Endeavour Trawlercat – The Voyages of Nine Lives

August 16 to September 9: Gore Bay to Drummond Island

We left Gore Bay on a calm morning. The water was as smooth as glass, and, unusually, continued so all the way to Meldrum Bay. We had read about the restaurant at Meldrum Bay Inn, and decided that, with so many Loopers raving about it, we had to try it. Fortunately, we made a reservation. It is a difficult dilemma for Loopers. On the one hand, making, and trying to follow, a schedule, is something of a no-no. It will tend to lead to poor decisions with respect to weather conditions and sea state. On the other hand, marinas fill up during high season, as do the nicer restaurants. Dick and I try to take a middle road. We have a plan, with rough dates, but the plan is adjusted as we travel, to allow for weather delays and to add some flexibility to destinations. For holiday weekends, or if there is to be a festival in town, we make marina reservations several weeks in advance, since they can always be cancelled. Most other marina bookings are made less than a week ahead, and we also make restaurant reservations as soon as we know there is a reasonable chance that we will get there on the day we expect.

This has stood us well this summer, both for the marinas and also for the restaurants. We felt bad for several boaters who arrived in Meldrum Bay expecting a great dining experience, only to be told that the restaurant was fully booked. There are no other eating out options, and not much reason to stop there without the restaurant. Later we were surprised to discover that in fact those boaters could have been accommodated, had we known. The owner takes bookings for tables, most of which seat 4 to 6 people, and once her tables are booked, she refuses reservations. I overheard her saying “I let the boaters sort it out among themselves”, in other words, we could easily have asked the people on one of the other boats to join us, had we known, as almost all of the tables had only two people seated. A strange way to do business. As it happened, the meal was reasonable but not the exceptional experience we had been led to expect. A night in one of the anchorages we had chosen to miss would have been more enjoyable.

Yes, because we had a schedule, we skipped some of the highly recommended experiences of Georgian Bay’s North Channel. Dick’s mother’s 90^th birthday party was coming up, so we needed to be in Sault Ste Marie by a specific date in order to pick up a rental car and return to Trenton for the festivities.

Gore Bay early morning 2 — The marina at Gore Bay in early morning

Gore Bay early morning — Gore Bay anchorage, water like glass and perfect reflections

Meldrum Bay key lime pie — Key Lime Pie at Meldrum Bay Inn

Meldrum Bay shortcake — Berry shortcake at Meldrum Bay Inn

From Meldrum Bay we were expecting an easy crossing of the North Channel to Blind River. Sadly, both the wind direction and the wave heights were quite different from what was forecast. We had a very uncomfortable ride, with the waves broadside, causing a corkscrew motion that was most unpleasant. We ran fast, and were in by 10:30am, after which I needed to just sit still for a couple of hours in order to feel more like myself! Blind River has little to offer boaters, as the marina is about a mile from the town, but we were delighted to get a message to say that our friends Brenda and Bruce on B-Side were on their way. Their upcoming plans required a weather window that was likely to close if they didn’t make some adjustments, giving us an unexpected reunion.

Like much of Georgian Bay’s North Channel, the area was first settled by fur traders, loggers, and miners. A sawmill was built at the mouth of the river originally known as the Penewobecong. Europeans named it the Blind River, because the mouth of the river was hard to see along the canoe route of the voyageurs. The protected estuary with deep water offshore was a good location for a mill at a time when all trade was carried by water. The copper mine at nearby Bruce Mines was a good customer for the logging industry and sawmill, providing timber and planks for the mine. For 40 years from 1929, the McFadden Lumber Company operated the largest white pine sawmill east of the Rockies. The mill finally closed in 1969, but a few years earlier, uranium was discovered in the area. While a local mine was short-lived, a refinery was built nearby in 1983 and still operates, producing uranium trioxide and providing employment for the area. The Trans-Canada Highway runs through the centre of the town.

Blind River early morning — The old burner unit from the sawmill at Blind River

That evening we all decided to ride bicycles into town to the best rated restaurant. We got our bikes off the boat, and after walking them along the dock we were ready to ride them along the boardwalk towards the road. As my companions headed out, I prepared to get on my bike when it decided to lean affectionally towards me, rather like a large and friendly dog. There was a moment where I realized what was in my immediate future, and then I subsided gracefully to the boardwalk, with the bike landing on top. At this point I was very glad I had decided to carry my bike helmet on my head! I was also glad the landing surface was wood instead of gravel. The only damage was to my dignity. And I did subside gracefully, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

We rode to the restaurant and enjoyed such a convivial last evening together that we rather lost track of the time and ended up riding back in the dark. Fortunately, we were able to take back roads with little traffic, since the bike lights I had purchased had been deemed unnecessary by the man who would have had to take the time to clip them onto the bikes.

Blind River sunset — Sunset at Blind River

Our planned very early start the next morning was somewhat delayed by fog. After about an hour it cleared, so we set off, only to have it close in again. For only the second time this season we needed to run with the radar on a split screen with the chart, luckily no other boats were around. It is a strange and eerie feeling to be out on the water with nothing to be seen around you except your wake! The fog lifted fairly quickly and we were in Thessalon by 11:15. In the afternoon the wind and waves really kicked up and we were glad to be off the North Channel. There was one other Looper boat in, Idyll Time, and we enjoyed docktails later that evening aboard Nine Lives.

travelling in fog 3 — Travelling in fog means using the radar on a split screen with the chartplotter.

travelling in fog — Looking back, fog all around us

travelling in fog 2 — A hole in the fog shows there is blue sky above!

Our passage to Richard’s Landing on August 20^th was very pleasant, although the wind picked up later and again, we were glad of our early start. Richard’s Landing is a tiny but well-kept town with a very popular Italian restaurant on the dock. It was completely filled outside on the deck and a fair few tables occupied inside even though it was a Monday night. We enjoyed a wander around the town and spent some time in a very nice shop that featured all kinds of local arts and crafts. After buying a beautiful new wooden chopping board and a pair of moccasins for Dick, both destined for our home in UK, we felt the need to refresh ourselves with ice cream! The next morning, we departed for Sault Ste Marie and a two-week break.

North Channel lighthouse 2 — A historic lighthouse on Georgian Bay’s North Channel

North Channel 2 — The North Channel on our way to Richard’s Landing

North Channel lighthouse — Another historic lighthouse on the North Channel

Richards Landing — The village of Richard’s Landing built this picturesque lighthouse on their harbour

Richards Landing 2 — A gardener in Richard’s Landing with a sense of humour

Mum’s birthday gathering went very well, with all members of the family present including Dick’s sister Judy’s family. They made the long trek from northern Alberta, camping on the way. It was wonderful for Mum to be surrounded by all of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren for this momentous birthday!

Dick and I enjoyed the trip very much, returning by road to some of the special locations we had visited earlier by boat. We stocked up on chocolates in Lakefield, and finally managed to try Cassis Bistro there. We also returned to Picton to collect our beautiful sculpture and enjoyed a very nice afternoon chatting with Paul Verrall and his wife Donna in their garden. We picked up our vehicle from Dick’s brother, and returned in convoy by a different route, that took us through the heart of Ontario’s cottage country. I may say that I enjoyed the Kawarthas, Muskoka, and Haliburton much more from the water than I did driving. We stopped for a night at the Log Cabin Inn at Parry Sound, having had such a nice meal a few weeks earlier. Sadly, I think we had the b-team in the kitchen on our second visit. The meal was acceptable but nothing to write home about.

