day, we’d be sitting for a couple of days in the “convenient store, almost a marina” on the Alligator River.
Instead we’re in a great marina in downtown Norfolk, and doing fine. While all of this weather is going on outside, Deb and I are inside the boat, watching all of the action. The temperature is a perfect 72 degrees. She is making spaghetti for dinner. I am typing this log, and watching some old taped reruns of Andy Griffith. If I had a gin and tonic and some cashews, life would be almost perfect. The only thing that could make that better would be if I were reading a boating magazine.
Wait a minute. I have a boating magazine. I have gin, and I have tonic. I’ve also got plenty of cashews. All I need to do is end this log, and get to it.
And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
BK.
Ps. the water is over the dock now. (Deb’s outside taking a picture)
Memorial Day in Norfolk
4:10 PM
Memorial Day
Monday, May 29, 2000
Waterside Marina
Norfolk, VA.
Have you ever heard of a Nor’easter? Have you ever been in one? Me either…until today. At least that’s what the dock master just told us is happening. Here are some of the conditions happening as we speak:
· Winds at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay (about 2 miles from where we are) are 40 mph
· Seas are 6 to 11 feet depending on where you are on the Atlantic
· Tides..3 feet above normal
· In the marina where we are they will have to turn the power off, because the water will be over the power boxes. We are lucky enough to be on a floating dock, so we should be fine. People who are tied to the fixed pier (which will be under water in about 20 minutes) will have a time of it, until the tide goes out. The water is up to the bottom of the pier, and high tide is not for another 3 hours (according to the dock master) it will be interesting to see how they handle their boats.
· The winds at the marina are about 15 to 20 mph. (I just asked Deb what she thought they were and she said “oh I don’t know, it seems like about a hundred to me”
· The boat is rocking from the winds hitting us directly on the side
· It is pouring down rain, and it’s coming sideways
During all of this, what have we been doing?
The morning was spent doing some organizing. Me with work, and Deb with the checkbook. I kept thinking the rain would let up, but it has just kept getting worse. We tried to go out a couple of times, but the rain kept us inside. Then at about 2 o’clock, we said the heck with it, and put on our rain gear, and went out. It was pouring! We walked around the marina, and to the small mall, which borders our marina. Inside people looked at us a little funny in our rain suits (well actually they looked at Debbie funny, because hers is yellow), but we got used to it. They were having a small jazz concert inside with a young band, so we sat and watched, while we had a beer. I got tired of that in a hurry, so we decided to head back out, and if possible it seemed like the rain had gotten even worse.
As we were walking back we ran into a guy dressed in an expensive rain suit, and assuming he was on a sailboat, we asked him where he came in from. He said they came in today from about 50 miles away, but they came up the Intracoastal today, because it was so rough outside. In fact he said he was talking to another boat that came in from the outside, and they said they were dealing with some 23 footers. Can that be? I don’t know, but that’s what he said.
What I do know is that I’m just real glad we’re here. Yesterday when I listened to the weather I knew we needed to get going, and cross the Albemarle Sound because it was predicted to get worse. And were they ever right. If we would have been behind one more day, we’d be sitting for a couple of days in the “convenient store, almost a marina” on the Alligator River.
Instead we’re in a great marina in downtown Norfolk, and doing fine. While all of this weather is going on outside, Deb and I are inside the boat, watching all of the action. The temperature is a perfect 72 degrees. She is making spaghetti for dinner. I am typing this log, and watching some old taped reruns of Andy Griffith. If I had a gin and tonic and some cashews, life would be almost perfect. The only thing that could make that better would be if I were reading a boating magazine.
Wait a minute. I have a boating magazine. I have gin, and I have tonic. I’ve also got plenty of cashews. All I need to do is end this log, and get to it.
And that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
BK.
Ps. the water is over the dock now. (Deb’s outside taking a picture)
Saturday, May 27, 2000
Chapter 52: Wrightsville Beach to Alligator River
Log 52
Wrightsville Beach to Alligator River, NC.
Note: I finally got to send this log on Memorial Day (Monday), so this turned out to be three days of logs.
5:30 AM
Saturday, May 27, 2000
Beaufort Docks Marina
Beaufort, NC.
Day 55
Well, we’re back on the boat again, after a couple of day delay. The trip to Richmond that Steve and I made was definitely a good one. We spent some good time with the customer, and our management team as well. We all came up with some ideas, and plans to make the facility more successful. (Deb will be writing a log about what she and Chris did while we were gone)
On Thursday, we worked at the facility till about 8 PM, and then drove back to the boat. We arrived about Midnight. At 6 AM we were back up, and getting the boat ready to roll, and we left the marina in Wrightsville beach about 7:30. It was a gorgeous day for boating. Storms had rolled through the night before, and in the morning we were left with a beautiful sunny sky.
