Island Office

We are back on our Island Office after a whirlwind of a weekend at home in Winter Park. We got to see family and some friends, and we are grateful for those playing chauffer and ferrying us to and from the airport. We are especially grateful to our very good friends & neighbors the Medei’s who have kept watch over our home and advised us when things were amiss. We cannot thank them enough for their kindness.

We are also grateful for Elaine (Mark’s mom) who is handling our business mail and doing an awesome job!  Thanks Mom!

Denise feels renewed after getting a haircut and getting in a few runs with her running buddies. Mark was able to take care of all the business technical infrastructure issues, including installing a new computer and getting Brighthouse Networks to replace a bad router for our internet access. And then together we were able to visit the dentist, take care of some needed yard work, and celebrate Elaine’s 86^th birthday with the Bailey’s (Mark’s sister & husband). We are so lucky to have her around and we really enjoy our time together.

Monday (9/14) – Havana, IL – We left Illinois Valley Yacht Club (“IVY”) in Peoria this morning shortly after 9:00am right after Looper boats “Pearl” and “Melinda B” left following “Ivory Lady” and “Next Chapter” from another marina. We wanted to jump in with them all to get through the Peoria Lock, but fearing issues with getting fuel further down the river, we opted instead to pull into East Port marina for some added diesel and a pump out.

Of course this means we missed the lock opening with the rest of the fleet and had to tie up to the only place near the lock; a restaurant called “Kuchie’s On the Water”. Being good citizens, we ordered a to-go salad for Denise for free use of their dock while waiting to be allowed through.

Finally, after 2 hours the Lock Master called and advised us to pull up towards the lock while the up-bound tow was being re-assembled. We had to negotiate around several other tows that were staged before the lock, not run into the wicket dams on the right side of the lock, and keep the boat stable in a wind blowing about 20 knots. Mark handled the challenge beautifully and drove us successfully into the lock which we had all to ourselves. This huge lock took us 8 feet down and then had a tow waiting to go back up once we left the lock.

Once under way we had very little delays and made good progress down the river. This part of the Illinois River is very rural with a few industrial sites scattered throughout. We passed refineries, power plants, food processing facilities, and other unknown facilities which we tried to guess what they were. Sometimes Google will tell you, but most of the time it doesn’t know either. We did however get to see a handful of bald eagles today, and the Asian carp were jumping like crazy in the very shallow waters along the river banks. We also got to see the Spirit of Peoria; an old style paddle tour boat.

We ended up tying up to a free town dock in the small town of Havana. There is only one marina here (Tall Timbers) and it was full up, mostly with many of our Looper friends. After getting the boat settled we walked over to the marina and met new Loopers Brian and Janice (“Fugitive”) who let us through the gate once we told them we too were Loopers. Then we went over to “Ivory Lady” and spoke with Jann & Bill for a while; sharing Chicago stories and our plans for the upcoming days. We walked back to the boat and ate leftovers from the freezer for dinner.

Tomorrow we are headed down the Illinois River for what we hope will be our last full day, and last Illinois River lock. We will most likely anchor out tomorrow night as there are no marinas until Grafton, IL just before the mighty Mississippi.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

In the last two weeks, we have cruised through our last Michigan ports and entered the states of Indiana and Illinois. It was also here that we crossed into the Central Time Zone and will be on it for a long time; like until mid-November when we are back in the state of Florida. This also means we now have visited 11 states so far on this wonderful adventure. Here is what we have been up to:

Wednesday (8/26) – South Haven, MI– Finally we got a good night’s sleep in a comfortable marina (North Shore). And we got a break in the weather and were able to leave Grand Haven, with morning temperatures in the mid-50s. We are not complaining as we know how hot it is in FL.

Our original intent was to next go to Saugatuck, which was a short run from Grand Haven. However, we had lost a few days due to weather in Leland and Grand Haven and were feeling the need to move further South on a day that offered a good weather window. Plus, this small artsy town (known as the Cape-Cod of Michigan) had very expensive marinas at $3/foot per night.

So, we opted for the 40+ nm cruise down to South Haven, and stayed in the South basin marina (TiKa had stayed in the North basin the night before and it required them to walk a ways in order to get into town). We were now one day behind them and would catch up to them in St. Joseph/Benton Harbor.

The entrance to this town was quite narrow and the waves were very choppy coming in through the breakwater, so Mark drove and got us safely into our slip. We arrived just before lunch and opted to eat it on the boat. After lunch we went for a quick walk through town to see the (now all too common) shops and to scope out a potential spot for dinner. Looper friends Dave & Betsy (“Fryedaze”) had also come in behind us and we agreed to have docktails in the evening.

When we docked we had been assisted by another Looper in the marina, so Denise went to introduce herself and bring them a boat card. Pat & George Hospodar (“Reflection”) are Gold Loopers who have published two books about the Great American Loop. Since we had not read either of the books we did not really know who they were, but recognized their names from frequent posts to the AGLCA daily forum. Denise was intending to invite them to docktails on Island Office, but instead they agreed to host all of us.

After we had spent some time in town, and doing a few things on the boat (updating blog, cataloging of pictures, chores, etc.) it was time for docktails. What is normally about a one-hour event ended up being 2 hours, and we had sufficient treats that no one was hungry for dinner. Therefore, we chose not to go out afterwards, and ended up back on the boat having popcorn for dinner. However, we did learn a lot from the Hospodars and their experiences, and we will heed their suggestions for the next portion of our adventure.

Later Mark went over to see Dave (“Fryedaze”) to share navigation technology tools. He learned of a new website (www.marinetraffic.com) to track location of other boats (if they have AIS – Automatic Identification System). In fact, you can see all boats all over the world with this free tool. We are going to try and find a way to link it on our blog posting so you can follow us.

We really like this small town and the parks along the harbor walk that takes you to the South Pier light. Additionally, the marina accommodations are very nice, including a boater’s lounge with a microwave and coffee always on. There are bar b que grills and a very nice covered picnic area which provide a protected place to get off the boat. Too bad we couldn’t have been here instead of Grand Haven when the weather was so awful.

Here are some pictures from our short stay in South Haven:

Thursday (8/27) – St. Joseph, MI– BRRR – The bad weather was gone, but the cold weather has arrived. It is fall in Michigan – or nearly so. We have noticed our mornings are cooler and a local woman told us that she saw squirrels already burrowing acorns (yes they are starting to fall off the trees). And then there are the tell-tale signs of fall: leaves are falling off trees and some are even turning yellow.

Before leaving South Haven Denise managed to get in a short run out towards the lighthouse and back 2x, and around town. Because it was a short cruise to St. Josephs (20+ nm) we didn’t leave until Mark had a chance to deal with some client issues. Once underway it only took about 90 minutes, and the water on Lake Michigan was very calm with less than 1 foot waves. This is the way we like it. We were also able to bring up the new website we learned about from Dave, and we started tracking many of our looper friends who were behind us by a day or two.

Of course when we pulled into the marina, Tim and Mark (the younger) from TiKa were there to help with the dock lines. They had spent 2 night in St Joseph and were awaiting our company. Then In the early afternoon Looper friends Betsy & Dave (“Fryedaze”) pulled into the slip next to us. We had been expecting them as we had passed them while in route and knew they were not far behind.

We had the marina courtesy driver take four of us into town (on the other side of the river) so we could see what it had to offer.

In addition to the typical t-shirt shops, surfing shops, vinegar & oil shops, and spice shops, they had a wine tasting room for White Pine winery. We decided to go in and give this Michigan winery a chance to delight us. We shared a tasting and found several that we thought would be fun to have, so we purchased a few bottles to take home.

We continued walking around the park that overlooks the water and harbor until it was time for the marina to come back and get us.

Another perk of this fine marina (besides the courtesy driver) was free laundry. Since Denise did 4 loads when we were in Grand Haven, we really didn’t have much to do. However, Mark wanted to have fresh smelling shirts to wear to the client site next week, so we took advantage of this benefit and did a quick load.

St. Joseph’s is a working town; not just a touristy beach area. There is a big cement plant right on the water east of the marina, and there is the Whirlpool Technology Center located within a mile. In fact, the Whirlpool Corporate offices are located in Benton Harbor; the sister town that is adjacent to St. Joseph.

Of course no night would be complete without docktails with our Looper friends. So, we got together at the picnic tables near the marina office and boaters lounge to share appetizers and drinks. Also, because the marina was so far from the downtown restaurants, we had previously decided to get Chinese take-out for dinner from Chan’s. When we were in town earlier in the day we went by the restaurant and confirmed that they would deliver to the marina. So, we put in a multi-family order and it was delivered on time and without any issues. The food was good and everyone got their fill. The best part is there is plenty left over for another meal.

Here are some pictures from St. Joseph’s:

Friday (8/28) – Michigan City, IN – Another cool morning greeted us, although not quite as cool as yesterday. We left St. Joseph’s and had an uneventful 2 hours to move the boat 31 miles to Michigan City, Indiana. We now entered our 11^th state and the Central Time zone. Yes, even though most parts of Indiana are on Eastern Time, this little corner of the state is on Central time.

This gated marina is quite large and is located right near the entrance to Lake Michigan. There are lots of boats here from Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, with several live-aboard boaters. This includes the gentleman who is the after-hours security guard for the marina and he is just a few slips away from our boat. So Denise is happy and feels like she will be safe here next week while Mark is away on business.

The sky was overcast all morning, with rain threatening later in the day. But, we were able to get some chores done in the afternoon. Nothing exciting, just the normal boat stuff: changing water filters and then putting water on the boat (Denise), then washing the whole boat down (Mark).

