First, the Headline: we’re back in Rock Hall safe and sound.
As you will recall, we reached Cape May on Thursday after a vicious fly attack.
We spent Thursday night and Friday in Avalon with my in-laws Jeff and Kathy. Steaks on the grill Thursday night, then a perfect day talking and walking on the beach.
We woke up this morning at 2AM, looked at each other and said, “Why don’t we leave now?” So, we walked over to WAWA for brekky and coffee, fed the dog, and cast off the linesat 3:20. Pitch dark.
Between the Chartplotter display, the radar, and Lynn’s super-vision, we crept through the Cape May Canal and into Delaware Bay. Seas were calm, and as the sky lightened, we were able to increase our speed.
Three hours after we started, we enjoyed a brilliant sunrise, which turned into a gorgeous day
We passed some big freighters in Delaware Bay. I’m sure the radar would have kept us out of harm’s way, but – nevertheless – I’m glad we encountered them in daylight!
And five hours after sunrise, we were back in our home slip! 8-1/2 hours door-to-door.
Coming back into the Chesapeake after cruising Lake Champlain gave me a fresh perspective on the Chesapeake: It is HUGE. And it is beautiful. It reminded me of why I fell in love with it as a child.
So, here we are: 5-1/2 weeks after we began, and we had a wonderful trip:
• We saw new places
• We tried newthings (night sailing)
• We reconnected with old friends and family
• We bonded
Now we’re home for two months. Lots of ideas on projects to upgrade the boat. Then we’re heading south.
Love to all of you who follow the blog…And BTW, the answer to the Train Trivia was “All of the Above.”
Our plan to take a layover day at Metedeconk really paid off. Not only did we avoid rough sea conditions, but we simply got to rest.
I was – in a word – exhausted. I could tell it by the clumsy way I docked the boat in NY, and the rough trip from NY to Metedeconk didn’t help.
But we got to spend all day Wednesday relaxing on the beach, watching sailboat races. AAHHH!
The start!Around the mark, heading back down.
So we left Thursday morning. The Windy app told us that sea conditions would improve as the day went along, so we stayed inside Barnegat Bay, all the way down to Atlantic City. It was an excellent plan, except for one little unforeseen factor…
The wind had clocked around 180 degrees and was now coming from the west. This was helping to quiet the waves and swells, but as we passed by the marshes behind Beach Haven, we found ourselves surrounded by hoards of greenhead flies. The winds were carrying them toward us.
It couldn’t have come at a worse time; we were in very skinny water – sometimes I had less than a foot under the keel. So I had to concentrate completely on following the deepest water on the chart.
Lynn became a killing machine. Like Wack-a-Mole at hyper speed. She figures she killed 53 flies before the rest turned tail and ran. The boat looked like a killing field, and we could barely see through the windshield.
All three w8ndows looked like this one!
For those of you who believe the greenhead fly is a sacred animal, we ask your forgiveness.
And this is only a few of them! There may have been 100 or more. If Lynn was ever going to be seasick, gathering the dead flies would have done it – Rod to the rescue.
But. And this is a big but. Once Lynn vanquished the flies, we emerged from the Absecon Inlet (Atlantic City) to sunny skies and moderate sea. All the way to Cape May.
Last night, my cousins Jeff and Kathy drove down to pick us up and take us back to Avalon for an overnight visit. Breakfast this morning was heavenly. Tonight we’ll go back to Cape May and then Saturday we’ll be home in Rock Hall!
On Wednesday, we had an idyllic trip down the Hudson. Smooth water; comfortable weather; blue skies.
We were the ONLY boat on the river for HOURS at a time.
We rolled in under the GW Bridge
Heading South on the Hudson
Past this huge cruise ship,
Past some of NY’s unique architecture,
Help us remember what this is!
Past the world’s creepiest statuary,
80 feet high of ugly
Turned right at the Colgate clock,
Checked in at Liberty Landing again, and enjoyed some spectacular NYC views.