The trip to Beaufort was very relaxing, and very pretty. We were very close to the Atlantic almost all of the time, and there were many sandy beaches that separated the Intracoastal from the Ocean. In most cases the markers were fairly easy to follow, and the water deep.
Side note: Which brings me to an interesting story. In 92 when we brought a friends boat from Florida to Philadelphia we were coming through this area, and Steve was driving. We were coming under the Beaufort Bridge. I was down taking a shower, and everyone was just getting up and around. I came up to the bridge, to see the waterway open up, with several channels, and markers everywhere. Steve said to me “which way should we go?” I said, “I don’t have a clue. What do the charts say?” He said he didn’t know, and it was obvious he had lost he place on the chart. (Or wasn’t following it at all) I leaned over to look at the chart to see if I could tell where we should go, and out of the corner of my eye I looked at the depth gauge. It read 17 feet……then 10………then 3……….then we came to an almost immediate stop, throwing me, and everyone else, and everything to the front of the boat. (Oh I forgot to mention we were traveling at top cruising speed) We had run aground. Hard aground! The boat was sitting in about 6 inches of water. If I had a lot of time I would tell you a great story that would have you laughing for some time, but I don’t, so let’s just say that it was quite an experience, and it cost over $3,600 to get the boat back on the water. It was also a great lesson in watching the charts, and the depth gauge.
Anyway…as we came up to that bridge yesterday Steve said “I don’t want my hands anywhere near those controls as we come into Beaufort. But he did look at the charts, and say, “I don’t know what the problem was, this harbor is pretty straightforward”. Another lesson learned.
We arrived in Beaufort about 3:30. I toped off the fuel, ($1.30) and Steve washed down the boat, while the girls straightened up, and we got ready to go into town. Well not really into town, because we are parked right on the main street of the town, so we only had about 100 feet to walk. When I checked the boat in they gave us 4 tokens for draft beer at a bar/waterside restaurant next to our boat so we walked there to have our free beer while we made a decision on where we would eat. We had all of these choices; it was a decision of which one. After a couple of beers, we all decided we didn’t want to go take showers and go someplace fancy, and we ordered bar food, and sat next to the main boardwalk and ate. It was not what we had planned but it worked out great. Afterwards we got an ice cream cone, and walked the rest of the boardwalk, before making it an early night. (After we watched a great sunset)
Today…..
We have two big bodies of water to cross today. The Pamlico Sound, and the Nuese River. These are about 20 miles each of crossing, and it should be a beautiful day for it. These are two areas they always give you lots of caution about, but today they should be easy.
6:20 PM
Same Day
Just so we’re clear on times……I started this log at 5:30 this morning, but it got late, so I couldn’t finish it. It’s now later that same day, and we are at a marina, and I had some time, so I thought I’d continue this, and see where we end up. I’m waiting to eat dinner (actually waiting for Steve to cook the chicken) now so if I don’t finish this I’ll do it in the morning.
Today (Saturday, May 27, 2000)
We had another great day of boating, but a tough day in general. (I spent a good part of the day on the phone, talking to our management team that is working on the Richmond start-up. It’s tough going, and I really feel for these guys. I’ve been there, and I know what their going through) I promised myself I’d make every day count in this journey, and today I had to work at it, to make it enjoyable.
Back to boating…
The wind today picked up earlier than they had predicted, and by early morning we had 15 MPH winds. The good news was, the winds were from the Southwest, and that was on our stern, so the going was pretty easy. In fact the long crossing was very nice, pretty, and enjoyable.
I got a good opportunity to use my chart plotter today. I would set the waypoint about 4 to 6 miles ahead of us, and set the autopilot to follow that course, and voila (I wanted to put "wa....la" but I asked Deb how to spell it and she told me viola was a real word.....who knew?) 20 minutes later (depending on our speed) we were on that marker. It made the cost seem worth it.
By the time we got close to our marina for the evening the winds were blowing fairly good, and we were glad we had a marina to tie up to. (In fact as I sit here writing this, there are tornado warnings out, and the sky to the north looks very black. I hope they miss us.) By the way, I’m not sure you should call this a marina. Really it’s a gas station, with a hole dug out back where you can tie up some boats. I’m serious. Have you ever been to a small convenient store that sells gas? One that is on a back road, and appears out of nowhere? This is that place, with water behind it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s clean, and nice, and I’m glad to be here. It’s just not a marina. One thing that is great is the fuel prices. If you buy over 100 gallons, the price is 96 cents. Which is a lot cheaper that we have been seeing. (As we were fueling up I asked the owner how he could sell diesel so much cheaper than everyone else. He said, “Well… it’s half water”). Like I said it’s not marina.
5:25 AM
Sunday, May 28, 2000
Day 56
Well as you can see I didn’t write very much last evening. There was too much going on. And I may not have time to write too much this morning, as we need to get going early.
