Category Archives: Great Loop

Imagine if you will life without your cell phone, email, internet access, or tv.  That has been our life since we first left Killarney and headed into the North Channel.  Yes, we have had withdrawal and felt a little vulnerable not being able to communicate with family.  But what fantastic places we have seen and we have enjoyed every minute of it.  Here is what we have been up to:

Wednesday (7/29) – Killarney – We left the anchorage on Beaverton Bay (Burnt Island) around 9:00 am and headed toward Killarney, a very small town that has a population of less than 500 people. It really is the place that divides the Georgian Bay from the North Channel and is a big boating town.  There are only a handful of marinas, but only two that can handle bigger boats; The Killarney Mountain Lodge & Marina (aka “The Lodge” – where we stayed), and the Sportsman’s Inn (aka “the Inn” – a place that is over 100 years old and caters to the sport fishing crowd.

Our journey from the anchorage to the town was one filled with spectacular beauty.  The route took us through the “Collins Inlet” which is a channel cut through the quartz rock that is so prevalent in this area.  There are a few fish and hunting camps along the way, but mostly it is pristine water that is surrounded by high cliffs of rock and trees. It really is amazing that anything can grow in these rocks, but the trees that do seem to thrive. Along the way we were followed by TiKa and we were able to stop and take pictures of our mutual boats in a few spots.  Snug Tug had left the anchorage about 30 minutes ahead of us as they wanted to cruise at a different speed and wanted to get into town to do some work on their boat.

We arrived in Killarney just before lunch and were tied up on an end dock on the western-most part of the marina.  After a fuel up and pump-out TiKa docked right in front of us and it helped to block all the waves from the boats in the harbor.  We had reservations for two nights and decided to check out the weather before checking in.  Transient slips in marinas are a pay in advance arrangements, so before we paid we wanted to make sure we would stay the second night.  Once we confirmed that the wind was really going to blow on Thursday and we wanted to be tied to a dock, we went ahead and committed to just that.

After lunch aboard our boat, we went exploring the town. It didn’t take very long, but we did discover one of the small marinas had a ships store that included some locally made jams, sauces, pickles and beef jerky.  We purchased a jar of pickles and a dipping sauce and scoped out their ice cream for later that night.

Walking further down the street we visited the Sportsman’s Inn and discovered a huge Yacht Club from Michigan (Grosse Point) was having a big rendezvous there over the weekend.

As a result, there were dozens of sport fishing boats in the marina and the dining room would be closed to the public on Friday night.  We were kind of disappointed as we had wanted to eat there, and we had already made plans to dine at our marina (The Lodge) with TiKa and Snug Tug for tonight.

Next we walked back to our marina stopping at the LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) to purchase some gin for Mark.  Unfortunately, the store’s shelves were really empty and their truck was delayed in Toronto; it would be tomorrow before they had more.  We agreed to wait and come back tomorrow.

After we got back to the boat and got our showers, it was time for dinner. We joined TiKa and Snug Tug for a nice meal at The Lodge dining room. The food was good, but not great and afterwards we went into the lounge area and continued our conversations. There was a local music artist who came in and played songs and we enjoyed the music until way past our usual bedtime.

Thursday (7/30) – Killarney – The day began with an early morning run by Denise who was anxious to get back on the roads.  It had been a while and she wanted to run more than the little town of Killarney could offer; after two loops up and back to the highway and through town and back, she had to quit at 3.10 miles.

All the weather predictions for the day were on target, and by 9:00 the wind started to pick up. By lunch time it was really blowing and at 5:00 pm it was blowing 25 knots with gusts to 35 knots.  We were so thankful we were at the dock and not spinning on an anchor somewhere.

In the morning we took advantage of the internet connection we had and tried to get some email and work done. However, with the wind, the coverage out to our end of the dock was spotty and we kept losing the connection. Denise finally decided to take her computer up the lodge and sit in a chair to get the last blog post done.

While she was gone, Mark decided to wash the boat as it was quite filthy from all the bugs we have encountered. Once he finished, all the boys (Mark, Bruce, Tim and Tim’s son – the other Mark) went and played tennis on the courts at the Lodge.  Bruce is a huge tennis player, and Mark the younger played on his high school team, so they split up allowing the four guys to play doubles with neither side having too big an advantage.  Despite the wind, they played successfully and had a good time.

For lunch we decided to visit Herbert Fisheries and have their fish and chips. This is an institution in Killarney where the fisherman drop their fresh catch and it is processed right before your eyes.  It used to be housed in an old converted bus, but this past year they built and moved into a building and now can serve more people. It was the freshest and most delicious fish & chips we have had in the area.

We were joined by Tim and Karen and there we ran into our looper friends on Ivory Lady and Next Chapter. They had arrived in our marina that morning and were there for two nights. We discussed plans for looper docktails that night, but we were not sure where to hold it as the wind would keep everyone inside and off the dock.  We agreed to check out the game room at The Lodge and planned for a 5:30 start.

After that, we went back to the LCBO so Mark could buy that needed bottle of gin.

In the afternoon we started to plan what our next day’s journey would be. The wind was going to die down a bit, but pick up again in the afternoon, and we thought we might try to stay one more day. The dock master “Red” advised that they were very full up for the holiday weekend (Monday is a provincial holiday in Ontario) but was willing to let us stay if the 85-footer coming in cancelled.  So, we were hopeful but also started to consider options for if we couldn’t stay.  Eventually we want to get to Little Current, but after a few phone calls we learned their marinas were also booked up for the weekend.  We really wanted to stop at a few places before Little Current, so we decided to put a contingency in place that would take us to one of these such spots, in case we would not be able to stay in Killarney.

That evening we had docktails in the game room with all the loopers (AGLCA members). In addition to TiKa, Snug Tug, Ivory Lady, and Next Chapter, there were two other boats “Melodee” (Mark & Becca) and another boat. As they didn’t have boat cards and we don’t remember names (of people or boats), we cannot name them here…..and of course alcohol was involved. It was quite fun and we really enjoyed getting to know everyone.

Afterwards we went with the folks from Snug Tug and TiKa to the lounge and ordered appetizers for dinner.  The service was really slow, but the food was good and we enjoyed the company of each other.  We left just as the evening entertainer was setting up for another night of singing.

The Killarney Mountain Lodge & Marina reminds us of the place in the movie Dirty Dancing. It is a great vacation spot visited by Canadians as well as Americans, mostly from Michigan.  They have beautiful grounds with an outdoor fire pit and grill as well as sport venues (tennis courts, horseshoes, bocce ball, croquet, etc.)   In addition to the marina there are cabins to rent, a (warm) pool, restaurant, lounge, kayaks and canoes.  You could see families come here for a whole week and enjoy the area and all it has to offer.

Other sights from Killarney:

 

Friday (7/31) – Baie Fine – This morning the wind had died down a lot compared to last night, but we knew we were in store for more wind today.  We had visions of the Cape May 5-day storm, but realized this was not such a bad place to get stuck if you have to be stuck somewhere.

Unfortunately, we were quick to learn that we were not going to be able to stay as the 85-footer (“Lady O”) would be coming in after all.  “Red” advised that the owner gave him some grief about challenging his reservation, and as he was coming up from “Okeechobee” he expected to have his reserved slip available. He was going to have to ask us to leave. This was not a problem as we had already planned for this eventuality and decided to make the 20+ mile trek up to Baie Fine (pronounced Bay Fin) where there was a very protective “pool” we could anchor in. We had discussed also going to Covered Portage Cove, about 5 miles away, but Red told us he came from there last night and there were already 15 boats at the anchorage. Therefore we ruled it out as a destination for today.

Of course this only affected us and TiKa; Snug Tug was ok to stay another night.  As they are really trying to make it to Michigan for the family reunion starting on the 8^th, they were also hoping to move further west and decided not to join us.  However, as we left the dock they were undecided if they would stay or leave Killarney altogether.  Once off the dock and into the open Georgian Bay, we called back to them to let them know of the conditions; time was of the essence as the waves and wind were already building.  We got their voice mail and left our message and don’t know what they decided to do.

On the way to Baie Fine we passed through the Lansdowne Channel a long stretch of water surrounded by islands on both sides. In some areas here the channel can get narrow and boaters usually yield to the smaller craft, many (unlike in the ICW) do not slow down and their wake can send your boat rocking. When we came around the point and headed in the Small Craft Channel toward Frazer Bay whom did we encounter but “Lady O”, the 85-footer that was headed into Killarney. Of course he did not slow down and his wake rocked our world a bit!

We made our way through Frazer Bay and up into the long channel that takes you in to Baie Fine.  Around the very first point we encountered “Okeechobee Lake Yacht Club” – a private club that is not on any waterway guide or Active Captain posting.  Obviously, the comments from Red at Killarney Mountain Lodge and Marina made a lot more sense to us now.

We arrived at Baie Fine and were able to anchor in a very weedy, but spectacularly beautiful place.

There were some boats already in the anchorage, including loopers Gail & Jeff Dunham (“YOLO”) whom we met in Parry Sound and talked with again at the anchorage in The Bustards.  They came by our boat to let us know there would be a concert in the anchorage tonight.  They have guests on board and the woman is going to serenade us on her cello later this evening.

As per the guide book and what we learned from the speaker at the AGLCA rendezvous, we wanted to take a hike up the hill to Lake Topaz; it is a turquoise colored fresh water lake that has a high concentration of Sulphur, and therefore no fish live in it. However, many people go there for swimming and love the way their skin feels afterwards.  We contemplated going, but storm clouds were building and by the time we got in the dinghy to go, it was a very dark and threatening sky.  So we just rode around in the dinghy for bit until Denise saw lightening; that ended the adventure and we headed back to the boat.  Since we had already decided to stay here for two days, we made plans to go to the lake in the morning.

Well the storm came in and rained for about 5 minutes, the wind blew a bit and our boat swung on the anchor, but held us well. Within 45 minutes everything cleared up and the sky turned gorgeous once again. TiKa invited us over for a game called “Cross – cribbage” – a form of cribbage you play with 4 people and a “board” of 5×5 squares. It was quite fun, but since we were novices at this form they beat the pants off of us.

We went back to our boat to prepare for dinner when the concert on “YOLO” began.  What a treat for all those in the anchorage as she was quite good and played popularly-known songs.  All the while, Denise made fajitas for dinner and Mark vacuumed, then made chocolate chip cookies. These are the things you do when the generator is running as you want to max out the load on the generator when you can.

After dinner we saw Tim & Karen out fishing in their dinghy so we invited them over to share our cookies.  We discussed future stops in the North Channel, if we could get reservations in Little Current for Sunday, and what if we could not.  There were several options on the table, but without communications we would not know any more until Sunday when we were to leave.

Saturday (8/1) – Baie Fine – The wind had totally died down overnight and the anchorage was incredibly still and beautiful. Last night the moon had been a “blue moon” and provided lots of light over all the boats. It was a spectacular sight.

After breakfast we embarked on the adventure to Lake Topaz. We had to take our dinghy across the “Pool” and tie it up on shore.  We then hiked up the hill about two miles to the lake, stopping along the way to take pictures and talk to others.

The hike was about 1000 feet in elevation on a well-marked trail over rocky (granite & quartz) terrain that could be slippery if you didn’t plant your feet properly.  Along the way we met a group who had been camping and canoeing all the surrounding lakes; they were carrying their canoes down the trail when we were climbing up.

On the way to the lake we found the rocky ledge that overlooked the anchorage that Jeff & Gail (“YOLO”) had told us about the day before.  We were able to take some pictures of our boat at anchor, as well as the other boats in the “Pool”.  We then climbed all the way to the lake and stuck our feet in the clear water that really was turquoise as advertised.  It was a bit chilly for these Floridians, so we did not go in the water.

On the way down we met Karen, Tim & Mark the younger, who were about 15 minutes behind us.  We took Tim & Mark up to the ledge for more pictures with all of us and our boats in the background.

Tim was able to get a slight cell signal on his phone; just enough to get a few emails downloaded. However, since we had not brought our phones up the hill, we couldn’t do the same.

After that it was a quick trip down the hill, back in the dinghies, and back to our boats in time for lunch.  What a spectacular morning.

That afternoon we went back to TiKa for another round of Cross-Cribbage with Karen & Tim.  They (once again) annihilated us in a short time so we switched to a new game that was like a cross between Spades, Hearts & UNO.  We were more successful on this game, and enjoyed our conversations.

We also discussed our plans for leaving the next day. We had been unsuccessful at getting a marina reservation for Little Current, our next planned destination, as there was a big festival of some kind going on.  As we had no cell phone or internet signals in The Pool, we decided to try again after we got under way in the morning.

So it was back to our boat for a pasta dinner, reading our books, and then turned-in for an early morning hoisting of the anchor.

Other sights from Baie Fine:

Sunday (8/2) – Gore Bay. We planned to begin pulling up our anchors at 8:00 as we wanted to stay ahead of inevitable building winds on the North Channel.  We knew it would take a while to clean all the weeds off the anchor chain, so Tim and Mark – the younger, got in their dinghy and helped us with ours.  It took only 15 minutes (not the predicted 30 minutes) to do this, so we were underway by 8:15 and headed out the 10 mile channel of Baie Fine.  During the freeing of our anchor, we noticed that Mark – the younger had shaved his beard that morning and we enjoyed teasing him of his youthful appearance.

The run up to Little Current was not far, but we did have to cross a large open bay and the winds were building.  The passage ended up being a little squirrely, but not bad. Our boat performed great and we were happy that the fuel vacuum pressure continues to hold in the “good” range.

Before entering Little Current Harbor there is a swing bridge that we could easily clear, but TiKa had to wait for the on-the-hour opening.  While TiKa waited for this, we called all the marinas in Little Current on the VHF & Cell phone, but were still unable to get us both in anywhere. This was the first time we have ever not been able to get into a place we have wanted to stop at for at least for one night during this whole trip.

Therefore we pressed on to Gore Bay; a small town that was further west on the island called “Manitoulin”.  Just as we got passed the last channel mark leaving Little Current we could see a squall and thunderstorm on the water. So we made the decision to seek shelter in a little anchorage off Picnic Island – just west of the town.  We called TiKa and advised them and they joined us in the anchorage.  No sooner had they put their anchor down then the wind kicked up and the storm blew through with winds gusting to 46 knots.  We were grateful we were not out on the bay!

We sat at the anchorage for about 1.5 hours, having lunch in the process until the storm passed.  Then we had a window of time to cruise the remaining miles into Gore Bay.  This passage was uneventful and we ran the boat pretty fast (about 17.5 knots) so that we could get in before another storm could hit us.  We arrived at the fuel dock for some diesel and a pump out and were in our slip by 4 pm.

After settling our boats we had docktails aboard TiKa to discuss our plans for the next day and then went on to dinner.  Because it is a holiday weekend in Ontario, our choices were limited to the only open restaurant in town. “Buoys” is a very small place located just north of the last dock at the marina.  The place has seating for about 25 inside, and another 25 or so outside; which is where they also will put you until a seat inside becomes available.  The owner Rich was terrific and his chef David provided us a delicious meal.  They had a singer who was going to perform at 8:00, but had pushed it back to 8:30 due to weather.  We were successful at getting inside the restaurant before the rain hit, and before the entertainer started. With a $10 per person cover we decided we would clear out and we did before she started.

In order to have options of future destinations and time for leaving, we thought we should do a couple of quick loads of laundry one last time in Canada (hopefully).  We had wanted to do it earlier but the only two washer/dryers in the marina were occupied.  Denise put two loads in the washer and went back to the boat. When she and Mark returned to put clothes in the dryer they noticed the washers were foaming.  Long story short, despite following the limited detergent guide, there was way too much soap in the machine and we had to re-wash both loads.  When we went back, only one of the loads was free of soap and the other had to be hand-rinsed in the sink and wrung out manually before we could dry them.

In the meantime, we had used up all our Canadian Quarters and only had enough for about 25 minutes of drying.  Remember, it is Sunday evening and it is now way past PJ time.  Our only option was to walk back to “Buoys” where (fortunately) they were still open.  Owner Rich exchanged some money for us and we were back at the marina in a flash.  It was well past double-digits when we finished and way past our bedtime when we finally turned in.

Monday (8/3) – Gore Bay- We woke up this morning with a cold breeze blowing and that meant it was back to long sleeves and long pants (of course not for Mark). We know our FL family and friends will not believe it when we say we have hardly used our air conditioning; in fact the heat is used more than the air.

We have been undecided about where to go next and keep discussing and mulling this over with TiKa.  Part of us wants to explore more of the North Channel including Blind River and Thessalon. Other parts of us would like to get back to the US waters where we can at least get cell coverage to talk more easily with family and conduct business.  So, we decided that we would take advantage of the grocery store which had limited hours due to the holiday and get a few provisions in case we went off to anchor again. Denise, Tim & Karen all headed there while Mark conducted some business, taking advantage of the marina WiFi.

Once back from the grocery store, the discussion resumed on the dock about whether or not to go to Blind River. The winds were picking up and we really needed to go if we were going to make the 30 mile run to get there.  While we were in contemplation, a looper boat pulled in and said they got pretty beat up on the North Channel coming from Little Current, and they saw 2 boats leave our marina and turn back in once they got out of the bay and headed into the North Channel.  Then our friends on YOLO showed up and told us they too had it pretty rough and they had broken a lamp on the boat while in route.  So, that made our decision easy and we opted to stay another night in Gore Bay.  We also made plans to go back to Buoys for dinner as it was the only restaurant open due to the holiday. So we ate lunch aboard the boat, then settled in for some work, cataloging of pictures and updating for the blog posting.

In the evening we entertained Tim, Karen & Mark – the younger for docktails and had invited other Loopers to join in for dinner, but they already had plans.  So once again the 5 of us walked to Buoys and sat at the patio waiting for an inside table.  Once the table became available we were able to enjoy another fine meal at this small but delightful establishment.  We left the restaurant with plans to leave Gore Bay in the morning before the wind could build and make our way to Meldrum Bay. This would set us up for a landing at Drummond Island on Wednesday, putting us back in the USA.

Other sights from our travels to and events in Gore Bay:

Tuesday (8/4) – Meldrum Bay – We got up early in order to get a few things done on the boat before we left this nice marina and pretty area.  We pulled away from the dock at 8:15 to cruise the 30+ miles to Meldrum Bay with TiKa and had an uneventful passage.  Our boat performed wonderfully and we are so grateful for the safe passage and for no reoccurrences of fuel/engine issues.

As soon as we arrived in Meldrum Bay, we were approached by Canadian Customs (again).  This is an entry port for people coming from the USA, so it is natural for them to be here.  However, once again we were boarded, asked to present passports and boat documentation, and were asked a million questions.  We informed the agents that we have been approached now 4 times since arriving on July 9^th, despite the CANPASS.  The officer gave us a receipt and instructed us to post it in the window; he was surprised that previous agents had not provided us with the same.  They left our boat and stopped on the dock to briefly talk to TiKa, but they did not have to provide any of the documentation we did.  Go Figure!

We checked in at the marina office and then took a brief stroll to the Meldrum Inn to confirm dinner reservations and see if we could use their Wi-Fi; the marina does not have one and we cannot get our Canadian hot spot to work as we are pretty remote.  We walked further down the road to see the museum and encountered some people from Wisconsin who were here on their boat and had just entered Canada. They too were boarded by the Customs agents, but that was expected as it was their entry point.

Shortly after lunch our friends Gail & Jeff Dunham (YOLO) entered into the marina. We had seen them in route here and talked to them on the radio about half way through the voyage.  They cruise in a trawler (Carver) and so they move slower than us.  We advised them of our dinner plans and asked them to join us at the Inn, which they agreed to.

Afterwards Mark gave the boat a good scrubbing while Denise worked on the blog, more cataloging of pictures and some inside boat chores.  Then after showers we joined the Dunham’s aboard TiKa for the requisite docktails.  We then took the 5 minute walk up the hill to the Meldrum Bay Inn for our 7:15 reservations.

The Inn is owned by a couple who were from California and purchased it 9 years ago – sight unseen.  The Inn is now booked out almost every evening in the summer and people drive for miles to have dinner at the restaurant (which only serves Lunch and Dinner to outsiders).

We learned from the owners that their daughter used to run the LCBO/grocery store that recently closed. She is expecting her first child and there are complications that forced her to take a leave; she intends to reopen it for next season (2016).

After dinner we returned to the docks where our mutual boats were parked.  When we arrived, TiKa noticed their power cord been unplugged by a sailboat that came into the slip across the dock while we were at dinner. TiKa was using the pedestal across the dock in order to get the 50 amp service they needed and was told by the dock master that it was ok to do so.   The sailboat first gave a story that the dock master told them to park in that spot, but then later changed their story and said they arrived after the office had closed.  As there was plenty of open spaces in the marina, we assisted in moving to another spot where they could get power.  Afterwards we discussed that this was probably a “dock pirate” – someone who comes in after the marina closes and leaves before it opens so they can have free dockage.

This very remote and small hamlet is quite beautiful and to top it all off, we were dazzled by a bazillion stars.  It truly was spectacular as there were no clouds or light pollution.  A perfect ending to a perfect day!

Other sights from Meldrum Bay:

Stay tuned for more adventures to come

This is an unbelievable place of beauty that pictures will never be able to show….but we will try. Here is the latest of what we have been doing this week.