Nine Lives was waiting for us in Sault Ste Marie, having snoozed for a week. Other boaters had kept an eye on her, and even adjusted her lines on a rough day without asking, just another example of how helpful and considerate the boating community can be.

Sault Ste Marie marina — The marina at Sault Ste Marie is brand new, but there were very few boaters by the last week of August.

The twin cities of Sault Ste Marie sit across from each other on the St Mary’s River. The Ojibwe used the location at the bottom of the rapids as a meeting place during whitefish season. The treaty that ended the War of 1812 set the border between United States and what was to become Canada along the river, dividing what had been one city into two. The rapids drop the level of the water from Lake Superior to the lower lakes of Michigan and Huron by 20 feet, so a canal and lock was built in 1798 to solve the problem of having to portage around the rapids. This first canal was destroyed during the War of 1812, and after the treaty, trade passed through Soo Locks, on the American side of the river. In 1895 a Canadian canal was built after an unfortunate diplomatic incident between the two countries. At the time it opened, the Canadian Sault Ste Marie Canal contained the largest lock in the world, and the first to be electrically operated. This lock was shut down in 1987, and a new, much smaller lock was built within the old lock, completed in 1998. Today the Canadian lock carries recreational and tour boat traffic, while the much larger commercial ships use the Soo Locks. The Soo Locks are the world’s busiest canal in terms of tonnage, in spite of being closed each year from January through March. We watched a number of freighters and tankers pass into the locks from our vantage point in the marina.

Dick spent a summer working at what was then Algoma Steel in Sault Ste Marie when he was a student. At the time it was a huge and important steel mill, today it is owned by an Indian company, and is a much smaller operation.

Sault Ste Marie bridge — The international bridge connecting the twin cities of Sault Ste Marie

Sault Ste Marie Gliss — Steak and shrimp at Gliss Restaurant in Sault Ste Marie

Nine Lives in Sault Ste Marie marina at sunset.

The commentary on the Agawa Canyon train told some of the story of the visionary businessman Francis Clergue, who arrived in Sault Ste Marie, backed by a consortium of Philadelphia businessmen, in the early 20^th century. A hydro-electric dam, a paper mill, the steel plant, part of the Algoma Central Railway, and two mines were all part of the interconnected empire he created. Sadly, like many fast-growing businesses before and since, cash flow was insufficient to fund the growth, and while most of his enterprises continued, some to this day, Clergue was unable to maintain the empire and in 1903 he was forced out. He left Sault Ste Marie and never lived there again. The paper mill closed in 2011, and has now been repurposed into a mixed-use cultural and tourism hub. The Algoma Conservatory of Music occupies one of the restored buildings, while another contains several restaurants and an events venue. A farmer’s market is also on the site, and a new station for the Agawa Canyon Railway Tour is planned. We ate in the steak house and also the pizza restaurant, and enjoyed both the food and the ambiance. It is so nice to see beautiful historic industrial buildings being preserved instead of knocked down.

Sault Ste Marie converted mill — The beautiful converted paper mill in Sault Ste Marie now houses several restaurants and an events venue

pizza at Breakfast Pig — We enjoyed breakfast one morning at The Breakfast Pig, I tried a breakfast pizza, it was delicious!

On August 30^th we set off very early for the famous train journey to Agawa Canyon. The Canyon was not formed by glaciation as one would usually expect in this part of the world. Instead it is part of an ancient rift valley, created through faulting 1.2 billion years ago. This trip is 8 hours of travel for a 90-minute stop. It was nice enough, but not worth it. I believe that 15 or 20 years ago it was a very different experience. We could see that the brush and small trees have been allowed to grow up all alongside the tracks, so that the scenery is almost entirely a green tunnel punctuated with very quick glimpses of the views that would be marvellous if you could actually see them. The trip is likely nicer once the fall colours develop, but even that will not change the complete lack of the views of the rivers, lakes, and Lake Superior that we had looked forward to.

Agawa Canyon train depot — At the depot on board the Agawa Canyon train

Agawa Canyon train 2 — A glimpse of one of the lakes as we ride the train towards Agawa Canyon

Agawa Canyon train — The best moment on the train, as we passed over a trestle and could see the power plant far below

Agawa Canyon park 4 — The train and Agawa Canyon park

Agawa Canyon river 2 — Agawa Canyon River

Agawa Canyon from viewpoint — Dick climbed the 372 steps to the Canyon Overlook

Agawa Canyon park root cellar — A root cellar in Agawa Canyon. We have no idea who or what it was for.

Agawa Canyon waterfall 2 — One of the two waterfalls you can visit in Agawa Canyon

Agawa Canyon park — The train waits to begin the 4 hour return journey to Sault Ste Marie

A few days later we went for a drive along the route taken by the train. We had hoped to see the railway trestles from the land, as well as the dam and possibly some of the fall colours, but we were frustrated in those goals. However, it was an enjoyable drive and we did get to see some of Lake Superior and the very pretty Chippewa Falls. The Falls demonstrate some of the fascinating layers of geology that we were told about on the train. We could see ancient rocks smoothed by glaciers, and darker areas that were laid down by lava flows.

Chippewa Falls 4 — Chippewa Falls. Notice all the different kinds of rock.

Chippewa Falls 3 — Clear water and a hint of autumn at Chippewa Falls

Another view of Chippewa Falls, popular with fishermen.

wildflowers by the roadside — Wildflowers by the roadside

SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an America Great Lakes freighter that sank in a storm in November 1975 with the loss of all aboard. When launched in 1958, she was the largest ship on the Great Lakes, and is still the largest ever sunk there. Although the story was later immortalized in Gordon Lightfoot’s song, “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald” the following year, I can definitely remember listening to the radio as the tragedy and the search for the missing freighter unfolded. The sinking led to improvements in Great Lakes shipping regulations and various safety practices. As we looked out into Alona Bay at the deep blue waters and endless horizon of Lake Superior it was not hard to imagine very different conditions in November. We have experienced changing forecasts, and conditions that are not as expected, often enough on our own voyages to be able to understand how it is possible to run into problems. Whether it is the ocean, lakes, or even rivers, it is important to respect the dangers and remember that boating is nothing like driving on roads.

Alona Bay viewpoint — This was the view from the scenic outlook at Alona Bay. Why they build a pullout on the highway and don’t cut down the brush so one can actually see something, I do not know.

A better view of Lake Superior from further down the highway

The Trans-Canada Highway began construction in 1950, intended to provide an unbroken transcontinental route across Canada. In several places along the route there is more than one designated route, and the numbering is not consistent from province to province. However, the entire length and all the variations carry a white on green maple leaf route marker. The highway officially opened in 1962, and was completed in 1971. At Chippewa Falls we read about “The Gap”, a 56-mile portion of the highway that was considered one of the most difficult parts to construct due to topography and the hardness of the granite. Construction was stopped until 4 men from Wawa walked the route through the bush to Sault Ste Marie and met with officials to demonstrate the desperate need for the highway for the residents of Wawa. This area is considered the half way point of the transcontinental highway. Dick and I found the story interesting, having driven nearly all of the highway, including most of the variations, over the years. One day we will have to complete the piece in Newfoundland and the last part of Quebec that we have not visited.