Meanwhile, back at the “almost” marina………….
When we tied up the boat, I went over to pay for the (½ water) cheap fuel. On my way back I saw an old sailor and he ask me how I was doing, and I said “great, how bout you?” He said, “I’m here, and that’s good”. “Yea?”, I said, “If you were somewhere else, would that would be bad?”. He went on to tell me he was glad to be here because he thought it would storm later. I told him we had this fancy satellite TV on the boat, and I had just looked at the weather channel, and the weather was north of us. “I don’t think so”, he said, “I can feel it. It going to be here”. As I walked away I thought…….. codgy old sailors, what do they know.
Well it turns out they know plenty, because it stormed. (So much for the weather channel) Big time stormed. Not only that, in the middle of the night it stormed again. This time even worse. The power went out about 11 PM, and is still not on. Last night was by far the biggest lighting show I have ever witnessed. Deb had to cover our front hatch with the sun shield because it was so bright in the front bedroom. This morning is very windy, and overcast, and it probably will rain.
7:50 AM
Monday, May 29, 2000
Waterside Marina
Norfolk, VA.
Day 57
Well I should be able to finish these 3 days of logs this morning. I no longer have any excuses of not having enough time. We’re sitting here in Norfolk, the weather is cold, and rainy, Steve and Chris just left for home, so today is get organized day. Both on the boat, and in my business.
Yesterday……
The day started out very ominous. (I’m not even sure if I know what that word means, but I think it describes what I was feeling) The electricity was still out, (we ended up running the generator all night) and it was dark, and windy. If you read the cruising guide there is a special section that talks about the Albemarle Sound, and the fact that “even the slightest wind can stir up this wide open sound, and sailors have been stranded for several days waiting for the weather to lift”.
We were sitting about 5 miles from the Sound, and the NOAA weather was saying the weather would continue to get worse each day for the next 2 to 3 days. We needed to get going. The reason I cut the log so short yesterday was it was starting to get light out and I could see the waves building out on the Alligator River, and I knew that the Albemarle would only be worse, so I went and woke everyone up, and said we need to go. Now. And they were all champs. They got up with no questions, and no complaining.
When we untied the lines, it was not quite light yet, but two boats had left before us, and I could see them off in the distance. So between following the boats in front of us, our radar, and our chart plotter, we were in good shape.
As it turned out, the waves weren’t too bad (2 to 3 footers). And more good news, they were on our bow, so it was bumpy, but not as uncomfortable as if they were coming from our side. In fact the ride was an adventure, and the farther we went, the better the weather became.
The 85 miles to Norfolk was a combination of the wide-open sound, and very narrow waterways. It was fairly easy to navigate, and normally deep. The only problem we had was as were entering the Norfolk Harbor, and I almost ran aground, but I was watching the depth finder, and I caught it in time to put the boat in neutral, and get back into the middle of the channel.
I ran the boat from the lower helm almost all of the way to Norfolk, and that was great. As I have said before, that is one of the reasons I bought this boat, and it paid off yesterday. I was warm, dry, and it was very comfortable handling things from below.
We arrived in Norfolk about 3 PM. The weather was a little better, but it was still very cloudy, and it looked like rain. After some discussion about where we should park the boat (because we would be here for 11 days) the marina finally decided on a slip along the walkway. (Which, as it turned out, was about the same size as the boat itself). With a few nervous looks from my crew, (and the people’s boat we would hit if I were off by a couple feet), we slipped in our slip. We washed the boat, and straightened up a bit, and it stared to rain. (You won’t believe this, but as we were washing the boat a sailor walked by and said “no need to wash it, it’ll be raining here in a few minutes”)
We had thought we would clean up, and go downtown for dinner, but we were all relaxed, and with the rain coming down, we opted to find a way to eat on the boat. Deb solved the problem by finding out that Outback Steakhouse delivered to the boat. (Can you beat that?) So…..we sat back, relaxed, and ordered off of their menu, and 30 minutes later, they delivered us hot, great food. We ended the day with a little TV, and early to bed. (There’s a big surprise)
Today….
It’s cold (60 degrees) windy, and rainy today. The weather channel says to expect more of the same. It’s one of those days where you always feel cold. It may clear by late today, but we’re not counting on it. This is really the only bad weather we have had since we left FT. Lauderdale, so I am not complaining a bit. We have been very lucky.
Steve and Chris left at about 7 AM, to catch an 8:30 flight back to Chicago. Deb is watching movies that she has already seen several times, and I am trying to finish this log, and get it off to those who are thinking we have dropped off the face of the earth. (I haven’t gotten my e-mail for 3 days)
As I said earlier, I’m going to use today to get the boat reorganized, and I need to spend a fair amount of time on work stuff. (Things are going better, but we have a lot to do)
I’ll be back to a normal work day (if there is such a thing for me) tomorrow, so I’m not sure how if I will be doing any logs until we take off for New York on June 9th, when Rome and Theresa get on board.
