Still Sailing!

Tuesday morning there were severe weather warnings including hail, thunder and lightening, and severe winds, so we left our island anchorage by 7:15 am and headed for Cape Vincent.  Winds were maybe 15-20 knots and pretty big waves, so we had a short but somewhat strenuous sail, arriving in Cape Vincent about 9:30 am.  The rest of the day turned out to be very windy but also very hot, forecast in the high 90s.  We ended up most of the day lazing around the boat and jumping in the water periodically, but we did replenish supplies, visit the bakery with the best croissants ever (and air-conditioning), and later took a long walk.

We were able to find a shop (The Belle Epoch) that used to rent bikes and now just loans them out, as we wanted to take bikes on the ferry and go over to Kingston.  Since it was so warm and thunderstorms still forecast (though they never happened!), we decided to wait til the next day and took the 9:30 am ferry.  You take the 10 minute ferry with your person, bike, or car to Wolfe Island and then bike about 7 miles across the island to a 25 minute ferry (free!) that takes you to Kingston, Ontario.

Ferry from Wolfe Island to Kingston - larger than the one from Cape Vincent!

We stayed at a bed and breakfast on Wolfe Island 3 years ago and had a wonderful time -- you can ride bikes all over the island with very little traffic, go over to Kingston for lunch or dinner, and of course, there's water, water, everywhere!  The other really interesting thing was that we'd been there just the year before and no windmills -- 3 years ago, all of a sudden, 72 or 78, I forget which, windmills all over the island -- I don't remember the details now, but we got a tour and were told about them.  They really look quite majestic as you bike through the island.  You can't see them well in this picture, but we stopped to take a picture of the horses with windmills in the background on our bike ride.

We had lunch in Kingston at the Kingston Brewing Company and tried a couple of the local beers, then bought some reefing line in case we needed it for the mainsail.  It was a hot bike ride back, and here is Brian waiting for the ferry to take us back to Cape Vincent -- we couldn't wait to jump in the water!

We left Cape Vincent this morning a little before 9 after breakfast and a walk.  I avoided getting that last cup of coffee and croissant from the little bakery in Cape Vincent, but I heartily recommend that you go straight there if you're in the vicinity.  It took me an hour before I could stop regretting that I'd never tried the almond croissants!  Good wind and low waves today, a good sail back to Henderson Bay where we were meeting friends, John and Donna O'Hara on their boat Syncopation.

We met up with them about 12:30 pm and swam and talked and ate and drank.  Grilled chicken and vegetables on a grill off the boat -- the O'Hara's and Brian swam with their two dogs, Bosun and Tiegen, to shore.  The O'Haras had to go back home, and then we had the prettiest sunset to end the day -- with fresh perked coffee.

Exploring Lake Ontario!

Long Point State Park was okay, but nothing special -- we did meet a couple who volunteer and stay in their travel trailer as a part of a retirement plan - originally from Rochester, they now live in Florida but have come to this park every summer for at least a week for 45 years.  We did snorkel around the point, which was pretty interesting but mostly for various weeds and small shells and fish.  We left there Friday morning headed for Sackett's Harbor motor-sailing again - very hot day, drifted the last 3 hours in sight of Sackett's swimming, napping, reading, etc.

Sackett's Harbor is a very historical village for the war of 1812 and has many special events this summer for the bicentenniel.  We've gone to the waterfront battlefield before but never took the "tour" of the commandant's house and grounds, which was only $3.  VERY hot day, and you can see from the pictures, northern NY is hot and dry, very much in need of rain and cooler temperatures.

Dressed in what we understood to be winter wear and who knows why in 90 degree weather! 

Tending to the nearby fires with a pot of stew brewing -- busy with needlework!

The militia was practicing firing their muskets - hard to see here with an I Phone picture!