We enjoyed great docktails aboard Nine Lives one evening with other boaters, not Loopers this time. One couple are Sault Ste Marie locals. He is a commercial diver and instructor, and owns a restored tug as well as a large trawler. They seem to divide their time between his work and a farm, and live partly aboard the boat as well. The other couple are from Ohio, he is a firefighter.

September 3^rd was very rainy and windy. Dick visited both the Bush Plane Museum and the historic lock while I made a set of prints of the birthday gathering for Mum. We were also watching the progress of Hurricane Dorian as it threatened the east coast and Hilton Head. After a few days of increasing concern, I am glad to be able to say that our area was essentially unaffected, apart from the inconvenience of the mandatory evacuation.

Arturos red snapper — Dick enjoyed red snapper with pumpkin ravioli at Arturo’s in Sault Ste Marie

Arturos shrimp pasta — Excellent shrimp pasta at Arturo’s

Eventually it was time to leave Sault Ste Marie and continue the last week of our summer voyaging. Our first stop was the very picturesque town of Bruce Mines. The mines here were known to the First Nations, and early explorers arrived in search of the copper. The first copper mine was opened in 1846, and was worked by miners who emigrated from Cornwall. The mine managers would not allow any stores to open in the town, instead settlers were forced to buy everything from the company store. The enterprising Marks brothers from Hilton Beach would load fresh produce and various goods onto a barge that they would anchor off the town because they were not allowed to dock. The townsfolk would row and paddle out to the barge to shop. The copper was worked for about 100 years before it played out. Today the mine is a quarry for an exceptionally hard rock that is used for road building. The town is a few miles west of the quarry, and I was surprised at how pretty it is. It is also right on the Trans Canada Highway, and boasts several restaurants of previously excellent reputation. Dick was particularly looking forward to the Bavarian Restaurant. Sadly, the restaurant has been sold. The current reviews of both that and the other local eatery were so bad that we decided to eat on board.

leaving Bruce Mines — Calm seas as we leave Bruce Mines

Our last night out was at an anchorage in Milford Haven, a long narrow inlet, still in Canadian waters. We anchored near a picturesque abandoned boathouse. We were surprised to be completely alone in such a pretty spot, usually we would have expected a few sailboats and possibly some Loopers to join us. It just shows how much the weather has changed since the middle of August. We are seeing far fewer days of fine weather, and the nights are now considerably colder. I imagine most boaters that are still out prefer to stop in marinas with power, rather than anchoring out.

Milford Haven anchorage — We anchored near a deserted boathouse in Milford Haven

We arrived in Drummond Island Yacht Haven just before noon, followed by several other Loopers. We were invited for docktails on board Vitamin Sea, together with the crew of Misty. It turns out that we had met both couples before, last year at Rendezvous in Norfolk and then Misty again on the Hudson. They are all great storytellers with an excellent sense of humour. Afterwards we went to a local Tex-Mex restaurant for an outstanding meal. It is fortunate we have our vehicle here, because the town is several miles from the marina.

Drummond Island sits between the Georgian Bay’s North Channel and the open waters of Lake Huron. It is the seventh largest lake island in the world. The Canada United States border runs north and east of the island, so it was our port of entry for our return to USA. It used to be necessary to meet in person with a US Customs and Immigration officer, but these days technology has improved things, at least for boaters. Dick has an app on his phone that he uses to notify Border Protection of our entry. An officer may ask to have a short video conversation, and will then approve our entry. A few minutes later a number is emailed, that we enter into our online profile details and that’s that! We did learn last year from other Loopers that answering all questions accurately is important. For instance, when asked if you have any fruit and vegetables on board, the correct answer is yes. If you lie and say no, they will know you are lying, because boaters of course have food on board! When asked, you simply tell them you have “ship’s stores”. As commented by a fellow boater the other day, Loopers, who tend to be retirement age, and travel at 7 knots on trawlers do not exactly fit the profile of drug dealers and smugglers.

Drummond Island stormy weather — Stormy weather approaches Drummond Island

Drummond Island is connected to the mainland by a ferry that runs all year round. There are around 1000 permanent residents. There is a small air strip, and a primary school, but most children are bused to school on the mainland via the ferry. The island is a year-round tourist destination for those who enjoy outdoor pursuits, boasting miles of trails for off-roading, more than 13 unique ecosystems, water trail systems for paddling, access to both Lake Huron and Lake Michigan for boaters, and excellent birdwatching. Dick and I caught sight of sand hill cranes as we drove to dinner one evening. The underlying rock is dolomite, used in several industries including glass, paper making, agriculture, and even medicine, but the main use is for steel manufacture. The Drummond Island Quarry, now owned by Carmeuse, ships out nearly a million and a half tons of dolomite each year. The quarry is located inland, and we could just see a road specifically created to support 75-ton capacity haul trucks that bring the quarried rock to the processing plant on the shore.

Drummond Island Potatoes — Crispy potatoes with bacon, cheddar, and green onions was a specialty at the Drummond Island restaurant

The Yacht Haven where Nine Lives will stay for the winter, has a number of huge buildings, one of which is heated. This means that we can leave much of the food (pantry items), clothing, bedding, etc on board. We also do not have to put chemicals into the fresh water and blackwater tanks as we would if we had to winterize the boat. There is quite a bit of work done even so. We take home flour, since it does not last well, also anything that needs refrigeration of course. I like to take large laundry items like bath mats and some of the bedding home, so it can be washed (and ironed) in my big machines at home. Dick took samples of the oil from the engines, which are sent away for analysis. The report will tell him whether there are any problems with the engines, and also whether he needs to change the oil when we return in June for next year’s voyaging. We like to take the carpets home for steam cleaning. A final cleaning of bathrooms, the salon, and galley gets the boat ready for a winter rest, although of course another cleaning will be needed when we return. Dick gets together the various spares and parts that he will ask the boatyard to install, and also spends a lot of time making lists of needed maintenance and replacements. Boating is not an inexpensive lifestyle! This winter we will need a new air conditioning unit to replace the useless forward unit, a replacement side by side fridge freezer, and a new water pump.