Maybe Deb can keep everyone posted on what it is like to be a “short time live aboard in Norfolk”
Happy Memorial Day.
BK.
Wrightsville Beach to Alligator River, NC.
Note: I finally got to send this log on Memorial Day (Monday), so this turned out to be three days of logs.
5:30 AM
Saturday, May 27, 2000
Beaufort Docks Marina
Beaufort, NC.
Day 55
Well, we’re back on the boat again, after a couple of day delay. The trip to Richmond that Steve and I made was definitely a good one. We spent some good time with the customer, and our management team as well. We all came up with some ideas, and plans to make the facility more successful. (Deb will be writing a log about what she and Chris did while we were gone)
On Thursday, we worked at the facility till about 8 PM, and then drove back to the boat. We arrived about Midnight. At 6 AM we were back up, and getting the boat ready to roll, and we left the marina in Wrightsville beach about 7:30. It was a gorgeous day for boating. Storms had rolled through the night before, and in the morning we were left with a beautiful sunny sky.
The trip to Beaufort was very relaxing, and very pretty. We were very close to the Atlantic almost all of the time, and there were many sandy beaches that separated the Intracoastal from the Ocean. In most cases the markers were fairly easy to follow, and the water deep.
Side note: Which brings me to an interesting story. In 92 when we brought a friends boat from Florida to Philadelphia we were coming through this area, and Steve was driving. We were coming under the Beaufort Bridge. I was down taking a shower, and everyone was just getting up and around. I came up to the bridge, to see the waterway open up, with several channels, and markers everywhere. Steve said to me “which way should we go?” I said, “I don’t have a clue. What do the charts say?” He said he didn’t know, and it was obvious he had lost he place on the chart. (Or wasn’t following it at all) I leaned over to look at the chart to see if I could tell where we should go, and out of the corner of my eye I looked at the depth gauge. It read 17 feet……then 10………then 3……….then we came to an almost immediate stop, throwing me, and everyone else, and everything to the front of the boat. (Oh I forgot to mention we were traveling at top cruising speed) We had run aground. Hard aground! The boat was sitting in about 6 inches of water. If I had a lot of time I would tell you a great story that would have you laughing for some time, but I don’t, so let’s just say that it was quite an experience, and it cost over $3,600 to get the boat back on the water. It was also a great lesson in watching the charts, and the depth gauge.
Anyway…as we came up to that bridge yesterday Steve said “I don’t want my hands anywhere near those controls as we come into Beaufort. But he did look at the charts, and say, “I don’t know what the problem was, this harbor is pretty straightforward”. Another lesson learned.
We arrived in Beaufort about 3:30. I toped off the fuel, ($1.30) and Steve washed down the boat, while the girls straightened up, and we got ready to go into town. Well not really into town, because we are parked right on the main street of the town, so we only had about 100 feet to walk. When I checked the boat in they gave us 4 tokens for draft beer at a bar/waterside restaurant next to our boat so we walked there to have our free beer while we made a decision on where we would eat. We had all of these choices; it was a decision of which one. After a couple of beers, we all decided we didn’t want to go take showers and go someplace fancy, and we ordered bar food, and sat next to the main boardwalk and ate. It was not what we had planned but it worked out great. Afterwards we got an ice cream cone, and walked the rest of the boardwalk, before making it an early night. (After we watched a great sunset)
Today…..
We have two big bodies of water to cross today. The Pamlico Sound, and the Nuese River. These are about 20 miles each of crossing, and it should be a beautiful day for it. These are two areas they always give you lots of caution about, but today they should be easy.
6:20 PM
Same Day
Just so we’re clear on times……I started this log at 5:30 this morning, but it got late, so I couldn’t finish it. It’s now later that same day, and we are at a marina, and I had some time, so I thought I’d continue this, and see where we end up. I’m waiting to eat dinner (actually waiting for Steve to cook the chicken) now so if I don’t finish this I’ll do it in the morning.
Today (Saturday, May 27, 2000)
We had another great day of boating, but a tough day in general. (I spent a good part of the day on the phone, talking to our management team that is working on the Richmond start-up. It’s tough going, and I really feel for these guys. I’ve been there, and I know what their going through) I promised myself I’d make every day count in this journey, and today I had to work at it, to make it enjoyable.
Back to boating…
The wind today picked up earlier than they had predicted, and by early morning we had 15 MPH winds. The good news was, the winds were from the Southwest, and that was on our stern, so the going was pretty easy. In fact the long crossing was very nice, pretty, and enjoyable.