View from our porthole. Leaving NYCAnd of course, Lady Liberty
Tuesday August 16, 2022
After nearly 5 weeks of smooth sailing, we were brought back to reality this morning…a grueling 3-hour slog from NYC to the Manasquan Inlet. Winds 15+ knots; seas 3.5 feet. Not really life threatening, but extremely uncomfortable. The seas were crashing over the inlet jetty as we approached, but once inside the breakwater, it was blissfully calm. Whew!
We had planned to leave tomorrow for Cape May, but the sea conditions are forecast to be worse: 5-1/2 feet. I do NOT go out in that.
So we’ll lay up here at River Breeze, on the lovely Metedeconk River, and leave on Thursday. Fortunately, we had an extra day built into the schedule for just such contingencies.
PS: Only one reader got the question right about the number of locks from the last post. Q: If we traveled through the Federal Lock at Troy, and then Locks #1 through #12 on the Canal, how many locks did we pass through on our round trip? A: Only 24. There is no lock 10 – it became unnecessary so it was removed.
PSS: Today’s trivia: We wrote about the trains in our previous post. How many cars were on the trains we saw yesterday?
We’re tied up at the Hyde Park Marina – almost exactly halfway down the Hudson from Troy, which is where the locks begin.
Our bow is facing south – toward NYC; and our stern, where we hang out, is facing back up the river with the Catskill Mountains in the background. And it’s put us in a mood to reflect on our trip to Lake Champlain…
Looking north from our stern.
But first, a trivia question:
If we traveled through the Federal Lock at Troy, and then Locks #1 through #12 on the Canal, how many locks did we pass through on our round trip? Beware: it’s a trick question! Look for the correct answer in our next post.
Leaving the last lock heading south.
One of the most surprising things about the Champlain Canal, is that it was begun in 1817. Not 1917. 1817. I cannot imagine how they accomplished a task like that with the primitive technology that existed at the time. What an amazing sense of purpose and destiny it must have taken to carve out those 83 miles – much of it through solid rock.
And right behind the canal came the railroads – following the river to take advantage of the modest incline that railroads require. At some points, there are tracks on both sides of the river: passenger trains (Amtrak) on one side, and freight on the other.
The marinas are typically right at the water’s edge (duh) with the train tracks maybe ¼ mile inland. So, to reach the marina by car, you have to cross the railroad tracks. So that means there’s a Grade Crossing. So that means that every time a train approaches the grade crossing (from either direction), the engineer is required to blow the appropriate signal: LONG LONG…SHORT…LONG. All you train buffs know that one.
All of which leads to a scene right out of My Cousin Vinnie: the train whistle at 3:15 every morning. We just laugh and go back to sleep.
Last night we stayed in Albany and met one of Lynn’s old friends. They graded CFA exams together every year for 20+ years. Mary is restoring a 19th century B&B in New Lebanon NY. Great burgers and great fun!
And yes, the trains run right along the river in Albany.
Yesterday’s trip back down the Canal seemed so much more relaxing. It’s often that way, isn’t it? The outbound trip is filled with unknowns, and it seems like you’ll never get there. The homeward trip is more relaxed. And though we were moving more slowly, it seemed to pass more quickly.
At lunchtime today, we were pulling into Kingston, NY, on Rondout Creek, for fuel, and we realized that it was a very cute little town. So we sidled over to the Ole Savannah “dock and dine” for Sunday Brunch Buffet. YOWZA!
Unfortunately, we could not stay for the Annual Soap Box Derby, but you can check out the videos online! And tomorrow are the cardboard boat races – we have to slow down to enjoy these events!
So here we are at Hyde Park Marina. Where it took almost two hours to dock the boat. Why? Question: How many dockhands does it take to connect a shore power cord. Answer: Only three.
We finally just moved out to their fuel dock, where our power cord works perfectly! (as it has all week). And we have a great view back up the Hudson to the mountains.