On Monday morning the head tech from the boatyard came on board to go over the to-do list with Dick and see where everything was located. At last Nine Lives was ready for haul out. We have not seen her hauled out since the survey when we bought her in 2016, so we made a point of staying to see it. The boat is driven into a narrow channel, and is positioned above two large slings under the travel lift. Slowly, the boat is lifted in the slings, and then the travel lift drives away from the slip and conveys the boat to its destination on land. The heated shed was not quite ready for Nine Lives, because boats are located in the shed in reverse order to when they are expected to leave. Instead she was positioned on blocks of wood so the travel lift could be unhooked and driven away.

haulout positioning — Positioning Nine Lives on the slings of the travel lift

haulout lifting — Nine Lives is lifted out of the water

haulout leaving the slip — The travel lift leaves the slip

haulout driving away — Nine Lives is taken down the road to the boat sheds

The first thing we wanted to check was the status of the sponsons, the extra flotation that is unique to Nine Lives, and that had the hole in it last year. To our surprise and dismay, we could see that in spite of having taken considerable extra care this year, the starboard side sponson was cracked, and so was the one on the port side. Dick had arranged for plugs to be installed last spring, and as soon as they were opened gallons of water gushed out from both sides! So not only was the extra flotation not doing its job, we were hauling around all that extra weight of water! This impairs fuel efficiency, and also creates an imbalance on the boat. Water puddles in the showers and the kitchen sink, and the ice maker gets iced up as the automatic refill spills out of the back of the tray and onto the bottom of the unit. Dick will be getting in touch with the boat builder to find out exactly where the extra flotation part begins and ends, and of course the Drummond Island boat yard will need to make repairs. We will have to look into some different fenders to try to protect this vulnerable part of the boat in future. Apart from that, Nine Lives is in good condition, props and rudders looking good.

Nine Lives tunnel — Placing blocks of wood for Nine Lives to rest on above the concrete.

Nine Lives oops — Oops! Water pours out of the sponsons once the plug is removed.

We were able to stay overnight in cabins associated with the Yacht Haven. They were rustic, but well equipped and absolutely spotless. There was a lovely view over the bay and beautiful sunsets. The only inconvenience was a dearth of power points, including in the bedrooms. In fact, one of the bedrooms had a very nice bedside lamp, but the cord was left lying on the bed because there was absolutely no place to plug it in!

Drummond Island meat pie dinner — A last dinner cooked on board, shepherd’s pie with vegetables and garlic cheese bread to accompany.

The next morning, we finished packing up the car and said goodbye to Drummond Island until next summer. It has been a wonderful voyage this year. The weather could not have been better, not too hot, and very little rain. The rain we did get was mostly at night. We seldom needed the air conditioning, and when we did, the aft unit was sufficient. This was fortunate, since the forward unit is not working and is scheduled for replacement this winter! We had few weather delays, only one major (more than a day), and there were also few days when the forecast for wind and waves was not as expected. We met many Loopers this year, because we were travelling at the same time as most of the “pack”. Lots of enjoyable docktails and dockside chats.

This will be the final blog update for 2019. Look for Nine Lives again some time in June, 2020.

June 16 to 30: Oswego to Kingston via the Thousand Islands

We left Oswego on a morning that was forecast to be good weather and calm seas on Lake Ontario. Unfortunately, the passing weather system had roiled the waters enough that they had not quite settled down. It also created quite a significant morning fog. We went through the last lock and then pulled in to the marina dock for a pumpout and to wait for visibility to improve. After an hour we had about 1 mile of visibility, so we set off. Instead of the usual display of just the chart on the chartplotter, Dick activated the radar and set up a split screen. We were following 3 other loopers, all with different destinations, but we could see them easily on the radar screen. The light chop was uncomfortable at our regular cruising speed of 7 knots, so we gave her a fast run for a couple of hours. At 18 knots the boat rides nicely over the chop, and we soon left the other boats behind.

leaving Oswego — Looking out onto a misty Lake Ontario. The chartplotter has a split screen, showing radar on the right hand side and the chart on the left.

We arrived in Sackets Harbour, and proceeded to Navy Point Marina. Here we could really see the extent of the high water that this spring has brought to Lake Ontario and the 1000 Islands. The large covered boat dock was entirely under water, as was the dock next to the one we were assigned. Our beam meant that, as often happens, we were on the fuel dock, but it was not a problem because power was turned off to all the docks in the marina. If you look at the picture you can see where the other dock is, with the power pedestals standing up above the water. Unfortunately, any wake will almost certainly have washed water into the outlets on those pedestals, and I gather they are very difficult to dry out once that happens. So it will be a difficult summer for any marina with fixed (as opposed to floating) docks this year.

Sacketts Harbor marina — The covered docks are submerged, as is the dock beside us. You can see the power pedestals sticking out of the water.

We loved Sackets Harbor, and wished we had planned to stay a bit longer. The town was founded in the mid-1700s, and the main street has some beautifully preserved and tended homes. The town takes good care of their heritage, and we enjoyed the beautiful municipal plantings that complimented the tree lined streets. The village was the site of a major Navy shipyard, built specifically for the War of 1812. The shipyard and a naval station continued to bring prosperity through the 19^th century, and Sackets Harbor was an important Great Lakes port. By the early 20^th century it was also a destination for families taking long summer vacations from the major cities of the Great Lakes and New York.

While Dick went off for his usual whirlwind walking tour of the village, I enjoyed people watching and listening to the live music floating across the water from one of the many waterfront restaurants. A local eatery called Tin Pan Galley had been highly recommended, and we were disappointed to discover that they are not open on Sundays. However, our spirits lifted when we were told that they had decided to open that day, in honour of Father’s Day, and they had a table for us. It was one of the best meals we have had so far this trip, enhanced by the live music. The musician played a variety of instruments, and mostly folk and light rock of the 60’s and 70’s, so we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

The next morning we set off for Cape Vincent. Dick had intended to anchor behind the village breakwater, knowing that the docks would be under water. We arrived to see that the breakwater is a favourite roosting spot for hundreds of birds, seagulls, cormorants, and even oyster catchers. While it would have been possible to tie up to the breakwater, and the birds would have flown off on our arrival, we also knew that they would return, and as soon as it got dark and quiet, they would avail themselves of the decks of Nine Lives. So, leaving aside the pitter patter of birdie feet across the deck all night, I asked Dick if he really wanted to clean all the resulting guano off the decks! Dick decided I was probably right, and we headed for Clayton a day early.

Clayton is another lovely St Lawrence village with a historic downtown, excellent shops and restaurants, and the main attraction, the outstanding Clayton Antique Boat Museum. We pottered around the shops, stocking up on local cheese, sausage, chocolate, and some lemon infused vinegar. Our visit to the boat museum was everything Dick had hoped. There are both in-water and dry sheds, with a huge variety of wooden boats of all sizes and vintages. We toured La Duchesse, an enormous houseboat built in 1903, and used for entertaining by George Boldt (more about him later). This is a beautifully restored barge type of houseboat. It has no engines, instead it was towed to its destination by a tug. In addition to running water and flush toilets, the two storey home boasts two wood burning fireplaces, servants’ quarters, a dining room, and a large salon with a stained glass dome above a piano. Impressive as the fireplaces were, we were told by the guide that the one time the owner tried to light the one in the dining room the flue didn’t work and the room filled with smoke! An open fireplace is perhaps not the best idea on a boat anyway.

Clayton Wooden Boat Museum — La Duchesse, a 106 ft houseboat built in 1903.

The rest of the museum was equally fascinating. One whole shed is devoted to canoes of all kinds, from the dugout through sailing canoes to contemporary fibreglass and other materials. Another shed shows the history of boat racing. An in-water shed even offers short tours on some of the historic craft. I found the whole experience quite nostalgic. In the 1960’s and 70’s my family had a cottage on a lake in southern Ontario. My Dad was very fond of boats, and at one point we had 7 of them. He built a sea flea, a plywood hydroplaning boat that my brother and I loved to zip around the lake at ridiculous speeds, creating a noise that today I would find extremely annoying! Dad was also persuaded to buy a classic mahogany boat, that he could parade majestically around the lake. He would have loved the museum!

