We Can Smell the Salt Water

Bob's View:

Courses:
Burlington to Chipman Point (at the southern point of the lake while it still looks like a lake not a river)
Chipman Point to Whitehall town dock (the start of the Champlain Canal)
Whitehall to Skylerville
Skylerville to Waterford (and just one more lock to the tidal Hudson River)

Distance run since leaving Burlington on Lake Champlain: 128 in 4 days
Distance run since leaving Maine in June: 1,193
Engine Hours since Maine: 232
Locks negotiated since leaving Waterford in July: 58


Below are some pictures we took on Lake Champlain.  The one with the moon set was taken at night just after sunset, and it  is one of our favorite moments this trip.  What a visual treat this area has been for us.

Since we departed the lake, its been a few days of non-stop travel for us.  We prefer to take a day or two off every 2-3 days but we wanted to get down to Waterford (and the free dock and Hannafords and the wine store) so we just kept moving- 4 days without a break.  That really is too many in a row and too far to go daily to enjoy peacefully, and after the first three days, the time at the helm becomes a bit blurry.  But we are back where we started a month ago at the bifurcation of the Erie and Champlain Canals.  I admit both PM and I leave Lake Champlain with a certain regret and nostalgia.


We will miss the clean clear warm water, the friends we met, the scenic beauty of the lake and especially the openness of this jewel of American inland waters.  I would liken it to the North Channel in western Georgian Bay of Lake Huron and have a sense we will linger here again on our way around the loop next Spring.

The sun is setting on our last night at Burlington as we prepare mentally to go back south and to canal cruising.  The open waters of this lake have been a genuine pleasure to explore.  We find new little spots to consume every day and will sorely miss these waters.  We are constantly surprised there are not more travelers on these waters.  Perhaps it is the economy and the deterrent this has been to boating tourists, especially Canadian boaters.  Only one day did we share locks with other boats.  Given the enormous cost to maintain these canals and locks, I hope the future does not see a further reduction in use or the governments may erode their financial support to the point the locks cease to be serviceable.  After almost 200 years of operation, this would be a real loss for those of us who voyage by water.

I asked one of the lock masters how much traffic he has seen compared to last year and he told us it has been dismal this season.  The Erie Canal was closed for several weeks in June and July so many boaters gave up their cruising plans for the summer, and others have chosen not to launch boats due to costs of fuel and the shortened season following the rains of early summer this year.  I do not know what has been the situation in other parts of the loop, but this year has been a dire economic disappointment to many of the marinas we have visited.  Reading the Great Loop Cruising Association blog ( www.AGLCA.com ), I see there is a general dearth of cruisers this year, many in the great lakes have been weeks without seeing other loopers.  We had expected to travel in tandem at least a portion of this loop, but have yet to do so. Perhaps next year will be better.

Travel on the Champlain Canal after the few glorious weeks we were on the Lake Champlain was much less enjoyable, but also less worrisome regarding the weather and navigation. The canal is extremely well marked and other that a few yahoos who felt going 40 miles an hour and throwing up a big wake was their right, we had few issues until we got to Fort Edward. Someone, probably a politician, decided that as GE has polluted the Champlain Canal with PCBs over many yeas of producing stuff, they should cover the cost of dredging the river bottom muck and laying down a gravel substrate.  Many of the locals we spoke with about the project, now in its 10th year, were perplexed why the dredging was needed as it merely stirred up these poisons and nature was breaking them down naturally.  Oh well, it keeps cash flowing to the economy, and gives government another stick to swing at big business.The locks around Fort Edward kept us waiting for several hours while commercial barges and tugs were raised or lowered. This was just what we had encountered on the way north so we planned for the time delay and arrived in Skyler Yacht Basin long after 5 and after almost 8 hours to transit less than 35 miles, a trip that would normally have taken 5 hours plus an hour for the locks. We were able to safely negotiate the commercial operations unlike some we have met who described travel through this dredging area as a "free for all".


The Champlain Canal became the Hudson River on the chart as we moved south.  The river is narrow and is really indistinguishable from the canal above Waterford.  One final Lock at Lock 2 and we arrived at our former berth by 2, an easy and comfortable day on the water.  We plan on a two day stay here (the dock is free and the only charge is for power, $10 for as long as one uses it, and the bathroom key, another $10 but you only get $5 back on leaving; gee-sh, it becomes irksome to get charged for every little thing.  The volunteers at the "Welcome Center" often are different day to day so if we stayed a week, I do not think any one would realize it, even though there is a 48 hour limit.

I did enjoy our time on the canal in some ways: lots of wildlife, easy navigation, calm water, and PM saw a blue heron and snowy egret daily.  We also saw several bald eagles (and what a treat it was to watch these magnificent birds soar on the up drafts created by the warm water of the canal), turtles (including a snapping turtle that PM spotted with a shell over a foot across), and I think I saw a beaver in the water at one point, lots of jumping fish, and myriad wetlands as we slowly made our way south.

So now canal life is behind us, well almost, another few miles until we transit the Federal Lock at Troy, and we are taking a day to re-rig VELOMER for the Hudson River and Atlantic waters of Long Island Sound and the New England coast north of Cape Cod. The radar mast will be erected, allowing our flags to fly again,  and I will be able to reattach the overboard discharge line.  While the information in Skipper Bob is very specific about the need to disable this system while cruising on Lake Champlain, we were not inspected anywhere and I never heard that anyone has been in the past several years.  Perhaps this is old information, but it was an easy job to remove a section of the hose that ran from the macerator pump to the thru hull fitting.   I did discover the ends of one of the hoses is split so its off to the hardware store to replace about 6 inches of hose.  Of the many hoses, fittings, connections, and snaps on VELOMER, this is one I do not want to leak.  I have discovered that a boat is constantly in need of tightening fittings, wires, inspecting hoses, securing wire runs, cleaning surfaces and generally looking at everything as frequently as time allows.  Some things need a schedule of maintenance, like oil and filter changes, but others, like alternator belts, throttle cables, rigging, lines, fenders and fluid levels are managed as need arises.  I have learned to watch for everything and anything as I move about on VELOMER and often find my time before a departure in the morning consumed by one "fix it" project after another.  An old sage once told a newbie "Son, ev'r thang on a boat is broke, you just don' know it yet". How true!