Thursday (7/23) – Leaving Port Severn – It was so nice to wake up to a calm day and the sun shining without the wind fiercely blowing. As had been predicted, the wind died down overnight and it looked like it was going to be a great day to cross the southern part of the Georgian Bay.

Our marina was in sight of the last lock (#45) of the TSW and so we could see the boats that were already on the blue line in queue for the first opening. Knowing it would be a mad dash by all the boats that were waiting the weather from the previous day, we untied our dock lines and got up to the wall as well; we too were anxious to get through this very last lock on the TSW.

When we arrived, there were two big trawlers in front of us; fellow loopers on “Ivory Lady” and “Next Chapter”.  Also coming up were two small run-about boats and “Snug Tug” who ended up rafting to us.  We had been in communication with TiKa and advised them not to leave the marina as there would be at least 3 lock openings before they would be allowed in.  You see this lock is the smallest lock on the TSW and only so many boats can fit in at once.  Big boats (like TiKa) who are greater than 50’ in length have to lock by themselves; sometimes smaller craft (like jet skis) can go with them.

So we waited our turn, and finally an hour later we were able to go into the lock with “Empty Pockets”; a SeaRay 46 who had been at our marina in Port Orillia, as well as Starport Marina last night.  Snug Tug had gone in the lock-down before us, and when the other trawlers left another one came in as did TiKa. Of course it was chaos again trying to negotiate around all the big boats, little boats and the current into the lock, but we finally got tied up ok.

While in the locks we were (once again) visited by Canadian Border & Customs. While it is not uncommon for them to check on the boats leaving the TSW, we were the only ones they asked questions of. As usual, they asked us the standard questions; where are you headed, what is your boat name (duh – it is on the back of the boat), when are you leaving Canada, etc.  All the while they are writing our CANPASS number on their handwritten notepad. I guess technology hasn’t arrived at the Canadian Border & Customs agency yet!  We (of course) passed without issue but we were beginning to wonder if we had a target on us.

It was our good fortune to have “Empty Pockets” in the lock with us, as they are from Midland and we were headed in that direction, and they agreed to let us follow them to the Bay. The exit out of the lock gets really squirrely with the current from a dam and an under-construction bridge that has a narrow channel to get through.

But also because the “Potato Channel” route to the bay is extremely narrow and there are rocks on both sides.  It is a very common problem to hit a rock in this area, and all the marine services are geared for quick repair of props, hulls and even complete rescue because boaters hit them all the time.

We crossed the bay in about 30 minutes and arrived in Midland at the Wye Heritage Marina, pulling up to the fuel dock for a fill up and a pump out. – There is some kind of irony in that!  Snug Tug was there as they too had to make a fuel stop, but had encountered a major issue with the wrong fuel put aboard their boat.  Long story short, it all got resolved and the marina took care of them with free services and dockage for the night. However, it cost them their afternoon of fun and provided a lot of worry in the process.

Once we moved to our slip, we got our bikes and went to the marina office to check in. We took our bikes because this marina is HUGE; the largest fresh water marina in North America, with over 700 slips.  We also rode down to our friends on “Renegade” who called us on the VHF radio when we were at the fuel dock; they had spotted us coming in and wanted to let us know they were there.  So we made plans to have dinner together at the marina restaurant (Henry’s); the only one in the area of the marina.

Since hearing about this area of Canada, Denise has wanted to go to the Martyr’s Shrine. It is Canada’s tribute to 6 Jesuit priests who explored this area in the 1600’s and were killed by the Indians; but not before converting many to Christianity. Subsequently it has included many who have sacrificed their lives for their faith, and who are now saints.  Pope John Paul II visited here in September 1984 and the place is a frequent site of pilgrimages by Catholic and non-Catholics alike.

Originally we thought we would ride our bikes there as it is less than 2 miles from the marina. However, the road is all highway and there is a very huge hill we would never be able to ride up.  The marina offers free transportation into the town of Midland for loopers, and they were willing to take us.  However, before they could get to us, some other boaters whom we had met in Port Orillia had shown up and offered to take us as they had a car and this was their home marina.  So, Phil & Erica (“Fiji North”) dropped us off at the front of the shrine at the top of the hill and we got to explore the entire place.

The main church is huge and the grounds are quiet and inspiring.  There is a “Stations of the Cross” walk with the 14 stations all cast and painted with an automotive paint to withstand the elements. You would swear they were bronze, and knowing they were done in the 1920’s makes it even more impressive.  There is also a lookout where you climb up and see to the Georgian Bay, including our marina; which we did.  And throughout the entire grounds there are numerous side alters and statues, including one for the very first canonized Pilipino saint. This made us think of our nephew-in-law, Dan who is of Pilipino descent. Sorry Dan the picture of it didn’t come out as it was in the shade of a tree.

We had a chance to meet the head landscaper and designer of all the shrine gardens (Steve Smith) who told us a lot about the history, JPII’s visit, and gave us lots of suggestions of things to see there.

Unfortunately, it was late afternoon and we would not have time to see it all.  When it was time to leave the staff in the information office called the marina and they came and got us.  But not before we got to put a pin in their world map of visitors; we were the first from the Orlando-area to do so.

That evening we went to dinner with Donna & Bill (“Renegade”), and Ginny & Bruce (“Snug Tug”) at the marina restaurant “Henry’s”.  It is the second site of a famous restaurant in Frying Pan bay which we have plans to visit tomorrow. Our friends on TiKa had eaten there for lunch, so they chose to eat aboard their boat.

After dinner we hung out around the picnic tables near our boats and watched a spectacular sunset over the Georgian Bay. It had truly been a beautiful day to be on the water and we felt very blessed to be able to be on this great adventure.

Friday (7/24) – We had an early morning appointment with Mike (the General Manager of the marina) who agreed to go over the Georgian Bay charts with all of us, and make recommendations for routes and places to see.  After about 90 minutes of his time, we were equipped with knowledge and collectively (TiKa, Snug Tug & us) decided to leave and head across the bay.  As we had some work to do which required an internet, they left before us, but we left 30 minutes late and caught up to them in the Small Craft Channel.

It is so hard to describe the beauty of this area, and pictures will not do it justice. There is lush greenery surrounded by beautiful clear (fresh) water, thrown in with a few rocks.  Navigating around it all takes deep concentration and you must stay in the channel or you will run aground. The rule is to stay in the channel and follow the paths on the charts.

We made our way to Frying Pan Bay and Henry’s Restaurant (the original) for a late lunch.  Mark and I got the fish sandwich instead of a full meal, but it was a big enough portion we could not eat all that came with it.  The popular fish everyone eats here is pickerel, but it is the same as walleye in the mid-west. It is a tender white fish that is delicious, but seems to be mostly fried. In addition to the restaurant catering to boaters, it also caters to those flying float planes.  It is not uncommon to see them, and while we were there two left and two more came in.  We were told that many movie stars will come in on their planes, but we did not get to see any while we were there.

We all decided we wanted to anchor out, so we left Frying Pan Bay with a destination in mind; Echo Bay which was just a short 1.5 miles away.  However, when we got there we found it to be already crowded with weekenders and we were all looking for something more remote.  So we came back out of the cove and were attempting to locate another anchorage when TiKa drifted from the channel and ran aground. Fortunately for them they reversed right away but not before damaging their propeller.

While we were waiting to see if TiKa was ok and were making plans to go to another anchorage, Snug Tug was approached by a man and woman in a dinghy who had been at Henry’s as well. Come to find out they are Gold Loopers (John & Marsha Belford aboard “Kadadi”) who were from the area, and agreed to show us the way to a great anchorage. So we followed them into a really cool cove where they too were anchored, and we all set up for the night.  First TiKa anchored, and then we rafted to them on their port (left) side, and Snug Tug rafted on their starboard side (right).

Mark launched the dinghy and took everyone (eventually) around the area to see some very cool cottages and the landscape.

Everyone pretty much ate dinner on their own boats, but afterwards TiKa invited us on their boat and John & Marsha joined us for a few hours of local knowledge-sharing, and getting to know each other.  It was another fun day in this beautiful land.

Saturday (7/25) – We woke up to a light rain and overcast skies…but not a ripple on the water. By the time we left the anchorage the rain had stopped and we had a nice day slow motoring to Parry Sound and the Big Sound Marina. Here we saw several other loopers including Sam & Beverly (“Perigee”) a young couple from Troy, NY who were doing their loop on a sailboat.  We also ran into “Next Chapter” and met a couple on “Yolo” who were awaiting arrival of guests.

In the afternoon the forecasted rains came just as Mark was finishing up washing the boat. Denise had been down below vacuuming (a daily chore) and cleaning up the bathroom and galley. Fortunately, the rains stopped and we were able to get all our boat chores done.

We located “St. Peters” and hit the 4:30 evening mass so that we could have time options open for leaving in the morning.  The church was one-mile away and we chose to walk instead of taking the bikes, in case the rains started again.  Of course Mark thought it was more like 10 miles, but Denise kept reassuring him it was not.  Our route took us past the performing arts center and the Bobby Orr Hall of Fame. Parry Sound is home of the world famous hockey player Bobby Orr.

After mass we met up with Snug Tug and TiKa and we went to dinner at the “Bay Street Café” and discussed our next day’s planned adventure.

On the way back to the boats we had an opportunity to see a beautiful sunset near the performing arts complex.  Back at the docks, TiKa invited us aboard for a nightcap where we stay for a little while, and then we made our way back to our floating home for the night.

Sunday (7/26) – Hopewell Bay Anchorage – At 7:30 the ladies met for a quick taxi ride to Wal-Mart to buy some groceries needed for our few nights of anchoring out. We left Parry Sound around 9:30 in the morning and headed out of the harbor as a float plane was taking off behind us. This is a very common method of transportation around here, and we have passed numerous cottages that have such planes tied alongside their docks, like Floridians have boats. You have to watch your nautical charts as they are frequently marked with float plane landing areas and they mean it.

We traveled almost 30 miles today; one of our longest days in a while. However, we had no locks to contend with, the skies were clear and the Georgian Bay was calm. It made for a peaceful morning on the water.

We headed into Hopewell Bay; an anchoring area that was identified in “Active Captain” as being a nice place to anchor.  It was and we liked the cove we were in. However, we had a very difficult time trying to get the anchor set, and after a frustrating hour ended up rafting to TiKa again (who had no problem).  Snug Tug was also able to set their own anchor and therefore they did not raft to TiKa.  It was a beautiful spot and we again felt so blessed to be able to see this great place.

That night we fired up our bar-b-q and everyone cooked hamburgers & hotdogs, and we shared salads and desserts (store bought cake & Oreos).  We also discussed plans for the coming few days, including where we wanted to be on Wednesday and Thursday when the wind is supposed to blow a good 25 knots with gusts to 35+.  We decided we did not want to be at an anchorage and that we should plan to be in Killarney by then. Denise agreed to call The Lodge in Killarney after they open in the morning, and make reservations for all.

Our three boats are really developing a great friendship as we spend more time together and get to know each other more and more.

Monday (7/27) – Bustard Islands – First thing this morning was to make reservations at The Lodge in Killarney, which was accomplished successfully.  Of course they are one of a few marinas that have a $25 cancellation fee so we are pretty committed to going there for Wed. & Thurs. nights.

Again the weather was beautiful and it was an awesome day to be on the water, so we made the decision to go out on the Georgian Bay again. This meant bypassing the Northeast Small Craft channel that would take us past more beautiful cottages, but also rocks. It was a safer route in great weather and also was much faster as it didn’t entail the winding around rocks and we could go 15 knots, not 8.  We arrived at the anchorage in time for lunch, but the ground here was very rocky so it took us lots of attempts to set an anchor by all of us.  Finally we were successful and we later watched several other boats struggle as well.

After lunch we launched the dinghy and followed Ginny & Bruce (“Snug Tug”) on their paddleboards through some coves and to the other side of the island.  There we discovered another anchorage and found “Next Chapter” and “Ivory Lady”.

We stopped to talk with them for a bit all the while watching another boat come in and try to anchor; finally successful after 3 or 4 tries. We didn’t feel so bad after all.

Later that afternoon when we back on our boat we were visited by Gail & Jeff Dunham (“YOLO”) whom we had met in Parry Sound. They are from Ft. Monroe, VA and we had a lot to talk about, as Christen & Shannon (Denise’s nieces) and their families now reside in that same vicinity. We enjoyed sharing our information and trading boat cards.

Also in the afternoon we did a little bit of work, and communicated with family as to our whereabouts and what our plans were for the coming days. We met at TiKa for drinks with Snug Tug, then went back to our own boats for our respective dinners.

It was a fun day and the weather could not have been more perfect.

Tuesday (7/28) – Burnt Island in Beaverton Bay – After being woken up in the early hours by a very loud mating call of a loon in the anchorage, we feel back asleep and slept in late (Denise – 6:30; Mark – 7:30).  We had made plans to depart at 9:00 so we could get up to our next anchorage in sufficient time to get a good spot, and again break out the dinghy and paddle boards.

As we pulled up anchors Snug Tug got stuck on a rock and could not get their anchor freed up.  We ended up staying behind to help them, while TiKa pressed on.  However, we were successful at getting it lose right away and were only delayed by about 15 minutes.

Again the weather was sunny and the winds were calm.  We had mapped out several possible anchorages in Beaverton Bay, but were lucky enough to find plenty of room at the first one; behind Burnt Island. Originally there were two boats in the cove when we arrived, but one was leaving and the second (Fleming 55) stayed.  It provided plenty of room to anchor, and all three of us did so without any difficulty. Before lunch we had dinghies and paddle boards in the water and we were anxious to check out the surrounding area.

After lunch Mark & Denise got in the dinghy and went to talk to the Fleming 55. They are from Michigan and come to the Georgian Bay a lot; they are planning on staying here until mid-August. They gave us lots of suggestions for places here, as well as the North Channel and provided insight into facilities at Drummond Island.  We educated them on the “Predict Wind” and “Active Captain” apps and then ended our visit.

We then went to get Ginny & Bruce to further explore a rocky island they had paddle-boarded to earlier. There they had found a message in a bottle underneath a pile of rocks. It appears it was part of a scavenger hunt with a cryptic message inside.  What a terrific scavenger hunt you could have in these parts – it would be quite fun and involved.

As is becoming a custom with the three of our boats, we had happy hour; but tonight it was aboard Island Office.  As the weather was breezy and so pretty, we opened up the whole back of the boat and enjoyed planning for the next day’s venture up to Killarney.

Other pictures from Georgian Bay:

Stay tuned for more adventures to come!

This is a long post because we have not had time to write it some days, and because we have not always had an internet connection to be able to post it. Therefore, it will be mostly words with only a few pictures.

Friday (7/10) – Trenton, Ontario. The day started with Denise completing a short run around the downtown area to see how things are laid out and where the stores are located. Then we borrowed a second bicycle from our friends on “Renegade” in order to run a few errands. We needed to get some cash in Canadian currency, so we rode to an ATM that was more than 2 miles from the marina as it was supposed to be free (Credit Union partner), but ended up costing us $2. Then we had to go get a sim chip for our iPad in order to make it into a hot spot. We rode back towards the marina to “The Source“, (a Radio-Shack-type store) where we were able to buy the chip and sign up for a no contract usage with the Bell system while we are in Canada. It is an expensive data plan, but better than paying AT&T Canada rates, and we only need it for 6 weeks.

After that we stopped at a bar-b-que restaurant we had seen on the way to The Source. It was pretty good and we had the chance to meet the owner (Neil) who was Canadian born to a Canadian mother an American father from South Carolina. He has lived in North Carolina where he discovered how to make bar-b-que and when he moved back to Canada he opened a catering business. Now he has the restaurant which he had recently acquired.

On the way home, we stopped at a grocery store for a few items, then rode back to the boat to set up the hot-spot and return the loaner bicycle.
In the evening the city of Trenton was having a concert in Fraser Park, which is adjacent to the marina. So all the loopers got together and had “docktails” on the dock nearest the park. It was the biggest group we have experienced yet and we met several other looper couples, some of whom we had seen but had never really met. The concert was lightly attended with maybe 500 people, probably because the music the band played would appeal to a limited group; minstrel folksy kind of country. So when the docktails broke up, we went back to the boat for a dinner of leftovers and went to bed.

Saturday (7/11) – Trenton, Ontario. We said goodbye to Ginny & Bruce (“Snug Tug”) as they left today to head north. They are trying to get to a position where they can either leave the boat, or be in Michigan for early August in order to attend a family reunion there. We know we will catch up to them, we just don’t know when or where. Everyone’s schedule continues to change based on weather, individual itineraries, desired sightseeing, dock availability, or just wanting to hang out with each other.

We spent most of the morning working in the boat to plan out our future itinerary, and to communicate with family & friends. After lunch we walked around downtown to see some of the stores and the shops. First to the grocery store closest to the marina to pick up a few things we couldn’t get at the other store the day before. We also walked out to the new marina they have built at the harbor entrance. It is not open for transients yet as they have not finished the building that will house the shower facilities or marina office. Only dock space is available for the seasonal business, but transients will be welcome soon. We also went to the Dollar Tree (things are almost $1.25 CA there) and picked up a few paper products. Then Mark went back to the boat for a rest and Denise went to the Tourist Information office and walked the Riverfront as it was a beautiful day.

That evening we walked the half mile to “St. Peter’s in Chains” church for mass. We met Mike & Carolyn (“Patriyachtik”) there, as earlier in the day we had asked them to join us and were delighted when they said yes. Afterwards, we went to dinner together at “Captain George’s Fish & Chips” which was right on the corner near the marina. The restaurant is one of a handful of downtown merchants who provided discounts in the goody bag given by the marina to all their guests. This was a nice little perk and the food was pretty good.

Our friends Bill & Donna (“Renegade”) had gotten a rental car and drove to Toronto to pick up their daughter (Sandy) and two of their grandkids (Abbey & Matty) who would be joining them for the next week on their adventure. We had a chance to meet them briefly and will expect to see them in future days.
This was our last night in Trenton and so we spent some time talking with others who were leaving, and those who were staying behind. We thanked the young dockhands for their assistance and said our good-byes.

 Sunday (7/12) – We left Trenton and went under the gateway bridge to the Trent Severn Waterway (TSW).

We were not alone as there were lots of looper boats who were also trying to make the first lock opening, so there was an immediate queue on the “Blue Line”. The blue line is a piece of concrete dock that is painted with a ribbon of bright blue, and boats who wish to enter the lock are supposed to tie up to the line. This tells the lock attendees that you want to enter at their next opening.
The lock attendees in the TSW do not use VHF to communicate like they do for bridges/locks in the USA. When you queue up they will come out and talk to you and give instructions, etc. Once you enter the locks, you are usually going to stay in the same formation and with the same boats all the way through until you stop for the day. They will ask you the planned destination for the day, etc. and then communicate that information to all the other locks along the way. The intent is for them to coordinate the locking up for all upstream boats, and the locking down for downstream boats without having to unnecessarily fill or dump water. This is a very efficient process when it works and prevents anyone from waiting too long on the wall for an opening.

Today, however, lots of boats were trying to leave all at once, and boats started the queue at 8:00 for the 9:00 opening. Our friends on “Patriyachtik” were first in line and the others in front of us had queued behind them. But because we were a shorter boat, we were able to fit on the angle right before them on the lock wall and were invited to do so. Therefore, we were instructed by the lock attendants to proceed first into the lock. Unfortunately, only two boats at a time would fit, so we spent all day going through the locks with “Patriyachtik” and the others had to wait. For our friends on “Renegade” they had to wait over 2 hours just to get into the first lock, and they were therefore behind us by that all day.
Originally we were planning to stop in Frankford only 8 miles away. However, we changed our minds as the town was really pretty small and there was not much to see. So we decided to keep moving. In discussions with “Patriyachtik” and others, we pushed on to Campbellford; originally a 2nd planned stop for us. However, it meant completing 12 locks that day, covering 27.5 nautical miles. It was hot (85 degrees) and exhausting work. When we arrived at Campbellford we tied up to the city docks on the West side, only to find out there was insufficient power we could use. So, we switched to the East docks which were newer and offered a better setup. It worked out well as this was the side the town was on and we could get to all that we wanted to see more easily. Within two hours our friends on “Tika” and “Renegade” showed up and tied up to the same dock.
That night we all ate together at the Riverview Restaurant, right on the water. The place was huge and there were very few diners, but they were able to accommodate all of us. The food was good, not great, but we were so exhausted it didn’t matter. Once fed and back on our boats we crashed and fell fast asleep.

Monday (7/13) –Originally we had wanted to stay in Campbellford for two days as they had advertised a strong internet connection. Denise had a web training session to deliver on Tuesday morning and needed to make sure she was in a good spot for it. However, the signal was not strong at all and we were deeply concerned. We received an email from Ginny (“Snug Tug”) who were ahead of us in Hastings that the marina there had excellent Wi-Fi, and that the accommodations were terrific. It was on our radar for possible places to stay, so we decided to go there instead of staying a second night in Campbellford.
But before leaving Campbellford in the morning we wanted to experience some of the “must do’s” in town. So we waked to the bakery and purchased some “butter tarts”, breads and cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We then walked to the “World’s Finest” chocolate factory and visited the outlet store where we made some additional purchases. We decided time was ticking by and we needed to get going, so we bypassed the trek up the hill to the cheese factory; there is another one along the TSW we will get a shot at later.