All in all, this has been a very scenic trip. And the locks force you to SLOW DOWN. Sure, they are a little boring, but they’re also fun. And they are necessary: You have to climb up 140’ and then go down into the wonderful gem that is Lake Champlain.
As Lynn said on the way home: “I loved seeing Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, but I would like to do Lake Champlain again.” Amen to that!
Chipman’s has a long history and they are very nostalgic. I was really touched by this memorial to a blue fender.
This morning we headed south, and as the Lake narrowed and shallowed, we found that it was anxiety-inducing, after a week in 250’-deep waters. So, when – after about an hour – we left the lake and entered the Canal, we found it was very peaceful and relaxing. We chugged along at 10mph, and each lock opened before us as we arrived – the Lockkeepers call ahead. Very cool!
We did have one problem, however – one of the locks was leaking and this guy had to lay down and put his finger in the hole!
Tonight, we are back in Schuylerville, where we stayed on the way up. Very friendly management, and a great restaurant. YEA!
Tomorrow, we complete the Canal trip and meet one of Lynn’s old friends for dinner at the Albany Yacht Club.
But before we sign off, we’d like to introduce an new recurring feature: BOAT NAMES – love ‘em or hate ‘em.
Oscar Levant famously said that: “A pun is the lowest form of humor.” And the last refuge of these lowlifes is boat names. Can we please have one more boat named “Knot Working” or “Knot Guilty”? Sheesh!
Anyway, they won’t all be puns, but here are a couple to get things started:
Nothing much happened today, but it was noteworthy nevertheless. Why? Because it was a SLOOOW day.
We wanted to get as close to the Canal as possible tonight, without again staying at Whitehall – scene of a future Zombie movie. Chipman’s Point Marina is perfectly located, and it was just 32 miles from Westport. So, we had two choices:
• Run for 2 hours at 16 mph and burn 30 gallons of fuel (15gph)
• Run for 4 hours at 8 mph and burn 8 gallons of fuel (2gph)
Can you do the math? It is always more economical to go slowly in almost any boat, but I am usually impatient to get where I am going. Not today. There was no reason to get here early; the Lake was like glass; and we were in no hurry to leave Lake Champlain. So, we just motored along at 8 mph, enjoying the spectacular scenery.
On the morning walk with Guiness we caught this great shot of an eagle in a treetop with the moon still out – wanted to share it.
There is no restaurant here or even near here, so Lynn has volunteered to cook tonight. She is talking about Beef Wellington. Or spaghetti and meatballs, whichever strikes her fancy.
Tomorrow, it’s into the Canal. Kinda boring, but kinda fun.
It is 62 degrees this morning, and I am writing this in my sweats, with a steaming cup of coffee in my hand (thank you, Lynn!). The high today will be a sunny 72. Perfect.
We left Burlington yesterday, and we’ve turned our bow to the south – heading slowly home.
We’ve stopped overnight in Westport – a small town on the NY (western) side of Lake Champlain. Not much of a town, but a wonderful yacht club dining experience not to be missed. (More about that later.)
The last two days in Burlington were rainy, so we deliberately stayed there – where restaurants and shopping were plentiful. A great place to hole up and wait for the storms to pass through.
Yesterday and today were our reward – two perfect days of glassy seas, brilliant sunrises, and a brilliant moonrise.
Our marina faces east and northeast, so we can see the Green Mountains of Vermont as we look up the lake. The mountains get taller and taller as you look into the distance, and their colors become more and more muted. It’s a painting lesson.
Last night we walked about a quarter mile along the shore to have dinner at the Westport Yacht Club. Check out this venue. People fly thousands of miles for a view like this at Lake Como. They should think about Lake Champlain instead…
And they food was MARVELOUS! Starting with Watermelon Cosmos…
And as we finished dinner, the full moon rose…
Today is a short trip. We are just moving the boat 20 miles farther down the lake – to position us for our trip through the Canal. We’ll talk more about that in the next post.