The Denise (AKA “social director”) coordinated docktails for the evening. It was a good group with our friends Tim, Karen & Mark (“TiKa”) and Becky & Dave (“Fryedaze”) as well as new Loopers Lola & Terry (“Sunny Daze”). We all discussed our plans for making it to Chicago and going down the rivers, but all are leaving at different times. It looks like Denise will be watching over the boats Fryedaze and TiKa while they attend to land visits for the next few days.

It was leftover dinner on board the boat for us, as we made plans to enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Saturday, (8/29) – Michigan City, IN – We woke up to sprinkles and a day filled with rain off and on. Nothing exciting was going to happen in the marina today as the weather was too terrible for people to enjoy the outside. For most of the morning we stayed in the boat and did some office work; Mark had to get ready for the visit to his client.

Later on Mark and Dave (“Fryedaze”) had Enterprise come and get them together as we both were getting rental cars. It was a coordinated effort that the rental car company appreciated.

In the early afternoon the rain had stopped for a while so we went and explored the old lighthouse museum that is part of Millennium Park near the marina. It is quite a ways from the water now, but in the day when it was manned by a female lighthouse keeper there was water all around it.  The story of the restorations this lighthouse has gone through is quite interesting and you learn more here.

After that we took the car and drove around town. We first stopped at the Farmer’s Market to see what they had. It was more of the same veggies and bread stuff that we really didn’t need, and they were about to close up. However, we did meet a French chef who had a booth selling all types of breads, cheeses, quiche & pate. We tried a taste of his pate and decided it would make good docktail hors-d’oeuvres so we purchased a small amount. Come to find out he owned two restaurants in Chicago, but has recently closed one.

After the market we drove through the downtown area, which is about 40% occupied with shops and restaurants. There is little to offer here, and there is not even the touristy shops we have frequently seen in the other beach towns along the Lake Michigan coast. They do, however have a “Premium Outlet Mall” with all the usual outlet stores (Ann Taylor, Nike, Gap, Ralph Lauren, etc.). We really don’t need anything so we just drove around to see which stores were there.

When we left the outlet mall we came across an old building that was labeled “Lances Old Fashioned Meat Market” and decided to stop in and see what they had. This place is like and amusement park with tons of items hanging on the walls, many that are political in nature. We met Lance, the owner and spent quite a bit of time talking to him about our adventure. He has had several Loopers come in and he has even loaned them his car before. He has quite a local following and we really enjoyed talking to him. Of course we purchased some fresh made jerky and “snack sticks” from him.

Afterwards we drove the road that runs north from the marina up the coast past the Zoo and through an area called Long Beach (nothing like the one in California). It is a residential beach house area and we saw some magnificent homes right along Lake Michigan.

When we got back to the marina we ran into Tim and Mark (the younger) who were headed to “Overboard” a restaurant that shares the parking lot with the Marina. Karen was not feeling well and they invited us to join them, which we did. It was an unremarkable meal, but we had salads and couldn’t really judge on the food quality.

Sunday (8/30) – Michigan City, IN – Side trip to South Bend, IN – Today was a crazy but fun day. Since we had a rental car we wanted to take advantage of it and go see the University of Notre Dame. We got on the road by 8:15 with anticipation of driving the 50 minutes and being there in time to park, walk, and make 10:00 mass at the Basilica. The only problem was we forgot about the time change; they are on Eastern Time and we lost an hour. Unlike on I-10 in the FL Panhandle, there was no sign on the highway advising you of the change, and of course we didn’t think about it. The guard at the campus gate advised us that there was another mass at 11:45, so we made plans to go then – but we had time to kill.

So we used the time to go to the Costco that was located 6 miles from campus. We had previously planned to go after mass, but since we had the time we took advantage of it. We got a few food staples we know we wanted to take with us on the western rivers, and wanted to buy some more alcohol, but alas they are not allowed to sell it all on Sunday and could not complete that purchase.

We then drove back to campus and went to mass. It was very moving as the choir at this mass is the student choir and there were about 50 of them, including the musicians (playing violin, keyboard, organ, flute, etc.). But more inspiring was the place was full of students all of whom sang and participated enthusiastically in the mass. Afterwards we walked around the Basilica and was in awe at the beauty in the place.

We then walked the campus grounds including the “Grotto”; a replica of the one in Lourdes, France. Here there was an opportunity to light candles and pray in an outdoor setting. While we were there, no less than 10 people (mostly students) came to pray and light a candle (at $2 each) or just to pray.

We walked around to the Knute Rockne Memorial Building (really a terrific athletic facility for students) and saw the trophy cases with many of the memorabilia and tribute to all the athletics at ND.

We also drove around to see the stadium, but were not able to get close due to construction. They are expanding it and I am sure more folks will now be able to see “Touchdown Jesus” from their seats on Saturday afternoons.

Before leaving town we stopped by Bonefish Grill for a delicious late lunch/early dinner. It was our first chain restaurant (besides Panera) in many months!  We also did a drive through St. Mary’s College across the parkway from Notre Dame.

We then drove back to the marina and got Mark packed up and then on his way to spend the work-week at a client in Wisconsin.

Monday, (8/31) through Friday (9/4) – Michigan City, IN – Because Mark was away, not much adventuring was done. In fact, Denise spent most of the week doing boat chores. The list was long as we had been moving the boat so much there was little time to address some of the bigger cleaning needs since we left New York. In addition to doing laundry, Denise also polished all the wood inside and (most all) the stainless steel outside; cleaned & polished the refrigerator; vacuumed the entire boat, including under seat cushions; removed ink marks from the salon cushions; sewed up a hold in a pillow; ordered new boat cards and ordered a banner for the back of the boat. She also managed to get in 3 days of running and a bike ride to get a pedicure. Ah yes….and then she also cataloged more than 200 pictures that had been taken in the last few days.

On Monday night, many Looper boats came into the marina so we had a big group for docktails. In addition to our friends Terry & Lola (“Sunny Days”) whom we met in Pentwater, there was Eunice & John Wilcox (“Harmony”) whom we had met in Killarney; Ric & Kitty and their Kiwi friends (“Southern Comfort”) we locked with on the TSW; Larry & Flora (“Panda Bear”); Dave & Sue (MAÑANA); and Bill & Kellirae Boann (“Ocean Dancer”) who are starting their Loop adventure from here on Labor Day.

Our friends on TiKa left on Wednesday morning and headed to Chicago and then down the river. We hope to catch up with them later this month on the rivers when we both are back from our mutual travels back home.

On Friday afternoon Mark got safely back to the boat a little later than planned due to traffic around and out of Chicago. For dinner we grabbed some pizza (for the second time) from Tin City Pizza, located right at the marina. It was Chicago-style and was delicious so we didn’t mind eating it more than once!

Saturday (9/5) – Chicago, IL – We awoke in anticipation of leaving Michigan City and heading to Chicago. Finally, we would be getting off Lake Michigan. However, before we could finish breakfast the first of several thunderstorms rolled in and kept us on the dock. We spent the whole morning watching one squall line after another pop up and move over the southern part (only) of Lake Michigan, keeping us from moving. The rain was not the issue, it was the horrendous lightening. This was FL-style thunderstorms!

Finally, around 2:00 we got a break between storms and headed to Portage, Indiana where we had identified a cheap fuel stop at Marina Dunes. We had to wait 45 minutes just to get on the fuel dock; it is Labor Day weekend and all the boaters are on the water – especially now that the storms were clearing out.

Eventually we got fueled up and were on our way. It took us another 2 hours to make it through the Chicago Harbor and tie up to the slip at DuSable marina. In the process, we crossed into Illinois making this our 12^th state.

As we entered the marina we passed by two yacht clubs (Chicago YC & Columbia YC), both had Looper boats in it that we knew. When we entered DuSable we saw lots of Looper flags and immediately spotted our friends Sid & Evelyn (“Something Special”). We stopped by their boat briefly to say hello and then we went off to go get dinner, making plans to connect with them again. We also ran into Loopers Kenny & Kathy (“No Zip Code”) whom we met originally in Deltaville, VA and saw along the Chesapeake, but had lost track of them since.

Some local boaters on our dock told us of a great hamburger joint, so we walked up the Riverwalk along the Chicago River and got a burger at Chicago Burger Company. It was delicious and hit the spot! We sat outside along the river and watched all the tour boats, private boats, kayaks and ferries coming and going. Many were heading out to the lake so they could watch the fireworks scheduled for later in the evening. It was pure Saturday night craziness.

Instead of going back to the boat right away, we adventured to the Navy Pier and see what it was all about. Neither of us had been here before, despite several trips to Chicago in the past. To us it was as commercial as ever and we felt it was just like Downtown Disney or Universal’s City Walk; complete with their own “Margaritatville” and “Bubba Gump Shrimp Co”. We took a few pictures, bought a magnet, and headed back to the boat.

Shortly after 10:00 pm, the fireworks show started. Denise stayed up to watch, but Mark was tired and went to sleep. We were planning an early start tomorrow and he needed his “beauty rest”. The show was terrific and the reflection of the fireworks off the downtown buildings was spectacular. A perfect ending to a day that started so not-perfectly.

Sunday (9/6) – Chicago, IL to Joliet, IL – We originally wanted to leave the marina by 7:00 am, but changed our plans right away. We had wanted to go to mass on Saturday evening, but we got into the marina too late to make the Saturday evening mass at Holy Name Cathedral. However, they had a 7:00 am mass on Sunday. So we took a taxi as it was too far to walk, went to mass in one of the most beautiful churches we have been to thus far. The mass had no signing, and most of the attendees were local, although there were a few other tourists as well.