There were several Looper boats in the marina while we were there, and one evening the Thousand Islands Harbor Host and his wife brought their boat down for the evening and a convivial docktails get-together. Dick and I had cleaned Nine Lives inside and out that day, and it was a very pleasant evening sitting out on the foredeck watching the river, chatting with new friends, and nibbling on a charcuterie platter.

The next day we made the fairly short trip downriver to Alexandria Bay. Here the municipal dock has had a second dock built on top, so it is still possible to tie up there. There are two marinas beside the Town docks, both are under water, but that has not stopped them being open for business. Fuel is dispensed by dockhands wearing wellington boots! Our visit coincided with a biker’s meet in the town. One might once have been concerned, but I was reminded of the comment from my neighbour in our UK house in Yorkshire. Hawes is a mecca for bikers, especially on weekends, as they love tearing along the winding, hilly roads of the Dales. John told me, “They won’t bother you, they’re all old men, young ones can’t afford those bikes!” This seemed to be true of the bikers gathered in Alexandria Bay, many of whom took a stroll along the town dock and looked at the boats.

From Alexandria Bay we took the first shuttle of the day to Boldt Castle. Normally we would have been able to go there in our own dinghy, but the public docks are under water and only tour boats are allowed to visit. We spent about two and a half hours wandering around the castle. Boldt Castle was built by George Boldt for his wife Louise. From his roots as a poor immigrant, he became wealthy as the owner of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York. He and his wife bought Hart Island, changed the name (and even the shape of the island) to Heart Island, and lived in the existing house while construction and transformation of the island began. There are 3 interesting towers. The Alster Tower is sometimes called the Playhouse, and was supposedly intended for the Boldt children. The Power House is situated on a point and housed the electrical and pumping machinery, as well as apartments for the engineers. The Dove-Cote was the original structure on the island, containing a water tank and topped by an aviary where exotic fowl were housed (one presumes the tank was well covered…).

The magnificent main castle is certainly an exercise in conspicuous consumption and display of wealth. The castle was never completed or occupied. During the construction, Louise suddenly died, and the next day George sent a telegram halting all work. All the materials had been ordered and were stored in warehouses, as was some of the furniture, and even marble statuary for the gardens, but the construction never resumed and George never visited the island again. During WWII, the current owner of the castle allowed it to be stripped of iron, steel, and copper towards the war effort. Over forty thousand tons of materials were removed, not very carefully, contributing to the speed of the deterioration over the 73 years that the castle stood empty and unfinished. In 1977 the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took over the castle, the island, and the nearby Yacht House, and began a program of restoration. We were very impressed with the care and quality of the workmanship. This is more than a restoration, the Authority is actually completing the castle construction, furnishing rooms as they are finished. It is a major attraction for the Thousand Islands, and contributes to the economy and tourism in the area. It is estimated that in addition to employing at least 600 people, the castle contributed nearly $40 million a year to the local economy.

The next morning we set off before the local tour boats and circumnavigated the castle. We also tooled around the nearby bay, off Wellesley Island, home of some stunning summer and full time homes, and the exclusive Thousand Islands Yacht Club. We then headed north on the River towards Brockville, pausing to loop around Singer Castle on the way. We had hoped to dock, but a sign suggested that it was closed that day.

Boldt Castle from the water — The Alster Tower in the foreground, main castle in the centre behind the trees, and the Power House on the right.

Boldt Castle Yacht House — Across the bay from the castle is the Yacht House, where George Boldt kept his boats.

riverfront homes Wellesley Island — Some of the beautiful homes on wealthy Wellesley Island

A freighter passes Dark Island, home of Singer Castle

We had intended to stop in the small village of Morristown for the night, but on arrival the marina appeared to be deserted. Our reservation was made online, and there was no response to either radio hails or phone calls. The docks appeared to be in very poor condition, with metal sticking out and parts under water. We decided to see if we could dock in Brockville a day early. On arrival the first task was to contact Canada Border Protection and check in. Apart from a long wait on hold, it was a very easy process, sitting in comfort on the boat instead of the former requirement to stand at a pay phone! Dick was duly given the check-in number, and I was very glad he wrote it down and told me where he put it. A couple of days later two officers walked down the dock and asked me if we had checked in and to see that all-important number.

welcome to Canada — Dick puts up the Canadian courtesy flag on our bow.

We stayed 4 nights in Brockville. This allowed time for local sightseeing and lunch with another Looper couple and the local Harbor Host. We met at a tearoom called Cosies, run by a couple who emigrated from England 20 years ago. Unusually (in my experience), they have not changed their offerings from traditional English fare. Their breakfast is exactly what one would be offered in any good B&B in England, complete with black pudding and baked beans, although the bacon is the American style strips, rather than English cut. For lunch they offer many very traditional English treats, including my absolute favourite prawns in Marie Rose sauce. For our non-English friends, this means small shrimp in a pink sauce made of mayonnaise and tomatoes. You can have it as an open-faced sandwich, or on an also traditional jacket potato (baked potato).

Dick took a train to Toronto, staying overnight at the Royal York Hotel, and then joining the annual reunion lunch of his former colleagues from Ingersoll Rand in the late 70’s. I enjoyed my couple of days with my own company, and took the opportunity for a major session with the washer dryer! I really enjoyed the people watching, as the marina is located on a spit of land that is a popular park for dog walkers, exercising, and visiting families. There is also a tour boat leaving from one of the docks, taking a 90-minute tour of the 1000 Islands. At one point I was surprised to be hailed by an Indian lady accompanied by her extended family (about 20 people). She asked where the 90-minute tour was going to take them. I politely sent her along to the tour office, and then realized that she had thought that Nine Lives was the tour boat!

I also enjoyed watching two tall ships that were on the docks. One was out in the river when we arrived, but the larger one was being fitted with spars and sails. I watched the young sailors hoist one of the spars, and then fit it to the mast. The next day they attached the sails, and then set off down the river. There is a tall ship meet and race this year, that will visit a number of the cities on the Great Lakes, and both the ships in Brockville are part of the event. I hope we have an opportunity at some point to see one under sail, although I suspect the timing won’t work for us.

Brockville tall ship — Tall ships docked in the harbour at Brockville

On the last evening I watched a sailing race out in the St Lawrence. At least 20 boats raced down the river with spinnakers flying in the evening light. An hour later they returned and I had a front row seat while they made hair raising turns just short of running aground on the submerged outer docks of the marina.

Our next destination was Gananoque. We enjoyed cruising back along the Canadian side of the St Lawrence, and were greeted on arrival at the dock by the local Harbor Host. The next evening we were entertained by him and his wife in their stunning condo on the harbour for cocktails and chat with them and two other Looper couples.