Let’s talk about relationships. Because this little trip has been an evolution for all three of us.
Think about it: from the time I was 12 weeks old, all I knew was Rod. He and I were inseparable. For the next seven months, we spent all our time outdoors, in the woods and streams around Hershey’s Mill, building a remarkable level of trust and communication. He trained me and loved me.
And then we traveled together from Maine to Key West. Just the two of us. Wow.
Now Lynn is in our lives, and she is wonderful. She loves me, feeds me, and I’m starting to allow her to walk me. There was a time when I wouldn’t leave Rod’s side, and that is slowly changing.
I spend a lot of time with the two of them now; because I am a Service Dog, they take me with them everywhere. So I get to listen to them interact, and it’s clear to me that I’m dealing now with two strong personalities – two strong people who have decided to test a hypothesis: that two strong people can be happier together than apart.
I know that Rod is independent. Lynn thinks that there is a challenge because Rod was in a single committed relationship for so long – 56 years. But it seems to me that he has kind of always done things HIS way.
Lynn, is independent, as well. She has managed her own life for her entire life. Raising two children. Never with a man as a significant factor. She has always done things HER way.
So, these are two really strong, but really decent people, and they are trying to learn how to be each other’s best friend. And they are trying to do it on a 5-week trip. In 260 square feet of space. Yikes. So of course there’s some friction from time to time, but they always talk it out.
They probably think I don’t know what they’re saying, but I get it.
And I hope they continue to work things out, because I like what I’m seeing. I see something gelling.
And that makes me feel safe, because I know they are kind. I see it in the way they treat me and the way they treat each other. I am loved.
Hi, this is Guinness posting today! You didn’t know I can use a keyboard, did you?
Actually, I can’t; so I’m dictating this!
Lynn’s two guys
Today we sailed to Valcour Island, about an hour to the Northwest. We had five coves to choose from, and the one I selected – Spoon Bay – was surrounded by granite cliffs on one side and a sandy beach on the other. We had lunch on board, and I helped Rod and Lynn finish off the pasta carbonara from the night before. Yum!
I love to swim off the beach, but I’m kind of reluctant to jump off the swim platform on the boat. So, Rod and Lynn launched the dinghy and ran me ashore for a swim. I love to ride in the dinghy, and I bark excitedly as soon as Rod starts to lower it. Ahhh, swimming! What a treat on a hot day!
Lynn told me that Valcour Island is the largest Great Blue Heron rookery on Lake Champlain, and I think I spotted one along the shore!
Anyway, I am thinking that maybe this is better than Maine…
• It takes just about the same amount of time to get there
• The trip to Maine is more interesting – this canal business is kind of a bore.
• But once you get here, the scenery is even prettier than Maine: the Adirondacks run up the west side of the lake, and the Green Mountains of Vermont on the east.
• And the lake itself is HUGE! Lots of room to gun it and go!
A lot of you have written to ask, “Guinness, what is your day on the boat like?”
I admit that I don’t move around much while we’re underway. The engine makes a lot of noise and vibration, and I suspect that Rod and Lynn can’t even hear some of the frequencies that I detect. There’s also a lot of movement underfoot, so I just lie down at Rod’s feet in front of the helm station.
But once we slow down to enter a new marina, I’m the first one on deck
Lynn and Rod take me with them wherever they go: because I’m a Service Dog, I get to go the markets; to restaurants; everywhere!
At night, I have my own sleeping compartment. (It’s actually the shower, but I’m quite happy to be closed in there for the night. ) I feel safe. AND it’s air conditioned!
Because we stay in marinas, I get to take a long walk / run every morning and every evening, and I’m meeting A LOT of new friends!