After mass we took a taxi back to the marina, but the driver was unable to get us as close as we wanted because of road closures; there was a Half Marathon race being run. We had to walk the last half mile to the marina, passing the Art Institute and enjoying the bike/running/walking path along the shoreline as a Chicagoan would at 8:00 on a Sunday morning.

Once back on the boat we untied the lines and left the marina with our first destination the Chicago lock. This is the gateway from Lake Michigan to the Chicago River and is a small drop down (4 ‘); a piece of cake after the locks of Lake Erie and the TSW!

Once we got through the lock we entered the river and had it almost all to ourselves. There were a few tour boats positioning for the start of their day, but almost no one else, and none of the craziness we witnessed the night before. The view was awesome and we were thrilled to be able to take our boat through the city. Cross another item off the “Bucket List”.

Once out of the city, the river becomes very industrialized and very rural. For most of the day we encountered little traffic and enjoyed the ride, albeit at a slow (no wake) pace. We saw rowers and kayakers, and a few other small local pleasure craft.

Eventually we caught up to a familiar catamaran named “Sweet Sensation” – Loopers (Chris & Kevin) we met on the Hudson River in NY. They are a British couple who have friend Graham aboard. We had lost track of them in Peterborough, ON and only now got to see them again.

Shortly after this rendezvous, we approached a tug pushing several barges (generically known as “a tow”) and it was slow going after this. We were entering the “Fish Barrier” and there was no way to pass the tow. We had to wait for him to get through it, and then once we were through, we were able to pass him.

The “Fish Barrier” is an area in the river that is electrified and its intent is to keep the Asian Carp from getting into Lake Michigan and the other Great Lakes. It is quite an interesting thing that PETA would probably have a cow about, but few people know their tax dollars are going to this. You can learn more about this interesting engineering marvel here.

Once past the fish barrier it took us 45 minutes to get to the Lockport Lock; a whopping 5 miles. There was some tow traffic and many barges that forced us into a no-wake situation. Once at the lock we had to wait 45 minutes for already full down-bound to go down, then the up-bound traffic, then we got to go in with “Sweet Sensation”.

The locks here are unlike any other locks we have experienced. They are HUGE as they are designed for commercial tows. The tows have priority, move slowly, and sometimes the barges they are hauling have to be broken apart to go through the locks, then reassembled once on the other side. This can mean lots of delays and it is difficult to plan on how long it will take to get anywhere. We had been warned of this and were concerned about making it to Peoria by Tuesday night. So, we went into contingency planning mode and identified a marina in Ottawa that can take us should we not make as far as we had planned.

Finally at 2:30 got through the lock and headed towards Joliet, IL a place we wanted to get past. However, we were hot (it was 93 degrees) and tired. We had been on the water since just after 8:00 am and the sun had cooked us all day long. To add to our decision we noticed that the tow that was in front of us at the Lockport Lock was now entering the next (Brandon Rd) lock which is just past Joliet. So we knew we would have to wait on him again, and we would still have to travel another 13 miles before we could a place to stay for the night. Since the wall at Joliet was free, it was an easy call. We pulled up to the wall at 3:00 and called it a day!

We are sure Joliet is a nice town, but we never really experienced any of it. We had been trying to connect with one of our old clients from the Chicago area who was considering driving to meet us for dinner, but we ended up cancelling that for good reason; all the non-fast food restaurants were closed on Sunday or closed earlier in the day. There was no place for us to go and it wasn’t worth his time to make the drive. The only thing really within walking distance was a Harrah’s Casino, but we were too tired to even consider that. So we ate leftovers on the boat, had a beer with Kevin & Chris (“Sweet Sensation”) and crashed very early. In fact, we were so tired it is the only place on the trip that Denise did not get a picture of our boat for the night.

Monday (9/7) –LABOR DAY – Joliet to Starved Rock Marina – Along with Loopers on Sweet Sensation and Southern Comfort, we left Joliet at 6:00 am and immediately got into the first lock (Brandon Rd).

This built our confidence and had us thinking that we would be able to make good progress through the Illinois River and get closer to Peoria. We were sorely disappointed when we had to stop at the Dresden Lock and wait; originally told it would be 2.5 – 3 hours ended up being 4 hours. We had to tie to a huge circular cement piling (called sills) designed for use by the tows which are very difficult to reach from the deck of a pleasure craft. There were only two places available, so we rafted Southern Comfort to us while Sweet Sensation tied to the other piling. It was hot and humid, but we were thankful for the cloud cover that stayed with us all day.

Once through the lock we cruised down the Illinois River passing many pleasure boaters and jet skis. We were grateful that most of the tows were not around as it would have been even more treacherous navigating the narrow parts of the river. We also chuckled about all the “SPORES” on the water, and fully understood what our Looper friend John P (“Endeavour”) meant when he told us this term in Solomons, MD. (SPORES = Stupid People on Recreational Equipment).

We had made a decision that if we could get through the Marseilles Lock by 4:00 pm we would push ahead to Starved Rock marina and stay there for the night. This would give us about 15 miles advantage over staying in Ottawa; the typical Looper stop at this point. So we powered ahead of our other Looper friends, got to the Marseilles lock just as they were pushing out the first part of an up-bound split tow. This worked to our advantage as they were getting ready to lock down empty to get the second part of the split tow. As a result, there was no wait and we were all along in the lock, out of it by 3:30, and made our way through Ottawa.

In doing so we passed the town cemetery that was right along the water and had a statue of William D. Boyce,  founder of the Boy Scouts of America.

We then continued on for the next 10 miles until we made our way to Starved Rock marina as hoped. We also cancelled our contingency plan with the marina in Ottawa and it was likely that we would make Peoria on Tuesday.

After very refreshing showers and a well-deserved cocktail, we went to the restaurant that is located at the marina for a pretty decent affordable marina. This is definitely a “locals” place and it reminded us of our home marina (Harbortown) in Merritt Island and the restaurant/bar they have there.

Although some stay here, there were no Loopers to socialize with at the marina. But, we didn’t care as we were exhausted and wanted sleep more than anything. It had been another very long and hot day. Fortunately, there was cloud cover all day, and the rain was all around us but we never got any. Life is good!

Tuesday (9/8) –Starved Rock Marina to Peoria, IL – Learning from yesterday, at 6:00 am Denise immediately called the lockmaster at the next lock (Starved Rock Lock). As we only had one lock to go through today, we were hoping to get through it early and be on our way to Peoria. The Lockmaster advised he had two tows in front of us and therefore it would be at least 2.5 hours. He thought he would get us in around 9:00 and so we said we would be there by 8:30 and he said that would be fine. We left the marina just after 8:00 and cruised the 2 miles, passing two tows along the way; one underway and one waiting before the lock. When we called the lockmaster for tie-up instructions he advised it would be at least 2.5 hours wait and advised we tie to the sills on the dam side of the lock. Of course we were not happy about this as we could have stayed at the marina, but we didn’t complain and tied up as instructed.

Shortly after we arrived several other pleasure boats arrived, including a Fleming 55 (“Otter”) which we had heard about from our friends on TiKa. All of us were either tied to one of the sills or were motoring in place, which was fine for a while, but then the Army COE barge that was parked beside the dam needed to leave, we were asked to move out of the way. Of course all this happens about the time that the down-bound tow we passed previously started to approach the channel before the lock. It got very crowded and we watch the barge negotiate all around this. After they got out of the way, we called the lockmaster as to where we should be and he told us to tie back up where we were (which we did). The Lockmaster is in charge so it behooves you to do what he suggests as he can decide to not let you in the lock at all.

About the time we got retied to the sill, the skies opened up and a horrendous storm came through. We watched one of the boats that had decided to “motor in place” get blown all around until they got smart enough to tie to one of the sill walls. There is a saying in boating: “You are either the show or watching the show”. We all watched this guy and if it wasn’t dangerous, it would have been a hilarious comedy routine.

Finally, at 12:30 we were allowed into the lock with all the other pleasure boats. We had waiting 4 hours at the sill and 2 hours in our marina just to get through this lock. We were happy to leave it behind.

It took us another 3 hours to cruise down to Peoria where we had reservations at the Illinois Valley Yacht Club (aka “IVY”).

Once we were tied up and settled the boat, we were greeted by several other Loopers who advised of docktails at 5:30 on the yacht club Veranda. It was a long day of over 50 miles and a four-hour wait at the lock; we were ready for docktails. As the club (normally closed on Mondays) had been opened for the Labor Day holiday, they were closed this day. But, the Loopers have clout here, and so the restrooms and laundry facilities were unlocked (24/7) and we had run of the place. It is by far one of the nicest facilities we have stayed at and the bathrooms/shower facilities are now #2 on the list of favorites.

There were at least 5 other Looper-couples, none of whom we had met before. Additionally, the boats “Plane-2-Sea” and “TiKa” were in the marina, but their owners had left the boats for a few days.

After docktails, three of the couples walked up the street with us to “No Wake Zone”, the only local bar/restaurant near IVY. We happened upon “Trivia Night” (seems to be a mid-western bar craze) and our group joined in the fun while waiting for the food to arrive. Like in Charlevoix, we were not the winners, but we sure had fun guessing all the questions.

We ended the evening with good wishes for all to travel safely and hopeful we will catch up on the rivers in the coming days. But for us, tomorrow begs an early morning flight home and time to go celebrate our 26^th wedding anniversary.

We will return to the boat on Sunday, September 13^th. Stay tuned for more adventures.

It has been a very busy week and we have moved the boat about 140 miles. With Claire on board we have now enjoyed the villages of Leland, Frankfort, Pentwater, and Grand Haven, Michigan. Here is what has been going on:

Monday (8/17) – Frankfort, MI– We left Leland following our friends on TiKa and headed to Frankfort. Several of the other looper boats were contemplating leaving, but had not finalized their decision before we left. So, we wished them well and moved on.