Earlier that morning Patriyachtik and Tika left as they were going to make a long day of it and go all the way to Peterborough. Since we were still tired from the previous days push, and because we needed to make sure we had a known good internet connection for tomorrow, we decided not to tackle that journey, but to only go to Hastings. Renegade also decided not to make the long journey again, so they hung with us and together we pulled away from the dock at 10:00.
When we arrived at the first lock the doors were closed so we tied to the blue line. We were first with Renegade right behind, and two other unknown boats were coming up behind us. The lock attendant came down to talk with us and discuss how they wanted to get all 4 of us in the locks, and it would require rafting as you can only tie to one side of the lock here.

While we were discussing the plan with the attendant, one of the other boats (“Princess”) attempted to get in front of us in the channel so they could be first in the lock. This did not sit well with us and set in motion what became a day of frustrating experiences with a couple of arrogant and ignorant Canadian boaters whom we later learned were also on the TSW for their first time. Unfortunately, we had to spend the whole day with them through 6 locks and even spent the night in the same marina. Needless to say there is much more to this story, but there is not enough time to tell it all in this post.

After getting settled into the Hastings Marina, we went with the folks on Renegade to “Banjo’s”, a local restaurant right around the corner from the marina. We had shared quite a day locking together and laughing at the challenges we had faced, and we had a good time. Afterwards we walked back to the marina and said good bye as we would be leaving later than them in the morning; both heading to Peterborough.

Tuesday (7/14) – We stayed in Hastings for Denise’s web conference with the client and Mark’s conference call, but were under way by 11:00. It was a fairly easy day as it was mostly open water on Rice Lake and only one lock to go through, and that was right before entering Peterborough. The boat performed beautifully, even at 15kts, so hopefully we are over the fuel issue; although we check the vacuum pressure on the fuel filter regularly just to be sure. It was the first day in a long time that we travelled without the company of another looper boat.

We arrived in Peterborough shortly after 3:00 and were greeted by our friends from Patriyachtik to help us tie up. It was a welcome assistance as it was very windy and there were lots of boats in the marina, but Mark backed the boat in beautifully (as usual).

After registration and showers we learned of the planned looper docktails for the night, all being hosted by the AGLCA Harbor Host, Freya Petersen. She is a Gold Looper (completed The Loop) and she keeps her boat on the same dock where we were assigned a slip. She provides all loopers with a “Goody Bag” like no other. In addition to the usual information pamphlets about the area, she included a jar of her homemade strawberry & Grand Meniere jam, as well as other little trinkets from the area. She really does go above and beyond.

Because Peterborough is such a big marina and due to its location, it is a favorite stopping ground for those going either way on the loop. Therefore there were and have been a lot of loopers in the marina this year (50 so far). The looper docktails had many new faces for us to meet, but it was all cut short due to a rain storm that moved in after about 45 minutes. Some of us continued the event on the aft deck of Patriyachtik and stayed talking for another hour or so, then we went back to our boat for the night.

 Wednesday (7/15) – Peterborough – Today was a very fun day which started with a morning run around downtown Peterborough for Denise. The marina and surrounding park are adjacent to the town, and they were very quiet, and quite beautiful. After getting a few loads of laundry done, Denise went with Carolyn (Patriyachtik) to Wal-Mart for some grocery shopping with Harbor Host Freya, who was kind enough to take them in her car. Mark washed the boat and did some other boat chores.

Later that morning we discovered that friends on “Tika” had bought two new folding bicycles from Canadian Tire (a regional store like Wal-Mart). They were similar to the one we had on board, and we regretted not having bought two before the start of the trip. Now this had become an obsession about how we could get one. We had even been trying to buy one from Wal-Mart and have it shipped to us, but their delivery date never could coincide with a planned port stop, and once in Canada we were unable to have it shipped to us. So, when we saw their bikes we got excited. However, it took a few phone calls to the second Canadian Tire store to locate one, and then we had the task of finding transportation to get there, buy it, and get the bike back to the boat.

Well Benh (Harbormaster extraordinaire) offered to drive Denise to get the bike, helped load it in the car and got her back to the marina safely all the while refusing money for gas. He is a terrific guy who is incredibly customer service oriented and is a terrific asset to all mariners who visited the place.

So, once back in the marina, we decided to take the bikes up to the Peterborough Lift lock to see what we would be facing in our boat the next day. Ginny & Bruce offered to lead the way as they had already been the day before and knew the route. It took about 20 minutes to get there, and the ride was mostly on a beautiful trail. Once there, we took the stairs to the top of the lock for an amazing view of the area. We met “Ed” who is friends to all loopers (courtesy of the muffins and cookies Freya brings him) and let Ginny, Bruce and Mark walk the gangplank to the control booth. Denise (who is fearful of heights) could not make the trek across the narrow open walkway 90’ in the air. They were able to get an explanation of how the lock worked and showed which buttons worked the whole thing.

On the way home we stopped at a little café in the park and had something cool to drink. It was a beautiful but warm day, and we were so excited to be able to bike someplace so nice together.

That night there was a concert scheduled in the park (outdoor stage) at 8:00 pm and the city had spent all day preparing with chairs for the patrons and a reserved area for marina guests. They were expecting huge crowds. We had set up our chairs around noon so we would had good seats, even though we did not know anything about the performer, Chad Brownlee. Come to find out he is quite something. There were numerous food tents and the whole area was filled with excitement.

We had been invited by Tim & Karen for cocktails aboard Tika, along with Mike & Carolyn (“Patriyachtik”) prior to the concert so, when we returned to the marina from our bike ride we had to grab quick showers and hustle a bit to be on time. When we left the boats to go to the concert we were amazed; there were thousands of people. By the time we weeded our way through the crowds to get to our seats the music had started. We laughed, danced and really enjoyed the performance of this one-time hockey player, now country singer. He was a great entertainer and the show was fantastic.

This was a very fun day, and was probably one of the best we have had on the trip.

 Thursday (7/16) – We left our dock in Peterborough at 7:15 am despite not being able to go far because the locks don’t open until 9:00 am and the first one is right near the marina. Our plan was to arrive early and be first on the blue line so we could be in the first lock opening. Sure enough, right behind us came Snug Tug, and shortly thereafter came Patriyachtik, Renegade & Tika. Unfortunately, Tika did not get in the first lock opening due to their size (52’), and ended up being behind us all day.

It turned out to be the most amazing day of experiences yet….definite bucket list items. We went through the Peterborough Lift lock. It is a 100 year old lock that lifts the boats via a great big tub of water. At the same time it is lifting our boat, it was also lowering boats on the other side, using gravity. Without spending time on this, you can read more about it here!!

Our final destination continued to change as we went through the day for various reasons, so we continued on as a group until we got to Reach Harbor. Although no one had reservations for the night, they told us they could take all four of us. These marinas will try everything to get you into a slip when you are traveling in a group, even if it means staying at the fuel dock once they close. The Reach Harbor marina was no different and we all put in to slips that were seasonally rented, but the boats were out of town for the weekend.

All that is in Reach Harbor is the marina, and this one is quite a trip. It has a good ships store that sells books, rents dvds, has t-shirts, jackets, etc., and even ice cream sandwiches. But it is very old school, including a 1970’s stereo record player (yes not a cd or tape player). The guy who runs the marina has a good collection of classics in all genres, which he blasts through the store and picnic area. We all hung out around the picnic tables for a little while talking, and then returned to our respective boats for dinner. We were missing TIka who never made it as far, but kept in touch with Patriyachtik.

Friday (7/17) – We got up and left the docks around 10:30 and made our way to Bobcaygeon (yes that is the name of the city). It was a short 16 miles and only one lock so we were there in the early afternoon. We did not have marina reservations at the same place as the others, but at a marina past the next lock. However, when we approached town the marina was able to squeeze us in on the fuel dock, so we were all able to get tied up with the others and cancelled the other reservation – just as the rains started.

It rained most of the afternoon and turned cool, and when it finally let up we walked into the downtown area. It is a quaint town and is known for its huge shoe store that will fit any size. To us it was no big deal and reminded us of a smaller version of the Shoe Station in Tallahassee, but with walls dividing the different areas (kid’s shoes, men’s, etc.). We also walked through some of the shops, and then stopped at the grocery store for a few things.

By the time we returned to the docks it had stopped raining and everyone made dinner plans. Patriyachtik and Renegade ate on their boats, but Ginny & Bruce joined us at “Lock 32 Pub” for a bite to eat. After that it was time to crash and get some much needed rest.

Saturday (7/18) – We woke up and said goodbye to Sandy, Matty & Abbey (Renegade) as they were headed back to Florida that morning, via Toronto airport, by way of rental car.

Originally our plan was to go to Fenlon Falls, a town just a short distance from Bobcaygeon, while Patriyachtik and Renegade were going to press on to Sunset Cove marina, about 30 miles away. So, they left before us and queued at the blue line for the first lock opening and we queued for the second opening. Along the way, one of the lock attendants told us the Fenlon Falls was having their “moonlight madness” day where all the shops stay open until midnight. This made us rethink our plans.

The sun was shining and it was a Saturday in July in Canada; every boater was on the water trying to get through the locks at Bobcaygeon….including all the SPOREs on house boats (SPORE = Stupid People On Rented Equipment). It was pure chaos in the locks, including a guy who locked with us who left his fenders on the boat deck and proceeded to scrape the rail of his houseboat along the cement lock wall as he entered. SPORE!

When we got to Fenlon Falls Sandy, Matty & Abbey were there as they had stopped to see us go through the locks. It was so crowded and full of people we decided not to stay the night but to press on. It was beyond crazy and there were so many boats trying to get through the lock there. We had 12 boats in our lock-up and in one place 4 of them were rafted together. Not much moving room and certainly not the place we wanted to be.

So we followed Patriyachtik and Renegade all the way to Sunset Cove Marina near Bolsover where they found room for us on the outside dock. It was a small marina right on the canal, and was perfect for the night. After tying up and getting settled in, we had docktails together and were joined by other loopers on “Southern Comfort”. Later we all joined together and ordered pizza for dinner and called it a day.

Today had been a day of milestones in our trip along the TSW. We reached the highest point at Balsam Lake, having completed 35 locks going up. We then began the descent down with the Kirkfield Lift Lock (#36). Like the Peterborough Lift Lock, you are transported in a big tub of water. However, this lock is far scarier, especially if you are the first boat in as we were. You drive your boat to the front of the car and you feel like you will be driving it right off the edge of the earth. Remember you are locking down so there is nothing past the gate holding in all that water. To say Denise was petrified was an understatement. Fortunately, the lock attendees are very helpful and tied the end line for her so she could go to the back of the boat and look up the whole time. Another fascinating day on the TSW.

Sunday (7/19) – We left Sunset Cove Marina with Snug Tug, Patriyachtik, Renegade, and Southern Comfort and traveled to the first lock where they put all of us in together. Three of the boats are big trawlers and it got a bit tight with this many boats. Snug Tug (the smallest) had to come in at an angle to fit. So when we got to the second lock, we decided that we would wait it out with Snug Tug and not try to squeeze us all together again; it had just been too crowded.

We fell behind our friends and did not meet up with them again until after crossing Simcoe Lake and entering into the Port Orillia area. They stopped for diesel at a place we too were going to stop at, but realized we were behind them and would probably wait an hour just to get them fueled up. So, we pressed on to the Port Orillia marina where the package containing Denise’s glasses was scheduled to be delivered. Patriyachtik and Renegade made the decision to stay at the marina with the fuel stop, so we would not see them again.

Once we got into this very large marina, Mark washed the outside of the boat that was filthy from all the bugs while Denise cleaned the inside. We had been inundated with flies and other creatures along the way, and used our fly swatter quite a bit. But now all the windows needed to be cleaned.

After dinner aboard the boat, we went for a walk along the Riverwalk that lines the bay. There is a terrific bike path and park with swing sets for the kids – big and little alike. It was a beautiful night and made for a nice walk.

Monday (7/20) – Denise took a short run around the southern end of the park and through a neighborhood that lined the bay and included a house that looked a lot like Frank Lloyd Wright’s “Fallingwater”. Later that morning we went into downtown for a short window-shopping trip and to see what was there. Unfortunately, we had some work to do, so we spent the rest of the day on the phone, emailing or helping clients. Denise worked a lot of the time cataloging the pictures from the last week. It is key we do this as we go as there are just so many – now nearing 2000 or so.

All the loopers were invited to docktails by Charlie & Bonnie Burk (“Sonata”) whom we had met earlier in the day. They are Gold loopers now completing their 3rd loop and they are from Portsmouth, Virginia. They were very gracious and all the loopers had a good time getting to know everyone a little bit better.
For dinner that night we went to a place called “Brewery Bay” with Snug Tug & Tika (Bruce & Ginny, Tim, Karen, & son Mark). Afterwards we walked back to our boats and realized that it was late and definitely time for bed. It is so easy to lose track of time in the evening when the sun doesn’t set until 9:00 pm or later.

Tuesday (7/21) – Last night it rained all night long but cleared up early in the day and then turned incredibly windy. We were thankful that we were not on the water today. Denise & Ginny had coffee in the morning at “Mariposa Market”; a bakery, specialty food and deli known for their pastries. Once back at the marina, we got notice that our package had arrived at the Chamber of Commerce and so we walked a few blocks to get it. Mark thought it was a particularly long walk, especially when Denise enticed him into walking back to Mariposa Market to see the place, and to buy a few cookies. While we were gone Karen had come by the boat to coordinate getting a pedicure with Denise. Since we were not there she went ahead and Denise later arrived only to have missed her by 10 minutes. It didn’t matter as this was a much needed luxury for all the hard work of locking.
We spent a good bit of the afternoon planning for our stops in Georgian Bay and the North Channel. We reviewed suggestions from the ALGCA presentation and plotted with Snug Tug as to possible anchorages and “must see” places. We tried to help them find a location to leave their boat and rent a car. We also spent some time planning for Claire (Denise’s sister) to join us for the crossing to Mackinac Island in Michigan in Mid-August.

In the evening we invited Snug Tug &Tika aboard our boats to share the ALGCA presentation slides on the Georgian Bay and Northwest channel. We also coordinated plans to depart together in the morning and make our way to Georgian Bay.

Wednesday (7/22) – We had been told that the further north you go past Peterborough, the more beautiful the landscape would become. This is certainly true of today. We left Port Orillia on Lake Couchiching in time to make the swing bridge at the earliest possible opening; 9:00 am. Snug Tug left about 30 minutes before us as they had to make a fuel stop along the way. Tika left with us so we could all meet up in route to the bridge and travel together. It would be a day to share with friends.

Most of the morning was uneventful as we passed the swing bridge, cleared locks #43 & #44, and crossed Sparrow Lake. There were several parts of the canal that got super narrow with rocks on both sides of the marks. You dared not stray from the channel or you would hit one. Some of the way was absolutely beautiful, but absolutely terrifying at the same time.

But perhaps the biggest thrill of the day was completing lock #44 known as the Big Chute. It is really not a lock at all, but a complex system of straps and rams that takes your boat over land and is known as the Marine Railway (See more here). Yup, you are literally raised out of the water and are transported across the road, via railway to the body of water below the pool at Big Chute. It is a fascinating engineering marvel that is simplistic and incredibly efficient. There is nothing high tech about it, and yet they transport about 40 or 50 boats through it each day during the boating season.

We entered the basin and lined up on the blue wall, but the order that you line up here does not matter. The attendants know to load the chute so they can get the maximum number of boats in with each lift. Using a PA system that broadcasts over the entire basin they tell you what to do. Commands like “Pull all the way to the end of the Pier” or “Boat #2 you go in first, followed by the last boat”. It is a hoot to watch. We were with Snug Tug and another boat in the first lift, and in 15 minutes it was all over. It truly was a thrill.

During the afternoon the winds had continued to blow and build in strength. By the time we left the Big Chute and crossed a few smaller lakes we decided it was more than enough for one day. All three of us had reservations at a marina across the lower part of the Georgian Bay, and we were not anxious to get blown apart trying to get there. So we changed our plans, cancelled our reservations and managed to get slips in a great marina (Starport) in Port Severn, right before the very last lock. It was a welcomed relief as the staff was great and treated you like royalty.

The marina is a good size and they have all the amenities that cruiser’s love: picnic tables outside; a cruiser’s lounge with a big screen TV; clean showers and nice bathrooms, and a ships store where you can buy things. But the best thing this marina had was FREE laundry. This was a perfect perk and we managed to get all our laundry done at no cost.

We gathered for drinks with other loopers in the cruiser’s lounge and then our 3 boats walked to dinner at a nearby restaurant called “The Damn”. The food was good and the place was crowded, but they were able to take us right away. Afterwards we walked across the parking lot to get an ice cream at “the Icebreaker”, a spot that was an old paddle boat that had been converted into a floating establishment. Quite a unique scene.

It had been an exciting and challenging day, and the wind continued to blow a bit into the evening. We were all thankful we decided not to make the bay crossing, and made plans to do so in more favorable weather the next day.

Stay tuned for more adventures to come!

Good-bye NY and the USA!

Friday we crossed the great Lake Ontario and made our way into Trenton Canada.  The 84 nautical mile passage was uneventful as the lake was flat with no waves, and there was little wind. It was overcast all day, which kept the temperature pleasant and allowed for a nice day on the boat. Here is what we have been up to since our last post:

Saturday (7/4) – In the morning Denise went for a short run that took her past the old site of Fort Brewerton.  In the afternoon she and Mark relaxed on the boat, visited with other loopers, and did a little email and work for our business. Later in the afternoon Jeanne and Vicki showed up and we all went to a local restaurant (“Waterfront Tavern”) for dinner that overlooked the Oneida River. We introduced them to our looping friends and they had a chance to see the camaraderie we experience every day.

Vicki had wanted to see some fireworks on Independence Day, but Brewerton had their celebration the night before and none were scheduled near where we were. So she and Jeanne located some in a town about 20 miles away that would start at 10:00 (it stays light until 9:30 here) and set out to go view them.  Since we are unable to stay up that late, we chose to stay behind and let them have all the fun. We barely heard them come in as we were sound asleep.

Sunday (7/5) – We got up early so we could make the 8:30 mass at a church that ended up being closed.  So we located a second one that took us past a Dunkin Donuts which enabled us to have breakfast before attending Divine Mercy of St. Michael.

After church, Denise went with Vicki and Jeanne to the town on Skaneateles Lake about 40 minutes away.  The lake is large and they took a one-hour boat tour of the lake, which was very crowded as it was a nice day. (Yup, after nearly 4 months living on a boat, Denise was on another boat)!

The lake is surrounded by huge mansions built by people who made their wealth in industrial concerns (scrap metal, etc., but are now owned by the newly rich. This includes one such home that was visited by the Clintons after Bill was no longer the President. The town has a lot of typical shops and restaurants, but Denise found a few things to spend some money on.

In the meantime Mark did such exciting things as put water on the boat, cleaned the AC raw water strainer, and installed the Canadian charts on the chart plotter.

After the day’s adventures it was time to get some laundry done.  Jeanne took Denise to the local laundromat as there was no laundry facilities at the marina.  It was not a spectacular place and half of the washing machines and dryers were inoperable, but there were enough to get it all done. Makes you appreciate the ones in your own home even more.

Jeanne and Vicki joined us for the docktails with our fellow loopers, all of whom are in queue waiting for the opening of the Oswego and Eerie canals so we all can move forward with our adventures.  Then Denise, Jeanne & Mark headed out to a Panera Bread they had discovered the day before, so we all could have a great salad (Vicki stayed behind).  We know you must be thinking that this is an every-day restaurant, why would you go there?  The answer: because we haven’t eaten at one in a very long time and it just tasted so good!

Monday (7/6) – Jeanne and Vicki left us, but not before taking Denise to Wegmann’s (very cool grocery store) and Mark to Supercuts for a much needed haircut. Once they had left, Denise & Mark got down to work, talking to clients, scheduling future activities and updating phone and computers with software updates.

Later that evening, all the loopers got together to each share their strategy for leaving tomorrow and handling the locks.  Several are staying behind for various reasons, but many are headed out to go up the Oswego and make their way towards Canada like us.  We said our good-byes to marina owner Kim, and then we grabbed some dinner on board.  We got a quick hit of news on TV, and then went to bed.

Tuesday (7/7) – We were up early and left Ess-Kay Yards at 6:40 in order to either make, or get in queue to make the first opening of Lock #23 (7:00 am).  Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it was already full and we had to wait for the next opening.  Here we were in line once again with other FL loopers “Andiamo” and “Speedy Delivery” as well as looper friends we have met along the way.  In total there were 7 boats in this lock with us, and another 7 or 8 boats in the one behind us, including “Snug Tug”. We made our way through all 7 locks without incident, although we did find locking down to be a bit more challenging than going up.  It is difficult for short people to grab the lines or cables when they are more than 5 feet from the boat.  We were grateful for the assistance of Gold-Looper John (“Andiamo”) who would get off his boat and assisted other boats with their lines before the locking process started. He could do this as he had 3 other people on his boat to help him, and a rear steering station from which to maneuver his 60+-foot yacht.