Another highlight of the trip so far was a 1-hour helicopter ride. We flew as far as Kingston, passing over Fort Henry, the city, Queen’s University and the Penitentary. Our route then took us across Wolfe Island and along the US side of the River as far as Singer Castle. The pilot pointed out the various sights, and also a number of wrecks that are visible from the air in the clear water of the river. It was a fantastic tour, finishing with a loop over the marina in Gananoque where we could see Nine Lives at dock beside another Looper catamaran.

Thousand Islands by helicopter — Dick and Louise get ready to board the helicopter

From Gananoque it is a short trip up the river to Kingston. We were too late to get in to any of the local marinas, especially as the weekend is a Canadian holiday and the traditional start of a great many summer festivals, fireworks, and of course boating. With the high water, many docks are unavailable, so transient space is limited even more than usual. We anchored in a bay disturbingly called Deadmans Bay, tucking in just before the Canadian Forces Yacht Club. There were long swells coming up the bay from the river and Lake Ontario, so it was rock and roll for most of the afternoon. Also, it was quite a boring place, with nothing much to see and no boats to watch. In the early evening the waves calmed down and the wind changed, and suddenly we were facing the opposite direction. We usually put out quite a lot of rode, so we were disturbed to find that we drifted right over a floating buoy. This buoy slid under and around the boat all night, banging on the hull and making it very difficult to sleep. Add to that, in the early evening there was first a tornado watch, followed by a squall watch, urging us to “take cover”. The next morning I couldn’t get out of there fast enough!

Because we left so early, we were able to arrive in the next bay over, called Navy Bay. The previous day it had been filled with a dinghy sailing race. We anchored well into the bay, and enjoyed a wonderful peaceful day with lots to watch. On one shore is Royal Military College (RMC), and as we watched a large group of cadets rig sailing dinghies and set out to race in the River. On the other shore we could see the ramparts of Fort Henry, and one of the Martello towers beside where we anchored. Later in the day another Looper boat arrived, followed by 5 sailboats. This was certainly the most anchoring company we have had in years!

Kingston RMC — Royal Military College, Kingston

Kingston Fort Henry — Fort Henry and a martello tower, with a sailboat and a fellow Looper at anchor.

We enjoy listening to the “chatter” on the VHF radio when we are docked. I tell you, the young men who handle the radio for the huge Confederation Basin Marina deserve medals, or possibly sainthood! We listened to people calling in, many not using standard marine radio protocols and terminology. Some of what we assume are our American boating neighbours kept calling “Confederate Marina”, and one boater became quite frustrated when his calls to “Kingston Marina” went unanswered. Each boater is given very careful directions to find their slip, and about a third of them then get a subsequent call, “You are going the wrong way, please turn around and exit that channel and turn up the next one. Apparently, the dockhands in bright red t-shirts are not easily seen…

Our next destination is Trentport, via Bath and Picton, and then after a few days pause we will head up the Trent Severn Waterway towards Georgian Bay.

June 1 to 15, 2019. Brewerton to Oswego with a visit to the Finger Lakes

Welcome back to the account of Nine Lives and her Great Loop Voyage!

We left off the story in September, 2018, after leaving Nine Lives in Brewerton, New York. She spent the winter snoozing in heated, climate controlled, indoor storage while her crew did some travelling and even spent a few weeks at home in Hilton Head.

During the winter, the excellent team at Winter Harbor performed various expected maintenance and upgrade operations, as well as one or two additional, somewhat unexpected repairs. We had a major engine overhaul and added several new gauges and alarms. We now are able to tell that the solar panels are doing their job and charging the batteries, and we have alarms to show exhaust temperature heat, a faster indicator of trouble than engine temperature. New house and generator batteries were installed. Now the lighting in the cabin is brighter, the icemaker does not turn off the chart-plotter when we are underway, and we can stop overnight without shore-power and still have enough battery charge to make coffee in the morning! New strainers were added to the air conditioning system that allow us to put in chlorine tablets. These will stop marine growth inside the coils of the water-cooled system, and presumably improve the operation of the AC. The anchor up/down switches that had stopped working were replaced, as were the underwater LED lights.

There were also some cosmetic and not-so cosmetic repairs required. Last summer, thanks to a nasty cross current and a badly sited protrusion on a fuel dock we put a small hole in the side of one pontoon, fortunately above the waterline. Some good strong white tape kept water from splashing in, and the repair was scheduled for the winter. When the Winter Harbor team looked for the damage, we had done such a great job with the tape, that they couldn’t find it at first! Instead they discovered a much bigger hole, below the waterline. When Nine Lives was built, the original owner added so much extra electronics and other features, that it was decided to add extra flotation to the pontoons. This consists of a large tube down the side of each pontoon. In the starboard flotation tube was a large hole, and the flotation tube was carrying 15 gallons of water inside. Dick remembers noticing that there were some performance changes last year, slightly higher fuel consumption and minor handling differences. No wonder, carrying around all that extra water!

boat repairs — A small oops, fortunately above the waterline!

Last but not least, a new ice maker was installed, as the old one was no longer working properly.

Repairs complete, Nine Lives was put back into the water at the end of May, and was pronounced ready to go after a successful sea trial. Her crew left Hilton Head on May 31^st, and arrived in Brewerton on the 1^st of June.

Various preparations were needed before we could set off. Dick changes the oil and fuel filters himself. This is a good way to observe exactly what goes on with the engines, and if a boater is able to do the job himself it is much better, as well as saving a whole lot of boat bucks! We also clean the fresh water tanks ourselves. This means adding bleach to the tanks, running it through the system and then leaving it to sit overnight. Next day needs two complete fills and empties to get all the bleach out of the system, and finally the Seagull filter (that filters bacteria as well as impurities out of the drinking water tap and the ice maker feed) is replaced. Cleaning the fresh water tank annually and always filling with our own hose ensures that we can safely use the water on the boat just as we would the water from the taps at home. My job was to put everything away, make beds and organize the pantry, and prepare the provisioning (grocery) list. I also spend a few hours making up little bags of cloves, using sacks designed for making your own teabags. These little bags are distributed in all the pantry cupboards, and are intended to discourage ants. I read about this on a sailing blog, and have done this each year, replacing the bags roughly every 6 weeks. So far so good, and knock on wood.

preparation for voyage — Taking a look at all the wiring behind the TV. Who knew all that was back there!

At last we were ready to set off on Tuesday June 4^th. We had an easy few hours on the Erie Canal, passing through two locks, and retracing our trip from last autumn to Baldwinsville. We were pleased to find that our locking and docking skills had not deteriorated from disuse over the winter! We like Baldwinsville, and particularly enjoyed a second visit to the restaurant called “The Chef and The Cook”. It is an interesting place, with two sides to its regularly changing menu. The cook’s side offers somewhat more familiar, although still quite innovative dishes, while the chef tends to be quite experimental. Dick particularly enjoyed his unusual appetizer, carrots prepared in 5 different ways with a small piece of roasted pork belly.

first night underway — Opening our traditional bottle of bubbly after our first day out.

June 5^th took us into new territory, as we followed the Erie Canal west to the Cayuga Seneca Canal and then headed south. There are beautiful homes lining the Erie Canal for some miles west of Baldwinsville, many with extensive landscaping and interesting dock facilities. The Cayuga Seneca Canal connects the Erie Canal with Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, allowing industries on the shores of both lakes plus Seneca Falls and Waterloo to have access to the Erie Canal and ultimately to Lake Ontario, or even the Atlantic ocean via the Hudson River. Begun in 1813, added to and improved through the rest of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries, the canal carried goods as wide ranging as flour, potash, pork, whiskey, lumber, and wool.