We cruised the 36 miles in slightly bumpy water, but it was tolerable.

We arrived into Jacobson’s marina and pulling in we realized we were definitely in a high rent area. Mark successfully navigated around a 125 foot yacht to put us in the slip without issue. Once again TiKa was in a slip not far from us and we made plans to do a cookout together. The marina itself is very nice and offered first class facilities; what a difference between a municipal and a private marina!ent place.

We did a quick walk around the town and discovered places that would be good to dine at, but we were only staying one day and had already made plans for diner. Afterwards, Claire went to the marina pool (which was 80 degrees) while Denise worked on the last blog posting and Mark took a nap.

Later that evening we had docktails aboard TiKa and where they brought out a cheese spread we now have become addicted to. We jokingly call it “crack” as it is delicious and you can’t stop eating it; with or without crackers.

The guys cooked hamburgers on the grill and Karen made a delicious Cesar Salad to share. After several hours of great conversation and discussion of future plans said good night and went back to our Island Office.

Tuesday (8/18) – Pentwater, MI– We were up early and under way by 8:00 am as we had a long way to go today and we wanted to beat the wind which was expected to pick up throughout the day. We cruised over 57 nm, but not before stopping to get fuel in Ludington and missing the rainstorm that doused the fuel dock before we arrived. We had decided not to stay at this popular harbor as the weather for the next 3 days did not look favorable to movement and we needed to get further down the Michigan coast. Therefore we pressed on and arrived into Pentwater just after 1pm.

 

Originally when we pulled into the Snug Harbor marina they were not sure where to put us so they had us pull up to the fuel dock. We noticed tied to the wall near the fuel dock was the boat “Gypsea”; Platinum Loopers (2 or more loops) Dick & Pat Danly whom we last saw in Petoskey.

Very soon thereafter we got a slip assignment and pulled in next to a big Viking Sport fishing boat (named “Bottom Line”).  Once we got the boat settled in, Mark checked us in and Denise & Claire found shirts to buy in the marina office. We ate a quick lunch aboard the boat, then Claire and Denise went for a walk in the town and did a restaurant reconnaissance for dinner.

Even though Pentwater is a small beach village, there are lots of little shops to see and there is a lot of boating history here with historical markers depicting key events. They have a very nice municipal marina (for boats under 35 feet) with a terrific fish cleaning station. There is a members-only yacht club and a terrific chandlery, as well as a bait & tackle shop right nearby. They definitely cater to the fisherman and all things nautical, making it a very interesting place.   But there are also several art galleries, ice cream stores, coffee shops, a kitchen store, and a very fun kid’s toy shop.

We walked past the village park and noticed the sidewalk was full of chalk drawings and sayings. On one there were instructions to jot down your favorite saying and there sat a tub of sidewalk chalk. Naturally, Denise had to pick up a piece and make her contribution.

Once back at the boat Mark was informed that there are really only a handful of places to eat dinner in town. We had solicited the advice of all the townspeople we had met throughout the day, and overwhelmingly they suggested Gull Landing. So, that is what we decided and we were not disappointed. We had considered another place (Village Café) as they were going to have a comedy show at 8:00, but we decided against it when we learned there was a $9 per person cover. After all, we probably would fall asleep half way through the show and thought our own humor was better than anything we have heard in a long time.

After dinner we walked down to one of the ice cream shops we had discovered during the day. It is really the town candy store that also sells ice cream and they have the most unique seats; old ski lift chairs.

Walking back to the boat we were serenaded by the music coming from the park. On Tuesday nights, any musicians in town get together and entertain anyone who decides to show up. Welcome to small-town America!

We went back to the boat and discussed our plans for the next day; one that would keep us in Pentwater due to bad weather.

Wednesday (8/19) – Pentwater, MI– The day started with Claire and Denise completing 4 loads of laundry before Mark got out of bed. No, it was not because of early rising, it was because the laundry facilities are at the marina office across the parking lot from our boat slip. With 4 loads in washing and drying cycles and no one else around, it was easy to utilize all the machines and get the job done.

After breakfast Claire & Denise took a glass fusion class from a local artist named Jilly. She has an amazing glass sculpture on the wall in her gallery that one second prize in an art show in 2014. You can check it out as well as more about her here. We enjoyed learning about how to score and cut the glass pieces and how to glue them together before they are fired in the kiln. Our own creative pieces will be ready on Thursday morning which works out great as we are staying in Pentwater until Friday due to windy weather. Mark had some work to do and stayed on the boat to get it done.

Before:

And after:

After the art class, we all walked the 1.1 miles to the harbor entrance to see what waves the wind had kicked up as it was really blowing hard. On one side of the harbor it was really rough with white caps on Lake Michigan, but on the other (beach) side it was pretty calm. There were even people in the water swimming, despite a forecast of high winds, rip currents and “longshore currents” (a lake current that moves parallel to shore and can prevent swimmers from being able to keep their feet on the bottom, making it difficult to return to shore). However, these were not forecasted to really develop until late in the day, so they were probably enjoying their “summer” weather.

On the way back to the boat we stopped by Pentwater Outfitters to investigate the possibility of renting kayaks. After talking with owner Gregg about where we could go in such windy conditions, we were still undecided whether we should go or not. We went back to the boat for lunch and decided to go up the North branch of the Pentwater River and called back to the store to inform them. At 2:00 Gregg & his associate/girlfriend Bonny came by to pick us up at the marina and drop us at the entrance to the river branch. This would allow us to kayak downstream and enjoy the protection of tall trees and high grasses. Presumably this would protect us from the winds which were continuing to build.

We all launched successfully and made arrangements for a pickup at the end of the branch, but before the tributary dumped into the River and exposing us to the strongest of the wind. We had been underway just a short time when Claire got twisted around in the narrow channel, then rolled her kayak and dumped her into the cold water. She was startled and not injured in the shallow water, but her kayak was filled with water and she was unable to get it out. So, Denise (who was leading) paddled back to help her and Mark. When doing so she ran into some dead tree limbs and came within a foot or two of a snake lying camouflaged on the branches. She backed out and yelled “snake” which startled Claire (who was standing in the water) even more. Eventually working together we got a lot of the water out of the kayak, Claire was able to get back in, and we headed downstream.

The rest of the journey passed without incident and we were treated to some terrific wildlife. We saw several immature bald eagles and came incredibly close to a loon that had been acting like our tour guide for about ½ mile downriver. The sun came out and the clouds disappeared, making for a beautiful day, albeit still windy. Because of this we intentionally passed our meeting spot to explore further down river, knowing the wind was in our favor to paddle back upstream against the current. So we continued another 15 minutes or so until we came to where the wind was blocked and would no longer help us. Then we turned around to go back. When there was a big gust of wind, instead of paddling Mark would hold up his paddle and use it as a sail. The wind was strong enough it would push him against the current. Eventually we got back to the meeting point and called for our pickup. Gregg and Bonny were there in 10 minutes, with a towel for Claire who was now freezing in the cold wind. They were terrific and we had such a great day!

Pictures from our kayaking adventure:

After we got back, we got showers and went to dinner at the only pizza joint in town. It was good and so filling that we skipped the ice cream stop for the evening. We meandered back to the boat and spent the rest of the evening relaxing.

Thursday (8/20) – Pentwater, MI– We woke up to pouring rain and heavy winds that were rocking the boat. Claire & Denise planned to go for a walk, but were unable to get out the door as every time they got ready to go the rain would kick up again. By the time Mark woke up the rain had stopped and they convinced him to walk back to the beach and check out the roughness of Lake Michigan. The wind was clearly blowing 20 – 25 knots with higher gusts, so we expected to see some rough water.

Of course along the way it began to sprinkle a bit and we all got a little wet, but not too badly. Mark eventually stopped under a shelter while Claire and Denise walked back out to the breakwater to take pictures. No one was on the beach today and only one person was out walking his dog, which enable us to get some pictures of us together.

We didn’t hang around long even though the rain stopped. We picked up Mark who was hanging out in the shelter area of the nearby park, and we headed back to the boat. By this time the weekly Farmer’s market was open so Claire & Denise went to check it out while Mark continued back to the marina. We purchased a few items, including some fresh flowers to make the boat look cheery in the gloomy weather.

Back at the boat we had lunch and decided to stay in the marina for the rest of the afternoon due to the on & off rain and howling wind. Claire watched a few more episodes of the NetFlix series “Bloodline”, while Mark worked and Denise cataloged pictures. After a while the rain stopped so we walked up the street to “The Brown Bear” for one of their terrific hamburgers for dinner.

It was a fun and lively place that was quite crowded despite the inclement weather.

Other Pictures from Pentwater:

Friday (8/21) – Grand Haven, MI – What a difference a day makes. We left Pentwater around 8:30 to a morning with temperatures in the low 50’s and a very slight breeze blowing. The skies were mostly clear and the waves had calmed, but still around 2 -3 feet. Luckily things calmed down even more as the day progressed and it ended up being a beautiful day. We cruised nearly 50 miles into Grand Haven municipal marina where our buddies on TiKa were waiting for us.

This marina is about 2 miles up the Grand River and faces north. There is no breakwater between the River and the marina, creating quite a swell in the marina when other boats pass by, or when the wind kicks up off Lake Michigan to its West. To its south is the town of Grand Haven with restaurants and shops within walking distance. There is also a 2-mile river walk that goes from east of the marina all the way to the breakwater and lighthouse on the far western shore.

Grand Haven is home to a Coast Guard sector office that is designated as a heavy weather station and an ice rescue capable unit. It has been distinguished as “Coast Guard City USA” and every year in early August they have a “Coast Guard Festival” with festivities throughout the weeklong event. As part of these celebrations, there are sculptures created by groups and organizations as a tribute to the CG. These are on display all throughout town.