I got a good opportunity to use my chart plotter today. I would set the waypoint about 4 to 6 miles ahead of us, and set the autopilot to follow that course, and voila (I wanted to put "wa....la" but I asked Deb how to spell it and she told me viola was a real word.....who knew?) 20 minutes later (depending on our speed) we were on that marker. It made the cost seem worth it.
By the time we got close to our marina for the evening the winds were blowing fairly good, and we were glad we had a marina to tie up to. (In fact as I sit here writing this, there are tornado warnings out, and the sky to the north looks very black. I hope they miss us.) By the way, I’m not sure you should call this a marina. Really it’s a gas station, with a hole dug out back where you can tie up some boats. I’m serious. Have you ever been to a small convenient store that sells gas? One that is on a back road, and appears out of nowhere? This is that place, with water behind it. Don’t get me wrong, it’s clean, and nice, and I’m glad to be here. It’s just not a marina. One thing that is great is the fuel prices. If you buy over 100 gallons, the price is 96 cents. Which is a lot cheaper that we have been seeing. (As we were fueling up I asked the owner how he could sell diesel so much cheaper than everyone else. He said, “Well… it’s half water”). Like I said it’s not marina.
5:25 AM
Sunday, May 28, 2000
Day 56
Well as you can see I didn’t write very much last evening. There was too much going on. And I may not have time to write too much this morning, as we need to get going early.
Meanwhile, back at the “almost” marina………….
When we tied up the boat, I went over to pay for the (½ water) cheap fuel. On my way back I saw an old sailor and he ask me how I was doing, and I said “great, how bout you?” He said, “I’m here, and that’s good”. “Yea?”, I said, “If you were somewhere else, would that would be bad?”. He went on to tell me he was glad to be here because he thought it would storm later. I told him we had this fancy satellite TV on the boat, and I had just looked at the weather channel, and the weather was north of us. “I don’t think so”, he said, “I can feel it. It going to be here”. As I walked away I thought…….. codgy old sailors, what do they know.
Well it turns out they know plenty, because it stormed. (So much for the weather channel) Big time stormed. Not only that, in the middle of the night it stormed again. This time even worse. The power went out about 11 PM, and is still not on. Last night was by far the biggest lighting show I have ever witnessed. Deb had to cover our front hatch with the sun shield because it was so bright in the front bedroom. This morning is very windy, and overcast, and it probably will rain.
7:50 AM
Monday, May 29, 2000
Waterside Marina
Norfolk, VA.
Day 57
Well I should be able to finish these 3 days of logs this morning. I no longer have any excuses of not having enough time. We’re sitting here in Norfolk, the weather is cold, and rainy, Steve and Chris just left for home, so today is get organized day. Both on the boat, and in my business.
Yesterday……
The day started out very ominous. (I’m not even sure if I know what that word means, but I think it describes what I was feeling) The electricity was still out, (we ended up running the generator all night) and it was dark, and windy. If you read the cruising guide there is a special section that talks about the Albemarle Sound, and the fact that “even the slightest wind can stir up this wide open sound, and sailors have been stranded for several days waiting for the weather to lift”.
We were sitting about 5 miles from the Sound, and the NOAA weather was saying the weather would continue to get worse each day for the next 2 to 3 days. We needed to get going. The reason I cut the log so short yesterday was it was starting to get light out and I could see the waves building out on the Alligator River, and I knew that the Albemarle would only be worse, so I went and woke everyone up, and said we need to go. Now. And they were all champs. They got up with no questions, and no complaining.
When we untied the lines, it was not quite light yet, but two boats had left before us, and I could see them off in the distance. So between following the boats in front of us, our radar, and our chart plotter, we were in good shape.
As it turned out, the waves weren’t too bad (2 to 3 footers). And more good news, they were on our bow, so it was bumpy, but not as uncomfortable as if they were coming from our side. In fact the ride was an adventure, and the farther we went, the better the weather became.
The 85 miles to Norfolk was a combination of the wide-open sound, and very narrow waterways. It was fairly easy to navigate, and normally deep. The only problem we had was as were entering the Norfolk Harbor, and I almost ran aground, but I was watching the depth finder, and I caught it in time to put the boat in neutral, and get back into the middle of the channel.
I ran the boat from the lower helm almost all of the way to Norfolk, and that was great. As I have said before, that is one of the reasons I bought this boat, and it paid off yesterday. I was warm, dry, and it was very comfortable handling things from below.
