Pt. Colborne to Tobermory, Ontario - June 29 - July 22

After going through the Welland Canal, we rented a car to take Bruce and Donna home and to pick up Ethyn, our grandson, before we headed back to Pt. Colborne.  On Monday, my son Eric and his girlfriend, Ellie, paid us a visit after visiting Niagara Falls.  We left Pt. Colborne, Ontario on Tuesday, June 29 with the intention of going to Erie, PA but high winds and waves of 4-5 feet deterred us so we rerouted to Dunkirk, NY where we docked at Chadwick Bay Marina.  This was a nice town to walk in and there were a few nice shops near the waterfront as well as a Tim Hortons!  Richard was happy .After spending two nights there, we headed down lake to Erie Yacht Club.  The marina there has many transient slips and a very nice clubhouse and restaurant.  Ethyn and I took a taxi to Dobbins Landing to visit the Maritime Museum so we could learn more about Commodore Perry's flagship, the Niagara.  We also hopped on Erie's free trolley to ride uptown to visit McDonald's!  A fun day was had by all!
   

Ethyn had fun pretending he was loading a cannon.

The next day we had smooth sailing to our next port, Ashtabula, Ohio.
  We were greeted by the Ashtabula Lighthouse.

Ashtabula is a quaint little town with a few shops, restaurants, and lots of boat activity.
We enjoyed some of the best ribs we've ever eaten at one of the corner restaurants.

The next day Lake Erie was very peaceful so we enjoyed a nice ride.

Our grandson Ethyn is an excellent first mate!!

We arrived in Cleveland on July 3 and docked at Lakeside Yacht Club for three
nights.From our fly bridge we enjoyed a fantastic fireworks display that
 was staged at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River.

On July 4, we spent the afternoon exploring the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Ethyn was most
 impressed when he saw Michael Jackson's famous glove while Richard and I enjoyed listening
to oldies and learning more about the history of the music.

On July 5, we rented a car to take Ethyn home. The nine hour round trip wasn't too bad and
we were back on the boat by 8 p.m. The next day we headed to Sandusky, Ohio best known
for Cedar Point Amusement Park.  A freighter passes by Cedar Island.

We docked on the mainland at Battery Park Marina. This very friendly marina

included Damon's Restaurant, a park and a quiet town for a walk.

PUT-IN-BAY, OHIO!!

As soon as we saw Perry's Victory and International Peace Monument, we knew were heading into Put-in-Bay, the most popular destination in the Great Lakes.  This one of the most unique places we have ever visited!  This tiny two by four mile island is dotted with historic homes,the nation's third tallest monument, quaint restaurants and local pubs.  Nicknamed the "Key West of the North" offers an exciting nightlife with lots of live entertainment.

   Perry's Monument was built in the early 1900's to commemorate

Commodore Perry's victory over the British in the 1813 Battle of Lake Erie.

He was the only commander to ever capture an entire fleet in a single battle.



Compliments of the Boardwalk Marina, a tender shuttled us back and

forth from our boat.  We enjoyed the "best lobster bisque in Lake Erie"

                      and then we rented a golf cart for the day.

The main mode of transportation is driving a golf cart. Every street in the main

areas seemed to be  populated by as many golf carts as there were people! We

were able to driveall over the island, visiting two wineries, the monument and

 surrounding park. Quaint Victorian homes dotted the countryside and many

stores and eateries in town kept us amused for many hours.

In the evening a storm was brewing but we were safely back at our mooring.

 We left PIB on Friday, July 9 to meet a colleague of Richard's in Toledo Beach, Michigan.  Jackie and Gary Nelson met us at the dock to guide us in to our marina slip.  We had cocktails on their sailboat before they headed to PIB for the week-end.  With the generous use of their SUV, we drove to Monroe, Michigan to reprovision.  The next day, we did our laundry (sorry to mention such mundane details, but this is our life!) and to enjoy an afternoon at the pool (our vacation time!).  We also enjoyed appetizers at the marina restaurant.  I ordered the best fried dill pickles that I've had since Beaufort, SC!  From there, we motored toward the Detroit River, past Detroit and to St. Clair Shores. 

The entrance to the Detroit River begins at Gibraltar, Michigan.

The Ambassador Bridge connects Windsor, Ontario and Detroit, Michigan.

A confluence of entertainment, industry, and culture exists in Detroit.