Grand Haven is also home to the famous “Musical Fountain”; a water show that is put on every single night during the summer, and weekends during spring and fall. This amazing display of water performing to the musical tunes of all genres occurs on the land on the opposite side of the river, right in front of the marina. There is grand-stand seating immediately adjacent to the marina, and the event is broadcast over loudspeakers so it can be heard quite a distance. Although the show only lasts about 20 minutes, people come early to set up chairs in the nearby park or to claim seats in the grandstands. You can learn more about this very cool event here.

When we arrived our boat was assigned to the very first slip in the marina; adjacent to the grandstands. Needless to say, lots of people were looking at our boat and we received many positive comments about it and the name. But because it was first in line, it also took the brunt of the eastbound swell coming in from Lake Michigan, and we were bouncing. However, we did have great seats to watch the show!

After getting checked in and settling the boat, Claire & Denise went walking in the downtown area. This (naturally) involved going through the shops on the main street and up a few of the side streets. We came to the conclusion that all of these little towns along the Michigan shoreline have many of the same shops and are all starting to look alike. Yet, each has something unique and different; this one has the CG and the Musical Fountain. In the meantime, Mark went and got the rental car for tomorrow’s drive into Grand Rapids to take Claire to the airport.

We arrived back in time to have Docktails aboard TiKa. Karen & Tim were hosting Tim’s sister (Pam) and her husband (Butch), so there was quite a group of us chit-chatting away.

We decided to all go to dinner at Porto Bello, an Italian restaurant right across the street from the marina. It was pretty good and we had a great time answering all of Tim’s (“I hate small talk”) probing questions.

After dinner we went back to the marina and couldn’t believe how crazy busy things had become. There were tons of people in the park by the marina, and the grandstands were full. The River walk free wall was filled with boats who were tied up for the night, many of whom were rafted together; some up to 3 deep. The river was full of boats and all were jockeying for positions to watch the Musical Fountain. It is summer and a nice night, so everyone was out near or on the water.

We went for a walk down the river walk to see all the people, and to see if any Looper boats were tied up to the free wall. We saw one boat that had been in our marina earlier, but they were not on their boat when we walked by.

After we finished walking this area, we continued on the eastern part, passing the charter fishing boats and coming to another park. Here they have an old train and steam engine the town has restored, and is now a play area for kids. This is a very cool and family-friendly area. It was getting dark so we headed back to the boat.

As the show on Friday starts later (9:50) it was a push for us to stay up to see it, but since it is only 20 minutes long we did; our boat-guest Claire however, bailed just before it was over. It was a great ending to a great day.

Saturday (8/22) – Grand Haven, MI – It was a nice morning for a walk, so Claire and Denise put on their shoes and started with a hike down to the lighthouse on the South Pier. There were many people out walking or running, so we were in good company. We walked past the Coast Guard station and memorial they have along the water that pays tribute to all who have served and lost their lives on the water.

When we were done walking we went to the Farmers Market that they have every Saturday right near the marina. This was a really good market with various produce stands, bread makers, and several with fresh cut flowers, as well as vendors with other products as well. We purchased some bread and veggies then headed back to the boat for showers. There wasn’t much time before we would have to be leaving for the Grand Rapids airport.

We had decided to find a place for lunch along the way to the airport, so Mark took us to a Panera he had visited before. This area was familiar to him as we have an old client in the Muskegon area and Grand Rapids was a frequent airport stop. It just so happens that in the same shopping plaza there was a Penzy’s Spices and a Supercuts. Mark who was desperate for a cut, got seated right away, and in the meantime Claire and Denise went to Penzy’s where Claire was able to replenish a spice she uses all the time.

Too soon it was time to drop Claire at the airport and say goodbye. We have had a terrific week with her and we will miss having her aboard.

After we left the airport, we took advantage of the rental car to re-provision Island Office. We had already located the Costco and a Wal-Mart near the airport, and were able to stock up on everything from wine and granola bars to Frito Scoops (Mark) and Propel water (Denise). It was like making a mortgage payment! It took us nearly all afternoon to get these items, and we still managed to forget a few things!

After we returned from the shopping adventure we started looking at the weather and making plans to leave GH and go to Saugatuck tomorrow. We thought we might go to evening mass so that we would have options to leave early in the morning if the weather allowed. We knew TiKa was preparing to leave but the conditions were iffy for us.

We were standing around talking when Sid & Evelyn came up and we all began talking about our next moves. We decided we would stay on Sunday, secured a different slip in the marina for Sunday Night, and then ended up gathering on TiKa for impromptu docktails. An hour later we all decided to go get Pizza (TiKa, Something Special & us), then we watched the Music Fountain show – now shifted to 9:30 for the rest of the month.

Sunday (8/23) – Grand Haven, MI – We took advantage of the rental car and drove the 1 mile to St. Patrick & St. Anthony church for 8:00 am mass. We drove mainly because it was threatening to rain and we didn’t want to get wet.

By the time mass was over the rain had disappeared, but the wind had started to pick up. We went out for breakfast and when we returned to the marina, we saw that TiKa had left for Saugatuck. We later learned they arrived safely in under 2 hours and were happy to be tied up at a marina.

Back in Grand Harbor, we waited for the other slip to open up so we could move the boat. A severe thunderstorm came through with horrendous lightening and lots of wind, so no one was moving anytime fast.

Finally right at noon there was a break in the rainstorms and we were able to move to the other slip. This put us right next to Loopers AJ & Amy on “Gimme Time”, who had told us about the swell in this harbor. They said that the storms earlier in the week brought such rough swells that 3 boats broke lines, so we put out a few extra ones to ensure protection.

Shortly after getting tied up and having lunch, our credit union called about possible fraud charges on our (newly replaced in July) visa card. Kudos to our credit union for their proactive stance on this, but this is the second time on our Loop adventure we have had to do this (see Brewerton, New York). So now we would have to wait on new cards to be delivered to the marina before we could leave.

Normally, this would not be a problem, but the wind was really rough with waves in Lake Michigan reported at 5-8’ and the surge in the marina was awful! Our boats were rocking as if we were offshore in 2 foot seas. Mark added even more lines and re-tied a few others for added protection, and to try and hold us in place as much as possible.

We thought for sure they would cancel the Music Fountain show for the evening, but they did not. There were a lot less crowds then Friday & Saturday nights, but still many people came out to watch. These Michigan people are hearty!

That evening we went to a restaurant called the Dee Lite Bar and Grill with Sid & Evelyn (“Something Special”). It was mostly bar type food, but was good enough for us to enjoy sandwiches and great company with another Looper couple. While there we ran into another Looper from Canada (John) who was there with his son (Lee) and his girlfriend (Rhonda). They too were enduring the rolling in the Municipal marina. All of us talked about the bad weather and how it was messing with everyone’s plans. John was trying to get to Chicago so Rhonda could fly home next weekend, and they were considering making a direct crossing of Lake Michigan when the weather broke. This is a scary proposition as it was 90 miles and the weather on Lake Michigan can be unpredictable in August. We prefer running down the coast and around the bottom at Indiana.

All night long the boat rocked and the slapping of water against the hull, coupled with the strain on the lines made for difficult sleeping for Denise. Naturally, Mark slept well, but Denise had to move to the main salon settee, and still ended up watching a movie just to keep her mind off of her churning stomach. It is a horrible feeling to get seasick when the boat is tied up to the dock. Eventually sleep came, but only for a few hours.

Monday (8/24) – Grand Haven, MI – Unfortunately, morning did not bring any calm waters; in fact the wind was as strong as ever making the surge in the harbor even worse.

Denise decided to do two loads of laundry at the marina, mainly because she could get off the boat, but also because it was free. During that time she was able to talk with family members on the phone, while Mark was able to do some work on the boat. After a while she went for a walk, and in fact did anything that would allow her to stay off the boat. This worked ok until the late afternoon when it started to get cool and cloudy again.

Mark attempted to get us into another marina, but with no luck. They either didn’t call him back or they were already booked out as no one was leaving given the ugly weather conditions. Additionally, we knew we had to stay at least until the next morning when the new credit cards would be arriving via UPS-overnight service.

When it was time for dinner we asked Sid & Evelyn (“Something Special”) to join us, but they had planned to eat aboard their boat. So, we decided to go back to Porto Bello again as we liked their food and they were a close walk from the marina. We had another good meal and managed to have some leftovers to take back to the boat.

Afterwards we walked around downtown even though most shops were closed; anything just to stay off the boat. It was still quite windy and overcast, and it was getting colder.

Of all the marinas we have been in, this is the worst to have gotten stuck. The marina is unprotected from a west wind, and there is no cruisers lounge to offer reprieve. The only great thing going for it is the location to town, the Musical Fountain and the free laundry.

We opted to watch a movie on the boat where it was warm and dry. We interrupted it for the Music Fountain, but rejoined it soon afterward hoping it would help Denise fall asleep. It was a restless night again, with slightly better sleeping, but still waking to nausea.

Tuesday (8/25) – Grand Haven, MI – It is probably hard for our FL friends and family to imagine, but it was a freezing cold day today. The temperature was in the low 50’s again, with rain and winds howling. This was not a summer day, but more like a windy cold Florida winter day. Although the weather forecast for Tuesday looked much better, today was still awful.

Mark was able to get us a slip in the North Shore marina, located across the river and nearer the harbor entrance, but behind a breakwater. So, once the credit cards came we untiled from the Grand Haven Municipal marina and said goodbye to Sid & Evelyn (“Something Special”).