We arrived in Norfolk about 3 PM. The weather was a little better, but it was still very cloudy, and it looked like rain. After some discussion about where we should park the boat (because we would be here for 11 days) the marina finally decided on a slip along the walkway. (Which, as it turned out, was about the same size as the boat itself). With a few nervous looks from my crew, (and the people’s boat we would hit if I were off by a couple feet), we slipped in our slip. We washed the boat, and straightened up a bit, and it stared to rain. (You won’t believe this, but as we were washing the boat a sailor walked by and said “no need to wash it, it’ll be raining here in a few minutes”)
We had thought we would clean up, and go downtown for dinner, but we were all relaxed, and with the rain coming down, we opted to find a way to eat on the boat. Deb solved the problem by finding out that Outback Steakhouse delivered to the boat. (Can you beat that?) So…..we sat back, relaxed, and ordered off of their menu, and 30 minutes later, they delivered us hot, great food. We ended the day with a little TV, and early to bed. (There’s a big surprise)
Today….
It’s cold (60 degrees) windy, and rainy today. The weather channel says to expect more of the same. It’s one of those days where you always feel cold. It may clear by late today, but we’re not counting on it. This is really the only bad weather we have had since we left FT. Lauderdale, so I am not complaining a bit. We have been very lucky.
Steve and Chris left at about 7 AM, to catch an 8:30 flight back to Chicago. Deb is watching movies that she has already seen several times, and I am trying to finish this log, and get it off to those who are thinking we have dropped off the face of the earth. (I haven’t gotten my e-mail for 3 days)
As I said earlier, I’m going to use today to get the boat reorganized, and I need to spend a fair amount of time on work stuff. (Things are going better, but we have a lot to do)
I’ll be back to a normal work day (if there is such a thing for me) tomorrow, so I’m not sure how if I will be doing any logs until we take off for New York on June 9th, when Rome and Theresa get on board.
Maybe Deb can keep everyone posted on what it is like to be a “short time live aboard in Norfolk”
Happy Memorial Day.
BK.
Friday, May 26, 2000
Deb's Memorial Day Update
Meanwhile, back at Headquarters…
Friday, 5/26/00
Hey Everybody! Debbie here. Just thought I’d fill y’all in (that’s how they talk down here) on what was happening on HQ while the guys took care of business in Richmond.
I wanted to get this written before Bob moved on to the next log but it looks like I missed my window. It’s not surprising, given the time BK gets up each morning to write these things. In any case, here’s what the girls were up to while the guys concentrated on work.
First of all, Chris & I talked BK into getting the dinghy ready for us before they left. We were docked at Seapath Yacht Club in Wrightsville, NC, just off the Intracoastal and not far from the ocean. There were small islands all around us with beaches loaded with shells just waiting to be picked up. We were also looking forward to a dinghy ride to the ocean for a swim. Anyway, Bob took the cover off the dinghy, pulled the pole out from the middle and took off the extra bow cover and pontoon covers (*#!@*%!),and ran us through a quick lesson on how to use the dinghy motor & the hydraulic swim platform. They left on Wed. morning with plenty of “be carefuls” & “use your heads”.
The morning started out cloudy & windy (I hate the wind) and we looked at the dinghy with a little uncertainty. We had been talking by phone to my cousin Laurie Cunningham/Connors who lives in Wrightsville and had made a tentative plan to meet for lunch. We did some cleaning, a little laundry, and soaked up the sun while we waited for her call. She came by at noon, took a quick tour of the boat and then took us to a great restaurant where we had a table on a dock sticking out over a sand beach on the ocean. It was fun to see Laurie again and try to catch up on family. She was very busy with work and could only join us for a short time. As it was, her beeper called an end to lunch and she drove us back to HQ. (P.S. I had the very best Pina Colada so far on this trip!)
By then it was 2:30 and the sun had come out and was very warm, though it was still a little windy (I hate the wind). We had been having a problem with the cable on the boat and the folks at the marina took this time to try a bunch of different things to remedy the problem. Even as we looked longingly at the dingy, we allowed the work on the cable to continue. After all, it was Wednesday and West Wing was on!
Meanwhile the wind, which was bad all day, seemed a little worse (I hate the wind) and we decided to pack a cooler and walk to the beach. We headed out but found that it was going to be quite a hike, so we turned around and jumped in the dinghy (the heck with the wind). We were both a little nervous (ok-mostly me) but we finally got the dinghy floating and pointed toward the ocean. I must have looked very nervous because at one point Chris said, “We’re ok Deb, don’t cry.” We found the public dock, tied it up and crossed the street to the beach. Yahoo! We were finally there! It was 4 o’clock! We dropped our gear and ran to the water. The waves looked huge and in fact there were a few surfers skipping along on them. We swam, jumped, dived, got knocked off our feet, swallowed salt-water and generally had a blast until we were exhausted! We left the beach at around 5:45pm.
Earlier that morning, we helped a small day fishing boat into dock…just grabbed his lines is all. We asked how they did and the captain said they caught a mess of mackerel. He said he’d be back later to clean & filet them and we could have some if we wanted. We weren’t so sure…we thought, “Mackerel? How the heck to you cook mackerel?” Well, he showed up with a ziplock bag with about 8 filets just as Laurie was getting on the boat.
