Friday, September 8, 2023
We are safely home: the boat is back in Rock Hall, and we are back in Hershey’s Mill. I know that I owe you an apology for not posting sooner, but things were kind of unsettled once we arrived home. I’ll offer my lame excuses below.
When we last posted, we were holed up in NYC (actually JerseyCity), enjoying ourselves and waiting for the seas to settle down.
We kept an eye on the weather apps, and we planned to leave NY on Saturday morning. We were having some nagging problems with the 240-volt electrical system and the air conditioners, so we were anxious to get home.
Our patience (and prudence) paid off! The first 2-1/2 hours of the trip from NY to NJ are in open water, as you round Sandy Hook at the northern end of NJ, but the ocean was very manageable: big rollers (swells) still lingered, but no wind waves / no breaking waves at all.
We had a smooth trip from NY to the Manasquan Inlet in NJ, where we spent two days at my brother Tom’s house. Tom and Mary Jo were in Europe, but my niece Leanne was there with her husband Jason and their new baby Dean. What a fortunate coincidence to be there together! And they are both great cooks so dinners were wonderful.
On Monday morning, we set out for Cape May. It’s a long trip: about 6 hours. The first 4 hours were inside – on the NJ ICW. You must go outside at Atlantic City, however, and the last two hours are in the Atlantic. Again, we were glad we waited. It was an uneventful trip.
In Cape May, we had dinner with my brother-in-law Jeff and his family; it’s very nice to stay connected with them. The rest of the evening wasn’t quite as pleasant, however. The marina was hosting a marlin-fishing tournament, and the docks were busy and noisy until late at night. Plus, we couldn’t simply close the hatches and run the AC, because it wasn’t working. So…not much sleep that night. Since the weather forecast called for 95* heat the next few days, we were very concerned about not having AC.
We left for home – our final day – on Tuesday morning. This is the longest leg of the entire trip: almost 8 hours. Again, we were blessed with ideal conditions. We were back in our home slip at 2:45, and the marina service staff had a technician on board by 3PM to see about our electrical problems.
Unfortunately, he didn’t make a lot of progress at first, so we opted to get a room at the Inn at Haven Harbour, which turned out to be a great way to create a luxurious ending to a lengthy trip. We celebrated with Prosecco and cheese and salami in air-conditioned comfort. It’s important to mention that our dinner options were limited, since we didn’t have a car. We had left ours at home when we departed back in July: Lynn’s daughter Iris had kindly driven us to the boat.
Wednesday, the service technicians seemed to be making progress, but we were anxious to get home, so Lynn arranged for a rental car, and we took off. We were back in Hershey’s Mill late on Wednesday afternoon (yesterday).
Lynn has been keeping two lists on her phone: 1) Highlights 2) New Foods
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TRIP:
Lock 22 on the Erie Canal – quiet, beautiful and getting to know two new friends from Connecticut. The Erie Canal had been harrowing with debris and heavy current, so this was a pleasant respite.
Dinner at the Chateau in Clayton, NY and a beautiful sunset.
The 45 manually operated locks on the Rideau Canal (and the other 64 locks, too). 109 in total! The Rideau Canal is a living museum, built in the 1800’s and still operated the same way today.
We loved Ottawa – beautiful, clean city (and the staircase locks were a great experience).
Old Montreal was like being in Europe and seeing Cirque di Soleil was great fun.
Visiting Doug and Gretchen at Keeleys Bay on Lake Champlain and the amazing stars out on a clear night – saw the Milky Way.
The Bassmasters Elite Tournament in Plattsburgh was a hoot!
And especially visiting with family and friends: dinner Merry and Brian in Westport, NY and seeing their new tiny house, Tom and Hank in NYC on America 2.0, weekend with Leanne and Jason and Dean, and dinner with Kathy, Jeff and Jeffrey.
NEW FOODS WE HAD NEVER TRIED:
Poutine with squeaky cheese
White vinegar on French fries
Pea meal Bacon (Canadian bacon – but they don’t call it that in Canada)
Pickled hard boiled eggs (white vinegar)
Caramelized butter
Sol beer ( around since 1899 and never heard of it)
Caesar salad in Canada always includes bacon ( most foods in Canada include bacon)!
All in all, it was a VERY memorable trip. Approximately 1,250 miles and 109 locks – that’s roughly equivalent to a lock every 11 miles! It allowed us to escape the heat and humidity that defines the Chesapeake in mid-summer, and we saw sights and sites we’ve never seen before. And we were again awed by the natural beauty of Lake Champlain.
Until we cruise again…
Rod, Lynn and Guiness
Rod & Guinness' Amazing Adventures 