Brian's sister Carol came up on Saturday to spend her birthday with us.  We went out sailing for a while and then drifted into swimming and cocktail hour when the wind died.  Came in late for showers and dinner.  Sunday morning we had coffee while we did laundry and then went out to breakfast, re-provisioned, etc.  Carol left early afternoon, and were too hot and bothered to even go out to sail.  Nice breeze in the marina and it's an interesting area with refurbished barracks, some from 1800s and some from much later made into apartments, a new restaurant, and the Madison Barracks Inn, which was full due to a lacrosse tournament both days.  The Inn is pretty and has only been open since October.

In the marina, met old acquaintances when Marie and Jim King came over to see the "Oneida Lake" boat and realized we met once before in Sacketts when we were both in Liberty Basin - probably 10 years ago - none of us have changed one bit!  :-)  They showed us a cove on the chart to come around Grenadier Island and anchor, so that became the plan for Monday.  Also met two couples from Canada sailing, one from Toronto and one from Ottawa.  

Monday morning brought a brisk wind and departure for Grenadier Island with waves 1-3 feet that built to probably 3-5 ft. and 12-18 K winds.  Sailed 4 hours and arrived about 2:15 pm, all by ourselves in the anchorage -- which is protected from waves, but not really from wind.  That was an advantage all afternoon so that we stayed cool, but a bit windy when it picked up in the middle of the night.  

A real treat -- in the dusk, three deer stepped out of the woods on one side of us, stepped through shallow waters across to a tiny island and again through water to another spit of land just across from us on the other side -- an evening show that we couldn't capture since we don't know where we put our camera - doesn't seem to be with us so all I phone pics! 

Readying Petrel for departure to Grenadier Island!

Finally under sail - a good day!

On Our Way!

Thursday and Friday were going through locks of the Barge Canal on our way to Oswego and Lake Ontario.  A sailboat has to go through the canal with mast down due to bridges, etc., and then the mast gets raised in Oswego to sail on Lake Ontario.  If you've never been through the locks, here's how it works.  We're coming from higher water returning to lower water in Lake Ontario.  Oneida Lake happens to be in the middle of the canal system.  There is a picture below of the front and back of a lock and a picture of Brian holding a rope to secure the boat while the water is being lowered.  The picture of the back of the lock is one where the lock was "leaking" pretty badly.  As the water is being lowered to exit out the front end, there is enormous pressure on the "high water" side.

On Friday, by the time we reached Oswego, we'd pretty much had it -- the temperature was forecast to be 97 degrees, and we were fried.  Back to Sauquoit and Judy's mother's for Saturday and Sunday, courtesy of a pick up from Brian's son Al to get us back to our car.  The Boilermaker, a 15K road race was Sunday, and Brian ran with Alex -- also in the race was Scott, Brian's other son, Judy's daughter-in-law April and her niece Heather (and Heather's boyfriend Mike).  Colleen, Brian's daughter, took Judy's number for the 5K and ran that.  Warm day but a good time had by all.  Pictures are in the camera that we can't locate right now - might have gotten left in Sauquoit!

Back to Oswego on Monday morning to complete the "stepping of the mast" and then off into Lake Ontario the next morning about 8:10 am.  Here is Brian having our first dinner on board.

We were enroute to Henderson Harbor, Lake Ontario Mariner's Marina and arrived about 2:30 pm after a short stop for a swim just before going in.  The nights have been beautiful, cooling off nicely to sleep.
Our friends, John and Donna O'Hara picked us up to retrieve our car AGAIN from Oswego this time, and we went to dinner at Rainbow Shores, which was lovely and off the beaten path -- good to have discovered that one!  The beautiful sunset made the pictures harder to see, but the sunset over the lake was the main show anyway!

And lastly, since I'm always the one taking the pictures, here's one of me.  Yesterday, about all that we could face doing -- we were SO tired after the preceding days -- was to motor out from the marina about 1 1/2 miles to White's Bay, anchor, and swim.  We stayed here last night, and pretty much all that I did was read, then swim when I got too hot, then read again -- my sailing routine when we're not actually sailing!  Today we'll sail to Long Point State Park in Chaumont Bay, about 12 miles from here -- maybe a 3 hour sail.

Moving the Boat and Celebrating the 4th of July!