So after a great lunch with Laurie, a romp in the surf and nice long showers, we had a wonderful fresh fish dinner, compliments of a local fisherman, and Chris the chef.
The next day the guys were supposed to be back at noon so we could get in a half day on the water to move the boat north. But they called saying they needed to stay a little longer and wouldn’t get back till midnight. Hm-m-m…could this mean another dinghy ride? We had been talking to a local live-aboard about the cool islands around there and all the shells that were on this 8 mile stretch of beach and so we decided to do some beach combing. Chris had a work problem she had to sort out first and so the plan was to leave after lunch.
Thursday started out a much nicer day… warm, sunny and not very much wind (I hate the wind). And we both had much more confidence with the swim platform and dinghy operation. At least Chris said I didn’t look like I was about to cry! We spent the day motoring from island to island. We even got the depth finder to work. We swam a little and walked the beaches and picked up a bunch of shells. It was a great afternoon, something neither Bob nor Steve would take time from the journey to enjoy. Too bad, they’re missing out on some great stuff! I know, I know…we’re on a schedule!
We got back to the boat by 5:45 and squared everything away because it looked like it might rain. Then I walked down to the office to put in a load of laundry and to pay for our extra night’s slip. As I walked into the office I told Danielle (we were quite friendly with the marina people by now) that it was starting to rain. Bill looked out the door, said “Here it comes!” and slammed the door. Two seconds later I saw a bicycle and a lawn chair fly by the window! Lot’s of wind, lot’s of rain for about 15 minutes. I stayed in the office and Chris was stuck on the boat. She said there was lightning all around, the wind came up and then a sheet of rain washed over her. The dock hand came back from checking the docks and said, “Your friend is standing on the back deck with a big smile on her face saying, “This is so cool!” When the wind let up after a while (I hate the wind), Chris came by dressed in a yellow poncho & carrying a huge golf umbrella. She brought a poncho to me at the office! What a pal.
Meanwhile we had ordered a pizza to be delivered and a half hour later, right on schedule, here comes our piping hot pizza. BIG tip for the pizza guy! The storm at it worst, lasted only about 20 minutes. Then only sprinkles the rest of the evening but major lightning all around us all evening. So we settled in to watch TV and eat our pizza. A sad note: No West Wing!
We had called it an early night and at about 11:15, it started raining pretty hard again. I was laying in bed listening to see if the boat was going to be ok in the wind (did I mention I hate the wind?) when I heard a couple of light ba-booms on the boat. It sounded like the boat hit the dock so I got up to see if a line had loosened up and here’s BK & ST standing in the salon, dripping wet and breathing hard from their dash in the rain. They’re back! Everyone made a fast job of getting the boat shut down and we wend to bed.
I knew the next day would be back to normal, BK’s whirl-wind tour, but for a couple of days, we stopped and smelled the sea-breeze.
We had only one casualty during the storm. We had forgotten to check the cover on the radio on the fly bridge and it got wet. The speakers made some interesting sounds all night…pop-pop-pop! Hopefully, when it completely dries out it’ll be ok. We don’t have much luck with radios and speakers on HQ, do we.
Hope y’all are doing well back home. As BK says, Headquarters standing by…
Seeyabye------DK
Friday, 5/26/00
Hey Everybody! Debbie here. Just thought I’d fill y’all in (that’s how they talk down here) on what was happening on HQ while the guys took care of business in Richmond.
I wanted to get this written before Bob moved on to the next log but it looks like I missed my window. It’s not surprising, given the time BK gets up each morning to write these things. In any case, here’s what the girls were up to while the guys concentrated on work.
First of all, Chris & I talked BK into getting the dinghy ready for us before they left. We were docked at Seapath Yacht Club in Wrightsville, NC, just off the Intracoastal and not far from the ocean. There were small islands all around us with beaches loaded with shells just waiting to be picked up. We were also looking forward to a dinghy ride to the ocean for a swim. Anyway, Bob took the cover off the dinghy, pulled the pole out from the middle and took off the extra bow cover and pontoon covers (*#!@*%!),and ran us through a quick lesson on how to use the dinghy motor & the hydraulic swim platform. They left on Wed. morning with plenty of “be carefuls” & “use your heads”.
The morning started out cloudy & windy (I hate the wind) and we looked at the dinghy with a little uncertainty. We had been talking by phone to my cousin Laurie Cunningham/Connors who lives in Wrightsville and had made a tentative plan to meet for lunch. We did some cleaning, a little laundry, and soaked up the sun while we waited for her call. She came by at noon, took a quick tour of the boat and then took us to a great restaurant where we had a table on a dock sticking out over a sand beach on the ocean. It was fun to see Laurie again and try to catch up on family. She was very busy with work and could only join us for a short time. As it was, her beeper called an end to lunch and she drove us back to HQ. (P.S. I had the very best Pina Colada so far on this trip!)