We stayed at Jefferson Beach Marina from July 11 - 16. Richard had meetings scheduled in Chicago so I occupied myself by going for bike rides, watching movies, and reading. We were docked near the fuel dock which proudly claims to be the best, most up-to-date fuel dock in St. Clair Shores. We enjoyed very good meals at Beach Grill and at Jack's Waterfront Restaurant, located at Emerald City Harbor. I also had a great Cuban sandwich at the Nautical Deli.

Approaching St. Clair, Michigan.

The Miracle Mile, St. Clair, Michigan is so-named because thousands of boats
in several marinas call this area home.

Our next stop was in Sarnia's Bridgeview Marina. Bayfest was headlining Keith Urban so Sarnia Bay Marina did not have any transient dockage. Richard's cousin, Dave, and his wife, Elaine, paid us a visit and we also headed downtown to a local restaurant for dinner.

        As we approached Sarnia, another lighthouse led us into the marina.

Kincardin was another stop on our way to Georgian Bay. We had an invigorating walk to town and back, after stopping by several gift shops and having a drink and appetizers at a local restaurant.

 

The entrance to Kincardin.

When we woke up the next day in Kincardin Yacht Club Marina, a boat on our
dock sank sometime during the stormy night.  The lights were on but no one
was on the boat. 

Although we planned to go to Tobermory, Lake Huron was too rough to travel any further than Port Elgin, so we tucked in there around 9:30 a.m. 

Once we were secure on the wall, we enjoyed breakfast at the Harbourlite
Restaurant where many of the locals eat. We again enjoyed the one-mile
walk into town.

Our next destination was Little Tub Harbour, Tobermory.  Tobermory, Ontario is part of the Municipality of Northern ruce Peninsula at the tip of the Bruce Peninsul so Tobermory is surrounded on three sides by water.  Tobermory is also the core area of the UNESCO Niagara Escarpment World Biosphere Reserve.

Tobermory is well known for its two national Parks - Bruce Peninsula National Park
 and Fathom Five Marine Park.

Little Tub Harbour is where we docked in Tobermory.

The Chi-Cheemaun Ferry runs between Tobermory and Mantoulin Island from spring until fall.

We boarded the Blue Heron  glass bottomed boat to tour the Fathom Five
National Marine ParkAfter observing a scuttled ship in Big Tub Bay, we
headed to White Island hat has been overtaken by cormorants. 

The rugged islands of the park are a reminder of the impressive topography found
beneath the waves.

Flowerpot Island is the only island in this park system that allows hiking
and camping.The first flowerpot rock formation is sighted as we rounded
the island.

Flowerpot Island is named after its million year old shoreline rock pillars, narrow
at the bottom and wide at the top.

Twenty-two historic shipwrecks occured on
these rocky shores and are protected in the area.

On the Water Again - June 2010

After leaving Rambler at Winter Harbor Marina from June 1-18, we continued on our way up the Oswego River to Lake Ontario and home to Eagle Creek Marina, Kendall, NY.  We couldn't leave Brewerton until 5 p.m. because some last minute work needed to be done - gel batteries, an electronics check, and final installation of new day/night shades.  Therefore, we only traveled for about two hours and spent the night in Phoenix, NY.  This is a nice little town for a stopover.  Other times that we have stopped here, the Bridge Brats, a group of young volunteers, can't help the boaters enough.  They help you dock, tie lines, offer a tour of the town's museum, offer to deliver groceries, or just chat it up.  It's a great way for a town to give students a chance to give back to their community.  The program is supported mainly by donations so even though dockage is free, they appreciate whatever one can offer.

The next day, we left as soon as the lock opened at 7 a.m. We easily locked through the remaining six locks on the Oswego River through Fulton, Minetto, and Oswego.  Once on Lake Ontario, we headed west towards Eagle Creek Marina.  The 90 nautical mile trip on a mild-mannered lake (2'-3' waves calming to less than 2') allowed us to arrive at the marina by 7 p.m.  Thankfully 12 hour days are not the norm, but we were very glad to be in our former marina for the next week.






After a few days of rest and some time at our home in Hamlin, NY, we said good-bye to all of our dear friends at Eagle Creek Marina, where we have been Eagle Creek Yacht Club members for 22 years.  'A' dock is where we spent nearly every week-end in the summers, cooking out, listening to music, swimming in the lake, and sitting at bonfires with the best group of friends that anyone could ask for.  Our departing was quite emotional but we are also continuing on the adventure of a lifetime.  Regardless of where we are or where our friends are, we will be together in spirit.