We get back to New York in a few more days and the prospect of seeing Phil and Bettina is a very bright light for us.  We have at times sorely missed family and old friends on this trip.  Next year, we are secretly planning on kidnapping a few so we can share this adventure with those we love.  There is a remote possibility that Phoebe, Erik, Annika and Trigvy can join us for a two day run north from Boston to Maine, but that is unlikely, although a sweet prospect for us.  There are times when we feel a large emptiness in our hearts for the missing smiles and giggles emanating from Anni and Trig, and the warm presence of Erik, Phoebe, Phil and Bettina.  We are feeling the end of this adventure in a few weeks is fast approaching for this season and it is sweet and sad.  Life is so fickle, just when you figure it out, it changes.  The skills we have learned every day on this trip will fade somewhat over the winter, but we hope we will reacquire them quickly once we begin our 2014 cruise.  Besides, we still need to meet Champ.



PM's Perspective:

She is burnt out again on reviewing appraisals, perhaps later.

Final Days on Lake Champlain

PM's Perspective

I have some catching up to do on my part of the adventure.  I'll start with Rouse's Point, our northern most spot on Lake Champlain, where we docked at Gaines' Marina.  This marina gets my highest kudos for dock design.  The docks themselves were wide and steady enough so that you didn't have to perform a balancing act just to remain upright.  The spacing between slips was such that plenty of room existed between boats, so no tight squeezes which we have experienced at other places.  At the terminus of one of the docks was a public space with railings and seating for gatherings -- a nice touch.  The marina was very well landscaped with very colorful flowers and flower boxes, decorative lampposts and international flags.  The marina store was well equipped and even had propane tank fill-up service which we benefited from as our propane tank for the stove emptied in the middle of cooking one of my delicious dinners.

The bathrooms were marbled tiled.  That being said, the women's room must have been designed by a non-woman because the layout made no sense whatsoever!  As one entered, one is greeted by a small well appointed waiting area with upholstered chairs, so far so good and a nice touch.  Then a corridor with five doors on the left -- four private shower rooms and one half bath.  What was the designer thinking?  One toilet and one sink in the entire women's room that services a marina with more than one hundred slips?  At the end of the corridor was another area with base cabinetry and a nice wide counter.  What was this area for?  Diaper changing, putting on make-up?  And without a sink?  Back to the drawing board on that one, buster! But overall, I really liked the marina.  The town, though, not so much.

As we approached Rouses' Point on the boat, the dominant architectural feature was a large dark red brick building with twin square towers capped with parapets that almost looked like crowns.  Eye candy for me.  This gem turned out to be St. Patrick's church.  I was looking forward to walking through the town to see what other architectural jewels awaited.  Bob and I desperately needed to do laundry and the only laundromat was in town about three blocks from the marina.  The dirty laundry basket was so full that both of us were required to carry it.  We walked into town and found TJ's North Country Laundromat/Car Wash.  TJ is definitely an entrepreneur.  The front portion of the corrugated metal building was a laundromat and the rear a car wash -- do the laundry and clean the car at the same time, not a bad idea, I thought.

Upon entering we found that a goodly number of the machines had out-of-order signs on them.  We found some working washers and put in our dirty laundry, detergent and quarters.  While the washers were doing their thing, Bob and I decided to scope out the town.  I was not disappointed in the downtown buildings -- a delight to view their older facades, storefronts, fenestration, soffits, lintels and sills.  We returned to the laundromat, emptied the washers and put the clothes in a dryer.  While waiting for the clothes to dry, we sat down at a table and started to look around whereupon we saw a sign that struck us as very odd that read, "anybody that is seen or caught on camera picking through our garbage or removing signs from our walls will be permanently banned from using this facility and info will be turned over to law enforcement."  Questions started to flood my mind.  What was the precipitating event that warranted this particular sign?  What could possibly be in the garbage that would attract pickers?  Does someone, TJ perhaps, sit and watch the security camera tapes?  How much time do they spend watching the tapes?  How does someone get permanently banned from the premises and how is the ban enforced?  Does law enforcement really care about garbage picking and sign removal in the laundromat?  What goes on in this town?  When our clothes were dry, we quickly folded them and headed back to the security of the boat.

Next morning, Friday, we got out of town and headed south to Burlington Harbor where Kathy and John on the good vessel Serenity and several of their friends parked their boats on the public moorings.  We picked up a mooring thanks to John's saving one for us.  We went ashore and re-provisioned at City Market and spent a wonderful evening with new found friends.  The next day, we followed Serenity to Willsboro Marina joining up with other folks and enjoying a fabulous dinner at the marina restaurant known for its cuisine.  The next day, Sunday, we invited Mike (who is interested in buying a Monk) and Sharon for a test drive and took a short cruise around Schuyler Island.  When we returned it was time to say goodbye to all our new found friends as they left for home port.  Bob and I stayed another night so I could review appraisal reports where the internet reception was good.

Monday morning we headed back to Burlington to prepare for our journey south.  We have liked it so much and ran into some other boaters we met at Burton Island that we decided to spend more time.  This passed weekend I missed a mini college reunion of folks associated with the former Gryphon Fraternity at Hamilton College.  Several of the attendees and invitees e-mailed back and forth about life circumstances.  One of the e-mails contained the information that Tony Stapleton had a serious bike accident resulting in broken facial bones, nose bones and ribs!  I called Tony and was thrilled to hear him answer the phone.  He sounded like healing was well underway and thankful to be alive.  He also asked if I had been in touch with Cordelia, one of our college buds who lives in Vermont on Lake Champlain, and he gave me her contact info.  Bob and I just spent a delightful afternoon with her catching up and renewing our connection.  This is the sweetness of life!