By lunch time we had moved the boat and tied up at North Shore; it made all the difference in the world. We spent the rest of the afternoon on the boat either working or writing this blog. We didn’t care that there was nothing but a marina and it was far away from town. We had plenty of food and didn’t need anything – plus this marina had cable tv and we were able to watch it for the first time in ages.

We ate leftovers for dinner and reviewed the weather for the next day. It looked good to make a run down to South Haven, so we planned for an early departure and went to bed with no boat movement at all. Yeah!

Here are some other pictures from Grand Haven:

Stay tuned for more adventures!

Back in the USA and we are happy to be here.  Not that we did not like Canada; in fact we really enjoyed all the places we went, and the Canadian people were wonderful to us.  However, working with limited communications was a bit of a challenge, and we got sick of seeing the Customs people.  Here is what we have been up to:

Wednesday (8/5) – De Tour Village, MI – Back in the USA – We left Meldrum Bay in what was supposed to be 2’ seas, but they seemed to grow up to 3 -4’ in no time at all.  The wind was blowing out of the west (on our nose) so it was a very bumpy ride and it started to make Denise seasick. We considered turning around and called back to TiKa who was following us. They suggested that we tuck in behind them for a smoother run and see how that would work, which we did.  Fortunately, it was much more tolerable and Denise was grateful that we had made friends with a bigger boat (yacht).  After the first hour or so, the seas died down and it was much more comfortable. We were able to really enjoy the emerald green water of the North Channel.

We entered into US waters and were anxiously awaiting the ATT&T signal on our cell phones.  Shortly after it appeared and we got to turn on cellular services, we had several voice mails and emails that we had not been able to retrieve previously.  If any of you called us and didn’t get a response, we apologize as we were not aware of your call.

Within 3.5 hours of leaving Meldrum Bay we pulled into Drummond Island, MI.  In addition to TiKa were several other looper boats pulling in all at once, including friends on “Ariel” whom we met in Solomon’s, MD, and had not seen since St. Michaels, MD.

As we were not staying overnight here, we pulled in behind TiKa to the temporary dock they have for customs clearance only. They were first greeted by a US Customs agent and received their clearance within 15 minutes.  When the agent approached us she mentioned she had a phone call to make and she would be with us shortly.  After about 15 minutes she returned, barely asked us our boat documentation #, looked at our passports and gave us our clearance number.  It took less than 5 minutes with no other questions asked (nothing to declare, etc.). What a refreshing change from the Canadians who seemed to have followed us everywhere.

We left Drummond Island right away and crossed into the waters of Sturgeon Bay and then De Tour Passage Inlet (a major shipping channel).  The water was emerald green and crystal clear. Something we had not expected. It turned out to be a beautiful day and we were happy to be enjoying the US waters.

We pulled into De Tour Village Municipal Marina after completing 43 nm; one of our longest days in a while.  After getting our boats settled, we both did some work and replied to emails; Denise finalized and then posted our last blog.  Mark had some phone calls to make, so Denise took the bike and rode all around the village, stopping at the Outfitters store and buying a magnet, as well as a stop at the IGA for a few grocery items that we have not been able to get.

She also went by the ferry dock that takes people and cars back and forth to Drummond Island, and rode through a few neighborhoods that look right out onto Lake Huron.

That evening we had TiKa over for docktails, then we all walked into the small village and ate dinner at a restaurant called Mainsail. There were only three to choose from and we chose the one that was closest to the marina. The food was ok and the service was slow, especially considering there were only 2 other parties in the restaurant.  But, it was no big deal as there was nothing we were in a hurry to go do.   We spent most of the time discussing our plans for the next day.  The weather looked great for a crossing of Lake Huron, past Mackinac Island, and going directly into Mackinaw City.

We also heard from friends on “Snug Tug” today, and learned we had missed them by 8 hours in De Tour Village. They had left this morning for Cheboygan where they would be leaving the boat for a week to enjoy the family reunion.  We agreed to keep in touch and hopefully meet up again down the coast of Lake Michigan.

The marina here is right off the major shipping channel but is buffered by a very long breakwater which offers protection from the passing ships and that you can walk out on. There is a park that surrounds the marina and offers some pretty spectacular sunrises and sunsets.  It is one of many that are run by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), where you can go online and make reservations for any of the affiliated DNR marinas; for an $8 registration fee.

Here are some other pictures from DeTour Village:

Thursday (8/6) – Mackinaw City – We left De Tour Village Marina just before 8:00 and cruised the 40 nm to Mackinaw City on a very pancake-flat Lake Huron.

It was sunny and beautiful, with no wind to kick up a sea.  We passed by Mackinac Island and stopped with TiKa to take pictures of our boats with the Island in the background.

We would have liked to have stayed here, but the reservations in the marina were full for the days in our travel window, so we will be coming back to visit via the ferry next week.

We arrived in Mackinaw City, staying at the Strait’s State marina instead of the municipal marina right in downtown.  This marina is also part of the DNR system, so it has good accommodations at reasonable rates.  While it is a little further away from the downtown, it is not too far to walk and we were very happy we did not have to deal with the rolling wakes created by the ferry boats.

At the entrance to the marina is berthed the US Coast Guard Icebreaker “MACKINAW WAGB-83”.  It is the largest ice breaker class ship that was known as the “Queen of the Great Lakes”. Decommissioned in 2006, it is now set up as a museum that you can tour, but we did not have time to do this. You can learn more about it here.

After we settled our boats, we went for a bike ride.  First we rode along the water as there is a beautiful park with a bike path leading along the edge of Lake Huron, almost all the way to the Mackinaw Bridge.  We stopped along the bike path long enough to take some pictures then continued on. We passed by the old Mackinaw Lighthouse, and we rode out to the fort and Welcome Center, but chose not to go in as it was getting late in the day and would not have been able to see much.

We rode back into the down town area and decided the place was way too touristy for us.  Most all the stores are fudge shops (which we don’t eat), ticky-tacky souvenir shops, or t-shirt shops. None of this interested us so we made our way back to the boat.  Along the way back we stopped at a fish market near the marina and purchased a few things we could take with us on the boat, including some smoked salmon which we had for dinner that night.

TiKa invited us to watch the early debates on FoxNews as they have satellite TV onboard and were finally able to get US stations again. We had docktails for a while and then went back to our boat for dinner on board.  Later we tried to stream the debates via the internet, but there was too much demand and our signal strength was not that great; it would constantly crash.  Finally we gave up and went to bed.

Friday (8/7) – Petoskey, MI – We woke up to a cool morning (53 degrees) and headed west, and eventually South, – a direction that will eventually take us home.  Again buddy-boating with TiKa, we left the marina and within a half hour we went under the Mackinaw Bridge and entered Lake Michigan; cross off another “bucket list” item!  The waves were a little bumpy throughout the morning, and the wind blew a bit, (10 – 15 kts), but it was tolerable for Denise who had taken a small piece of Dramamine as a precautionary measure.

We cruised another long day of almost 50 nm down the Michigan coast until we came to Little Traverse Bay and the town of Petoskey.  We entered the city marina only to find several other looper boats, including “Gypsea” whom we first met in Coinjock, VA, and two others who would be completing their “loop” in the next few days as they are from Michigan ports.

Upon checking into the marina office we learned there was a farmer’s market in town that would be ending within the hour.  Quickly Denise got Karen on TiKa and the two of them went up the hill to town and got some fresh vegetables. Up until now most of the farmers markets we have seen have been a bit disappointing as they have been small.  This one was different and offered lots of choices of vendors as well as everything from fresh organic turkey, honey, jams, sauces and the usual fruits & veggies.

Once back on the boat we researched locations for dinner (via Yelp) and chose to go to “Whitecaps”; a place right near the marina that overlooked the bay.  The food was very good and we enjoyed our meal; probably the best one we have had in a long time.  After we got back to the boat we realized how tired we were. Three days of being on the move was tiring work and we were beat.

Petoskey is a very cute town with lots of unique shops, restaurants and parks.  There is a bike path that runs the entire perimeter of Little Traverse Bay – some 17 miles, with public restroom and water fountains that are well maintained.  There are lots of things to do here and we decided we would stay at least two nights and enjoy as much as we could.

Saturday (8/8) – Petoskey, MI – The day started for Denise with a morning run along the previously mentioned bike path where she encountered several other runners as well as walkers.  Along the way she snapped some pictures of the sights, and hoped to get in at least 3 miles before it began to rain; which it was threatening to do.  Well, the rain never really came and she finished up in town at a local coffee shop after getting in a terrific hill workout.  Once back at the boat, we went back to the coffee shop for one of their terrific cinnamon buns (which Mark cannot resist) and a bagel.

There were boat chores to do in the morning, including cleaning the head & galley, vacuuming, washing sheets & towels, and then making travel arrangements for Claire (Denise’s sister) to come for a visit.  Mark, Tim & Mark – the younger (from TiKa) all decided to go to the movies and see MI-5.  As Denise wanted time to do some exploring in town and a little alone time, she passed on the movie and handed Mark the Wal-Mart shopping list – the chore he had to do since he was getting a cab to the movies. Denise managed to do a little shopping in a local kitchen store (for a few galley gadgets), and getting a souvenir t-shirt before returning back to the boat.

In the evening Tim & Karen came over for drinks and we discussed the plans for the next few days. We would like to explore one of the other towns along this bay before moving along, so we agreed to try and get into Harbor Springs for Sunday night.  Mark called and they were full up, but agreed to put us both on the waiting list; we would have to call to confirm in the morning.

We then walked through town and went to a restaurant called “City Park Grill” which is one of the oldest establishments in town. It is known as being a hang-out of Ernest Hemmingway when he lived in Michigan.  The bar (still held over from the original restaurant’s heyday of the 1920’s) has a burn mark in it near the seat where Hemingway would actually put out his cigar.