By then it was 2:30 and the sun had come out and was very warm, though it was still a little windy (I hate the wind). We had been having a problem with the cable on the boat and the folks at the marina took this time to try a bunch of different things to remedy the problem. Even as we looked longingly at the dingy, we allowed the work on the cable to continue. After all, it was Wednesday and West Wing was on!
Meanwhile the wind, which was bad all day, seemed a little worse (I hate the wind) and we decided to pack a cooler and walk to the beach. We headed out but found that it was going to be quite a hike, so we turned around and jumped in the dinghy (the heck with the wind). We were both a little nervous (ok-mostly me) but we finally got the dinghy floating and pointed toward the ocean. I must have looked very nervous because at one point Chris said, “We’re ok Deb, don’t cry.” We found the public dock, tied it up and crossed the street to the beach. Yahoo! We were finally there! It was 4 o’clock! We dropped our gear and ran to the water. The waves looked huge and in fact there were a few surfers skipping along on them. We swam, jumped, dived, got knocked off our feet, swallowed salt-water and generally had a blast until we were exhausted! We left the beach at around 5:45pm.
Earlier that morning, we helped a small day fishing boat into dock…just grabbed his lines is all. We asked how they did and the captain said they caught a mess of mackerel. He said he’d be back later to clean & filet them and we could have some if we wanted. We weren’t so sure…we thought, “Mackerel? How the heck to you cook mackerel?” Well, he showed up with a ziplock bag with about 8 filets just as Laurie was getting on the boat.
So after a great lunch with Laurie, a romp in the surf and nice long showers, we had a wonderful fresh fish dinner, compliments of a local fisherman, and Chris the chef.
The next day the guys were supposed to be back at noon so we could get in a half day on the water to move the boat north. But they called saying they needed to stay a little longer and wouldn’t get back till midnight. Hm-m-m…could this mean another dinghy ride? We had been talking to a local live-aboard about the cool islands around there and all the shells that were on this 8 mile stretch of beach and so we decided to do some beach combing. Chris had a work problem she had to sort out first and so the plan was to leave after lunch.
Thursday started out a much nicer day… warm, sunny and not very much wind (I hate the wind). And we both had much more confidence with the swim platform and dinghy operation. At least Chris said I didn’t look like I was about to cry! We spent the day motoring from island to island. We even got the depth finder to work. We swam a little and walked the beaches and picked up a bunch of shells. It was a great afternoon, something neither Bob nor Steve would take time from the journey to enjoy. Too bad, they’re missing out on some great stuff! I know, I know…we’re on a schedule!
We got back to the boat by 5:45 and squared everything away because it looked like it might rain. Then I walked down to the office to put in a load of laundry and to pay for our extra night’s slip. As I walked into the office I told Danielle (we were quite friendly with the marina people by now) that it was starting to rain. Bill looked out the door, said “Here it comes!” and slammed the door. Two seconds later I saw a bicycle and a lawn chair fly by the window! Lot’s of wind, lot’s of rain for about 15 minutes. I stayed in the office and Chris was stuck on the boat. She said there was lightning all around, the wind came up and then a sheet of rain washed over her. The dock hand came back from checking the docks and said, “Your friend is standing on the back deck with a big smile on her face saying, “This is so cool!” When the wind let up after a while (I hate the wind), Chris came by dressed in a yellow poncho & carrying a huge golf umbrella. She brought a poncho to me at the office! What a pal.
Meanwhile we had ordered a pizza to be delivered and a half hour later, right on schedule, here comes our piping hot pizza. BIG tip for the pizza guy! The storm at it worst, lasted only about 20 minutes. Then only sprinkles the rest of the evening but major lightning all around us all evening. So we settled in to watch TV and eat our pizza. A sad note: No West Wing!
We had called it an early night and at about 11:15, it started raining pretty hard again. I was laying in bed listening to see if the boat was going to be ok in the wind (did I mention I hate the wind?) when I heard a couple of light ba-booms on the boat. It sounded like the boat hit the dock so I got up to see if a line had loosened up and here’s BK & ST standing in the salon, dripping wet and breathing hard from their dash in the rain. They’re back! Everyone made a fast job of getting the boat shut down and we wend to bed.
I knew the next day would be back to normal, BK’s whirl-wind tour, but for a couple of days, we stopped and smelled the sea-breeze.
We had only one casualty during the storm. We had forgotten to check the cover on the radio on the fly bridge and it got wet. The speakers made some interesting sounds all night…pop-pop-pop! Hopefully, when it completely dries out it’ll be ok. We don’t have much luck with radios and speakers on HQ, do we.
Hope y’all are doing well back home. As BK says, Headquarters standing by…
Seeyabye------DK
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