Bob's View:

Course:  none, as we have been in Burlington on a mooring for three days 
Weather: perfect for swimming and doing outside maintenance on the hull
Crew Morale:  finest kind
Battery State: really impressive as we have not run the genset for the past three days and we are registering 13.2 v.

As we make preparations for our final departure (we have been here three times now) from a mooring in Burlington, we have a long day ahead of us.  We had intended to travel half of the distance to Chipman Point today but PM got in touch with CB, an old and dear friend (the adjective referring to the length of time they have known each other since college, not their age, in fact "young" gets redefined for us each year).  We will need to cruise about 50 miles tomorrow, 7 hours more or less, to make Chipman Marina by mid afternoon. A two night stay will provide time to do another laundry, a pump-out, and to set up VELOMER for the locks by dropping the radar mast, readying the fenders, and making her shipshape for our trip back to salt water.

The sadness that had been casting a shade over our time aboard in the past week has lifted, I suppose this to be as we realize the journey continues in another phase and adventures await us around the many turns and through the 12 locks we will encounter in the next few days.  If Mike Sheehy is able to join us for the passage down the Champlain Canal, PM will get lots of practice negotiating the locks as he and I can handle lines, pipes and cables along the lock walls while she maneuvers VELOMER from the fly-bridge helm.  I am a bit nervous about this change in duties but it is really good that PM acquires new skill sets in boat handling. She really only lacks the confidence not the knowledge as she knows what to do, but has not had the experience I have in doing it.

I still awake each day, curious as to where the time has gone and anticipating new vistas, new people to meet, and new opportunities to become better loopers.  While on board, each day melts into the next and the days and weeks are fluidly passing across our calendar much as smoothly as the waters of Lake Champlain pass under our keel.  Each day has highlights, like last night when I arose at three AM to watch the moon's kumatage on the lake waters between VELOMER and  Adirondack Park on the western shore.  And a previous night when I awake again at 3 AM to listen to the howl of wolves in the wilds of upstate New York.  The only howling I heard last night in Burlington was of the college crowd as they consumed copious amounts of alcohol.

PM has taken the dinghy to shore to return CB to her life as a pastor for the South Hero Island community where she has been for the past three years.  We rarely get visitors on board, which frankly has been a bit of a puzzle for us, (why would anyone not want to spend time on VELOMER, maybe its us?) and so this afternoon was special for us, both as PM had not seen her old friend in years and for me, a chance to get to know another really amazing Kirkland student from the charter class.  Those women from the class of 1972 are all really phenomenal and I hope to meet as many as I have time to know.

So today ends with another beautiful sunset, a swim in clear water and a tasty dinner of grilled vegetables, chicken and of this I am sure, several glasses of really cheap but surprisingly good Pinot Grigio which PM found at the local market. We got 6 bottles because of our senior discount and 10% off for a half case deal.

Meals and wine are better on the water as is sleeping and waking.

Around Lake Champalin

Rouses Point at the Northern Terminus 
and Back Around the Loop


Bob's View:

Courses:
Burton Island, VT to Rouses Point, NY
Rouses Point to Burlington, VT
Burlington to Willsboro Bay, NY
And another day at Willsboro Bay
Weather: wind driven chop but calm seas for the most part
Engine hours since leaving Maine 2 months ago: 207
Miles (S): 954

In the last 4 days we have cruised north to Canada and spent an interesting stop at Gaines Marina.  The marina is owned and being continually developed by a former Maine lobster-man.  The marina has it all: clean showers, a small but efficient store, propane, ethanol free gas, competent staff and well made new wide docks.  Having said that, the town offers very little else besides the marina.  Another marina just north of this one, Lighthouse Marina,  was destroyed last year in a storm and has been abandoned for that use.  I will allow PM to describe the laundromat and car wash we discovered (see below) and Rouses point did offer a decent place to get a cup of coffee, so all in all, a 6 out of 10, 2 points for the coffee and 4 points for the marina.  We could see Canada from our dock and while the bow was pointed north, VELOMER seemed to have a certain vigor.  We will visit again next spring and continue north in to the wilds of Quebec. In some ways we feel we are in Quebec since leaving Champlain Marina in Colchester, as about 90% of the boats and 100% of the radio traffic is Quebecois.

So far this trip north on Lake Champlain , we have had fantastic weather, and while crossing 3-4 foot seas does cause as much as a 30 degree roll in the bigger waves, most of our days are spent enjoying the green trees of the undeveloped lakeside hills, vistas that offer scenery identical to that as Benedict Arnold enjoyed 250 years ago, lunching on fresh veggies and creative sandwiches on the fly bridge while underway, walking ad riding bikes along well groomed paths (these in Vermont, New York has a bit of catching up to do)  and just breathing the clean clear air of this part of upper New York State and Vermont, however the air on the New York side is decidedly less aromatic with cow smells.

We returned to Burlington as we turned south on our way back to Maine.  An afternoon and  night there allowed restocking of fresh fruit and veggies at City Market again.  We are eating really well on this trip in terms of quality food, which surprised me a bit.  It seems that as we run low or out of critical foodstuffs like tea, coffee and chocolate (and OK, PM, salads, apples, and eggplant too), we always find a source for these essentials ashore.  Cooking on board, except for grilling, has been PM's area to exercise supreme skill in providing tasty meals.  This also has been a wonderful surprise for the captain as her attitude about cooking ashore was typically "get it done".