On June 25, we continued west on Lake Ontario to St. Catherines Marina, 56 NM.  Bruce and Donna Proctor (Proctor and Gamble!!) traveled with us for the trip through the Welland Canal.  Because we were traveling upbound, at least three adults are required on the boat to go through the 8 locks.  The cost to travel through the 8 locks is $200.  We spent the night at the marina and by 10 a.m. we were moored at Port Weller waiting for permission to enter Lock 1.  At 11 a.m. we and two other pleasure craft were allowed into the first lock.  Modern technology allowed us to "see" the freighter traffic in the lock system.  This information can be found at http://www.greatlakes-seaway.com/en/navigating/map/index.html .  Knowing that only three freighters were in the locks gave us a good idea of how long it would take us to lock through.  Also, only the turbulence in Lock 3 was a problem when Bruce and I really struggled to hold the boat near the wall.  At one point we were nearly in the middle of the lock and short on line.  A harrowing experience, but we survived, although Bruce swears his arms are longer! At 8 p.m. we tied our lines for the night at SugarLoaf Marina in Port Colbourne, Ontario.  Wine and lasagna (courtesy of Donna) were served and we called it a night!

Port Weller - entrance to Lock 1

The cargo ships look imposing at first sight but we had absolutely no
trouble navigating the canal with them.  Thanks to a web site that provides
the ships' transit information, we always knew what was coming towards or behind us.  

Bruce manned the bow lines as we locked through.

Hudson River to Brewerton, NY - May, 28 - June 1, 2010

We said farewell to the Manhattan skyline in the early morning. Running with the tidal current as we headed north on the Hudson River allowed us to make good time at 9 knots.

The Hudson River presented itself well on this pleasant day as we meandered upstream past panoramic landscapes.

We arrived at the Kingston Municipal docks at 8 pm.  Although our day was long, it was worth it to stay in this lovely town.  The town of Kingston has also recently renovated their waterfront and the municipal marina is well-run and a popular destination for many local boaters.  Nearby is the Hudson River Maritime Center Museum where much can be learned about the river's history.

The river-side boardwalk provides access to both the marinas and the restaurants.

A memorial garden graces the the dock side landscape.

One of our favorite restaurants, Mariners' Harbor, is right off the docks.
In a very comfortable outdoor bar and lounge, a party atmosphere is fun
to be a part of for the evening.

The Hudson - Athens Lighthouse was built in 1874 and remains active, although

 it has been automated since 1949 rather than be operated by lighthouse keepers.

Commercial traffic, like this tug boat and barge, is a common sight on the Hudson.

We spent our second night on the Hudson at the Albany Yacht Club.  We were heartily welcomed and invited to participate in club pot luck dinner the next day, although we did have to leave on Sunday.  One boat owner offered his own TV cable line so we wouldn't have to hook up our own.  Another gentleman offered the use of the club's grill.  They couldn't have been friendlier so we highly recommend staying here if you arrive too late in the day to begin going through the locks.  We could have tried to stay at the Waterford locks but we were concerned that they might be full so we opted for this yacht club.

Richard prepares our boat for the evening as he hooks up our power cord.

A view of downtown Albany, New York from the canal. 

The New York State Canal, a.k.a. Erie Canal; Barge Canal.  We spent three days and two nights traveling on the canal before arriving at  Brewerton, NY.  Our first stop was in Amsterdam.  The town docks are relatively new and the power was on so we unexpectedly had a hook-up.  In recent years the town has had financial problems and keeping the town docks open and the power on was difficult.  The restaurant at the docks was closed but we were told it would open for the season soon.  Although we were the only ones there for the night, we had a pleasant evening.  I was so tired that even the frequent train traffic didn't disturb my sleep!

Traveling west along the canal provides views of the vast hills of eastern
New York.

 A typical  New York State work barge on the canal.

Exiting Lock 15  at Fort Plain, NY.

Lock 17, at Little Falls, is the only lock of its kind on the NYS Canal system. Rather than
doors that swing open, this lock operates with a guillotine style lower gate and a concrete
 arch that boats pass through.. This is also the largest lock with a lift of 40.5 feet.

As we exited lock 22 at Rome on June 1, we passed through Sylvan Beach,

crossed Oneida Lake and docked at Winter Harbor Marina in Brewerton

for routine service and a paint job prior to the next leg of trip.