Arriving into Oswego Marina was a major fiasco. Of the 7 boats locking together that day, all but one was headed into the same marina. In addition, Lock #8 is less than ½ mile from the entrance to the marina; add to this the wind, combined with the current from the dam at the lock made it difficult for maneuvering all of us in such a tight space.  Additionally, the dock master was a total “B – – – – ” – in part because she was stressed trying to handle the large number of boats that had come into the marina at such a short time; 3 or 4 in the lock before us, and then the 6 in our lock. Add to this the fact that it was the hottest day we have yet to experience and people were a little testy. Not a pleasant docking experience, but one we survived, only to learn that our dock had insufficient amperage to support the ACs on our boat (we need two 30 amp or one 50 amp power outlet).  Given the number of boats in the marina and their size, there was no other slip for us to move to, so we only operated on one AC unit and lived with that until the sun went down and things got cooler.

Jeanne and Vicki showed up at the marina as they were making their way back from the Thousand Islands on their way to Buffalo. They had adventured there after they left us at Brewerton and wanted to tell us about the area.  We had considered going there in our boat, but the delays in Cape May and Staten Island had taken away the time we would have otherwise spent there.  Jeanne advised us that we were only a 30 minute drive from Brewerton; something that took us 8 locks and 6 hours in the boat!

We were invited aboard the boat “Nearly Perfect” for docktails by owners Jack & Patty Nickerson. We originally met them at West Point when we toured the Academy with nephew Jacob.  That day they had been with Jack & Jane Conway (“Spirit”) whom we had met earlier on the Loop. Together all 6 of us enjoyed some drinks and discussed our planned itineraries and got to know one another a little better. We quickly learned that Jack N. is a hard-core Gator and yes the next day he made sure to wear his gator shirt all around the docks.

In the evening we walked downtown with Ginny & Bruce to a Mexican restaurant for dinner, and then back to the boat for 8:00 as Mark had a planned call with our Malaysian client. The weather started to deteriorate as a front was coming through, and we knew we would be staying in Oswego at least for another day. Along with many other loopers we made plans for crossing Lake Ontario on Thursday when the wind was going to be more favorable.

Other sites from the Erie/Oswego Canals from today:

Wednesday (7/8) – We woke up to rain and a wind that was rocking all the boats in the marina. It had rained all night and everything was wet. It was clear no boat was going out on Lake Ontario this morning, and probably not for the rest of the day.  Denise had a 2-hr web training with one of her clients and by the time she was done, the weather front had passed through and the winds died down.  The temperatures was also noticeably cooler and we were back to wearing jeans and long sleeves again.

We wanted to explore the town of Owego, particularly Fort Ontario. It is an old fort that was originally used in the War of 1812 and later as a processing center for holocaust refugees post WWII. It has a spectacular view of Lake Ontario, our marina, and the Port of Oswego.  Here we met loopers Bill & Jann Mellman (“Ivory Lady”) from Marathon, FL.  They too were docked at Oswego Marina and would be crossing to Trenton the next day.

After seeing the fort, we decided to walk over the bridge and explore the downtown area.  Along the way we passed through a neighborhood and saw a small but very beautiful vegetable garden and stopped to talk to the owner.  He was harvesting his large zucchini and offered us a handful.  Since Mark doesn’t eat the stuff, Denise accepted only one and thanked him for it. Of course we didn’t think to take a picture until we were up the street and around the corner of the next block.

We continued with our walk and explored more of the downtown area, including a local bookstore. After that we returned to the marina and discovered friends on “Renegade”, “Patriyachtik” and “Plane to Sea” had arrived, as well as other loopers.

That night 8 of us went to dinner at a sports bar (“Press Box”) that was close to the marina and talked about how we would be crossing Lake Ontario the next day and what would be our port of entry.  Naturally, the slower boats and the faster boats (like us and Snug Tug) would pair up and buddy-boat together.

Thursday (7/9) –There are several different routes that you can take to get to Ontario, Canada, depending on your port of entry. Most of our friends were headed directly into Trenton (Start of the Trent Severn Waterway) as were we.  However, the trawlers cruise around 8 kts so they need more time and had to leave early. At 5:45 the first boats (like “Ivory Lady”, “ “Renegade”, & “Patriyachtik) pulled out of the marina to cross Lake Ontario. “Snug Tug” left around 7:00 am. We pulled out at 8:00, along with several others (“Nearly Perfect” & “Spirit”) who were headed to Kingston (different course).

Most of the trip we were by ourselves and welcomed the flat seas, no wind, overcast skies, and cool temperature.  We monitored the vacuum pressure on the fuel filter where it stayed at 4 (Excellent) for the whole trip.  As we crossed Quinte Bay we encountered a sailboat regatta with no less than 50 boats of varying sizes. It was so fun to watch as we wondered “what do these people do for work?” – remembering that after all, it was a weekday.

Shortly thereafter we came up on “Snug Tug” and followed them all the way into Fraser Park-Trenton Marina.  It was so fun to be coming in together again, and sharing the day’s experiences.

Denise slowly docked the boat without incident, and then Mark went ashore to call the Canadian Customs per protocol. Bruce (“Snug Tug”) had beaten Mark to the phone and received his clearance right away. So when they told Mark that they would be coming down to the marina and will be checking us in then we figured the reason they were doing so was because so many other boats were coming from the USA and they could look at all of us at once. As we had signed up in advance for the CAN-PASS we anticipated a quick clearance. Boy were we mistaken!

In the meantime all the trawlers showed up, almost one right after the other. As they had come a different route (Murray Channel), they had stopped at another location to clear customs and were now all flying Canadian flags (cleared).

As promised, the Customs gals showed up 20 minutes later and boarded our boat. They asked a ton of questions, searched our boat and finally gave us a clearance number.  Their only concern was an apple we had brought on board which we agreed to eat in their presence, and advised not to remove the basil plant off the boat until we got back into the USA.  They didn’t bat an eye on the number of wine bottles or anything else.  Our only thought was that since Mark has been in and out of Canada several times for our Victoria client, he must have been flagged somehow.  In any event, the officers were polite and courteous and it was not a bad experience; just different from any that other loopers had on this day.

The dockhands at this marina are all college kids and it is considered a primo summer job. They are all smart and know how to tie up a boat. However, there are no less than 4 that are there to assist when you come in, and it feels like you are getting a royal welcome. When they are not assisting boaters coming in or leaving, or getting fuel, they sell you some of the best ice cream we have yet to eat on this trip.

That night we met up with Tim & Karen (“Tika”) who were behind us through the Oswego locks and also part of the flotilla who left Oswego Marina.  Together with Ginny & Bruce we went to dinner at an Italian restaurant (Tomasso’s) recommended by the dockhands.  It was perhaps the best dinner we have had since Charleston and we loved getting to know another looper couple. Although originally from Minnesota, they now live in Ft. Meyers, FL. We soon discovered that they own several manufacturing businesses and we were happy to share some work-related common topics.

We plan on staying in Trenton at least until Saturday. Tomorrow we have to go to an ATM to get some Canadian money, locate a service provider and obtain a chip to make one of our iPads a hotspot on a Canadian network. This will enable us to work and to communicate via the wireless mode as described below when we cannot get it for free.

COMMUNICATION NOTE:
Now that we are in Canada, we want to make sure all know how best to communicate with us. As long as we are in a marina or a city dock wall that has wireless we are able to get our email and (sometimes) iMessages (only) on our phones. Otherwise, we have turned off all data services on them.  We are also limiting our phone calls. Even though we have roaming for voice, it is expensive so we are trying to utilize the wireless network where we can. When doing so, look for us on SKYPE to talk, otherwise our minutes are saved for work.

We plan on staying in Trenton at least until Saturday. Tomorrow we have to go to an ATM to get some Canadian money, locate a service provider and obtain a chip to make one of our iPads a hotspot on a Canadian network. This will enable us to work and to communicate via the wireless mode as described when we cannot get it for free.

Stay tuned for more adventures to come!

We have been on the move through the Erie Canal and have the following update for you:

Saturday (6/27) – We left Shady Harbor Marina in the morning, saying goodbye to our friends, and made our way up the Hudson River to Waterford.

Along the way we passed many interesting sights including the cities of Albany and Troy, home of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where Steve (Bro-in-law) attended.

We eventually caught up with Ginny & Bruce (“Snug Tug”) and followed them into the Lock #1 – Troy Lock. This is also called “Federal” lock because it is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers. It is the only such lock as all others are managed by the NY Canal Corporation.

When we left Shady Harbor, we were uncertain as to if there would be dock space available for us in Waterford on the city dock as it was quite crowded and space is “first come – first serve”. However, they have two web cams that you can view online and see if there is room.  As we left the Troy docks, Denise brought up the website on her phone and watched as several boats pulled out in time to make the #2 Lock opening, freeing up space for us. So, we knew they had room for us for the night.

After tying up and settling in, we visited the dock master’s office in the Welcome Center.  The Welcome Center is manned by volunteers 100% of the time, and they are incredibly helpful and informative about Waterford, the locks, and the Erie Canal.

We located the Catholic Church in town and made it to the 4:00 pm mass. It was a beautiful church and afterwards the walk took us past the local bakery where we were pulled to buy some delicious cc cookies and scones.  We met the daughter/father owners and enjoyed talking to them about their business and life in Waterford.

We had a quick meal of leftovers on the boat, socialized with a few other loopers and called it a day.

Sunday (6/28) – We woke up to a rainy drizzly day, but that didn’t stop us from exploring the town. We had decided to spend a second day in Waterford as it was supposed to rain all day (not fun for going out to handle the lines in the locks), and it gave us a chance to recharge our batteries.

Around mid-morning the rain subsided and Ginny & Bruce (“Snug Tug”) suggested we walk to see the locks that make up what is known as the Waterford Lift. It is a series of 5 locks (#2 through #6) that are very close together that you can walk to from downtown Waterford. It is a good way to see what you will face when you head this way in your boat. In all we must have walked about 4 miles and Mark was ready for an afternoon nap when we were done.

Denise went with Ginny & Bruce to Hannaford’s supermarket to get a few things and see the eastern part of Waterford. They have a very cool war memorial and a bridge that marks the end of the Hudson River and start of the Erie Canal north for the Lake Champlain route.

For dinner that night we decided to try a local pub called the Angry Penguin.  British cruisers Kevin & Chris (“Sweet Sensation”) had eaten there the night before and advised they had great fish & chips. That is saying something coming from them – and they were right; the food was terrific.

Monday (6/29) – We left Waterford with several other boats, all trying to make the 8:00 am opening for Lock #2. Since these locks are very close together all the boats that go into the first lock together stay together though all five locks. You are supposed to enter & exit in the same order with no one trying to pass another.  In this group was our friends Ginny & Bruce (“Snug Tug”), a sailboat from Rochester, NY (“Pappillion”), and two other boats who were on the Waterford docks with us; “Speedy Delivery” and “Andiamo”.  From the get-go the sailboat tried to move in between Snug Tug and us, and they eventually negotiated their way in front of Snug Tug as we exited one of the locks. Placement in the lock is key as no one wants to be at the back because you have to wait for all other boaters to exit. This is not an issue on the Waterford Lift where they are close together, but if you don’t plan your time, you can miss the next lock opening and have to wait a while for them to lock up, then down before you can get in. This can add as much as an hour per lock to your travel time.

After the Waterford Lift, there is a very large stretch of open water where you can go fast before the next lock. It is here that all 4 of us power boats left the sailboat in our dust and then it was just the four of us in the next four locks together for the rest of the day. The funniest thing of all is that all 4 of us were from Florida. “Snug Tug” is from Sarasota and the other two are from Punta Gorda on the west coast. Denise called it the Florida Contingency.

Also along this stretch of waterway we encountered our first “guard gate”.  These are guillotine-looking steel walls that are suspended above the water and remain opened most of the time.  They are only closed when they want to control the flow of water and prevent flooding downstream, and are operated by the same people as the locks.  Therefore, they are mostly uneventful milestones, usually no different than passing under a bridge.

Although the scenery is beautiful the locks take a tremendous amount of concentration to make sure you approach it correctly, don’t hit the seawalls, and don’t hit any other boat in the lock.  Denise did all the entry & exit’s today and did so without issue.  But it is stressful. It is kind of like docking & exiting your boat 9 times in a single day.

We decided to end our day after lock #10 in the town of Amsterdam (we have an affinity for that name – wonder why?) along with “Snug Tug”. We stayed at the city’s docks (Riverlink Park) that had power and water for $1 per foot a night (great price). They had showers and restrooms on premise, and a restaurant (Dan’s Backyard Bar-B-Q) which is only open Wed–Sun, but we didn’t care. Although owned by the city, Dan leases the restaurant property and is the “dock master” for the docks. It’s a great place to stay at a great price, and has terrific services.  Dan is very customer service oriented and extremely helpful.

At the dock we had pulled in behind Loopers on “Blue Moon”, whom we had met at GKYC and saw again in Half Moon Bay marina.  The boat is co-owned by two couples, and they were swapping out time on the boat, with couple #1 (original owners) getting on and the other couple leaving.  We spent some time after dinner (leftovers from the fridge) talking with them out on the dock as they are a wealth of information.  Then we turned in for the night as it had been an exhausting day and we were tired.

Tuesday (6/30) – The day started out overcast and gloomy, but that wasn’t going to stop us from moving forward. Our plan was to try and get to Utica and set up for crossing Lake Oneida on Wednesday.  The next lock (#11) was just a short distance from Riverlink Park, so we left at 7:45 in preparation for an 8:00 opening.  It was just us and Snug Tug who were buddy-boating once again, with them in the lead.

As in the day before, Denise was planning on successfully driving into and out of the locks; but today was a different story. When lining up to enter the first lock, the boat got caught in the cross currents created by the nearby dam.  As the boat came into the entrance the stern was thrust sideways and we had to back out. In doing so we came within 6 inches of the bow crashing into the cement wall on the right, and then the stern almost hitting the rocks on the other side.  Once we were able to get out of danger, Mark took over and after two passes we finally got situated in the lock. It was a very scary moment and Denise was so shaken she refused to drive into the locks the rest of the day. (#1 disaster averted).

Entering a lock usually is not very difficult, but many of the locks we encountered on the Erie have dams right beside them to control the flow of the water downstream (and eventually into the Hudson River).  As it has been raining a lot lately, they have had a tremendous amount of water flowing, thus creating these whirlpools and tidal currents that are very strong.  In addition, because the upstream water levels are so high on their banks, they are carrying all kinds of debris downstream and with force.  So not only do you have to worry about entering the lock correctly (and not hitting any of the things mentioned above), but you now have an obstacle course of tree limbs, logs, coke bottles, and any other debris that may have washed up on the shoreline last summer, that is now coming down the river this summer. If you run over any of this stuff it could foul your propeller or worse, punch a hole in your hull. So, you must stay alert at all times and navigate through this landmine of debris.

Of the 7 locks we were in today, only one had another boat; a sailboat from Australia. They told us that one of the lock masters told them the water flow was strongest in the morning and that things settle down later in the day.  This was certainly true in our experience today.

During the day, we also knocked our boat hook overboard (now for the second time) and had to back track to retrieve it. It is a necessary tool used extensively when locking as you have to be able to grab long lines of rope that hang from the sides of the lock. The boat cannot usually get close enough for you to just reach out and snatch them, so you need something that can extend out, and the boat hook is the perfect tool.  (#2 disaster averted).

Around noon we pulled into St. Johnsonville Municipal Marina to get fuel as they had the cheapest price around. It was here that it began to rain and continued to do so for the next 2 hours, including when we were trying to do the next few locks.  It was because of this that we decided to rethink our destination for the day and cut the trip short. We targeted Little Falls, a town just west of Lock #17 – the largest lock up we will have to go through on the canal (44 ft).

We pulled into the Little Falls Municipal dock around 3:30. After tying up and settling our boats, we went into the marina office, which also houses very nice showers, restrooms and a nice cruiser’s lounge.

We first met Sarah, who is a volunteer host to check in visitors, but Phil (one of two dock masters) showed up at 4:00 and took our money (another cheap night at $1 per foot).  He also suggested places to eat on the other side of the canal; meaning a walk over the bridge.  Ginny had some laundry she wanted to do, so Phil drove her to the laundromat (across the bridge) and then Mark, Bruce & Denise walked the mile and joined her for dinner afterwards. After searching for a place to eat amongst several of the suggested restaurants (all closed for the holiday week), we happened on the “Copper Moose”. It was very crowded as it was “taco Tuesday”, but we didn’t have to wait too long to get a seat. We ate a delicious meal at a very affordable price and were happy to have discovered this place.

Afterwards we walked around the town a bit, and then headed back to the boats.

Wednesday (7/1) – We left Little Falls shortly after 8:00 and got to Lock #18 for an opening in our favor.  Once again, it was just us and “Snug Tug” through this lock and next.  Unfortunately, it was here that Denise’s glasses got knocked off her face and ended up sinking to the bottom of lock #18.  (#3 disaster – NOT averted).  Between locks Denise called Costco and they were able to reorder her a new pair and we will have a family member pick them up and ship them to us when they come in.  As for now, Denise will be wearing her contact lenses all day, and use the old prescription glasses as a backup.  Lesson learned: when you are thinking that you should do something (put glasses on the peeper-keepers) you should do it then and not wait!

After lock #18 we passed a small town called Ilion where we saw cruising friends on “Renegade”, “Patryachtik”, & “Bear Holiday” at the town docks.  It was here that we were also joined by “Kindred Spirits” a Back Cove 34 we had seen ahead of us the previous day.  Through the next 4 locks our three boats traveled together including enduring a thunderstorm in lock #21 where we all got wet! No, unlike Orlando airport tarmac, they do not close the locks for thunderstorms!

This part of the Erie Canal is unpopulated, very green, and has very slow speed limits; sometimes as low as 5 mph. It is a long boring 40-mile run that makes an I-10 drive to Tallahassee look exciting. We had been watching the weather for crossing Oneida Lake which was forecasted to be quite windy (25 knots) and not good for that day. However, we had had very light winds and thought we might give it a chance if the waves weren’t bad; but would make the final decision when we got to Sylvan Beach. This is the town on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake where the canal is temporarily suspended.  As we approached the breakwater, we abandoned that idea because the waves were crashing over the seawall and the wind was howling.

Also, we had heard that the Oswego Canal was closed due to high water, so there is no hurry to get to Brewerton (other side of the lake) as we would have to sit there until the locks in the Oswego canal opened.

We tied up to the free public dock at Sylvan Beach, along with a handful of other loopers who also decided to wait out the weather. This dock is free because there are no services (restrooms, showers) and no power.  After tying up and settling in, we walked the docks to visit with other loopers and discussed plans for making the crossing in the morning when the winds would be lighter.  We re-met George & Martha Alexander (“Aunt Aggie”) and saw brits Keven & Chris (“Sweet Sensations”) – thanking them for the fish and chips recommendation in Waterford.  We also went over to the Back Cove 34 that had been following us and met Aubrey & Jan Vaughn (“Kindred Spirits”). Come to find out they are from South Carolina and purchased their boat from the same place we purchased ours.  What a small world it is!

Sylvan Beach is a small beach community that consists mostly of cottages, restaurants, one gas station/grocery store, a union chapel, and a town central park. But the big attraction here is the amusement park with typical boardwalk arcade games and rides.  There is a great restaurant (“Canal View Café”) on the canal side near the docks where we went with Ginny & Bruce for dinner. This place has been here for 30 years and is decorated in memorabilia from all those years.

While sitting on the boat in the evening we met a couple who was from Palm Harbor, FL walking the docks, and another couple who has a child that lives in Winter Park.  Too funny!

Thursday (7/2) – Sylvan Beach provided Denise an opportunity to get in a much-wanted run before we left for the day. She was able to take some pictures of the town and of our boat without distraction as she was up early (as usual).

Ginny & Bruce decided to head across the lake early and left shortly after 7:00 am, with us following about 45 minutes later and “Kindred Spirits” right behind us. Along the way we also passed “Aunt Aggie” who had left earlier that morning as well.

It was only 19 miles across the lake, and we arrived at Ess-Kay marina at 9:30.  We filled the boat with fuel, did a pump-out, checked in at the marina and were sitting in our slip in time for lunch.

We both had office work to do and so we hunkered down to get this done before the holiday weekend started.  Ginny & Bruce had secured the marina courtesy car and invited us to join them in a Wal-Mart run.  We took advantage of the opportunity and got a few things on our shopping list, including a rotisserie chicken for dinner that night.

During the day our friends on “Renegade” and “Patriyachtik” showed up at the marina, so we all gathered at the picnic tables and had “docktails”, along with other loopers Laurie & David Hummel (“The Next Step”) whom we had met in Norfolk.  In total, there are over 10 looper boats now at this marina, all of us waiting for the locks in the canals to reopen.

Ess-Kay Yard is a family-owned business started by the parents, and now run by three of the siblings and their kids. It sits on the Oneida River, which is the path from Lake Oneida to the rest of the Erie, and eventually the Oswego Canals. Although the facilities are rustic they are very customer-service oriented and have a ship store with everything you could possibly need or want.  Since they are a boatyard first, they have many spare parts and have dry dock storage. We have even met some of the people who leave their boat here in the winter so they can summer in Canada. (i.e. Reverse snowbirds).

Every Independence Day they host a big cookout for the boaters in their marina, as well as family and friends.  They provide the hotdogs & hamburgers and everyone else brings a dish to share. The party coincides with the fireworks that the town of Brewerton shoots off, which will be Friday, July 3^rd (tomorrow).