Some new friends we made at Champlain Marina  last week had called to ask if we would like to join them and some others at Willsboro Marina for a dinner out and anchor offshore.  This sounded like fun so we joined John and Kathy Scott in Burlington, where they had arrived early enough in the day to grab a mooring ball for us.  The next day we cruised slowly across the lake due west to Willsboro Bay.  This was the first time I had cruised with another boat and it was a treat not to have to pay such attention to the course and I  enjoyed watching the goings on over the water and drinking in the lush greenery of the surrounding hills to the fullest.  As much as I have become attached to Colorado, I do miss the greenery of New England.  After a few discussions regarding the wind and waves predicted for the night, we decided instead to stay at the marina so we could all get a good night's rest.  We dined at this really good place at the marina with Mike Sheehy and Sharon, Peter and Linda Brunell and John and Kathy.  With 8 of us at the table there was little quiet time, the ladies chatted about whatever woman discuss and we guys talked boats and traded sea stories. Well sea and air stories as John was a former fighter pilot.  He described for me a time he had a flame out in on a training flight at 15,00 feet while practicing a "zero G" maneuver, recovery was 200 foot over the minimum where a bailout was to be executed.  The pucker factor in that experience was intense.

Today, we had Mike and Sharon on board for a short venture up and back the bay.  Mike is considering a new boat, (his Carver 32 is under contract- yeah!!!) and a Monk has been one of the possibilities.  I suggested he and Sharon take a short ride with us to get a feel for the way the boat handles and feels underway.  Their current ( and soon to be former) boat is much more energetic but also much less fuel efficient.  He has been happy with 3 gallons an hour at trawler speed.  When I mentioned under a gallon an hour, I felt a tug on the line, I think he is hooked but it may take a bit more time on board VELOMER the perfect Monk 36 to really get that hook set well.  Mike may join us for the ride from Whitehall down the Champlain Canal to Waterford or even New York if he has the time.  That would really be fun for us to have another hand aboard at the locks but also to get to know Mike better.  Cruising with others aboard VELOMER does change the dynamic but is a treat for us as well.


Today PM is catching up with some office stuff while I walk around the marina and catch up on reading and writtting.  She always looks so happy when she does this.  It has been hard for her, I know, to change from boat handling mindset to office handling thinking.  Perhaps next season she will be able to enjoy the one she enjoys most.  By the way, the hotspot from AT&T we have on board has worked flawlessly to connect to the internet, even in areas where those around us get no signal for their cell phones.

I have mixed feelings about this turnaround point.   We have been away from friends, with the brief exception of Sam's visit over the 4th of July weekend, and family since we left Maine June 15, now 2 months ago.  Compared to the travel times of the Erie Canal era, this is brief but for us, used to 70 mile an hour highway speeds and internet downloads at 2 GIGs a second, the time we have been away on this adventure seems very long indeed. Our voyage has had its high points and only a few low points.  We enjoy the exploration of new waters and especially the realization we can handle what ever challenges this adventure sets out for us to discover. We have learned so much about American history, a little too much if PM were to be asked, and met some absolutely great people along the way.  I am feeling a bit saddened though as we turn around and make for Maine again.  This trip has been more than entertaining and an education, it has made us so much more appreciative of the time we have on planet earth and also given both of us a new appreciation for the other after 37 years of marriage.

VELOMER has behaved extremely well too and that and our new skills we have acquired negotiating locks and docks has been a boost of our confidence for the "loop trip" we depart on next year.  So we have turned south again, and the weather will be a bit warmer perhaps.  The days have been perfect, shorts and T-shirts everyday and an occasional need for a fleece in the morning or underway in the wind, and the nights just right for sleeping as we have cruised in Lake Champlain.  We have 12 locks to transit from Whitehall to Albany to get back to the upper tidal waters of the Hudson River.  While there is no lock #10 on the Champlain Canal, the Federal Lock at Troy has no number. But I am getting ahead of myself.  The prospect of seeing Anni and Trig, Erik and Phoebe and our close friends in the Portland area and getting to spend a little time with Phil and Bettina, Essie and Bob, and Sam and Susie in New York draws us a little harder every day.  We will surely have more adventures in the next four weeks, hopefully not as expensive as some we have had, and we will see new places and faces as we reverse our course to New England salt water.  We will discover if we recall how to use the GPS course plotter.

This life is sweet everyday and some days feature great coffee.


PM's Perspective:

I'm burnt out on reviewing appraisal jobs and will catch up next time.

Burton Island and the Inland Sea

Bob's Input:

Course: Sledrunner Point anchorage in Shelburn Bay to Malletts Bay
Malletts Bay to Burton Island
Weather: our first daytime significant rain while were on the mooring here at Burton Island but the sunsets and rainbows more than compensate for this
Seas:  4-6 foot chop out of Malletts Bay until we turned north to run with the waves into
The Gut" of the Inland Sea in St. Albans, VT
Distance Run: 869 miles (S) since leaving Maine
Engine Hours: 193 (time again to change the oil and filters)

Lake Champlain has been such a pleasant surprise.  The navigation, tidal and weather issues have been non factors.  PM and I share boat helming and navigation and have become a well practiced team at docking, locking and living aboard a 36 foot boat, which admittedly has several levels we can escape to for privacy or reflection or escape (thankfully not much of that).

Taking our 15 year old bikes along has been a great decision as we have found several opportunities to take 20-30 mile rides. Along the Erie Canal, a bike path has been created along the former tow path and now in Vermont, we always seem to find very bicycle friendly small towns. While in Malletts Bay at Champlain Marina, we rode along on old rail bed and then into Burlington all off road for a 25 mile day.  We stopped at ECHO in Burlington and were educated about "Champ", the legendary sea critter from the Jurassic Era that some believe still inhabits the 400 foot depths of the lake.  We saw a video made of the only authenticated picture of the critter, and learned that there have been sightings for hundred of years by the locals.  I have been on the look out for days but thus far only have seen boat wakes and ducks, both of which could have been Champ.  We have another week on the Lake Champlain so perhaps there is still time to see her.