As we passed through the extensive lands of the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, that encompasses part of the Erie Canal and the first few miles of the Cayuga Seneca Canal, we were surprised to see a huge brown bird fly overhead. It looked just like a juvenile bald eagle! A little google research proved us right. There are at least 6 occupied bald eagle nests in the Refuge, and a number of juveniles remain in the area. Altogether we saw 3 juveniles and 4 adults on the two days we travelled through the Reserve.

We spent the night tied to the wall below Lock 1. The next morning, we set off south, hugging the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake. The shore is lined with cottages of all vintages and sizes, ranging from tiny cabins to large mansions (and the occasional glimpse of one of the area’s wineries). Many of these cottages are built on the cliffs above the shoreline. Often all we could see was an impossibly long staircase disappearing into the trees. Having been part of the “cottage country” lifestyle as a teenager, and knowing just how much of a pain it is to carry all your provisions up and down a steep hill to and from the water, I looked at these stairs without envy!

Cayuga Lake east side — Cliffs and a waterfall on the eastern side of Cayuga Lake

Summer has only just arrived here in northern New York State. Lockkeepers and fellow boaters commented that this was the first nice weather of the year, and we could see many boats still shrink wrapped and out of the water in the various marinas we passed. Even some of the trees have clearly only just leafed out. However, this means that temperatures are pleasant, and we are enjoying cool nights and no need to run the AC.

Near the southern end of the lake we passed a huge mine. Cargill owns the controversial salt mine, situated at the edge of the lake and tunnelling deep under the centre of the lake. The first mine was built in 1915, but was unsuccessful and shut down. In 1921 a deeper shaft was sunk (2000 feet) and produced commercial grade salt. The mine was purchased by Cargill in 1970. Salt is produced mainly for the road de-icing business, with some also for residential de-icing. The 7 mile long shaft produces 2 million tons of raw salt a year. When Cargill decided to drill a new 2500 foot shaft, a lawsuit was filed to halt the initiative, suggesting that the mine has an adverse effect on the salinity of the lake. The lawsuit was filed in 2017, and is still awaiting a court decision. Meanwhile, Cargill continues its preparations for the new shaft, that has already received approval from the Department of Environmental Conservation. The mine employs 200 workers, and contributes millions to the local and state economy.

On our travels around the country, we have commented many times on how it is clear that towns that once thrived are now barely holding on. Industries that once anchored the towns and villages have shut down or moved away, family farms are closed, and there is not enough population to sustain local businesses. A lawsuit that holds up a commercial initiative, even though it has already been approved, is a common theme for so many industries, and has to contribute to the many corporate decisions to simply abandon long established factories in favour of more commercially friendly locations. I shall now step down off my soapbox.

Cayuga Lake east side salt mine — The huge and controversial Cargill salt mine complex on Cayuga Lake

We arrived in Ithaca, at the south end of the lake, in early afternoon. Multiple attempts had been made to make a reservation at the large, State-run marina, without success. Given that it was a weekday and very early in the season, we thought we would just take a chance and show up, and if necessary, anchor somewhere if there was no room for us. Fortunately, an empty T-head presented itself, because we soon realized that all the slips designated for transient (visiting) boaters had an inconvenient post in the middle of each slip, limiting the accommodation to boats of less than 15 feet beam. We met the dockmaster, who told us she knew the dock we were on was available that night and we were fine to stay. She also explained that she has to be out on the docks all day, rather than in the office, and does not answer the phone, allow or return messages, and does not have a radio to communicate with boaters. While we were there, I watched her replace 3 old boards in the dock. Clearly, New York State has decided that the extensive and well-built marina needs only a single employee as a jack-of-all-trades. I can only imagine the chaos in busy summer months.

Fender Boards — Ithaca saw our first use of our new fender boards. These keep the boat from scraping on the dock when the construction has pilings on the outside of the dock.

Ithaca is a nice town, we know from our visit by car last autumn, but it is all but impossible for boaters. The area is too hilly for bicycles, and the town centre is a long way from any docking facilities. The one riverside restaurant is far enough away that we needed to ride bicycles rather than walk, and while they do have their own dock there doesn’t seem to be any way of using it. So we were fine with just spending the one night there.

There is a tourist boat docked in the marina, and I watched as a large tourist bus decanted about 30 Amish tourists. All the women wore the typical white bonnets and long dresses, while many of the men sported beards of varying lengths. I don’t know enough about the Amish people to understand why they use horse and buggy for personal travel, rowboats without motors for fishing, and yet travel in large coaches and cruise on sightseeing boats. Something to research some rainy day perhaps.

Ithaca tour boat — Tour boat with Amish visitors

On June 7^th we travelled north, hugging the western shore of Cauyga Lake. We passed Sheldrake Point, a very pretty part of the lake with some lovely old homes, working farms and a winery. I was particularly interested because my father’s Yorkshire mother was a Sheldrake, and it is a relatively unusual family name.

Cayuga Lake west Sheldrake Point — Pretty Sheldrake Point on the west side of Cayuga Lake

After turning back into the Cayuga Seneca Canal, we arrived at Seneca Falls and docked on its very boater friendly town wall. There is a long wall with power pedestals and good cleats on both sides of the canal, with sections of lower floating dock to allow for smaller boats, while larger craft are made welcome on the higher walls. The boater facilities include excellent showers and toilets, and even laundry facilities. Such a contrast to other towns, that could equally make boaters welcome and yet allow their docks to become derelict, or fill them up with commercial tour boats.

Seneca Falls Nine Lives docked — Nine Lives on the boater friendly dock in Seneca Falls

We liked Seneca Falls. This is clearly a town that is making efforts to improve the downtown and attract tourism, in spite of losing local industry. Goulds Pumps, founded in 1848, still maintains their headquarters in the town, but the Seneca Falls Knitting Mill has shut down. Situated in a beautiful old limestone building on the canal shore, the knitting mill opened in 1844, making socks until 1999. The company held the last two patents for socks in the US, but the owner decided to sell the patents to a German company, and the business has gone to Europe. Fortunately, the historic building is gaining a new lease on life as the new home of the National Women’s Hall of Fame. It is a good fit for the town, which is known as “The Birthplace of Women’s Rights”.

Seneca Falls knitting mills — The beautiful limestone future home of the National Women’s Hall of Fame

On July 19 and 20, 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention was held. Its purpose was “to discuss the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of women.” It is considered by many to be the event that triggered and solidified the Women’s Rights movement in America. One should note that the Suffragette Movement in Britain was founded in 1903, more than 50 years later. Seneca Falls is now the home of the Women’s Rights National Historic Park. The Wesleyan Chapel, where the Convention was held, has been restored, a visitor centre is situated next door, and two of the homes of the organizers of the Convention are all part of the Park.