Friday (7/3) – Our boat was filthy from all the bugs we encountered in the canal and in Sylvan Beach. So, in the morning Mark washed the boat while Denise cataloged pictures, wrote for the blog, and made the dish to bring to the evening cookout.

In the afternoon, we were invited by Bruce & Ginny to use their paddleboards. Mark wasn’t really interested, but Denise took advantage of this newfound sport and had a great time.

Around 6:00 we joined others and had our big cookout. In total there were close to 100 people here. It was great fun with a lot of food and laughter.

The evening was topped off with a terrific fireworks display that was easily seen from the docks at Ess-Kay.  Because our boat was located near the fuel docks, we had front-row seats and didn’t even have to go outside and deal with the mosquitoes.

Tomorrow afternoon Jeanne (sister) and her friend Vicki will be joining us. They are making their annual trip driving to visit Vicki’s family in Attica, near Buffalo.  We hope they will stay for the few days as we will be here until they open up the canals and we can make our way into Canada.

Stay tuned for more adventures to come!

Here are some other sights from the Erie Canal:

 

It has been a whirlwind of a few weeks and we have been quite busy with work, boat issues and (finally) getting back to our adventure. We apologize for the delay in posts, and for this long blog, but it has been crazy with no downtime to write. Here is what we have been up to….

Week of June 8^th – On Monday (6/8) Mark took Denise to the airport early in the morning for her flight to Houston. There she conducted 7 workshops over a period of 3.5 days and was exhausted by the time she got on the plane to fly back to Cape May. In the meantime, Mark worked from the boat and enjoyed the Canyon Club marina.

Wednesday (6/10) – The weather broke today and Mark was able to move the boat from Cape May up to Staten Island, following most of the way with Bob and Ginny (“Quattro”) who were making the run to head home to Newburyport, MA by way of Long Island Sound. Unfortunately, Mark was 8 miles south of Sandy Hook, NJ when the engine started the same initial signs we saw in the Delaware River. The difference today however, was that the seas were flat and he had been making great time.  It was obvious something was definitely wrong and we would need to have the boat looked at. He slowed the boat and managed to get into Great Kills harbor and up into Great Kills Yacht Club (GKYC) without requiring a tow. There he was met by John Calascibetta (AGLCA Harbor Host for NY) and was able to dock safely into a slip.

Thursday (6/11) – Mark researched and spent time troubleshooting on the engine issue. Eventually, he contacted Cummins as the engine is still under warranty (at least until July) and they were able to schedule a repair person to come out the next morning. It is not easy to get a repair person out so quickly, so this was greatly appreciated as we were hoping we could leave for NYC on Saturday. One thing we have learned is that it is now “the season” in the northern states, so all marine services people are extremely busy. Boats have been in storage through the winter and people are working vigorously to have their boats serviced so they can use them. After all, they only have about 3 months of the year in their boating season; one of the things we take for granted in Florida.

Friday (6/12) – Mark met with the dispatched Cummins repair person to troubleshoot the issue and it was deduced that a lift pump had failed and would need to be replaced. Unfortunately, Cummins had a new requirement that when this pump is replaced, there is a change required to some of the fuel lines, and the repair man did not have the tubing on his truck (he had the pump).  Cummins would Fed-ex the required parts to the repair guy, but he would not get them until Monday morning; and oh by the way, this guy was booked up, so they would send a different service tech out.

In the meantime, we had scheduled Jacob (nephew) to come for a visit. So, he and Denise (on her way back from Houston) met in Atlanta on Friday night, and flew to Philadelphia together. Mark got a rental car and drove the 1hr 40 minutes to get them, and then take them back to Staten Island.  The logistics of this was a nightmare into itself but we all got safely back to the boat and Mark got his Chick-Fil-A fix for dinner along the way.

Saturday (6/13), we spent a lot of time planning how best to salvage the schedule that had now been tossed out the window.  Denise had to go to Atlanta on Tuesday, and refused to allow Mark to move the boat (into NYC) without her.  So, given the weather and the boat issue, we knew that was not going to happen when Jacob was visiting.  Therefore, we decided to rent a car (AVIS free weekend rental) to see some sights and to get out of the marina.  The morning was spent doing errands (grocery shopping) and switching rental cars (Enterprise to AVIS).  That night we went out to dinner at an Italian restaurant that John C. had recommended (there are many to choose from on Staten Island). We met Sal the owner, and felt like we had stepped into an episode of Soprano’s; he had the typical gold necklace and hairdo that you would expect, and the restaurant had its share of opulent décor. The food was good and Jacob had enough pizza left over for another meal.

Sunday (6/14) – We got up early and drove 1.5 hours up to the US Military Academy at West Point, New York.  We arrived in time for mass at the Catholic Chapel (one of several type chapels on the grounds) and found it to be a beautiful church. The very family-oriented congregation had lots of children in attendance and almost all of the families were military or retired military.  After mass we took a scheduled tour of the West Point Chapel, the parade grounds, and the rest of the campus.  It was a beautiful day and while overlooking the Hudson River we saw several cruising boats making their way north; we were jealous and wished we were with them.  After the tour we visited the museum which is full of old guns and weapons that date back to the American Revolution.  It is really a cool museum and felt it was worth the extra time to see it.  We then had to drive back to Staten Island and were tired from all the traffic, travel and the day’s events.  Denise whipped up some fajitas for dinner and we all crashed as we were tired.

Monday (6/15) – We knew it would be difficult to do too much as we were expecting the Cummins service guy and couldn’t stray too far from the boat. So Denise and Jacob returned the rental car, ran a few errands, and went back to the boat for lunch with Mark. As predicted, “Ritchie” didn’t show up until later in the day, but went right to work on the repair.  Once the work was done, he wanted to test the boat, so we left the dock and took it out past the entrance of Great Kills Harbor onto Raritan Bay. Ritchie had us take the boat up to 3000 rpm and doing about 28 knots (the fastest we have ever been on the boat) and Jacob was happy that he was actually getting to go out and not just be on the boat at the dock.  Almost immediately however, the engine started to reduce power and the warning for high fuel pressure came on.  We took the boat back to the dock, Ritchie checked out a few things and we deduced there was something starving the engine of fuel; most likely a clog in the line somewhere.  By this time it was late and we knew that more diagnostics were required so Ritchie made plans to come back in the morning.  Needless to say, we knew we would not be leaving Staten Island this week and were quite disappointed. But, we knew we had to fix the boat before we could go on.

Tuesday (6/16) – Ritchie showed up at 8:00 am as promised and got right to work. After several tests and through a process of elimination it was determined there was a blockage coming from the fuel tank. Once the fuel tank access plate was located Ritchie was able to remove the fuel lift tube and examine it.  There is a screen on the bottom of the tube that is used to prevent stuff from going into the fuel lines, and this is where a putty-like substance was found. What we didn’t know is how much of this stuff is in the tank. After the screen was cleaned and the boat put back together, we took the boat out for another sea trial.  Again we ran the boat hard (25 kts) for about 30 minutes and it ran without issue. So, we felt like this issue was at least temporarily resolved, but it could reappear without warning. This did not give us a warm comfortable feeling and we were worried that we might get hung up again somewhere else.

As this was no longer a Cummins engine issue, Ritchie’s work was done. He left us with some gloomy options for getting the fuel and tank cleaned, including the possibility of cutting the fiberglass deck to get to the fuel tank’s access plate.  If this was required, we would have to move the boat to have this done as the GKYC is a club and does not have a service facility or resources that could do the work. Forgetting about the potential delay this would have on our trip, this would involve big bucks and was very dispiriting. This was a very low moment; it was difficult to be excited about our adventure and continuing on.

But we decided that before any action would be taken, Mark would solicit input from others and see what options we might glean from the experiences of others in the boating community. Denise had to fly to Atlanta for the rest of the week, so Mark rented a car and took her to the airport.  This would also enable him to get Jacob to the airport the next day.  He and Jacob had a nice dinner at Coles, one of several restaurants that are right near the GKYC.

Wednesday through Friday (6/17 – 6/19) – While Denise worked at a client site, Mark investigated the options and consulted others about our situation. He posted our situation on the AGLCA blog and most all the responses said the same thing: “remove the screen and let the fuel filters do their job”.  So he enlisted one of the local mechanics used by people at the club to remove the screen and put in place a plan to monitor the fuel filter vacuum pressure once under way.

On Friday afternoon he picked up Denise up at the airport and they made plans to leave GKYC the next morning.  The weather was going to deteriorate late Saturday and it would be a few more days before there would be a good time to make the run up to NYC. So it was now or never! Several other Loopers pulled into the marina that day, including Clay & Sally (“SaSea Sally”) and Elizabeth and Jim (“Heron”); whom we had met at the AGLCA Rendezvous in Norfolk.  It was fun to talk about our different travels and places we had visited.  They were planning to stay in Staten Island a few days before heading into NYC but we may meet up with them again along the loop.

Staten Island is a very interesting place. It is like one big residential neighborhood, with a million bagel shops (one on every corner- ala Starbucks style), only outnumbered by Italian restaurants. There are several areas of rolling hills around a golf course, big houses and small houses, and a huge ($14) toll to get on the island from New Jersey. There is also a beautiful state park (Great Kills) near the club, all of which was destroyed during hurricane Sandy in 2012, along with all the marina’s in the harbor. But the people are resilient and have rebuilt their community. At GKYC the people were terrific and were a wealth of information in helping us out. We cannot thank them enough for their hospitality and for opening up their club to us.  And a special thanks goes to John C. who was a wonderful Harbor Host who made recommendations and took Mark on errands when needed.  Thanks John!

 

Saturday (6/20) – We left GKYC early as the winds were predicted to increase as the day went on. It was drizzling outside and not the best day, but we knew we had to give it a try (we knew we could always go back if we needed to).  Of course we were nervous about the engine, so we set a plan in place to check the fuel vacuum pressure every hour and be proactive in replacing the filter if it got too high.  The waves were on our nose and although initially small, they were building the further away from the harbor we got.  As we approached the channel to NY Harbor, we had to turn left and then they were crashing on our side, causing the boat to roll. It was a flashback to the Delaware Bay crossing and Denise was not a happy camper.  There was concern about the stirring up the debris in the fuel tank, as well as negotiating the harbor channel with an inbound large container ship coming up on us.  Fortunately, we were able to tuck behind a small island as we approached the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge and it blocked the wind enough to settle the boat down. Once through the bridge the waves were smaller and the passage was easier.

Shortly after entering NY harbor and negotiating two anchored container ships, two barges underway, and the Staten Island Ferry, Mark checked the fuel filter vacuum pressure and it was at 10 (high).  We needed to replace the fuel filter as soon as possible.  So we made a beeline for the Statue of Liberty and anchored behind it for wind protection.  After 30 minutes we were able to head back through NY Harbor, around Ellis Island, in front of the Battery in NYC and head up the Hudson River. It was still windy, cloudy and overcast, but it had stopped raining.  It was still a thrill to take our boat through NY City and enjoy the skyline.

 

We made our way up the Hudson River passing such cool sights as the George Washington Bridge, the Tappan Zee Bridge, the towns of Sleepy Hollow and Sing-Sing prison.  We arrived at Half Moon Bay Marina in the town “Croton on Hudson” (eastern shore) without any further issue and the fuel vacuum pressure stayed in an acceptable range all day.

 

At the marina our boat was put into a slip right next to a Back Cove 41.   We would later meet Tim & Leslie (“Two Drifters”) who we had met in Charleston in August. At the time we purchased our boat, they were taking delivery of their Back Cove from the same dealer.  They had taken the boat from Charleston to Maine, and were now heading up the Hudson to continue their Great Loop adventure. What a small world!

The cove where the marina is located is pretty with condominiums on land and a large walking trail all around the eastern shore.  On the southern tip of the cove is a large park and this weekend was a music festival (Clearwater’s Great Music Festival) with lots of different artists; most of whom we didn’t know. We encountered many loopers at this marina, some of whom attended the festival and said it was very crowded, but entertaining.  It did begin to rain so Mark and I ate leftovers for dinner and stayed close to the boat for the rest of the evening.  It had been a long and adventurous day and we were tired.  We were so thankful for safe passage and happy that our boat was performing back to normal. We will continue to monitor the fuel vacuum pressure, but hopefully the problem will not reappear.

Sunday (6/21) – We started the day with a brisk one mile walk up the hill to the town of Croton on Hudson to attend church at Holy Name of Mary.  We had dodged a few sprinkles along the way, but had brought our big golf umbrella and were able to stay mostly dry.  We were greeted by a very nice man (“Nick”) who noticed we were visitors. He introduced himself and we told him of our loop adventure. Later he offered to give us a ride back to the marina due to the rain.  We had wanted to go to breakfast at a restaurant in town, but he suggested another diner that was “better food” and actually closer to the marina.  He and his wife “Pat” took us to Croton Colonial Diner and were so helpful about what to do and see in the area.

As we had been consumed with boat issues (Mark) and business travel (Denise), we really needed some time to do paperwork and other miscellaneous business tasks.  So we spent most of the day working in our “Island Office” to put our affairs in order.  Since it was very windy and rainy, it seemed like the perfect time to play catch up.  Eventually the rain stopped and the skies cleared, but the wind continued to blow quite a bit, creating a lot of rocking on the boat.  Denise was having flashbacks of the shakeup in the Yorktown marina and eventually had enough; she mandated a walk to get off the boat and put our feet on solid ground.  We walked up to the building that houses the marina office and went to the community room upstairs where we were able to sit in big overstuffed comfortable chairs for a while. It was just what was needed as within an hour the current shifted and the waves died down enough for us to go back on the boat.

During our walk we met several other Loopers including Bill and Donna (“Renegade”) whose boat is so named as they are FSU fans and their children attend! It truly is a small world! We also met Bear & Gerry (“Bear Holiday”) and Kevin & Chris (“Sweet Sensation”) who are on a sailboat and are from England. Onboard they had friends who were visiting, but were headed home shortly.  They were leaving HMB marina as they had to go have their mast taken down so they could continue on the loop. I am sure we will see them again soon.

Since we had a big breakfast at the diner, we opted to skip lunch and just eat an early dinner.  Mark decided to take a nap (and yes, he did bring it back) – and Denise decided to work on the blog. Around 5:00 Denise did a quick check of the weather and the alert went out that there was a severe thunderstorm approaching and would arrive in 30 minutes. You would never know it because over the marina the sky was clear, but looking west there were dark clouds building on the western shore of the Hudson. We had already mapped at a Bar-B-Q place (Mae’s) to go for dinner that night that was a 5 -10 minute walk from the marina. Denise woke Mark up and they left almost immediately. Along the way we ran into Rick the assistant dock master who offered us ride, and we accepted.  By the time we got seated in the restaurant, the sky had opened up and it was pouring outside. How lucky we were to have checked the weather when we did.  Since it was Father’s day the restaurant was very crowded so it took longer than it should have to get waited on and get our food, but we didn’t care.  It was worth the wait as it was delicious. Eventually, we finished our meal about the time the sky cleared and we walked back to the boat with leftovers in hand.

Monday (6/22) – Up at the crack of dawn, Denise decided to take advantage of a wonderful trail that ran along the Hudson River, so she took off on a 3-mile run. It was the first opportunity to run in nearly 2 weeks, but the scenery made it all bearable.  There is a beautiful 911 memorial at the end of the trail that is a sundial made from one of the beams from the WTC. It was really something special to see.

We decided to leave Croton on Hudson and move north up the river to Kingston.  One of the “must see” things on our list was to visit the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and the Vanderbilt estate home. These are on the eastern side of the Hudson and certainly easier to get to (via train) from Croton on Hudson. However, the CIA dining rooms were not open on Sunday or Monday and we didn’t want to stay at Half Moon Bay for 4 days.  So we made the decision to leave with plans to rent a car in Kingston and drive there on Tuesday.  Denise made reservations at the CIA for the tour in the late afternoon and then for dinner, and then we untied the dock lines and headed out.

Just North of Croton on Hudson, on the western shore is a fuel stop that is well known for cheap prices, so we decided to use this opportunity to get a fill-up. While filling the tanks we met John Panebianco, part owner of this family-run business.  His wife Lorraine also happened to be there so we had a chance to meet her and learn a little about their business. He is very informative about the Hudson River valley and very friendly.

From there we headed up the Hudson River to explore more of this spectacularly beautiful area.  Along the way we passed some great sights like the US Military Academy (West Point) – what a thrill to now be seeing this from the river.  We also passed the Bear Mountain Bridge, the Vanderbilt House, the CIA, several lighthouses, and lots of huge homes on the river (what DO these people do for a living?). We also passed under the “Walkway over the Hudson” – an old railway bridge in Poughkeepsie that has been converted to a pedestrian and bike path that is 212’ above the water.  It is up there!

Along the way we zoomed past all of the looper boats who had left the marina in advance of us, but who go a lot slower.  Eventually, four of us arrived into the Rondout Yacht Basin in Kingston, where we gathered that evening for some “docktails” and getting to know each other.  Here we spent time with Seminoles Bill & Donna (“Renegade”), Bruce & Ginny (“Snug Tug”) and Mike & Carolyn (“Patriyachtik”) sharing our travel plans and adventures we have been on.

Tuesday (6/23) – We started the day sharing a pickup by Enterprise car rental with Mike & Carolyn so we could pick up cars and go our own separate ways. From there we went to Wal-Mart and loaded up on things we know will be difficult or more expensive to get in Canada. We took our items back to the boat, dodging raindrops and wind the whole way. It was a good day to be land-based on not trying to make a passage somewhere.

We then drove the 20 miles across the river and through a few very cute small towns to the Vanderbilt estate home that is now part of the National Parks. Once again we got to use our annual pass and got in free.  This house is much smaller than the “summer” home (the Breakers) in Newport Rhode Island, but it is just as amazing.  We really enjoyed the tour there and found the grounds to be breathtaking. It was especially cool to look down on the Hudson River where we had just motored our boat.

We then moved on down the road to the FDR Home; also a national park with the very first Presidential Library.  We got there just in time to see the short movie and then a tour of the home. Unfortunately, we did not have time to see the library, but it was really interesting to see this home where FDR was born and lived. Far from grandeur like the Vanderbilt estate, knowing the Queen of England had slept in one of the bedrooms was pretty amazing, especially considering how small they were.

From there we continued down the highway to the CIA where we had reservations for the 4:00 tour.  This is a student-led event and it gave us an opportunity to interact with the students and hear about their curriculum.  The tour included seeing the kitchens which were active with students in their afternoon classes. We also got to see their auditorium and one of the cooking theatres used for demonstrations. It is a unique curriculum with students obtaining either a 2 year or 4 year degree in the Culinary Arts. If they choose the BS degree, they actually have a few areas of specialty (applied food studies, culinary science, etc.).  Students have to choose from the start a bakery or a culinary emphasis and cannot double major. All this for $44,000 per year – but the meal plan is included in this! HA

There are 3 restaurants and a café on the campus, and we had dinner at American Bounty – the restaurant that highlights locally grown or acquired food (farm to table concept).  The students run the kitchen and the dining room under the direction of a head chef/Instructor. We were fortunate to get a tour of the kitchen when they were in the heat of the evening rush – it was HOT and hectic!  The food was really good and it was a fun experience. We also ran into fellow loopers Elizabeth and Jim (“Heron”) who told us of their running aground near West Point and now their boat is out of the water getting some fiberglass work done.  It will take them about 2 weeks for this to be completed and will set them back on their schedule.  This made us very grateful for our safe passage and thankful our fuel issues seem to be behind us.

We took a different route back to the marina that took us through the town of Poughkeepsie and back over the river on the Mid-Hudson Bridge that is right next to the “Walkway over the Hudson” Bridge we passed the day before. It was a fun-filled day packed with lots of walking and sightseeing and we were exhausted.

Wednesday (6/24) – In the morning Mark returned the rental car while Denise prepared the boat for the trip up to New Baltimore.  It was a short 3 hour run with spectacular views of green forests and the Catskill Mountains in the background. We spotted two deer along the eastern banks of the river, and the water became less brackish and prettier. The sky was clear with few clouds, and the wind was breezy but not bad.  It was a great day to be on the water.

 

We pulled into Shady Harbor Marina and did a pump-out of the holding tank first. While we were doing this, Brian (the owner whom we met in Coinjock and saw again in Norfolk) came down the dock excited to see us. He shook Mark’s hand and claimed “I want my hug” to Denise. He is a warm, friendly & happy soul who is fun to be with.

After we got put into a slip and settled the boat, we went to work on our domestic chores; Mark washed the boat and Denise did the laundry. During that time, AJ (see Coinjock post in early May) came by to say hello. We met his significant other (Tim), but they could not stay and we won’t be able to see them again before we leave.  It was fun to catch up with him, even if for a brief visit.

Later we met up with the other loopers in the marina, had “docktails”, and then ate dinner together at The Boathouse; the restaurant on premises at the marina.  In total there were 8 of us including Mike L. & Carolyn (“Patriyachtik”), Mike F. & Lois (“Inch-n-Along”), and Bill & Donna (“Renegade”). Mike L. kept us in stitches with his Texas-sized humor and observations of life.  Truly the guy should be in stand-up comedy.  Owner Brian brought by a tray of the house favorite “mini beers” to top off a very fun evening.