After dinner, we meandered over to a microbrewery (“Beards Brewery”) that Mark – the younger had discovered earlier in the day. It was definitely off the beaten path, but was an interesting place.  We had a sampling of one of their home-grown beers then went back to our boats to call it a night.

This evening the sunset over Lake Michigan was spectacular and the sky stayed colorful for a long time.

Other sights from Petoskey:

Sunday (8/9) – Harbor Springs, MI – We got up in time to make the 8:00 mass at St. Francis Xavier’s Catholic Church which was a short walk up the hill from the marina.

On the way back we decided to find a place for breakfast and discovered “American Spoon”; a little restaurant we had walked past the night before.  Here we had a delicious breakfast that was super fresh and made from locally grown items, including the different jellies offered.  Mark said it definitely tasted different!  Afterwards we walked back to the marina via a different path and discovered the Hotel Perry. (Not to be confused with the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michael’s, MD).  This is an old hotel that has a spectacular view of the bay and a pub that is supposed to be quite good.

From here we took the path back through a neighborhood with townhomes and then back to the park at the marina. As we arrived in the park they were having a non-denominational Christian service complete with choir/band and about 100+ people in attendance.   It was a beautiful morning and we certainly had much to be thankful for.

Other pictures from Petoskey:

Once back at the boat we called and got confirmation that Harbor Springs Marina could take us, so we made the short 3-mile trip with TiKa across the bay and on to explore a new town.

We arrived at Harbor Springs to find a very busy marina with lots of boaters coming and going.  Shortly after we arrived another looper boat (‘Sea Venture”) pulled in near us and we introduced ourselves.  Ron & Bev Copeland were telling us of their stay in Little Current when we discovered they had been traveling with “Renegade” who had lost a prop as they were leaving the harbor.  All is fine now and they are supposedly in Mackinaw City.  We are hoping they will catch up to us and we will get to see them again.

Later we had drinks aboard TiKa where we discussed the upcoming weather, and made the decision to leave for Charlevoix the next day.  We had a good weather window and the trip would take us back out on to Lake Michigan, so we took the conservative approach to move when it was going to be calm.

We also decided to collectively order pizzas from a local spot that was known for being delicious.  After being told our wait to have it delivered to the marina would be over 1.5 hours, the guys took the 10 minute walk to town and found the pizzas were already done when they arrived. When they returned, we all ate to our hearts content and agreed that they were very good pizza’s.

Later we went for a long walk around the bay and to see a little bit of this small affluent resort town.  It is really pretty and the houses are very nice; definitely a playground for the rich!

Here are some other pictures from Harbor Springs:

 

Monday (8/10) – Charlevoix – We woke up to the aft deck being totally covered by these pesky little bugs and spiders.  They seem to be in all the marinas in Michigan, but this was the worse yet. They had come out in the afternoon the day before, but now they covered everything.  We couldn’t go out the door without some coming inside, so we ended up vacuuming the boat several times just to keep them at bay.  We never want to hear about the bugs in FL again!

We left Harbor Springs at 10:30 and headed to Charlevoix.  It was a calm sail with no wind and a little fog, which didn’t last long.  Cruising with TiKa we had to speed up in order to make the bridge opening at noon and then we entered the harbor.

We both decided to put some fuel on the boat and pulled into Wards Marina first, and then made our way to the Charlevoix Municipal Marina.

The marina is in the heart of this downtown area which is a lot like Winter Park.  It has one major avenue with shops and restaurants, and a big park with a band shell (like Lake Eola). There are gorgeous homes all around the harbor and there is an entrance to the lake (Lake Charlevoix) which we may or may not explore with the dinghy while we are here.

After settling our boats and checking in, Mark washed the boat to get rid of the bugs, while Denise cleaned the inside.  Afterwards we did a little bit of work on board, and got to know the lay of the land.

Tim & Karen (“TiKa”) decided on a land-stay and checked into a local hotel that overlooked the harbor for a two-night’s visit, leaving Mark – the younger on the boat alone.  We met all three of them for dinner at one of the local microbreweries (Bridge Street Tap Room) where we had sandwiches. The food was good and the view was terrific.

We got to watch the boats in the harbor and discussed all the things to do in this area.  Karen mentioned they found a good grocery store and were able to get a few products we had both been missing. So after we said our ‘good nights’ we walked through town to the grocery store and purchased a few things we wanted, and then went back to the boat for the night.

Tuesday (8/11) – Charlevoix – The day started with emails and watching some news (via internet streaming which was not very good).  At 8:05 we walked up to marina office to put our name on the “Extend” list so we could stay at the marina another night.  If we had made reservations online (and paid the $8 service fee) we would have a guaranteed spot. However, since we were already here the procedure is you put your name on the Extend list, and then once all the (paid) reservations have been filled, boats in the marina are approved for an extension of their stay on a first-come, first-serve basis.  As this harbor has several other marinas we could go to, and because we were watching the number of slips available via the website, we were not too worried about getting in for another night.  We were, however #7 on the list and agreed that we needed to get there earlier tomorrow.

After procrastinating Denise went for a run through Charlevoix, out to the airport and back, and then through some of the neighborhood streets.  Although it was cool at the start, it warmed up quickly and she regretted forgetting to put anti-chafe on her inner thighs. My how easy it is to get out of the habit when you haven’t been running in the Florida heat.

Mark spent a lot of time on the phone with clients and our subs to ensure certain projects were on track.  Denise got a couple of loads of laundry done, while also working on the blog and cataloging pictures.  This is a very time-consuming task, but it is easier to do when the pictures are fresh in mind and you can remember names of places (and people).

In the afternoon, we walked through all the little shops in town and managed to escape without spending too much money.  Mark purchased a t-shirt and we bought a few items at “American Spoon”; a store that makes jams, jellies and sauces from Michigan-grown farms and it is really good.  We had had breakfast at their café in Petoskey and really liked their products. Now we have some on the boat to enjoy.

We ate an early dinner that night at the East Park Tavern, a place right on the main street of town that offered an affordable meal that was quite good.  Denise wanted some ice cream and heard that “The French Place” served “Rum Chata” Ice Cream and she just had to try it.  We were first treated to “Rum Chata” by our friends on “Patriyachtik” when we were in Brewerton, NY awaiting the reopening of the Eerie Canal.  There we learned to pair it with Fireball Whiskey for a delicious, but kick-in-the-behind drink.  Even without the whiskey, the ice cream was delicious and creamy and was worth the 10 million calories!

As we headed back to the boat we noticed there was a concert going on in the park.  Although we knew about the one on Thursday night, this one was a surprise to us. Come to find out it is a Community Band – residents from Charlevoix who get together and play every Tuesday night during the summer months. As we could hear the music (lightly) from our boat, we went back home to enjoy it while reading our books.

A little while later Tim & Karen came by and we talked about our planned itineraries and dates for being in which ports on Lake Michigan.  Both of us are meeting up with people in the coming days and we will soon have to separate.

Wednesday (8/12) – Charlevoix – Taking advantage of the low-cost washer and dryers, Denise completed two loads of laundry and was able to put TiKa and us in the first two slots of the Extend list at the marina; all before 7:45 am.  (Yes, we cheated and were in the dock master’s office early as he was printing out the list). It wasn’t long before we received confirmation that we were good to stay for another night.

To date we have put over 250 hours on the boat motor, so it was due for an oil change. Normally Mark would have done it himself, but we have no way of disposing of the old oil.  So, following in TiKa’s footsteps we secured a technician (Brian) who was able to do it for us at a very reasonable cost, and he took away the old oil.

Once the oil change was finished, we went for a long bike ride through town.  Denise had wanted to go see the Mushroom houses that are unique to this area.  These are a series of homes that were built by builder Earl Young in the early 1900’s using stone and cedar shake roofs.  They look as if they were built to house Smurfs or gnomes, and range in size from very tiny to very large. You can learn more about them here.  These are very unique and can only be found in Charlevoix.

After visiting the area where most of these houses are located, we rode down the street to the local hospital where patients there have a multimillion dollar view.  This health-care facility sits on top a hill that overlooks Lake Michigan and the entrance to Charlevoix Harbor. Not a bad place to recover!

We left there and went down the hill to the beach and the entrance channel to the harbor before the bascule bridge.  There we were able to take some pictures the lighthouse and surrounding areas.

We also saw the boats coming into the channel and noticed one of them was fellow looper “Marquesa” whom we had met in Baie Finn, Ontario.  We took their picture too and will email it to them shortly.

We carried our bikes up the hill and back onto the main street (Bridge Street) and crossed the bridge to the other side.  We then rode for another 45 minutes or so through the neighborhoods and along the northern shore of the harbor.  This area was definitely the high-rent district and the homes were large and beautiful.

Exhausted from our morning ride, we headed back to the boat for lunch.  We spent the rest of the day doing work for our business; mostly bookkeeping tasks and answering emails and returning phone calls.

That evening we were invited to dinner aboard TiKa as a final farewell before we would separate; they would be heading out tomorrow and we will stay while awaiting the arrival of Claire (Denise’s sister) tomorrow night.

After dinner we walked across the dock to Charlevoix Brewing Company to play team-trivia.  There were small door prizes for the winners; but that was not us. We didn’t care as it was a lot of fun and a great way to spend one last evening with our friends on TiKa.

Tomorrow they will leave us and we will try to reconnect with them sometime down the Lake Michigan coast.

Thursday (8/13) – Charlevoix – Today we planned for a low key day as we readied for the arrival of Denise’s sister Claire. There was a farmer’s market in the morning that took up the whole main street in Charlevoix. It was by far one of the best farmer’s markets we have seen to date.  We walked up and down and purchased a few items that were locally made, including fresh baked bread and some mustard – highly recommended by Dock Master Hal.