Seneca Falls Womens Rights Park — The restored Wesleyan Chapel where the Convention was held

The next day, Saturday, we followed the Canal to the head of Seneca Lake. The last four bridges crossing over the canal before it joins the Lake, were, shall we say, interesting. The final one is nominally 17.3 feet above the water, and we had already lowered our antennas in anticipation, but given the high water the whole area is experiencing, we decided I should stand outside and we would approach very slowly, ready to back off if necessary. The first 3 were quite close, but as we passed under the rusty girders of the last one, I could see just inches above our radar array. Our air draft is 14.5 feet, and we should be a little lower with a nearly full load of fuel, but I certainly would not have wanted to pass under that bridge in choppy water. A lockkeeper later told us that the canal has been raised 6”, and the lake a full foot.

Travelling close to the eastern shore of Seneca Lake we could see lots of cottages and homes of all sizes and ages. Eventually we arrived in Watkins Glen, after carefully dodging a sailboat race. The T-head had been reserved for us, but it was already partly occupied by one of the many speedboats that were out and about on the first nice day of summer. Apparently, the owner felt that the “Reserved” sign did not apply. Fortunately, our docking skills (and no wind to speak of) stood us in good stead and we successfully docked without crunching him.

The friendly boating facility in Watkins Glen is an example of how to get it right. There are lots of transient slips of all sizes, and a lively restaurant right at the marina. Boaters are free to come in and tie up while visiting the town or the restaurant, and are only asked to pay if they want to stay overnight.

Watkins Glen marina — The busy and well run marina at Watkins Glen

Saturday evening, we entertained our first visitors of 2019. Bill and Louise Wirz joined us for drinks and chat on the boat, and later we went for dinner at one of Watkins Glen’s nicer restaurants. Bill was a colleague of Dick’s from Dresser Rand, so there was much reminiscing, and of course shaking of heads about the direction the company has taken since Dick retired. Bill is newly retired, and is easing into the new lifestyle, keeping busy with Habitat for Humanity and other pursuits while his wife continues working for another year. It was a most enjoyable evening.

A historic building in downtown Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen gorge — Dick hiked up the Gorge in Watkins Glen

We had intended to leave Watkins Glen on Monday, but the weather forecast was not good, so we stayed an extra day. As we did last year, we try to stay in a marina on weekends, in order to avoid all the mad boaters who get out on the water and tear around, waking everybody and just generally being a nuisance! Tuesday morning, we headed north, following the western shore, hoping to stop overnight in Geneva.

Watkins Glen is home to two salt producing operations. In the town, Cargill operates a refinery that is a brine operation (as opposed to a mine). Steam is introduced into two wells, creating a brine that is then pumped up and processed into products including granulated salt for food, water conditioning pellets, and agricultural salt. Just north of the town is another brine operation operated by US Salt. This taps into a brine well 1500 feet below the surface, discovered in 1882.

Seneca Lake salt plant — US Salt on Seneca Lake

On arrival in Geneva it was clear that the negative reviews we had read about their dockage were quite accurate. Although there are quite a few spaces on floating docks behind a breakwater, the docks are very short, with space for only one large boat such as ours. That space was already occupied, so we turned around and headed back to Seneca Falls. And town fathers wonder why they cannot attract enough tourists even though they ignore the opportunities from boaters!

In Seneca Falls we were reminded again of how unusual Nine Lives is. People comment and ask questions as they go by. It is very interesting to notice how different are the reactions of men versus women. Men get quite excited by the boat, and will call out across the water, “What a great boat!” Women, on the other hand, are interested in the name, and I hear them pointing out the name to each other “Nine Lives, Nine Lives”. This month, all the women seem to be getting quite excited by the dinghy. I hear comments, “Oh and look, a little boat!” Two women who stopped to chat about our boat and our voyage were more interested in Minnie (the dinghy), wanting to know what we would do with the little boat. Of course, we love answering any and all questions and I am sure Nine Lives bobs up and down with pleasure when she hears all the compliments.

Seneca Falls sculpture trail — In addition to its many other attractions, Seneca Falls has an interesting sculpture trail.

Seneca Falls church — The beautiful Trinity Episcopal Church on the canal in Seneca Falls

As we made our way back to Baldwinsville the next day, I was able to sit out front with my camera and big lens and watch for eagles and other interesting wildlife as we passed through Montezuma NWR. In addition to the eagles, we saw other raptors including osprey, a small hawk, and a group of vultures.

We passed the ruins of the Seneca River Aqueduct. Opened in 1857, the second longest aqueduct on the system carried the original canal over the Seneca and Clyde Rivers. It was dynamited in 1910 to make room for large barges to pass on the Erie Barge Canal. It was 840 feet long, with 30 piers and 31 stone arches. The ruin is an impressive sight.

Seneca River Aqueduct ruins — Impressive ruins of the Seneca River Aqueduct

In Baldwinsville we were delighted to entertain our second visitor of the season. Barbara Kubiak is a wonderful photographer who I met many years ago when we lived in Olean. Her family is from Baldwinsville, so she was willing to make the 3 hour drive to get together with us. I showed her my pictures of eagles and songbirds from Alaska, and she shared her images of Cuba with me. A most enjoyable afternoon, followed by dinner in one of Baldwinsville’s many restaurants.

We left Baldwinsville on Thursday morning very early, hoping to dodge the raindrops, but with a total of 8 locks to transit we did get quite wet. We are tied up to the free wall in Oswego, fortunately above the last of 3 locks, because as I write this (Friday) there is a big windstorm. Wind coming up the river, against a strong current from all the rain going down the river, has made for some really heavy chop at the dock below the last lock. Dick was just there, and reported that the big boat we saw pass us earlier is bouncing up and down. We don’t envy those aboard. The only downside of our free dock is that there is no water or power. Fortunately, we can run the generator to get the hot water tank up for showers, and the solar panels are at last doing their job and charging the batteries for much of what we need. Cool weather means no need for air conditioning, which is the biggest power draw.

(Saturday) We are watching the weather closely, and expect to be able to leave tomorrow morning with light winds and calm seas on Lake Ontario. Yesterday afternoon we were joined on the wall by two other Looper boats. An invitation to join us on Nine Lives for drinks and chat was well received and we enjoyed a convivial couple of hours swapping stories. We have an app that lets us see where other Loopers are, and could see that at least 10 boats were staging themselves on the canal well south of Oswego. This morning the news came that there are two major problems at Phoenix, and the canal is closed indefinitely. As I said to Dick, when you can see the good weather coming, doesn’t it make good sense to get as close as possible, rather than hanging back and counting on there being no issues with the canal! We had thought to see a big group arrive today, but at this point it looks as though there will be just two other boats at most joining us here in Oswego.

I wrote fairly comprehensively about the interesting and historic town of Oswego when we were last here in 2017, so I won’t repeat it all again. Enough to mention that it is an important and historic port town, situated as it is on the shores of Lake Ontario. There is a marine museum with a WWII tug, restored Fort Ontario, and some interesting shops and restaurants. The commercial port is still active, although small by modern standards. It is the first large American port city west of the St Lawrence River. Over one million tons of goods are still shipped from the port.

Tomorrow Nine Lives will be on the move again, heading for eastern Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands, and then on to Canada and eventually the Trent Severn Canal.