These days are so gentle.  We have been at several marinas, where we meet incredible happy people, boat people are the happiest I have known. When we arrived at Champlain Marina in Colchester, we arrived on the day the annual summer dock party was scheduled.  Wow, these people know how to throw a dock party, bottomless glasses of champagne, fresh shrimp, salmon, chips and dips of course and engaging conversations about the affairs of the world and the affairs of the marina, of which there were a few.

I have never felt so welcomed at a marina where we were total strangers at first but soon had a dozen new friends.  John and Kathy Scott had the Mainship two slips from us, Mike had the Carver 32 next to them and France and Vitel and their lovely 5 year old daughter, Laurie, who spoke perfect English, a Quebecois family visiting the marina on their power boat, were in the slip next door.  I had a rare chance to practice my fractured french with them; they were very tolerant of my accent and lack of verb tenses.  We had intended to stay one evening but stayed several days.  Boat life has been like that, we find a place we like and stay awhile, absorbing the local history, culture and especially meeting great people, some of whom we hope will become life friends.

So yesterday, today and tomorrow VELOMER is secured to a mooring at Burton Island State Park. The weather for the next two days is iffy with strong winds forecast  from the south. 20 knots of wind would not be such an issue on the open ocean, but as Lake Champlain runs north and south, any breeze from either direction has a chance to build some significant chop.  We had 3-4 foot steep and short period chop coming north two days ago from Burlington. Actually VELOMER handles these well if we're going with the seas but rolls quite a bit in a crossing sea, which we experienced for a hour coming out of Malletts Bay.  I have a steadying sail which would reduce the roll significantly, but I never seem to remember to set it before we need it.  The exercise PM and I get holding position at the upper helm is good for our core workout of the day. And while this boat can handle much worse conditions than we have thus far encountered, we are traveling without a time schedule so we are fair weather traveler this adventure, and we choose not to venture out in inclement or rough seas. Yes, I know, we are losing our Maine "go anywhere go anytime" attitude.  Such is cruising the inland waters of the northeast.

In a day or two (or three) we head up to Rouse's Point and Gaines Marina, about 21 miles north of here and the most northerly part of Lake Champlain before it becomes Canadian water.  We may be able to anchor again at Valcour Island, if the wind cooperates on Friday and then meet up with some new friends, John and Kathy Scott from Champlain Marina, on Friday to cruise down to Willsboro Bay and a scrumptious meal at the marina there. The anchorages at Valcor are very popular.  The island is a state park with special history.

From the west side of this small island in 1775, Benedict Arnold, while he was still on our side of the war, surprised the British fleet sailing south to attack New York from the north.  His action was more a delaying action that a victory, but did stop the advance south of this large fleet of troops and munitions until the following spring.  If they had made it to New York, General Washington would have been sorely pressed from two sides and the war would have likely had a very different course.  I have no doubt that the Continental Army would have rallied at some other point but the war would likely have been much more costly in terms of lives and resolve.  Arnold's action and a subsequent action the following spring at Fort Ticonderoga, gave the fledgling American army its first positive result of the war, encouraged resolve to resist British dominance of American affairs and led to the founding of America 6 years later.

We videod a rainbow at Sledrunner Point for you to enjoy.   We are amazed at the number and quality of "arc de ciel" we see.  Its a bit like Scotland in that way.  The open skies allow us long open vistas.

The vistas are really special here on Lake Champlain.  More later

We are loving this life.


PM's Perspective:  Healthy Living 

During a recent telephone conversation with our son, Phil, he asked, "Are you eating well?"  I was somewhat surprised by his question as I always make an effort to eat well; however, on a boat journey it is understandable that one would be concerned about the availability of good food.  We have found on this adventure that good eating takes a modicum of planning but that as the world becomes more conscious of the impact of diet on health, the practice of good eating becomes easier and easier.  Over the years, particularly as Bob and I have become aware of the aging process and that our bodies are no longer 20 something, we have made more of an effort to eat well.  To us, this means eating locally grown fruits and vegetables and locally raised livestock, wild fish and the like and eating organic foods when we can.

Fortunately, supermarkets have become sensitive to this trend and provide more and more organic foods on their shelves.  On this trip, we have been lucky to find some excellent resources.  Our most recent find was City Market/Onion River Co-op on Winooski Street in Burlington, VT just a short walk from the waterfront.  What a great source of delicious goodies!  We stocked up on organic meats, breads, fruits, vegetables, the freshest Shitake mushrooms I've ever seen, ginger snaps and chocolate (our supply was starting to run low!).  The problem is not so much one of finding these things but of eating them before they expire.  The big shocker though was finding out the locally grown organic cantaloupe cost $9.99.  "We're not letting this one go bad," I said to Bob while the fruit flies circled overhead in anticipation.  We sliced it open yesterday and took a bite.  We were not disappointed; however Bob did comment that it was a great $4.99 cantaloupe but a lousy $9.99 cantaloupe.

We prepare most of our meals on the boat, but do eat at restaurants several times a week. My favorite meal out is breakfast at the local greasy spoon feasting on two eggs over easy, bacon, home fries and toast.  Our great restaurant finds have been Finch and Chubb in Whitehall and Chef Lin and Ray's in Essex, NY.  Otherwise, on board, its fresh fruit, oatmeal, blueberry pancakes or some other outrageously healthy fare.  Lunch is often a sandwich, salad, fruit or leftovers from the previous night's dinner.  I have found that Applewood produces a brand of organic cold cuts without nitrates, nitrites and the like which are quite tasty and convenient, particularly when underway.  We snack on Larabars and fresh fruit, usually a banana or apple.  Dinners consist of fresh or roasted veggies, a salad with lots of ingredients, and usually some protein or a stir-fry accompanied by a fine glass of Pinot Grigio (or two).  Bob has mentioned that he is getting sick of salads, but that's his problem!  We are not dessert people, but do enjoy a bit of dark chocolate after dinner.