We also secured our place in the marina with Hal for Friday night, as we are planning to leave on Friday before the marina office opens to drive to Mackinac Island with Claire.

In the afternoon Mark was able to get a ride to Hertz for the rental car, and Denise cleaned the boat and worked on this blog post. Then we got on the road to Pellston Regional Airport, which is about 50 minutes from Charlevoix on a road that would take us right through Petoskey.  Claire’s flight was scheduled to come in at 6:30 pm, and we planned on eating dinner with her after her arrival. Since we knew there was a Wal-Mart in Petoskey, we planned a stop on the way to get her and then continue north.

We hit a bit of traffic in Petoskey, but were able to get in and out of Wal-Mart pretty quickly so it was not that big of a deal.  Just north of Petoskey we learned her flight would be delayed until 8:30, so we decided to find a place to eat dinner.  Seeing nothing that interested us on the mostly rural two-lane road, we decided to go back to Petoskey and chose to eat at the Palette Bistro restaurant.  They had a happy hour special until 7:00 that included 40% off of small plates, so we ordered 4 different ones and found them all to be quite delicious.

During our meal we received notice that the flight was further delayed and now it was not going to be 11:15 before the flight would be coming in.  So we drove the 15 miles back to Charlevoix and rested before leaving again at 10:30 to go get Claire.  Fortunately, the flight arrived on time, her baggage came through ok, and we headed back to Charlevoix. Unfortunately, we missed the 2nd concert in the park in town. It was almost 1:00 am before we got to bed, but we were happy to be safely back in our floating home.

Other Pictures of Charlevoix:

Friday (8/14) – Charlevoix – Mackinac Island side trip – Despite being tired from the late night, we stuck to our plans to use the rental car to go to Mackinac Island.  Of course the road to get there was the very same highway we had already traveled four times the previous day. Although we didn’t get off as early as we had wanted to, we were able to leave by 9:30, giving us sufficient time to get to Mackinaw City, park the car, and get on the 11:00 am ferry to Mackinac Island.

The ferry ride was uneventful as it is a short 16 minutes and we could not have asked for more perfect weather.  Once we arrived at the ferry dock we walked quickly through town and went immediately to the fort.

It is one of the coolest forts we have seen with spectacular views of the harbor.  We ate lunch at the Tea Room in the fort; a restaurant that overlooks Mackinac Island Harbor and is run by The Grand Hotel.  The food was delicious and reasonably priced, but the view was priceless.

After lunch we finished touring the fort, then walked along the harbor to the bike rental shop Mark had determined was the best value (there are at least 20 to choose from in the downtown area).  We secured mountain bikes for the three of us and headed out for an adventure.

As there are no cars allowed on the island, getting around is by foot, horse-drawn carriage, or bike. Therefore there are bike paths all around and throughout the island, with many interesting places to stop and see, or to cross to other inland trails. It is a dream vacation spot for a cyclist.

We rode the 8.2 perimeter path around the island, stopping along the way in a few key areas.  One such place was the 207-step climb up to “The Arch”; a whole in the rock where you can look out onto water.  It was beautiful and a great workout to climb up all those stairs.

 

Once back on the bikes we passed the beautiful clear waters of Lake Huron on the Eastern shore.

We dodged a thunderstorm that roared past us and stayed mostly over the water, getting us only slightly wet.  Because it was so hot, the sprinkles actually felt good, but we didn’t like the muddy mess it made of the pathway.  Eventually we realized that the bikes were kicking that mess up our backs and we had very dirty bottoms. No we do not have pictures of this!  The only reason we were not too embarrassed about this was that every other person on the island had the very same streak up their backsides as well.

On the Northern and Western shores of the island we had terrific views of the Mackinaw Bridge and the Northern shores of Lake Huron.  The bicycle traffic was much heavier at this point and there were several close-call collisions with other cyclists.  Eventually we ended up back in the downtown area which had become quite crowded.  We were anxious to return our bikes and get back on foot as it was just too congested to be on bikes and negotiating with the carriages and pedestrians.

After the bike rides we walked through the downtown for a few souvenirs but found most of the area did not interest us.  It was late afternoon and we decided we wanted to eat dinner in Charlevoix, not Mackinac Island. So, we took the ferry back to the mainland and once in the car drove Michigan Highway 31 one more time back to Charlevoix.  We returned the rental car, got a cab from Hertz back to the marina and walked to Bridge Street Tap Room for a second dinner there.

It had been a very fun day and we were happy that Claire was along to share it with us.

Other pictures from our adventures on Mackinac Island:

Saturday (8/15) – Leland, MI – Today we said good bye to the very cool town of Charlevoix and moved the boat 30 miles south to Leland, MI.  Along the way we encountered very thick fog and had to use radar for navigating most of the way.

At one point we had to slow the boat down considerably as there were other boats in the area and we did not want to hit any of them.  By the time we got near the entrance to Leland harbor the fog had lifted. Along the way we had contacted TiKa and learned they were planning on staying in Leland another night, so we would see them for docktails

We pulled into the fuel dock for some diesel and then settled into our slip. Afterwards Mark washed the boat and Claire and Denise went for a walk to scope out “Fishtown” and the rest of the places in downtown Leland.

Fishtown is a collection of weathered fishing shanties, smokehouses, overhanging docks, fish tugs and charter boats along the Leland River in Leland, Michigan. There is Carlson’s Fishery, a fish market right along the river that buys the fresh fish right off the boats, and there is the “Cheese Shop” which has the best sandwiches for $6.95. There are efforts to preserve the shanties and the fishing activities and you can learn more about Fishtown here.

Also near Fishtown and as part of the harbor is the ferry boat that can take you to both North and South Manitou Islands – located 10 -12 miles off the mainland coast.  Both Islands are part of the Sleeping Bear National Park and offer camping, hiking, birding trails as well as an anchorage. Had the weather been more perfect we would have considered taking our boat there and anchoring out for a night.

However, the weather for the next day was not looking great; high winds were anticipated and it was supposed to blow hard. We did not have a reservation for another night, and we didn’t want to be forced to leave.  Leland Harbor is a “Safe Refuge” harbor and they have to take any boat that comes in during a storm.  This can result in boats being shifted around or rafted up in order to accommodate any who come in and we didn’t want to be ones that got kicked out once the winds died down (which they can do).  So we went ahead and paid for the second night, hoping we wouldn’t regret making that call so early on.

Also during the day other looper friends on “Ivory Lady” (Jann & Bill) and “Next Chapter” (Caryn & Willie) came into the marina, so together with TiKa we made plans for docktails in the nice cruisers lounge this city offers.

In the meantime we decided to cook dinner on the boat. Originally we were thinking we could get some whitefish or walleye at the fish store, but they were sold out of the fresh stuff by the time we got there (you have to get there early).  Therefore, we opted for some ribeye steaks we had seen at “The Mercantile” (grocery store) earlier in the day. So Claire and Denise walked back up the hill to the store, to get the steaks and some potatoes to roast along with it.

At 5:30 we had docktails with all the Loopers and another non-looper couple Chris & Karen (on “Good Grief” – a 1974 Chris Craft motor yacht that had been fully restored).  They own a few marinas on the Michigan coastline south of where we were and they were full of information to share.  Afterwards we went back to the boat and cooked our steaks and potatoes.  Of course we had to top the evening off with an ice cream. So, we walked up to the only shop still remaining open in town – and there is a reason they were still open – they served “Moomers” Ice Cream. A Michigan-made ice cream that is really good and was voted America’s “Best Scoop” on ABC’s Good Morning America in May 2008.  The servings were definitely not as big as “Lone Oak” in New Hampshire, but it was delicious and was the perfect ending to a fun day

Sunday (8/16) – Leland, MI– Our first order of business was getting to mass.  This was a bit of a challenge as the closest Catholic Church was 5 miles away in Lake Leelanau, but we had secured a ride thanks to the Harbor Master.  He introduced us to an older couple (Bob and Boots on “BobbnBoots”) who were from Wisconsin, but had been at the marina 3 weeks already and allowed them to take his SUV the past few weeks. Fortunately, they were able to take us as well and so we all went to St. Mary’s for 9:15 mass.

When we returned to the marina we decided to get sandwiches for lunch from The Cheese Shop, based on the positive feedback from Karen (on TiKa). So Claire and Denise went early and picked them up. We were not there more than 5 minutes when the line grew out the door with 15 people behind us. Clearly, we timed it well, and yes, the sandwiches were terrific!

We then planned the rest of the day, including a dinner outing with all the Loopers.  Mark had some work to do, so he took his computer and went up to the cruiser’s lounge where he had a better Wi-Fi signal.  Denise worked a little on the blog and Claire read her book.  Afterwards the girls dragged Mark back to Fishtown and the Leland downtown area to show him some of the things in town.  In the meantime, the wind had picked up and it was really howling and a small craft advisory had been issued.

Late that afternoon everyone was discussing plans for the next day as the wind was supposed to die down in the morning.  More boats had come into the marina, including Loopers Betsy & Dave Frye (“FryDaze”) and Gold Loopers Evelyn & Sid (“Something Special”).

So now our dinner party grew to 14 and we all met at Bluebird restaurant where they squeezed us into a corner booth + tables in the bar area.  It wasn’t the greatest accommodations, but the food was good and the company of other Loopers made it so great.  Then the entire group meandered back to the ice cream store for dessert and we said good night to all.  Tomorrow we would be moving on and most likely will run into each other again soon.

Other pictures from Leland:

 

Stay tuned for more adventures from Island Office!

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!