 

Today was a beautiful day filled with fellowship and fun; a perfect looping day!

Thursday (6/25) – Unfortunately, it was a work day for us. Mark had an all-afternoon training session (part 1) with a client, and Denise had a conference call.  She also spent a good part of the day reading and planning for the Erie Canal part of the trip, as well as cataloging pictures and working on this blog.

In the evening we got together with loopers Mike & Lois (“Inch-n-Along”) for a cookout and picnic dining. Afterwards we got a tour of their boat (a North Pacific Pilothouse) and met their cat, Addie.  Our other looping friends all headed north today, and we bid them farewell. We hope to see them somewhere else along the loop as we had great fun with them.

Later when we were back on the boat, we saw a couple walking on the dock and they stopped to chat.  Almost instantly we recognized it was Mike (see Coinjock post) and his wife Erin who keep their boat in this marina.  We chatted for a while and they offered us the use of their car. They were spending the night on the boat as their child had a sitter (Grandpa) and they had 2 cars at the marina.  We learned that Erin is from a nearby small town (Delmar) that her family settled in the 1700’s and she is a direct descendant of them. This is so indicative of the friendly people who live in these parts and whom we have been lucky to meet.

Friday (6/26) – Again today we had work to do; Mark had another all-afternoon training session (part 2) and Denise had a late afternoon conference call.  So, in the morning we borrowed Erin’s car and drove to get a prescription refill and some more sandwich meat for the trip along the canal where stores are limited.  This afforded us the opportunity to see this part of New York, which we both agree we would never have explored if not for this trip.

During the day our friends Bruce & Ginny (“Snug Tug”) whom we met in Kingston came in on their boat.  So in the evening we got together with them as well as Mike & Lois (“Inch-n-Along”) for dinner at The Boathouse again.  Of course Brian was walking around making sure everyone was having fun, only tonight we had a chance to meet his wife Cathy (aka ‘Corporate’) and his son James. As we had seen their daughter Laura (whom we had met in Norfolk) earlier in the day, we now felt like we were friends with the whole family.

While we were at dinner, we watched a plane come up the Hudson River and land, then turn around and take off. It had everyone’s attention in the restaurant.

The marina here is in a place surrounded by lush trees and lots of nature. There is a pool, fire pit, Bar-B-Q grills, covered picnic tables, a nice bathhouse, and laundry facilities.  This is in addition to the restaurant, ships store, haul-out facilities and boat storage.  It is a first class operation and Brian and his family make it a happy place to visit. This is one of our favorite spots we have visited on the loop.

Tomorrow (Saturday) we will leave and head to Waterford, along with the loopers here in the marina. From there we will head through the Erie and Oswego canals and on into Canada.  Sometime along the way we will update you with more of our trip.  Until then, please stay healthy and safe!

What a whirlwind of a weekend we had at home. It was great to see some of you and to spend a little time with family and our house. But were we ever busy with little to no downtime.  Mark left Sunday and flew back to Baltimore. He was picked up by Greg Franklin Sr. (AGLCA Harbor Host for Baltimore area) and managed to have a good dinner with him before getting back to the boat.

On Monday (6/1), Denise flew to Atlanta and worked at a client until Tuesday (6/2) night when she joined Mark at the Maryland Yacht Club. During her absence, Mark was loaned Greg’s truck, was able to get a few groceries and do a few errands.  Denise finally joined him late Tuesday night, but not before being stood up by the cab who was supposed to meet her at BWI.

Wednesday, 6/3/15 – This was probably the hardest and worst day we have had on this whole trip. We said goodbye to Maryland Yacht Club amid high winds and cool temperatures with rain possible. However, it was predicted to be calmer later in the day. The wind was out of the NE and we were headed into an area that offered a lot of protection, so we made the decision to continue our trip as originally planned.

We got out onto the Patapsco River and we were taking a bit of a beating for about an hour and half. At the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay we had to stop the boat to tighten up the dinghy as the waves were crashing in on it. As we continued heading north, the Bay got narrow and the land blocked the wind, so the waves calmed a bit. Still, it was rainy and cold. The Maryland coastline on both sides here is quite different then in the lower Chesapeake; it is more mountainous and has lots of farmland. There are pockets of housing areas, but much of it is rural and really quite pretty.

On the water, there were no there cruisers and we felt kind of out there alone…except for the barge traffic. Although you can see these barges for miles, you should stay clear from them as they push a tremendous amount of water and can create a huge wake even when they are going slow.

We finally passed two of them before entering the C&D Canal (Chesapeake & Delaware Canal) and we were grateful for not having to negotiate doing so in the very narrow canal.

Once in the C&D Canal we passed Chesapeake City, a small community that is actually split in two by the water.

To the South (Starboard) side is the downtown area that has a city marina and anchorage that many cruisers stop at before going on to Cape May, NJ. We too should have stopped here….but we pressed on as it was only lunchtime. On the North (port) side is the Army Corps of Engineers dock, a restaurant, and then homes or rural roads along the way. Further up the canal there is also the North Summit Marina – another looper stopping point….and we should have stopped here too, but we pressed on.

The canal is 12 miles long, averages about 100 yards wide, and has 6 bridges that pass over it, none of which are low enough to require an opening by most vessels. This is key as this canal is used by commercial and pleasure craft alike. But today there was no boat traffic to speak of. One cruising yacht blew past us, we passed a slower trawler, and then there was an Army Corps of Engineer’s Boat doing depth soundings.  That was it.  But the water was flat and the wind blocked by the land, so we were quite happy!  At this point we also entered our seventh state: Delaware.

Around 1:00 we left the C&D Canal and entered the Delaware River, feeding into the Delaware Bay.  It is a very large waterway that takes commercial vessels up to Philadelphia, so needless to say it was very busy.  We saw container ships after container ships, and therefore were anxious to get out of the channel and run parallel to it on the New Jersey side of the River.  Although it is shallow near shore, the River is quite wide and outside the channel there is still plenty of water. This would prove helpful to us later as we made our way through our eighth state.

For the first hour or so, the wind was blowing, but the seas were tolerable and we made good progress. Eventually, we came to the area where the river becomes the Delaware Bay and it is quite wide (with land barely in sight) and the seas started to build. Worse, the wind had shifted and instead of waves crashing on the bow of the boat, they were knocking us on the side and had our boat rolling.  We tried to run closer to the shoreline without losing our heading too much but it was difficult to do this and still make a direct heading to the western channel of the Cape May Canal. We were less than 10 miles (25 minutes) from the entrance and couldn’t wait to get there. It was miserable and we were really taking a beating……and then the engine died!

One of the worst fears of a boat owner is that something bad will happen to the boat. When you have a single engine, your worst fear is that your only source of power will fail you, and this was certainly Denise’s.  When the engine dies and you are in such seas, everything gets tossed around and you cannot control the boat. We had dishes flying out of the cabinet, books sliding off the racks, and anything that was not super securely tied down ended up on the floor. Fortunately, Mark is an experienced captain; he knew exactly what to do.  We immediately put out an anchor and pointed the boat into the wind.  This helped with the rolling and with keeping Denise from getting seasick. Fortunately, we were running outside the shipping channel and we were only in 25 feet of water so we could anchor.

We quickly deduced that the problem was most likely a clogged fuel filter. We had had this same problem on our sailboat and it occurs when the rough seas stir up any sediments on the bottom of a fuel tank and causes the filter to not be able to handle it all. It gets clogged and won’t feed fuel to the engine.  The difference on a sailboat is that you can hoist a sail and settle the boat while you change the filter. Unfortunately, this was not an option and we were not going to be able to change the fuel filter with the wave conditions we were in.  To add a further complication we notice a small puddle of water on the floor in the galley. We thought it was coming from the sink but it wasn’t and we went into search mode. No water was filling in the bilge and it wasn’t very much, so we were not panicked, but we did want to know where it came from. However, our bigger concern at this point was moving and we needed to get into port before we could address the water issue. (We later determined it was from the refrigerator that had its contents tossed about when we were in the heavy waves.)

So, we called TowBoatUS and they dispatched a boat which arrived within the hour.  Thank goodness we were close to a port.  The TowBoatUS captain (Benny) was awesome telling us what to do each step of the way. He towed us through the Cape May Canal, and right to the South Jersey Marina where we had a reservation (and had been in communication with).  Once there, the dockhands (who stayed late and waited for us) were superb in helping us tie up the boat.  The best part was that our TowBoatUS insurance (less than $200/yr) paid for the tow which otherwise would have been $860.  If you ever buy a boat, get the unlimited towing option insurance; it is well worth it!

Once at the dock we quickly went to work to put the boat back together again and get a good night’s sleep. It had been a very long day, we were very tired, and we knew we had a maintenance issue facing us the next day.

Thursday, 6/4/15 – We got up to high winds and overcast skies. Not a great day to do much but fix a broken boat.  Mark quickly realized that the spare primary fuel filter (not the spare engine fuel filter from Solomon’s – see prior post) was the incorrect one. Fortunately, the marina ship store had one and they didn’t gauge us too badly for it. We replaced it on the boat, bought a second one for a spare, and ran the engine, which started up right away. We immediately noticed the fuel pressure was back in the normal range and the boat was back in running order. In hindsight, we learned a thing or two about “signs” that our boat had given, but we didn’t understand what it was telling us. Like a sick child or puppy, there are things that start going on before real sickness actually happens.  Now we know the signs for this issue on this boat.

The marina had put us on an end dock when we came in under tow, but they were not going to let us stay there. Scheduled to come in was a 90’ yacht and we were going to have to move to an actual slip.  Normally this would not have been an issue, but with the wind blowing like crazy and fears of our engine stalling, Denise was nervous. However, with the help of the dockhands (Nick actually got on our boat to help grab the lines) we got moved ok and the boat ran great. This helped to assuage fears of a major boat issue.

After the boat was moved and we cleaned it, we were able to finally get showers and settle in a bit.  The first thing that we observed was that we were at the best marina. The staff is incredibly helpful; there is a great marina “ship store”; it is within walking distance to most of anything you want to see in Cape May, and their shower facilities ROCK. They are without a doubt, the best shower and laundry facilities of any marina on the East Coast.

We had read that they were the best, and now we got to experience this first class set up.  We have stayed in hotels that were not this nice, and these are definitely nicer than the ones in most people’s homes. After yesterday’s harrowing experience, we welcomed this little bit of pampering.   We also noticed that this is where all the “big boys” pull in, and there were plenty of big yachts that docked here too.

Earlier in the day we had met a couple whose boat was a few slips away from us; they were on a Sabre 38 (Sabre owns Back Cove). Bob and Ginny (“Quattro”) are from Newburyport, MA and they used to have a Back Cove. Their boat is so named because they have 4 grandchildren, but recently learned that #5 is on the way; they are refusing to rename the boat.  We went to dinner with them at a place across the street from the marina called Lucky Bones. It was good and we had a nice time getting to know them and discussing their (come to find out) purchases of several Back Cove/Sabre boats over a handful of years. Additionally we learned that Bob was in medical device manufacturing and he and Denise had a lot to discuss.

Friday, 6/5/15 – We woke up to cold, rainy weather and the wind blowing like crazy.  We spent the rest of the day trying to figure out our next steps. It was clear that the weather was not going to be favorable for a few days and we needed to rethink our plans to get up the coast of NJ and into NY. Denise had to fly to Houston on Monday and we needed to make sure there was a place for Mark to stay with the boat.  With two days left to go if there was a chance to get to Staten Island, NY we really wanted to be there. It would offer easier access to an airport and get us back on our original schedule.  We researched and looked at all the options, including taking the slower, shallower route up the NJ ICW. We asked the opinion of a local fishing Captain (“I would never take my boat up the inner route”) and if we got it to Atlantic City where would he stay (he wouldn’t – too seedy a place).  We listened to an AGLCA’s podcast regarding going up the NJ ICW and it was suggested that you should never attempt it on a weekend; there are just too many boaters on the water. Here we were facing a weekend of ICW if we chose this route, and uncertain we could make the final leg into NY before Monday.

While we were sitting there discussing our options (and cussing the weather gods), we noticed looper friends Lynn & Jonathon (“Zendo”), whom we met in Norfolk were docking in the slip next to ours.  What luck!  After they got settled we had a chance to talk with them about their plans. They were leaving the next day to go the inner route (ICW) to Atlantic City, and then had to fly home to close on the house they sold in Ponte Vedra Beach. In addition to selling this house and doing the loop, they are relocating back into their old house in Miami.  What a challenge they have.   They had come from Delaware City, across the Delaware Bay that morning and had a rough ride. Fortunately for them they made the passage with another boat and had not had engine issues like we did.  They introduced us to Cornell & Alice (“Red Ranger” – a little Ranger Tug boat – red of course) who docked a few slips away.  We had a great opportunity to discuss our plans to go north and how the weather was holding us all back.

Unfortunately, because of Denise’s work, we needed to make a decision and purchase a plane ticket so she could fly out of some nearby airport. Also, this meant Mark would have to sit somewhere for the week and not move the boat by himself. We already knew that the marina would only allow us to stay past Wednesday as they had a big shark fishing tournament starting then and they were sold out. As luck would have it, their sister marina (Canyon Cove) was only 1 mile away in the harbor and they could accommodate us for the week.  Based on that, we decided to stay in Cape May for the week, explore the area on Saturday, and move the boat to the new marina on Sunday. Then on Monday, Denise could fly to Houston from Philadelphia (1.5 hrs away). Mark got a rental car starting Saturday and will return it after taking Denise to the airport on Monday morning.

Our friends Bob and Ginny (“Quattro”) decided to rent a car and make the drive home for the weekend; coming back on Tuesday or Wednesday to move their boat further north later in the week when the weather breaks.  They had things to do at home and asked us to keep an eye on their boat.

With these affairs settled we were able to finally enjoy ourselves a little bit. After cocktails on board we joined with Lynn & Jonathon and Cornell & Alice and went to the famous “Lobster House” for dinner.  It is an institution in Cape May as they have some of the freshest fish around. The shrimp and crab boats dock right behind their restaurant, and they have a fish market in the front of the restaurant.  Our food was good, but not great, but now we can say we have been to this famous establishment.

Saturday 6/6/15 – Up at the crack of dawn with a beautiful sunrise in the making, Denise went for a run into the town of Cape May and along the shoreline.  It was amazing to see all the beautiful old Victorian homes and the famous Cape May Inn.  The asphalt boardwalk made for a very comfortable run with no cars to contend with and a beautiful flat sea to look at most of the way. There were a few runners out and a few people walking, trying to get it all in before the weather turned ugly during the day.

Because we had pristine laundry room at the marina, we chose to get a couple of loads done in the morning until the rental car from Enterprise was delivered. Then we made a run to the local Wal-Mart for a few items, but discovered a Five-Guys in the same shopping center and made it our lunch stop for the day. Of course while we were eating it started to rain and within 5 minutes it was pouring with lightning and thunderstorms.  We made our way down to Wal-Mart and hung out in the store for a while until the weather subsided. This delayed us a bit and as a result we bagged the idea of going to an afternoon movie; something we had been considering since we had the rental car.  (Thanks for the recommendations Susan G).

Instead we decided to go back to the boat and drop off our purchases and then make 4:00 pm mass at Our Lady Star of the Sea (yup, another one –seems to be the common name for catholic churches near the beach).  From there we walked down the Cape May Mall (strip of unique shops) and then around the block to Mario’s where we ordered a pizza and some delicious garlic knots. We drove around the town of Cape May a bit to see the sights.  We went by beautiful large homes right on the water that are clearly rental homes for large groups.  We also drove by the Coast Guard station which is a training center and has dorms, and around a few older neighborhoods that clearly catered to the retired crowd.

Eventually, we went back to the marina and along with a handful of other boaters crowded into the laundry room to watch the running of the Belmont Stakes on the large flat panel TV screen. It was a glorious Triple Crown victory for American Pharaoh and fun to celebrate this exciting moment with others.

Of course by now the sky had cleared up and the storms were gone, but the wind was still blowing quite a bit.  We watched several boats come into the marina and needed every amount of help to dock.  We watched one fishing boat get so turned around that the dockhands eventually had him attempt entering into a different slip on a different pier.  It was pure chaos and the dockhands earned their wages this evening. Of course all the boaters were trying to avoid hitting the large yachts, especially Aphrodite, a fully restored 1939 wooden boat located on the end of the first pier. It was a beautiful vessel docked perpendicular to our boat, so we had front-row seats to check her out.

Sunday 6/7/15 – The storms from yesterday ushered in cool weather again, so we woke up to needing sweatshirts, at least until the morning sun was able to warm things up a bit.  Although the sky was blue and there were not clouds, the wind was still blowing a bit with forecasts of increasing throughout the day.  We eventually moved the boat to Canyon Club Marina and got them to take Mark back to South Jersey Marina so he could retrieve the rental car.  Although this marina is nice and has a pool (not that we will be putting our toes in the frigid water), it is still not as nice as SJM.  We will miss the very good dockhands there, the wonderful amenities, and the closeness to the town.  It is also a huge fishing boat marina, so there are not as many cruisers to hang out with.  Mark will just have to get by!

We spent the afternoon on the boat doing work, prepping for the week ahead and making advanced reservations for marinas up the Hudson Bay (if we ever get there).  Mark talked with our new friend Bob (“Quattro) to advise him that all was well with his boat when we left, and that we had moved marinas.  They also discussed the possibility of having one of their friend’s ride along with Mark and following them north at least to Sandy Hook, should the weather window open on Wednesday as it looks like it could. Of course this will present a whole logistics issue for Denise on Friday as she will be flying into Philadelphia, but we will fix that only if Mark can get the boat up to Staten Island, and not by himself.  Also a factor in all this is that Jacob (Mark’s nephew) is supposed to be joining us for the leg up the Hudson Bay and he too will be flying into Philly and meeting up with Denise, unless we are able to reschedule his visit out a week.  Oh the joys of planning around the weather when you are on a boat!

All in all we have been pleasantly surprised with our stay in Cape May. Although it is a beach town with typical beach things (surf shops, arcades, putt-putt golf, ice cream shops, etc.) it is not as ticky-tacky as we were expecting, and in fact it is quite pretty. This is especially true in the downtown area where the Victorian homes are on tree-lined streets with beautiful gardens and parks. We found the people incredibly warm and friendly, and very welcoming. All the locals we talked to were genuinely glad we were there and were helpful at helping us find things we needed or wanted.

Tomorrow (Monday) Mark will take Denise to the airport and return the rental car.  We will have no further posts until next weekend at the earliest while we both work and try to figure out our upcoming schedule of stops. We know some of you are anxious to meet up with us and want to know when, but right now we are at the mercy of the weather and cannot predict anything until we get up to New York.

Wishing you all a terrific week and hope that you will be safe in all your adventures.

 

 

An update from our land home (5/29/15):  As most of you know we had plans to come home for a brief visit, namely to attend our Godson Rob’s High School graduation.  We flew in from Baltimore yesterday and attended the graduation ceremonies last night, amongst family members for over 650 graduates.  The place was a zoo and Denise was really longing to get back to the quiet solitude of boat-life.

Congratulations Rob, who is bound for FSU in the fall (Yeah!).

As with all our adventures, this one too has a story. But this one is not of our travels, but of what happened before we left Maryland.

The executive summary:  Our neighborhood had a power outage for over an hour one day this week, and the battery restart system was unable to restart our main computer.  Although our neighbor tried to help (thanks Kim), it was clear that our very old computer bit the dust in the process.  Fortunately, we have a pretty good back up system and it looks like we will not lose any (relevant) data. However, it has taken Mark all of today to diagnose the issue and come up with the recovery, and we are still not operational yet.  The goal is to be up and running again before Mark leaves on Sunday, and to get a new computer on order so it can be set up for our next visit.  We do have a backup server and will be moving our files to it, but that leaves us vulnerable and we don’t want that long-term.

Also placing a challenge on us was the saga of Denise’s contact lens prescription.  Long story short, the script was written (and contacts purchased) for the wrong script, which unfortunately was not detected until we were already on the trip. So, squeezed into the graduation, haircuts and family events for the short weekend was an eye doctor appointment to get it corrected and acquire sufficient lenses until more can be ordered and picked up on the next home visit.  Issue now solved!

Lastly, our mail.  The USPS has done a fine job of screwing up the forward to Elaine’s (Mark’s mom), who is doing a terrific job of handling it all for us – when she gets it. For example: we had mail post-marked 4/13 that arrived at her house this week. So, Mark went to our PO this morning and talked with the Supervisor who advised him that our mail goes first to Tampa (where the “forwarding center” is) before it gets delivered to Elaine in Oviedo and that can take 3 -5 days each way.  Talk about inefficiency!  No wonder they are going broke!  So, if you sent us something and we haven’t responded it is not that we are rude; its possible we just haven’t received it yet! (Thanks Uncle Jerry for the card and great letter). Don’t worry, eventually we will get it and then we will respond.

It sure seems like there are lots of obstacles trying to pull us away from our adventures…..but we won’t let it get the better of us. We shall overcome this and be back on the boat soon.

Have a great weekend and stay tuned for more!