Monday was the "big launch" of Petrel for the trip across Oneida Lake and through the Barge Canal to Oswego - the plan was to make it across the lake and into the canal on Monday, then finish up Tuesday in Oswego, come back to mom's for the 4th, and go back up to Oswego to step the mast on Thursday, ready to sail across Lake Ontario on Friday.  In the best "life happens when you're making other plans" fashion, the day started once the boat was in with us making our way around noon with 12-15 knot winds and some pretty stiff waves.

Petrel ready to be set in the water at Holmes Marina in Sylvan Beach 

About an hour and a half out, we were straight across from Cleveland, NY, fortunately, when the engine overheated and quit.  Brian got the anchor out and managed to get the boat headed into the wind and waves (with the mast down, it REALLY doesn't work to have the boat sideways and rolling!), and we waited for the engine to cool down.  We couldn't find anyone to rescue/tow us, so we worked our way towards the Cleveland dock by starting, stopping and anchoring, waiting for the engine to cool, and repeating the process a few times.

Brian worked on it all afternoon, and we thought we were all set, but another attempt to leave about 7 pm just to get into the canal failed - we overheated again and had to come back to Cleveland.  After long hours of contortionist engine work and calls to mechanics, etc. on Tuesday, we still had no solution, but we got a ride to our car and came back to Judy's mothers to regroup.  Brian went back up on the 4th and worked most of the day, so we'll try again today, July 5th.  Keep your fingers crossed!

The 4th of July started out overcast and muggy, and we went out for a run but settled on walking most of it due to hot and muggy weather.  We went to a party at Judy's sister Terry's in Rome, NY for a barbeque, and a good time was had by all!  Wonderful time with mother, sisters, brother, nieces and nephews and Judy's son Colin and his wife April.  It was SO HOT though - very different than Alaska.  The temperature was in the high 80s and very humid - thunderstorms expected but never materialized - projected to be 94 degrees on Friday when we'll still be headed through the canal - ouch!

April, Judy's daughter-in-law and Carole, her "older sister!"  

Judy's brother Dan and his daughter Kayla

Beautiful nieces Heather and Brandi and their sister Rachel

Judy's brother Rob and Heather's husband Mike

Greetings from upstate New York this time!

Now we're on the east coast for 5+ weeks, so scenery and people have changed!

It's been a busy first week after flying into Newark - Judy stayed in NY for a "Wisdom Unlimited course" weekend with Landmark Education, and Brian took the train up to Utica on Friday (Judy followed Sunday night).  Staying at Judy's mothers and a whirlwind of seeing people that we miss and love to spend time with -- Jack Reale, John O'Hara, our children, some of them anyway, and yesterday, a funeral for Jack Hunter where we saw Jackie and Peter Michel, Kim Landon, Pat O'Connor and Chuck Tomaselli.  Then it was off to Roy and Jan Cooley's camp on Piseco Lake, a beautiful house they built recently with a stone fireplace complete with wood-fired pizza oven!

We went for a swim and stayed for dinner!  The pizza was excellent - why don't we have one of those -  we'll be re-inspired to make pizza at home in any case.

We've also been working on the boat getting it ready to go in the water, which is set for Monday.  Washed it, painted the bottom on Thursday and Wednesday scouted out spots at Henderson Harbor.  Monday and Tuesday we'll take it across the lake and through the canal to Oswego, then find a way home for the 4th of July (home meaning Judy's mothers!) and then across Lake Ontario on Thursday or Friday.  The plan will be to leave it at HH now, and not bring it back to Oneida Lake.  That will make it easier to sail in the summers from now on, as it will cut out the canal trip, which is 11 hours each way.

Today it's down to Colin's to see about helping him with a home improvement project, possibly sailing with Al on his boat (our old boat Njord that we sold to Al and his friends), and then dinner back at Judy's mother's with her brother Rob, his wife Patty, and their daughter Caitlin.  Judy's sister Carole is arriving Tuesday night, so the house if filling up!   We'll post pictures along the canal when we leave this week!