Gone are the days of eating potato chips, Frito's, Cheetos and other snack foods, candy, processed foods, canned food, ice cream, foods with preservatives, Vienna sausages, Ballpark hot dogs, foods with ungodly coloring, hamburger helper, and the like.  We find we don't really miss them and we feel so much better!

Bon appetite!

Day On The Hook

Bob's Input

We have been slowly moving north on Lake Champlain for the past week, taking each day as it unfolds and enjoying the clear waters of the lake.  I felt comfortable diving to check the shaft (no entanglements) and the wheel (no new nicks) and cleaned a small amount of fuzzy growth from the speed wheel under the hull.

 We no longer need to watch for barges as the commercial use of the lake ended several decades ago with the closing of Plattsburgh Air Force Base.  Fuel barges are now replaces by barges in the Chaplain Canal moving pre-cast concrete forms for construction.  A ten year project is also underway to dredge PCBs from the canal bottom deposited by a GE plant south of Whitehall.  This dredging may never be dome and in my uninformed opinion is only causing the chemicals to reenter the water system.  No one swims in the canal waters any more.

I cannot get over the difference in travelling styles this lake has afforded us now we no longer cruise the canals.  The days are slower, we travel less miles between stops, the nights are quieter, and the company is decidedly more french.  As we move further north tomorrow,I expect we will be surrounded by boats from Quebec and Nova Scotia.  The local marina owners tell me they have seen many fewer Canadians since '08 and while the dollar is about par with the loonie, the advantage of the exchange has been more than offset by the increase in the price of fuel.

We have found a sweet anchorage in Shelburne Bay just south of Burlington.  Setting the hook was a new for us but I trust we will be more comfortable with the technique as we anchor more often.  There has been few opportunities to do so until now as the canal is too narrow, and the tides in most bays along the New England Coast make for challenges we did not feel prepared to meet a the time.

After making the adjustment to the idle, the engine has been running smoothly and giving us just the right amount of reverse thrust when we need it, like at a dock or a lock wall.  I found the controls were not provided with stop screws that were long enough to be effective, so replacing these with some longer ones I had on board (actually screws I found in the boatyard at Spring Point which are the same ones used to secure shaft zincs- see PM, my hunting and gathering of errant boat pieces does have a purpose), allowed me to adjust the idle stop to 700 RPM on both helm stations, which is what it was supposed to be set at all along.

We have another week or so to explore The northern area of this huge lake.  The information in Skipper Bob's book we find is somewhat out of date.  PM sent an update to their website regarding
a bridge at Crown Point and was told she will be credited n the next publication- how cool is that!

As August begins to wane this week, we are thinking more of our return to Maine and the fellowship of friends who despite thoughts of joining us for some of this adventure, have been involved in their lives ashore. Perhaps next year we can persuade some visitors to come along for a time to share in this truly wondrous adventure.  Every day is a pleasant surprise to discover new places and meet new people.  I have found boat people to be the happiest people I have ever met.

We miss our grand kids, Anni and Trig, more each day and while we have been seeing their faces and hearing their voices telling us stories of painting toes, mini-golf, puppies and ice cream, it is not the same as feeling the press of their hands as we cross a street or seeing their joy in throwing rocks in the Colorado River.  Soon we hope to see them in Maine as Phoebe and Erik have projected they will sell out all their permitted trips by Labor Day and will soon after return east to see their family in Portland and enjoy the Atlantic Ocean.

Perhaps we can cruise somewhere together for a day or two where the dominant language is not french and boat names are pronounceable.

This boat life has its advantages, we find we do not change cloths as often and PM definitely has not needed 12 pairs of shoes.


PM's Perspective -- The Wild Life 

On an adventure such as ours, one gets to enjoy a variety of wildlife -- critters than fly, swim in the water, and live primarily on land.  Our very first encounter with wildlife was on the ocean where we were able to enjoy the playfulness of porpoises and the antics of jumping fish.  Bob swears he saw the water spout of a passing whale off in the distance just beyond Boston.  While motoring up the Hudson River our first real sighting of a fish other than the rings in the water remaining after a jump was a dark dorsal fin rising out of the water exposing at least three feet of a white fish back and no head or tail near the Bear Mountain Bridge.  This fish must have been huge!  Further up river we were awed by majestic bald eagles, graceful blue herons, brilliant snowy egrets, ospreys and of course the ubiquitous seagulls.  While staying at the Rondout Marina in Kingston, about a dozen turkey vultures held a party at the picnic tables which reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds as they seemed nonplussed as we approached them until we came within about 10 yards of them.  Canadian geese seem to be a staple at the locks feasting on insects and other vittles while leaving behind their manure for the unwary pedestrian to step in.  I don't recommend walking barefoot in the grass around the canal locks!

Along the Erie Canal we enjoyed the company of blue herons which frequently flew just ahead of Velomer.  While tied up in Utica, Bob spotted a snake swimming across the canal.  And there are the ever present ducks that approach the boat looking for a handout wherever we happen to be.  We have found this is a great way to recycle stale bread, soggy crackers, and leftover toast.  Lock 7 on the Erie Canal included a large grey rabbit that looked more like someone's escaped pet than wildlife.  The day we took our bike ride to Rome from Utica along the old towpath of the original Erie Canal (there are three iterations), we came across a humongous snapping turtle sunning itself on the trunk of a large fallen tree in the canal. The Champlain Canal which connects the Hudson River with Lake Champlain offered even more animal life.  The canal runs through farm country and along the way we viewed the expected cows and horses, but also a herd of pigs enjoying the mud along the side as well as sheep and goats.