Outside Baltimore, MD Here we sit at the Maryland Yacht Club thinking how lucky we are to have this great adventure.  We have been so in awe of the people we meet, and the sights we have seen.  This really is a beautiful world, especially when you can get away from the places that man has mucked up pretty good. Baltimore is one such place, but I will save that for later.  Here is the latest on our activities since we last posted from St. Michaels. Thursday (5/21/15) – St. Michaels, MD. BRRR – we woke up this morning to cold weather again!  It was 80+ degrees on Wednesday but the cool breeze turned cool with temperatures in the 50’s. To add insult to injury it was starting to sprinkle outside and the wind had picked up. As usual Denise was up when the sun came up and watched a beautiful red sky turn cloudy and grey.  All she wanted was coffee, but since there was no shore power to make the 110 electricity go, and she didn’t want to wake Mark, she did not turn on the generator. Instead she got working on the previous week’s blog post that was taking forever to complete.  The boat had swung overnight and they were now facing east with the back of the boat closer to the Inn. Twenty minutes later she noticed that the boat had gotten closer to the bulkhead by the inn; we were dragging anchor! So Mark was awaken and after several attempts at good holding we managed to get the boat re-anchored for the day. Mark went back to bed and slept for a little while longer while Denise did some work and boat clean-up.  By this time it was sprinkling pretty regularly and we noticed a few boats had left the anchorage, but a new boat was entering and anchored not too far from us. Come to find out it was our new friends from Solomon’s Island Rob & Corinne (“Ariel”). Like us, they were hunkering down to ride out what was forecasted to be a day of nasty rainy weather.

Around noon Denise was getting antsy and talked Mark into taking the dinghy into town and getting some lunch at the infamous “Crab Claw” restaurant.  She also wanted to go back to a store she saw a sweatshirt in from yesterday. So, off we went and as luck would have it, the rain started again by the time we got to the dinghy dock; we got a bit wet.  But the individual crab pizza and the seared tuna sandwich were great and we were glad we came.

The Crab Claw is an institution in St. Michaels and sits right in the main harbor overlooking the water. They are celebrating their 50^th anniversary on Friday night (tomorrow). There are festivities planned and a lobster special, but we probably will not stay as the place is supposed to be quite crowded; all the marinas are booked up with ridiculously expensive rates ($3.85/ft – with no maid service). The Maritime Museum is also celebrating its 50^th anniversary so the place will be packed. After lunch we walked back into town and found the shop where Denise bought a cute sweatshirt for a whopping $14; after all it is the end of their cold season even if we Floridians think it is still cold.  Of course on the way back to the dinghy it started to rain again, and by the time we got in it and headed back to the boat it was really coming down.  We were so thankful for the jackets we had (courtesy of WDW Marathon Volunteering) and the Columbia outdoor pants which were waterproof.  As soon as we got back to the boat, we changed and put on dry clothes and did some work.

Today was Mark’s birthday, so Denise made some brownies to celebrate. As with the cc cookies, it was another lesson in boat-oven-baking 101.  However, 1hr+ later they were finally done.  For dinner we ate leftovers, then paired the brownies with the last of the ice cream that we still had in our freezer from Spanky’s (Tangiers Island). It continued to rain into the evening and part of the night.

Friday (5/22/15) – St. Michaels to the Wye River, MD – The wind blew a last night and it was a cold. Denise was afraid the anchor was dragging again and didn’t sleep much after about 2:00 am.  Finally, at 5:00 she got up and turned on the generator as it was 49 degrees. No sleeping in-birthday reprieve for Mark.  The sun came up about 5:45 and it was a gorgeous day, even if it was a bit chilly.  After breakfast, we took the dinghy to the fuel dock to get a fill of gasoline. There we saw our friends Mark and Pam (“Sea Bear”) who were next to us in the slip in Deltaville. We talked for a while and discussed future plans in hopes of catching up again after NYC. Our plans were to stay in St. Michaels until Mark was done his 11:00 conference call as we knew it was a place where there was good cell phone coverage.  While we were waiting for the call, the anchorage started to fill up. We watched a few boats come in and anchor well, and another idiot come in and try to anchor in 3 different spots. Once the call was done and we left, he immediately moved to take our spot. There was another boat “circling” the anchorage waiting for an opening. We were glad we were leaving as it was going to get crazy! We made the short run up to the Wye River to find a quiet anchorage for the night. This river splits in two shortly after entering and we took the Northern route first.

It was big and open and we loved seeing the homes along the way. However, after a few attempts to scope out an anchorage and try a holding spot for the night, we reversed our plans and went down the Wye East River. Here we found a little cove that we had all to ourselves and offered protection from the North wind. It is expected to blow from the North about 20 kts and we wanted to not rock all night long.

This area is spectacularly beautiful and quiet. We saw a grey heron, numerous hawks and a bald eagle.  There were several other boats about a mile up the river in another cove (Shaw cove), but this one is nice and secluded; just us!  For people who never anchor out and only stay in marinas, they miss some of the best cruising grounds of the Chesapeake Bay. Here are some of our sights from the Wye River:

Saturday (5/23/15) – Kent Island (The Narrows) – The big wind expected overnight never really came (or at least we didn’t feel it) and was now delayed to occur later in the day.

Last night we had been trying to decide where best to go next; cross the Bay and move up towards Baltimore, or hang out on the Eastern Shore. One of the things weighing on our minds was trying to locate a church for Sat. evening or Sunday morning mass.  The challenge isn’t just finding a Catholic church nearby, but one we can get to by either walking, biking or catching a cab (not as easy as you think), and anchoring out would further complicate the transportation logistics.  Another consideration was that it was Memorial weekend, and marina rates would be high. But most importantly, if the wind was going to be strong, we didn’t want to be crossing the Bay in large seas – which build pretty high in the upper Bay when the wind is out of the South (like it was). So, we opted to stay on the Eastern shore and move into a (relatively speaking) cheap marina for the night at Piney Narrows Yacht Haven on Kent Island (the “Narrows”). It was only a short trip from the Wye River and since it gets light here so early, we were on our way by 9:00 am.   We arrived just after 10:00 am, got a pump out of the holding tank, and were tied up at the dock in time to have an early lunch.

Immediately, Mark made friends with people on the dock.  He met “Suzie” and “Bill” Clark, a divorced couple who still own their boat together (“Clark’s Ark”), but it serves as their “hotel” for weekend getaways. They live in separate residences in Maryland, but come to the marina where their boat is permanently docked; it never leaves. Their adult son Tim is the main reason they stay on “good terms” and share the friends that they have had for many years.  There are a handful of families that all permanently dock their boats here and who for years have gotten together every weekend all summer long. The children have all grown up together and as Tim is an only child he is very close to many of these families.

But this particular weekend was a big one for the marina. For the last 9 years they have had a Memorial Day fishing tournament, and they have a big cookout and party. They also use it as a way to honor the founder of the gathering who passed away unexpectedly a few years ago and so many of his old friends and his widow come to the celebration.  Of course they invited us, but we declined as we had plans to move on (more on this later). Later in the afternoon, we were considering the options for getting to church – 3 miles away.  Denise had proposed that we borrow a bicycle and ride to mass (we have one bike on the boat).  So she went and asked Suzie if she knew where we could borrow a bike, as it appeared this marina did not have any to rent/lend.  Working with Suzie she secured a bike we could use to hit the 5:00 pm mass. Denise returned to the boat all excited, only to be met with Mark’s reluctance to get sweaty riding a bike to church.  Instead, Suzie insisted we take her car and we eventually took her up on her offer. Now here is a woman who met us less than 4 hours ago offering us her car….it gets better.

We returned from church and were trying to figure out what to do for dinner. We went to return the car keys to Suzie, but Bill reported that she and Tim had taken his boat across the river to get some appetizers and drinks. We inquired about the restaurants in the area and he told us all the good places to eat were about 1 mile away, across the river. He then offered to take us there and we could bum a ride home on their boat if we wanted.  Which is exactly what we did.

We met up with Suzie, Tim & his fiancée (Rachel) at the “Fisherman’s Crab House” and had some great shrimp & crab nachos, as well as a round of drinks.  This is a very casual open-air restaurant that overlooks the river and has a small marina that you can “boat in” for dining. So after some good eating, a round of drinks, and getting to know each other better, we picked up the tab and rode back to our marina in Tim’s boat.  We had a great time and really consider ourselves lucky to have met such wonderfully warm and hospitable people.

We really wanted to stay another day, and enjoy the party this marina was getting ready to throw. However, the weather forecast for the coming days did not look great for crossing the Chesapeake Bay, so we took the “best day” option (15 – 20 kts), which meant leaving on Sunday morning. Other sights from “the Narrows”:

Sunday (5/24/15) – Stony Creek, MD – The morning came with some wind, but not big gusts as was originally thought. We had boat chores to do and wanted to maximize the internet connection and benefits of a marina, so we waited until the last possible moment to leave. Denise managed to get in a run and take a few of the above pictures before we headed out of town. Like hotels, marinas do have a “check out” time and really want you off the dock if you are not staying for another night.  We had already made the decision to anchor out tonight, so we untied our dock lines and headed for our next destination. But first we had to get away from Kent Island and the area known as “the narrows”. There is a reason why it is called this.  The channel to the North that takes you out to the Chesapeake Bay is very narrow; nearly two boat widths apart, and is heavily traveled.  We passed through there and it reminded us of rush hour on I-4 in Orlando. This was harrowing as it is very shallow if you get outside the channel, and with the boats passing and the wind kicking up the waves, it is a bit tedious to stay on course.  Fortunately, it is not long and within 20 minutes we were on the Bay in what was probably the busiest boating day we have seen on the Chesapeake since we started on it in Norfolk.

We headed northwest across the Chesapeake Bay to the entrance of the Patapsco River. If we were to continue in this direction we would go into Baltimore Harbor, but we were not ready to go there yet. Instead we turned up Stony Creek, one of three tributaries that dump into the Patapsco at its southern end.

Here we found a nice anchorage in Big Burley cove. This is a small cove that is mostly surrounded by homes on one side, and a forested area on low cliffs on the other side. Towards the back of the cove is a point of land that jets out a bit, and on it sits a wedding hall known as “Bleues on the Water”.

We anchored near the center of the cove, not far from the only other boat which eventually left in late afternoon.  Here we settled in to watch as the venue prepared for what was going to be a wedding for which we had front row seats.  It was terrific fun and we were able to hear just enough (thanks to their PA system). Naturally, when the big kiss came, we honked the boat horn in celebration.  There were two other small boats that came in to watch and they honked too…what a hoot! Other sights from here:

Monday (5/25/15) Baltimore, MD – Memorial Day – We awoke at the crack of dawn to a very calm anchorage. There was not even a ripple on the water and as the wind was scheduled to dramatically pick up during the day, we left to make our way up the Patapsco River and into Baltimore Harbor.

One of the coolest things about this cruise today was going under the Francis Scott Key Bridge which signifies the entrance into the Baltimore Harbor.  Of course we all know that Mr. Key wrote the lyrics to the Star Spangled Banner. His inspiration came as he was on a ship in the harbor sent to meet the British and negotiate a prisoner exchange during the War of 1812. The British were hammering Ft. McHenry and Mr. Key watched in horror through the night, awaiting to see the outcome.  In the morning during “dawns early light” he saw the hoisting of the US Flag, indicating that the US held back the British navy and prevented them from taking over Baltimore.  Today, during the summer months, there is a buoy that is placed just west of the bridge in the harbor and in the location where Francis Scott Key’s boat had been.  It is about 2 miles from Ft. McHenry and was amazing to be on the water as he was looking at the fort.

Since it was still pretty early (9:00 am) and very calm waters, we decided to take our boat all the way up the to the Inner Harbor before things got really busy with boat traffic.  It was a good move and we got to see this area before the crazy boaters, water taxis, tourist boats, container ships and barges churned up the water and created chaos.  We shot some beautiful pictures of the Baltimore skyline and got to see it in its quiet state.  However, we were also able to witness how very trashy the harbor waters are, as there is lots of debris everywhere.

We had been “marina shopping” to see what would be the best and most affordable place to stay, but still be close enough to easily get to the things in the harbor.  We settled on “Crescent Marina”, which is really not a marina, but docks that belong to a condominium that are sitting vacant and thus are for rent.  The nice cheap rate ($1.50 per foot +$10 for electricity) entitled us to nothing but a tie-up and water; no showers, captains’ lounge, etc.  But, it was a lot cheaper than the $2.75/ft all the other marina’s wanted. Pat the dock master was very friendly, courteous and informative.

The nice thing about our marina was the location; an area known as Fells Point. It was not directly in the Inner Harbor, but a short walk from the water taxi stop that could take you to any of the venues in the Inner Harbor and the surrounding neighborhoods.

After getting the boat settled we grabbed a water taxi out to Ft. McHenry.  Now grateful for the annual National Park Pass we got at Yorktown as we now have recouped our initial investment and all future park visits will be free.  The fort is massive and quite impressive, especially considering how old it is.  In a lot of ways it reminds us of the fort in St. Augustine, and they have staff dressed in period costumes walking the grounds. They perform various re-enactments throughout the day, including raising the flag (s) for which there are actually 4 different sizes that get flown over the fort.  The biggest one that is the same size of the actual one Mr. Key saw is huge (20’ x 40’) and is only flown in the calmest of winds.  While we were there they were removing the second largest and putting up a smaller one as the winds had increased dramatically.

We took the water taxi back to the Fells Point terminal, switched to another water taxi and went into the Inner Harbor.  The place was very crowded with street performers and lots of people all around.  It being a holiday and beautiful weather, everyone was out on the streets and walkways – locals as well as tourists. The restaurants were crowded, but not full up, and there were a lot of touristy water craft available for rent. While there is much to see here, we felt 100% of it is very touristy and overpriced.  The science center was on the other side of the harbor, and we really didn’t have time to do it justice, and for us (being from FL) we did not think the Aquarium was worth the time and $$.  Everything else revolves around shopping or eating. We grabbed a quick appetizer for a late lunch at Cheesecake factory, and then took the water taxi back to Fells Point and walked the neighborhood a bit; scoping out a possible location for dinner. We were in need of milk for breakfast and there is a Safeway grocery store in the Canton neighborhood a short distance from our boat. So we decided to find a restaurant near there for dinner, then go to the grocery store afterwards.  We dined on pizza and salad at a great “locals” place (“Verde”) that was delicious, then walked to the store and then back to our boat for the night.

All-in-all it was a very fun day, with a lot of walking and great experiences, but we both agreed we did not want to stay another day in Baltimore. We are glad we came, but we felt the west side of town (near Camden Yards & the ball field) was off limits due to the recent disturbances, and the “up and coming” neighborhoods of Fells Point and Camden weren’t that great. That evening the wind was really howling and we were rocking in the boat quite a bit, so we knew we were leaving as soon as possible in the morning; which we did. Tuesday (5/26/15) – Maryland Yacht Club (MYC)– Rock Creek- We had made prior arrangements to have the boat in this marina while we fly home for Rob’s graduation.  The AGLCA member (Greg) who is the Baltimore Harbor Host is a member of this yacht club and keeps his boat here.  He had given us a drastically reduced rate and promised to keep an eye on it for us.  However, we had originally planned to be there on Wednesday, not Tuesday.  Mark called ahead and they were willing to let us come in early anyway, which is what we did. The sail from Fells Point to MYC was short, and we pulled up to the fuel dock within 90 minutes.  We filled the boat up with fuel, then Mark backed the boat into the marina slip and we tied her up for the week.  After showers and checking in, we settled into work and conference calls that had been previously scheduled. The good thing about marinas is that they usually don’t complain if you want to ‘check-in’ early (unlike hotels).  It is especially helpful if you drop a few hundred dollars buying diesel fuel from them.

In the afternoon we needed to decide what to do about dinner. The area that MYC is in is very residential with few restaurants, none within walking distance. A bike ride was considered but there was no one to bum a second bike from, and the “delivery” options from local places was limited to Chinese.  The club has a restaurant, but it is only open for dinner certain nights of the week and Tuesday is not one of them. So, we broke into our “emergency dinner” provisions; pasta and home-made marinara sauce.  This was the second meal from our jar and so we now have to get more from our stock when we are home.  Knowing we are leaving, we have not been stocking the fridge and so our choices for dinner are now nonexistent. This marina is extremely quiet and there are little to no cruisers around right now; it is too early in the season. There are several people who live aboard, but most have kept to themselves.  Later in the day we met Scott (sorry no picture) who pulled his sailboat (“Irish Memories”) into the slip next to ours.  He is a widower with 4 adult kids and is from Ohio. He is keeping his boat in Maryland for the summer and will be doing some major repairs in the boatyard further up the creek. Wednesday 5/27/15) – MYC – The day began with what looked like storming clouds. Rain and thunderstorms had been predicted, but they seemed to have disappeared by 6:30. So Denise went for a run and to check out the surrounding area. After photographing some Canadian geese pooping all over the grass, and rescuing a turtle trying to cross the road, she ran past a house being torn down making way for a new mc-mansion on the waterfront.  She also confirmed that the decision to eat on board last night was a good one as a 3-mile bike ride would have been on a busy street with no shoulder in which to ride.

We spent most of the day working and setting up for activities when we are home.  We also began packing and arranging for the cab ride to the (BWI) airport.  At the end of the day we went up to the MYC for dinner and had a good meal at a reasonable price (Denise had Salmon and Mark had the burger in case you were interested). The marina is preparing for its grand opening weekend next weekend (6/5 and 6/6), so there is lots of maintenance activity going on.  The funniest one for us to watch is the filling of their swimming pool.  Being from FL, we all know that if you pool needs water you put your garden hose in the pool and turn it on. Here, they cannot do that; they have to have trucks deliver the water in tankers.  They started this early in the morning and by 7:30 at night they were still trying to fill the club pool.  What a sight!

Other pictures from this area:

Tomorrow morning we will be up early to catch our flight home, and therefore there will be no more posting until we are back on the boat on 6/3. Stay tuned for more!

Every time we meet someone who is or has been on the Great Loop the one thing they all seem to say is that it is all about the people you meet.  Even though we are only 6 weeks into this adventure, we agree. As you will see from this post, not a day goes by that we have not met someone who has fascinated, amused, impressed, intrigued,  or informed us.  It is all about the people and we have spent so much time with people that we have neglected this blog post. It is a long one, so sit back and enjoy!

Annapolis, MD & St. Michaels, MD

Several years ago when Mark and I visited Annapolis we talked of one day taking our own boat here. Well, that day came and we could not have picked a better time to be there.  It is Commissioning Week (Graduation) for the Naval Academy Midshipmen and there is so much going on. Of course it is crowded and the marina fees are astronomical, but we decided to splurge.  Our plan was to get there and get out by Memorial Weekend when all things get really crazy, as if they are not already.

However, before we report on all the fun stuff in Annapolis, there is all the adventures leading up to getting here. We have been trying to strike a balance between moving the boat to the next port, meeting people, enjoying the sites, and working like crazy. Denise had another prospect contact her for more work and Mark is trying to get some projects closed and invoices paid.  Hopefully, our future weeks won’t be quite so busy and we can spend more of time enjoying the journey.

Here is a rundown of our activities over the last week or so.

Wednesday (5/13/15) – Wasting away in Deltaville:  We were planning to leave after Denise’s webinar yesterday, but we had a change of plans. Although it was a sunny day, the wind was still blowing quite a bit so we decided to sit tight and enjoy all that Deltaville had to offer.

After a short morning run by Denise, and calls with clients for Mark, we used the courtesy car to go into the town of Deltaville to pick up a few things at the grocery store. We also stopped at the local ACE hardware store that sells EVERYTHING – kind of like Miller’s in Winter Park.  It is now Denise’s favorite type of store to visit whenever we enter a new town.

In the afternoon we visited with some of the other Loopers in the marina to discuss plans for moving on.  We spoke with John (“Endeavour”) who attempted to leave that morning, but turned around at the entrance to the Chesapeake as he was getting beat up pretty badly.  Our new friends Paula and Jim (“Palmetto Paradise”) left because they are trying to get up to New York as soon as possible and have done parts of the Chesapeake already. We later caught up with them in Solomon’s Island and they told us we were smart to have stayed in port as it was very rough on the bay.

We decided to cook on the boat tonight and Denise made her famous enchiladas which we love when we are home. However, the corn tortillas were not the same as the one’s used at home, and it was quite a challenge. The food was still good, but we learned a valuable lesson: not all products are alike (lesson #1 of the day).

We also made some Nestlé’s toll house (chocolate chip) cookies. Those of you that know Mark, know that this is his favorite cookie to make and he is a whiz at it in our home oven.  However, without a mixer and all our “tools” we opted for the prepackaged cookie dough found in the dairy section of the grocery store.  Since we have a microwave-convection oven on the boat, and we know the roasting works great, but we thought the same rules applied for using the convection- bake feature as our home oven (mistake #2).  After 30 minutes and several thermostat adjustments we finally had a half-decent batch, but not enough to share with the other cruisers as was our original intent.  Some of these were ok and went into the fridge for future nights; others made it into the trash.  After that we called it a day and looked forward to tomorrow’s adventures.

Thursday (5/14): We knew the wind was still blowing, but it was considerably calmer and was supposed to die down even more as the day wore one. Finally, at 12:30 we untied the lines in Deltaville and bid Dozier’s and the other remaining cruisers a farewell. John (“Endeavour”) had already left, and Pam & Mark (“Sea Bear”) were heading out after they got a pump-out.