There is a tried-and-true rule in boating: always one hand for the boat. In other words, whatever you’re doing, make sure you are safe before you do it. So far, I have made two clumsy missteps on this trip – both resulting in injury:
• In Nantucket, I was getting off the boat carrying a bag of trash. I stepped on a varnished rail wet with dew, and crashed forward, skinning both shins and badly bruising my right thigh.
• Yesterday, we were anchored off Lone Rock near Mallets Bay, and we could see rain approaching across the lake. Closing the center section of the windshield requires me to step down onto the first step of the companionway. Never a problem in rubber-soled shoes. In bare feet, however, you’d better hang on to the rail. So…as I stepped forward in bare feet, reaching for the windshield with both hands, my feet kicked out from under me, and I landed on the steps with the middle of my spine. As it turned out, I bruised my arm above my elbow, hurt two fingers and one toe, and bruised my left cheekbone/eye socket. Plus, I got an egg on my back. I looked like Eye-Gore in Young Frankenstein, only the bump was halfway down my back.
Thanks to my superhuman powers of recovery, I am fully functioning this morning! But I offer this as a reminder to myself and as a cautionary tale for others. Obviously, both these falls could have been much worse, had I broken something.
AND NOW a response to those of you who questioned my use of the word “impecunious” in an earlier post…
Whenever I post to the blog, I try to remember that others may read it, and I try not to be hurtful. So, in describing the Whitehall Marina, I was trying to be gentle. I saw no reason to use terms like
• The entire town is circling the drain, and the marina is leading the way
• The owner is either stoned or compromised
• The “Tavern” looks like a set for a horror movie
• The clientele could be the “extras”
AND NOW, BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING…
Let’s begin by backing all the way up to Friday. As you recall, the afternoon was consumed by errands, but Lynn found some interesting restaurants on TripAdvisor, and we decided to head into town. Burlington is quite hilly; the street that runs straight up from the harbor is called College Street. Our marina is at 0 (Zero) College Street. About 5 blocks up College Street (all uphill) is Church Street – perpendicular to College Street.
Church Street, despite its holy name, is the devil’s playground. Closed to vehicular traffic, it is the locale for restaurants, bars, live music, and FREAKY PEOPLE. I haven’t seen people like this since 1972. There are a LOT of
• 70-year-old hippies
• Obese females who have made very unfortunate fashion decisions
• Stoners
• Modestly talented but extremely loud musicians
Anyway, Lynn and I turned right on Church – away from the central core of this nuclear meltdown, and we had a SUPERB meal at Istanbul Kabab House. And I mean it was EXCELLENT…every course. Ending with a delicious Turkish coffee that kept Lynn up all night!
Yesterday, we dropped the lines and headed out into the lake for a joyride. It was a GORGEOUS day on the Lake:
We headed due north to visit Malletts Bay, a body of water almost entirely enclosed by an old railroad causeway; the causeway is now a bike path. At the single break in the causeway where boats can pass through, there is the world’s only bike ferry to carry one across. Here’s a screen shot Lynn took of the chart, and a photo of the bike ferry:
The faint line is the bike path off to the left. The only “bike ferry” in No America.
The Malletts Bay entry was extremely shallow, so we took a pass and anchored instead in the lee of Lone Rock Point. Look at these beautiful cliffs:
Photo
Notice the rock off to the right ( see photo below)
Local kids like to swim out to Lone Rock and jump off. I took a pass.
Maybe a 20’ jump!
At that point, we saw a squall building across the lake, and I stepped forward to close the windshield. Oh, wait. You already know the rest…
Despite my near-fatal tumble, I rallied after two Aleve’s and two Jamesons, and we set out for another great meal – this one at Leunig’s Bistro – and my introduction to Poutine, with tender pieces of duck and a rich gravy over pommes frites. (Thank you Lynn, for the suggestion.)
This all brings us to Sunday morning, where another brilliant day has dawned. We will soon set out for a cruise to Valcour Island for lunch. Then another great restaurant TBD!
Rod & Guinness' Amazing Adventures 