 The big treat thus far came when we rounded a corner in the canal to find a doe with two fawns drinking water from the canal. I was able to get my I-Phone to take a picture before mom and kids ran off into the woods.  Another surprise was several days ago when I went to use the head and in the bowl was a small pollywog critter swimming around.  It is now in the holding tank!  In addition to feeding the ducks, we find, much to our chagrin, that we are also feeding other wildlife forms in terms of the mosquitoes and flies.  Early on this adventure as we were at the helm in the fly bridge we were attacked by biting flies.  Out came the fly swatter.  Every time we successfully swatted a fly and threw the thoroughly tenderized corpse into the water below to feed the fish, the fly seemed to resurrect itself only to harass us further.  We came up with the phrase the Jesus fly to describe this occurrence.

Mosquitoes are particularly intense at night as we get into bed and shut off the light.  Just as we are about to fall asleep, we would hear than annoying whine of a flying blood sucker looking for its evening treat.  Some mornings I awoke with as many as five mosquito bites on my foot.  We have finally come up with a solution that works.  Just before going to bed, we turn on the light in the saloon (pronounced salon) and turn off the lights in the stateroom for about five minutes.  The light attracts the mosquitoes into the saloon and out of the stateroom.  We then shut the light off in the saloon and quickly close the door to the stateroom.  Zero bites in the morning and without using insecticide!

Lake Champlain

After two nights here at Waterford, the southern end of Lake Champlain and the last lock headed north, PM and I are away again today to move into the clear waters of the lake.  We have almost three weeks before we intend to move south again to New York and a planned connection with Phil and Bettina over Labor Day weekend.  The pace has definitely slowed as we changed our route to return to the Hudson River from Utica and go north along the Champlain Canal instead of trying to complete the "little loop" of Ottawa, Montreal and return to the US via the Chamblay Canal south from Sorel, Quebec.  The decision has been a good one, as the stress of making that longer distance in the time allowed would be less than the joy we enjoy at this less harried pace.  Another trip, another summer adventure awaits for us to do the Rideau and Ottawa River route.

The history of the revolutionary War and War of 1812 pervades these waters.  Here in Whitehall, NY, the town boasts to be the "Birthplace of the US Navy".  Benedict Arnold first "requisitioned" private ships and built small gun boats here which were used further up the lake to delay the British in 1775 as they sailed south on Lake Champlain to attack New York.  This movement of troops down the Hudson was to coordinate with the British Fleet's planned attack of the city from the sea.  The action here by Arnold (and this was before he changed sides later in the war to provide the British with intelligence on American troop movements for a hefty payment in sterling and only after horrible mistreatment by the fledgling American Congress, who refused to compensate him for his costs in raising men and outfitting the fleet) delayed the British advance south for a year and gave the fledgling American Navy time to regroup, rebuild, rearm and strengthen their defenses along the Hudson River. Had Arnold not created this small fleet of ships here at Whitehall, the British army would most likely have been able to quash "the rebellion" and America would have today a history more like Canada, with an allegiance to England and with the resources and wealth of our country transported to England to strengthen the British Empire throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

We move only about 20 miles today and after transiting Lock 12 here at Whitehall, it will be simple navigation to our next port of call at Chipman Marina at Orwell, VT.  Oh, and the weather has turned cooler, finally.  We use our blanket on the bed at night for the first time in a month.  The days of August await us as we explore this inland lake and learn more about our founding history.

And as a side note, I am 65 today.  I feel so much younger than that but will enjoy all the benefits of my senior status, cheap meals, discounts at parks, and Medicare, yeah!  Now I can get all those little fixes done that us seniors seem to need to keep us lookin' good.

PM's Perspective

Whitehall has been an unsuspected treasure.  Skipper Bob's publication description as a "rust belt town ... trying to recover" does not do the town justice.  True, all manufacturing has up and gone, the town is a contestant for the most vacant downtown storefronts award and has restaurants that come and go within a year.  However, the energy here is upbeat and dynamic like no other "rust belt" victim.  The waterfront is welcoming with a docking wall inclusive of electric and water and modern bathroom and shower facilities at the cost of a donation.  The architectural crown jewel of the town is known as the Skenes (pronounced Skeen) Manor perched on the bluff on the east side of the canal and overlooking downtown.  Looking like the Addamm's family residence, the mansion was purchased about 20 years ago by a historically minded group of locals hastily assembled once they found out the structure was about to be dismantled and transported to Connecticut.  Ever since, the mansion has been undergoing loving and never-ending restoration.  A short steep walk from the waterfront, the mansion includes a restaurant serving lunch and offers tours.

The mansion was completed in 1874 at a cost of $25,000 as the residence of Judge Joseph Potter, a New York Supreme Court Judge.  Several owners later the building was used as a restaurant for several decades.  The structure captured its name from the founder of the town, Philip Skenes.  Why it is named the Skenes Manor and not the Potter Place or some other more relevant name is beyond me.  Stories abound about spirits haunting the third floor pink room.  We can see the mansion from our dockage, and at night there are lights on in the tower that look like eyes that do provide a certain mystique.  While operated as a restaurant, the owner, in an effort to drum up business, created a story that Katherine Skenes, wife of Philip, was buried in the basement and walks the premises at night.  That story however is bunk as Katherine died about a century before the mansion was even constructed.  Good marketing though!