We cruised the 24.1 n miles to Tangier’s Island without much fan-fare in a light chop. We encountered one slow moving tug pushing a barge (“Capt. Ted”) that we could see for miles, but other than that and a few pleasure boats, the bay crossing was uneventful.

We arrived at Tangier’s Island around 2:30 and we were greeted by the infamous Milton Parks (aka “Mr. Parks”).

He is a long-time marina owner and a native of the island with a reputation for telling you EXACTLY how to bring your boat in to the marina. There is a swift current so he will guide you and help you tie up without incident.  Mark did as he said and put us comfortably in a slip right near the restroom/showers.

While the marina is nothing to shake a stick at and is quite rustic, it is very clean, convenient, cheap ($35/night), and has good electricity. Unfortunately, as some of you may have experienced, we had little cell phone coverage or internet. Fortunately, we were only staying overnight, so it was not a big deal.

Mr. Parks is a very gracious host and took us on a tour of downtown Tangier – in his golf cart. It is the only real method of transportation on the island, and everyone drives them.  The Maritime museum and two of the restaurants were closed as it is not yet “tourist season”, and the ferry had already left for the day. But, he still gave us a grand tour and explained that on the island he calls all the guys “George” and all the women “Love”.

Mr. Park’s is a widower and lives right at the marina in a nice brick home. He takes care of 15 cats that hang out on his front porch or around his house. They have all been “fixed”, but they still seem to be growing in numbers. When he pulls up in his golf cart they come out to greet him and jump in if you have vacated the seat.  It is a hoot to watch.

After a quick tour of the island and a few boat chores, we walked to “Lorraine’s” for the requisite crab cake dinner (after all we are in the Chesapeake Bay).

There were a couple of guys on a sailboat who came in behind us at Park’s Marina, and a few locals, but less than 10 people in the restaurant. Also present however, were a couple of women who are an advanced research team (and photojournalists) for a company called Blackfin Productions. They are doing research and initial footage on a series about eroding shorelines and the impact on the people who live there. They are looking to sell this idea to one of the Nat Geo companies (Animal Planet, NatGeo, Discovery, etc.) as they have most recently for other series. We had a great conversation about other projects they have worked on, Ireland (where one was from), and other places they may consider visiting. It was very cool talking to these women and hearing of their adventures.

After dinner we walked down to “Spanky’s Place” for some ice cream and got to experience the locals at play.

Around the back of the (Methodist) church is a playground where you could hear the kids swinging, laughing and experiencing life as it once was for many of us.

Going to Tangier Island may very well be one of the highlights of the Chesapeake Bay. It is like stepping back in time and experiencing a lifestyle that is simple and pure. The people are very friendly and happy, and they are very self-reliant. Less than 650 people now live on the island; most of them are “watermen”; working to make a living off of the Bay in the crab or fishing industry. It is a dying profession and the island is shrinking and displacing many families. Therefore, the interest by the woman from Blackfin.  There are so many other crazy things about this place (like how people have graves in their front yards – but now have to go off-Island to be buried because there is no more space). This is a fascinating place and we thank Chris Campbell for encouraging us to cross the Bay to come here.  For more information on this beautiful place, check out Tangiers Island.

Here are some of the other sights on Tangier’s:

Friday (5/15) – It was a beautiful morning and we woke up to chirping birds and a gorgeous sky. Since we were both awake early, we left Tangier Island at 7:30 and headed out back to the western shore bound for Solomon’s Island.  Sometime around an hour later we entered the state of Maryland – but it is not like you come across a Welcome Center in the middle of the Chesapeake –it is all based on your Latitude & Longitude and we were not really keeping track at this point.  In this part of the Bay, the eastern and western shorelines come closer together and so crossing the bay is nowhere near as long as it is further south (like around Norfolk).  And yes, Jeanne, we can still see land…..that is unless there is fog!

There were two interesting sightings during this passage across the bay.

The first is an old navy Liberty Ship that is “sunk” in the water, You have to pay attention to the Securite’ that may be issued by the Coast Guard, as the Navy will use it frequently for target practice during training events. As the “Notice to Mariners” advises, you have to stay at least a quarter mile away from it as there are several other sunken vessels that did not pay attention and ran aground on the shoal in which it sits.

The second event was being buzzed by an FA-18 jet that was doing “touch & go’s” at the NAS PAX (Patuxent Naval Air Station). NAS PAX is located on the southern point as you enter the Patuxent River (aka PAX River) off of the Chesapeake. Solomon’s Island is located up the river about 5 miles and is a tourist spot with lots of history.

It took us just under 3 hours to pull into Calvert’s Marina. We chose them as they are a BoatUS partner and offer an excellent rate for members.  Its location is up the Back Creek River and not on the side of the river where the spit of land forms the peninsula into the Patuxent River.  This was actually a good thing as we avoided a lot of the touristy areas. When Denise pulled the boat into the marina, we were on a long dock right in front of our friends Jim and Paula (“Palmetto Paradise”) and later John (“Endeavour”) whom we met in Deltaville.  Of course she did a great job of docking the boat and it was nice to have friendly faces to hand dock lines to.

After checking into the marina and getting the lay of the land, Mark washed the boat while Denise vacuumed and straightened up the inside.  We had been invited to a looper Pot Luck by Paula & Jim so Denise made a salad with the remaining spinach from the Yorktown Farmer’s Market that was still fresh.  We all gathered together at the picnic tables near our dock at around 6 pm. It was Paul & Jim, as well as John, and we got to meet a new couple – Rob & Corrine (“Ariel”) whose boat we had passed a few times in the Carolina’s.

We had a great time getting to know each other a little better, telling boating stories and sharing our plans until the no-see-ums started to get at us; at which time we headed back to our respective boats for the evening.

Saturday (5/16) – Solomon’s Island: Denise was up at the crack of dawn and took off for a short run from the marina in one of the hottest days we have yet to have on the trip. It felt like a Florida summer day. Although the road had no sidewalk most of the way and she was forced to run on the shoulder, there was no traffic except for a few fisherman headed to their boats for a day on the water.  Solomon’s was the initial amphibious training grounds for the Navy and there is a signpost attesting to it at the entrance to the marina from the main road. This was one of the many things that was discovered during the run, along with the new home developments going in all over. It is too bad because right now it is still pretty much an old boat repair and marina-oriented part of the Island, away from the touristy area facing the Patuxent River.

We started the day borrowing the marina courtesy car to go get a spare oil filter for the boat.  While we were not 100% sure that we needed it, Mark had noticed the oil pressure had increased slightly, albeit still within appropriate operating range. One suggestion for resolving this is to replace the oil filter; which would also mean an oil change.  Since we had a complete engine maintenance done on the boat before we left (with the requisite oil change), we did not feel this was an urgent issue, but still wanted a back-up just in case.  And of course, we did not get this item (as well as a few other spare parts) purchased before leaving for our adventure, and now we felt like it would be prudent to make sure we had one on board.  The problem is that you just can’t walk into a Wal-Mart and buy an oil filter for a Cummins 600 hp diesel engine.

So, Mark went internet-shopping and determined we could buy one (equivalent substitute) at the NAPA Auto Parts store by the PAX Air base. However, the air base is on the other side of the PAX River and the marina does not allow their loaner car to go there.  We went anyway (sometimes it is better to ask forgiveness then permission).

The car ride itself was an adventure. First of all the car was a definite “beater” albeit a Mercedes Benz – (circa late-1980s) and had over 250,000 miles on the odometer which has stopped working.  All of the seat adjustment buttons were missing completely and the AC only blew hot air. But the scariest part was that you had to hold the ignition for about 10 seconds while the car turned over and finally started. Needless to say Denise was nervous that the car would not start again once we got it going and refused to turn it off. So when we got to the store, Mark had to run in and buy the filter (and oil) while Denise was waiting in the running car with the not-working ac blowing hot air – which was better than nothing.  We were taking no chances that the car would die when we were on the “wrong side of the river” and have to call the marina for a tow.  Fortunately, we got back over the river and stopped twice (grocery & liquor store), turning the car off and having it start successfully when we were done.

Once back at the marina, we went for a ride in the dinghy. First we cruised around the lower part of Back Creek, scoping out the other boats and marinas, as well as the eating & drinking establishments along the water.

While these face out over the water, they are really on the very narrow part of the peninsula with their front doors on the main street running along the PAX Riverwalk. We tied up at the city dinghy dock and walked along the PAX Riverwalk until finding a lunch location.

Afterwards, we went through some of the shops along the main street. We discovered one art studio that had some really great photography digitally transferred to canvas and other medium. While we were considering the purchase of an (astronomically expensive) pillow, the owner/artist came in.

We had a chance to talk with him for a bit and he told us he had only been doing photography for 4 years. He quit his corporate sales job to pursue this and had no knowledge of his talent until he got into it.  He is very good and is a Ducks Unlimited Artist for his shooting of crabs on the beach. His website is here, but does not reflect all of his work, nor how good it really is. We did not buy the pillow, but will consider it and his other works when we redo our home in a beach motif next year. When we were done here we walked to the other end of the River walk, took some pictures, and then headed back to the dinghy.

Once back on the water we cruised along other parts of Back Creek and through several other marina’s. It was in one such location that we met loopers Joel Davis & Sarah Shed (“Snow Goose”) who were from Maine. They were flying their “AGLCA” burgee and so we stopped and talked to them to share stories and our respective looping plans.  They are a retired couple (as most are) and they are taking their time on their adventure and plan to spend lots of time in Solomon’s, so it is unlikely we will see them in our travels. We bid them farewell and continued to explore other parts of Back Creek before heading back to our marina.

Later that afternoon we borrowed the loaner car again and attended 4:00 pm mass at “Our Lady Star of the Sea”.

As the marina normally doesn’t loan it out once the office closes at 5:00, we were granted a reprieve since we were going to church. We were told to just drop the keys in the office mail slot when we return, which we did. Life in these parts is so refreshingly different! We think they liked the fact that we had actually put fuel in it earlier in the day when we didn’t have to.  Fortunately, the car started and got us to and from church without incident.

When we got back to the boat, we had drinks with John (“Endeavour”) before bidding him goodbye. He was staying in Solomon’s another day before heading to Annapolis where his boat will be put up for sale. He will be returning to his home in Atlanta to spend time doing other things with his wife. He is a very funny guy and we really enjoyed getting to know him over the last week or so.

Other pictures from Solomon’s:

Sunday (5/17) – On to Annapolis: Our friends Paula and Jim left at the crack of dawn as they wanted to get up to Annapolis early. They were really hoping to get a mooring ball in the Annapolis Harbor, which are available on a first-come, first serve basis.  We left Solomon’s about two hours later, but first we had to make a stop at the fuel dock for a complete fill-up. One thing is for sure; the further north we go, the more expensive diesel fuel and marinas are becoming. We will definitely be spending more nights on a mooring ball or at anchorage and we wanted to top off our tank before heading into higher prices in MD, NJ & NY.

Motoring on the Chesapeake today was different than any day we have had so far. First of all, there was a slight drizzle when we started out, but it quickly stopped, even before leaving the PAX River. But the sky remained cloudy & overcast and the Bay was as flat as a pancake. There was no wind and it was a bit foggy in parts.

One of the first things we encountered was the liquid natural gas platform off the coast of Cove Point. This is a huge superstructure platform that sits close to shore, but is not connected to it – giving the appearance that it is in the middle of the bay.  It is a quite large and is visible for miles.

Shortly after this, we came through what was obviously a large fishing tournament. There must have been 100 boats all with lines in the water and in the very middle of the main shipping channel. At first it appeared that all the boats were trailing a net of sorts, but we later figured out that it was a type of indicator for where their lines were in the water.  It was a bit of a challenge to make sure we did not cut across the lines on a few boats that were very close together.

Add to that the fact that we were dancing down the shipping channel with a large ship (“Empire State”) that was going just slightly slower than our boat, but on a similar course.  With all the course changes on our part in order to dodge the fishing boats, it made for some interesting times. That is until the ship completely changed its course for another destination. Shortly thereafter we passed a Maersk ship (the “Kalamata”); the same shipping line hijacked as shown in the movie “Captain Phillips” (but that one was the “Alabama”).

But perhaps the most interesting and exciting part of the trip was passing by the “Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse”.

This is a very famous lighthouse, and the one most people associate with the Chesapeake Bay. It was a thrill to go past it and see it in real life.  Susan G., here is another one you will want to add to your collection.

At the same time we came close to our friends Kathy & Kenny Walker (“No Zip Code”) who we last saw in Deltaville. We shot some pictures of their boat under way and will send them to their email when we get a chance.

Shortly thereafter we came upon the mouth of the Severn River, which is the home of the Naval Academy and the town of Annapolis. Coming into Annapolis on our own boat was such a treat and we were met with a plethora of boats out for what turned out to be a beautiful day on the water.  There was a sailboat race right at the entrance, and it included the little Optimist International Prams; a boat Mark first learned to sail in many years ago.

We had reserved a slip in the Yacht Basin marina a few days before, and once we negotiated the anchorage and mooring field, we pulled into our slip.  The marina is on Spa Creek which is right in the heart of Annapolis and backed up to the Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC).

It was a nice place in a good location to both shopping and dining.  Our primary reason for choosing to be in a marina was that we needed to do laundry and knew we would want to have easy access to the dining and shopping.  Of course this came with a hefty price tag ($2.75 per foot/day, + $18/day electricity) and we originally committed to two nights, but ended up staying through Wednesday (more on this later).

Once settled in and got our showers, we went for an early dinner as we had skipped lunch.  We got a recommendation by the dock master and it was later reinforced by Claire (sister) who had also dined there before. “The Boatyard” was located in Eastport, a neighborhood just over the bridge from downtown Annapolis. Most of the restaurants on the Eastport side of the harbor overlook all the boats and marinas, but The Boatyard does not. Instead it is known for its excellent seafood and crab cakes, not the view.  Even though it was crowded, we got seated right away and had the best crab cake sandwiches we have ever had. They were baked not fried, and they were 99% crab meat – no filler. If you ever get to Annapolis, this is the place to eat!

After dinner we walked back over the bridge and all around the downtown Annapolis waterfront. There were a lot of people out and about as it was a nice night, including all the Midshipmen. Classes and exams are over at the Academy so all the Midshipmen get to go out at night and many have family in town. They all stick around until the graduation, and for the whole week of celebration.

Monday (5/18): Denise decided to go for a run and explore Eastport a little further. We were not familiar with this area as past visits had us explore the streets around the Academy and the town circle.  It ended up being a very fun run through a mostly tree-lined residential area. The exception were all the marinas that are on the opposite side of this peninsula from the Annapolis harbor side.  This body of water is Back Creek (also – yes, it seems like every town has a Back Creek).

In the morning, we introduced ourselves to Gold Loopers Mark & Pat Chamberlain (“Catrina”) who were several slips away from our boat in the same marina.  As of last Friday they closed on their house in Illinois and now live aboard their boat; that is when they are not RVing or traveling to see their kids in FL or IL.  It was then that we learned their son (Ryan) was the #6 pilot for the Blue Angels. They were awaiting his arrival in town as the team would be performing on Wednesday for the Academy Graduation. They had plans to take him and some friends out on the boat for a few hours later in the evening.  They follow him around to various air shows when they can as it is a special treat to watch him fly.

Denise spent the rest of the morning preparing for and then delivering a web-based sales presentation to a prospect, along with one of our associates who lives in Michigan. Things went well but we won’t know anything for a few more weeks.  Then, Mark had to make some work-related phone calls, and Denise wanted to seize the opportunity to find a gift for Mark’s upcoming birthday.  So, off to the shops of Annapolis while Mark worked. She also explored the campus of St. Mary’s Elementary and High schools that were right near the marina.

We decided to go out to dinner to a place in Eastport called Dave’s Pub. It’s a small “locals joint” that had been featured on the TV show “Diners, Drive-ins & Dives” because of their fresh seafood.  It was delicious and we found the prices to be quite reasonable.  While we were there we sat near and had the chance to talk to four Midshipmen; one of whom was lucky enough to be chosen from the enlisted ranks to attend the Academy.  His sport of choice (they are required to have one) is sailing and he has the sunburn nose to prove it.  They were friendly, courteous, and impressive gentlemen and we were thrilled to talk to them.

After dinner Denise took Mark around several of the areas she had run earlier that day so he could see the cute houses as well as other interesting points.  When we arrived back in the marina, Ryan was leaving his parents boat with his friends, all of whom are part of the Blue Angels team.  We had a chance to talk with them for a few minutes, including #1 Pilot and the only female of the team (Corrie) who is the “event coordinator”.  It was very cool and they were super nice about sharing information with us. The one thing they did emphasize was that we needed to stay and at least watch their rehearsal performance scheduled for the next day.

Tuesday (5/19): We were undecided if we should leave the marina today, or stay one more night and watch the rehearsal performance of the Blue Angels scheduled for 2:00. If we left we could go anchor out up the Severn River, but would have to be there before 10:00 when the 1 mile stretch is closed in preparation for the airshow. The mooring balls in the main harbor were now all filled and so that was no longer an option for us. Although we both had seen the Blue Angels numerous times, now that we had met several of the pilots we knew we had to stay in Annapolis at least for the rehearsal show.  So that is exactly what we did.

Denise decided to use the time before the show to work on this blog posting and got all the pictures downloaded and captioned. That is until she got interrupted. Around 11:00 we could hear the jets in the air as the first group began their practice fly-bys.  There was little stunts at this point and only 3 of the jets were flying; we later learned that 4 usually go up, but there was a mechanical issue so it was not part of this practice. They continued with the exercises for about an hour and half and then took a break before the 2:00 show.

We grabbed a quick lunch and then went back out to the first dock in the marina for nearly front row seats to all the action. Never have we been so close or been so deafened by the noise of afterburners. For 45 minutes we watched the spectacular airshow and were thrilled.  It was a big rush and we were glad we stayed, even if it was just the rehearsal.

Here are some of the sights from our front-row seats:

We hung out around the marina most of the afternoon talking to other boaters. We talked with Sandy & Chuck (“Holiday”) on their 65’Marlow. Denise had met Sandy earlier when she was walking their beautiful dog (a Welsh springer spaniel).  Although they are from Aspen, CO, they now live aboard their boat 8 months out of the year. Sandy told Denise that ever since they legalized marijuana in Colorado, Aspen now has 4 growers and the whole town smells like marijuana. They can no longer stand to live there most of the time, so they are headed north to New England for the rest of the summer.

Late in the afternoon Mark & Pat (“Catrina”) stopped by on their way back from the airshow. As parents of a Blue Angel, they had VIP seating and were invited to several special events.  They stopped and talked with us for over an hour and they shared more information about the Blue Angels; how they operate, tenure for the pilots, etc. We shared our respective family information and discussed our looping plans. They were the most wonderful people and we feel like we have met new lifelong friends already.

By then it was getting late so Mark and I walked down to the center of town and ate dinner at the Federal House, followed by an ice cream at Storm Brothers; a locally owned ice cream shop right near the Academy visitors entrance gate.  We walked around the grounds up to the visitor’s center and encountered a Midshipmen who stopped and talked to us for a bit. He was graduating this week and was headed to Quantico as he was being commissioned into the US Marines. OORAH!

Here are some other sights from our time in Annapolis:

Wednesday (5/20) to St. Michaels: This morning we bid goodbye to Annapolis and motored our way East back across the Bay (again) to St. Michaels where we intend to anchor out for a few days.

We had been watching the weather and knew that the wind was going to pick up overnight, which it did. It was still blowing a bit when we left Annapolis and there was a good chop on the Bay, but it only took us two hours to make our voyage and it wasn’t too bad. The boat and crew handled it well.  Of course the boat is now covered in salt and, since we are not in a marina we will have to wait to wash it all off, or until it rains (which it is supposed to do tomorrow all day).

The town of St. Michaels has a lot of restaurants, interesting shops and a few art galleries. In a way it reminds us a lot like Boca Grande.  It also has a maritime museum which we are going to try and go to tomorrow. There are several Bed & Breakfast places with beautiful gardens as well.

Outside of the town is a resort called the “Inn at Perry Cabin” that sits on a piece of land that was an original land grant from the English Crown to the new world. The resort was used to film the wedding reception scene in the movie “Wedding Crashers”. For us, it is the view out of our boat window as the anchorage is right off of its point.

This afternoon we used the dinghy to go ashore and explore as well as pick up a few things at the grocery store. Before we left, we were visited by the owner of a sailboat (“Freebird”) anchored near us. “Dave” stopped by to introduce himself as he saw our AGLCA burgee and wanted to talk about the loop. He and his wife (Karen) completed it in 3 years and now cruise the Chesapeake Bay all summer. He invited us for drinks later aboard their boat and to meet his wife. So at 5:30 we joined them to hear their stories and some great suggestions, particularly about Canada. They were warm and gracious hosts and we have now made new friends.

We got back to our boat and whipped up a quick dinner of chicken shish kabobs and rice, topped off with a small batch of Nestlé’s Toll House cookies.

We are happy to report that this batch came out much better than the one last week, and we now have a handle on the convection baking part of our oven.

Other sights from St. Michael’s include:

Tomorrow we plan on going into town and having lunch at the Crab Claw restaurant. However, it is supposed to rain and that may keep us boat-bound.  We’ll just have to see….and you will read all about it very soon.

It is now time to get this very long blog posted and go meet some more interesting, fun, kind and friendly people.