There and Back Again

PM's Perspective

We have returned... to Waterford at the conjunction of the Hudson River and Erie Canal.  We have discovered that locking down in the easterly direction is easier than locking up going westerly, so our passage was much less stressful.  Our original intent was to stay one night in Waterford, reprovision, and head up the Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain for the month of August.  But why the hurry?  Waterford is a sweet funky little town with friendly people (except for the persnickety town marina volunteer who tried to overcharge us, but why keep score?), a down-home breakfast place called Don and Paul's, and a
Hannaford's within walking distance of the docks.  Bob also needed to work on the engine idle as once again at a critical time, the engine stalled in reverse due to too low rpms.  Fortunately, Rick of the vessel Xanadu had hold of the stern line dockside and was able to cleat the line before Velomer collided with the boat ahead of us at the dock.  Phew! Thank goodness for the helping hands that other boaters provide -- we are definitely a community bonded by love of being afloat on the water.

After two nights in Waterford and a day of restocking, engine care, exploring, and a hearty breakfast at Don and Paul's, we headed north along the Champlain Canal with a goal of making it to Schuylerville (pronounced skylerville!) 25 miles north.  The morning was cloudy with a pleasant temperature.  Velomer hummed with efficiency.  Bob's mechanical skills have grown by leaps and bounds as he tackles each and every situation that arises.  I have never seen him more engaged and happier in his activities of daily living.  If he isn't futzing with engine issues, he's cleaning the fiberglass or doing brightwork or some other wholesome task.  I am perfectly content handing him tools, doing most of the meal planning, food prep and cleaning up, and honing my sudoku skills.

After not sharing a lock with any other boat thus far, Lock 1 had two other boats.  I wasn't sure how this was going to pan out, but we didn't have any major issues even though we were locking up once again.  I think we are hitting our stride on our locking techniques, although there's always room for improvement.  The locks along the Champlain Canal took longer than the Erie.  We went through four locks and each time we had to wait for the lock master to open the gates, once for almost 30 minutes.  But it's the journey, not the destination.

About an hour into our trip it started to rain which continued on and off the entire day.  I donned a rain jacket for my locking duties while Bob stayed dry at the helm under the canopy of the fly bridge.  We arrived at Schuyler Yacht Basin in Schuylerville where we thought we would spend one night and continue on to Whitehall the following day.  We so thoroughly enjoyed this dockage that another day was indicated.  While in town we took advantage of the historic sites and canal trail as well as the friendliness of our hosts, Judy and Phil Dean!

On to Whitehall today.

Bob's:

PM is so good at covering the story, I will just add that this life has settled into a smoothness i did not expect.  We take each day as it comes and have learned to accept the minor inconveniences of running low on wine and chocolate. So far we have always found a store just in time and we do have an emergency supply of both hidden in a highly secretive locker on board.

The days on the move have a special spirit and energy.  This area of the Hudson River and Champlain Canal is very rural with civilization evidence few and far between.  Other than our nightly stops where we see other boats and boaters, we often only speak to the lockmasters and occasionally another boat.  I am still surprised at the lack of use of this waterway.  The history and beauty of this part of the trip is something that should draw more interest, I suppose the majority of American boaters in the Erie Canal portion  (and we are starting to see some Canadians as well as we travel north up the Champlain Canal ) are choosing to travel in their 2 miles per gallon land boats, aka RVs (we get 8 miles a gallon).

The navigation issues on the canals is almost non existent .  Having said that, it is tricky at times and attention to the marked channel is critical.  And along the Erie Canal the number of large trees stuck in the middle of the river, especially between Utica and Schenectady are still a major and dangerous problem. Some of these "deadheads" show only a few inches above the water which is the only indication of a 30 foot tree trunk just under the surface.

Today we are headed north to Whitehall, the birthplace of the American Navy.  If we find a nice spot, we will hang there for a day or two , while I physically disconnect the overboard discharge line ( a fine of $339 is levied if we are boarded by the Champlain Lake patrol).

As we travel along, I imagine the British and American armies of 1775-1782 travelling through the woods and along the waterways, which look today just as they did almost 250 years ago.  We rarely see any  civilization as we navigate the Champlain Canal north.  History has truly passed this way.

We may have some visitors while cruising Lake Champlain, the clearest water and best area so far on this trip for gunkholing and perhaps a swim. The water temperature is 78 so swimming will be comfortable compared to the Atlantic water of Maine or the river water of Colorado. Having others aboard will change the energy on VELOMER but we welcome our friends to share in this special adventure. We will typically be anchoring while here as there are no tides and the bottom is clean and provides good holding ground  in over 8 feet of depth.  Staying at marinas however offers a boaters camaraderie social life and cold beer, so we will mix it up.

I am curious if my idle fix of replacing the limit screws works as well as I hope.  The real issue is an old and brittle throttle cable, which binds: another fall project.  If the idle stays around 700, we will experience no more exciting docking maneuvers, so its safe to return Sam..

I am so loving this life.

Amsterdam- the US one

Course: St. Johnsbury to Amsterdam
Distance travelled on the water: 22.86
Distance travelled by GPS: 30.1 ( the current really gave us a lift)
Total miles travelled: 670
Weather: sun and more sun
Seas: non existent, its a river although the current around the dams and locks is interesting

We have turned around.  And while that has its negative side, we realize it is really the best option.  The closure of the Erie Canal has made this decision for us as well as dozens of other loopers.  So back to Waterford tomorrow and then north to see what Lake Champlain offers.

!!!!!!Kath Greenleaf, if you are reading this, CALL US.  We need you to come sooner than later and we hope you still like us well enough to spend a few days or a week.

PM is working on appraisals still as I write this which is why there are no pithy comment in the blog today.  I am not sure she really has much to say right now as reviewing appraisals seems to take the humor out of her , for awhile anyway.

YEA, we had no issues with the locks today.  The only concern is the engine seems to want to stall still so I am resetting the idle higher to around 700, which I think is about right.  It has been at 500 or less and any gear change seems to strain the engine just enough to stall it at critical times.  There is an RPM for idle somewhere on the engine plate and after the engine room cools a bit, I will look in the likely places for this.