Into the Trent-Severn Waterway

Well, we've discovered another misconception in our communication system. Our North American Plan doesn't work so well in Canada. Last time I looked at a map of the continent, Canada was part of North America. Trying to sort out the problems with Alltel. We're amungst their first customers with this North American plan and there seem to be some bugs.

So, we are putting this post on our site at a internet cafe in Kingston, Ontario. We've been here three nights now, got here Tuesday afternoon, June 5, and this morning , Friday June 8, the wind is blowing hard from the SE. The forcast is for the wind to shift to the SW, then W to NW and die this evening. We were planning to go to Trenton today, but a SE sea would be on the side and uncomfortable. If the wind shifts to the SW as predicted this afternoon, it will be on our nose and not so uncomfortable so we will go to Picton, about halfway to Trenton. Once we are at Picton we are behind a series of islands so wind will no longer be an issue.

We will be posting on this page for about three weeks as we work our way to the NW towards Georgian Bay, so keep looking on this page as you follow us over the top of Toronto.

We have WiFi at the dock so we can post some information. We did leave Kingston at about 1:00PM on Friday and had an easy ride to Picton, Ontario. What a neat little town, and a well protected harbor. On Saturday, June 9, we went the rest of the way to Trenton and up to the top wall of lock 3 for the night. Today we came through several more locks up to lock 13 and are currently in Cambellford, Ontario at Old Mill Park, tied to the wall.

This will be a short post, I'm sitting on a bench at a "Hot Spot" I found, and I can't hardly see the computer screen in the sun.

It is Monday, June 18, and we have spent the weekend at the Pigeon Lake Yacht Club in Bobcageon, ON. We were last here in 2002 racing our M-20 at the North American Cham,pionships. Have seen many old friends. Expect to go sail on an M-20 this afternoon, with Joe Bowland, to help him turn up the boat.

Yah, we're sitting at the Orillia Municipal Marina in downtown Orillia, Ontario, and we have a "Hot Spot", so I'll try to update our progress. It's Thursday afternoon, June 21. I did get some sailing in at the Pigeon Lake YC, both on an M-20 and again on Monday evening in their E Boat race. We left Bobcageon on Tuesday morning, stopped at Fenelon Falls to get a hair cut, and went on to lock 35, near Rosedale, where we spent the night on the upper lock wall. This is the top of the system, 598' above Lake Ontario, 843' above sea level, the highest place in the world you can drive a boat from the ocean. Wednesday was windy, so only went as far as the breakwater wall at the eastern entrance to Lake Simcoe. It was rooling pretty big on the lake so we elected to wait until this morning before we crossed the lake, was much better this morning, but is blowing hard again. We will probably stay here until Sunday morning, and then head towards the "Big Chute" marine railway that takes us up about 20' and then down about 30'. This schedule puts us into Georgian Bay on Tuesday, June 26.

While still in Orillia, boats started arriving on Friday from various ports within a 50 mile radius to celebrate "Christmas in June". We had no idea how crazy things would get, but by noon on Saturday all the slips in the marina were full, all 252 of them, and people were madly decorating their boats with Christmas decorations. They judged all the decorations at 7:00 PM Saturday evening, awarded prizes, had a raffle drawing, and then at about 9:00 the party began, with much fun being had by all until about 3:00 AM. Sunday morning the decorations came down and everybody started for home. We let them get a head start on us, really didn't want to go through the remaining locks with them. We finally left at about 1:30 PM and went 34 miles further towards Georgian Bay, anchoring for the night in Lost Channel, just above "Big Chute".

On Monday June 25, we pulled anchor and went the last 4 miles to Lock 44, called "Big Chute". As you can see, this lock is actually a cart that goes up and over, a net drop of 59'. This system was developed to keep the migration of the parasitic sea lamprey from infesting the Lake Simcoe fishery. For you crane guys reading this blog, Hepburn built the cart, ABB built the winch and adjustable frequency control, and Motorola supplied the radio control which operated from the cart. The winch imployes "single failure proof" design. Here's how it works;

Boat drives on, boat comes out and over the top restained in straps.

Down the back Into the lower side water

Large SeaRay going over ahead of us

On we go, over the top, down the back side

Back in the water on our way at the lower level

After passing through one more lock, we were in Georgian Bay. What a fascinating canal system.

Side trip down the St. Lawrence

After attending a church service at a beautiful old Presbyterian Church in Sackets Harbor on Sunday morning, we proceeded north to the St. Lawrence River. Severe thunderstorm warnings were issued about 3:00 pm so we started thinking about a place to spend the night. We went in behind a breakwater at Cape Vincent and spent the night at their town dock.

Monday morning, June 4, we bicycled around town, met the volunteers at the Chamber of Commerce and Tibbetts Lighthouse only to leartn they both spend several months on Fripp Island every spring. It's a small world! We left about noon and proceeded down the St. Lawrence River and stopped at Heart Island where Boldt Castle is. George C. Boldt, millionaire proprietor of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City, set out to build a full sized Rhineland Castle for his wife. His wife died at the age of 42 and George never finished the castle. The structure stood empty from 1904 until 1977 when the Thousand Island Bridge Authority assumed ownership and is restoring the magnificent structures for the enjoyment of the present and future generations. Included as part of this site is the Boldt Yacht House a very large boat house with four slips under roof that are 128' long with the center bay being 64' high to house the family steam powered yacht. If your interested in more details go to www.boldtcastle.com.

Monday night was spent at the town dock in Alexandria Bay, NY. Tuesday we checked into Canadian Customs at Rockport, Ontario and had a beautiful ride to Kingston through the Canadian Thousand Islands.

North onto Lake Ontario

On Tuesday May, 29 we left Seneca Falls and back tracked on the Erie Canal until it joined the Oswego Canal. We went as far north as Phoenix, NY where we spent the night at the city dock with free water and power. On Wednesday we went the last 21 miles to Oswego, NY where we had a scheduled lay over to change oil and reprovision before heading across Lake Ontario. On Friday we left about noon, after visiting Fort Ontario, to head out to the NE in fog towards Sackets Harbor. About 2 hours out I noticed that the oil pressure in the starboard engine was low. Shut it down, went below to find that oil was leaking from the oil filter. Continued the trip up to Henderson Bay on the port engine. Anchored for the night in Henderson Bay. Today, Saturday June 2, we came the reast of the way to Sackets Harbor where we are at Navy Point Marina. We have fixed the oil leak and spent several hours this afternoon viewing Fort Thomkins and Sackets Harbor Battlefield. This was the first site for the US Navy while we were tring to defind ourselves from the British in the War or 1812. The British were invading from Kingston, Ontario which is just to the north on the other side of the St. Lawrence River. It will be interesting to see the forts in Kingston and get the Canadian side of the story. There is lots of history in this part of the country. We will leave tomorrow an head up to the Thousand Islands for a couple of days before we enter Canada.

Side Trip to Seneca Lake

After leaving Brewerton on Saturday, May 26, we continued west on the Erie, instead of turning north on the Oswego Canal. As we go through the next few locks we are climbing again. Further west we turn south on the Cayuga and Seneca Canal, go through one lock and then turn west towards Senica Falls, went through a double lock, and arrived in Senica Falls where we spend the night tied up to the town wall where they have free overnight stay with complementary power and water.




Double lock on Cayuga & Seneca Canal open for us to enter.

On Sunday we continued west on the canal through one more lock and entered the north end of Senica Lake. The run down the lake is 26 miles, we put the boat up on a plane and arrived in Watkins Glen at about 2:30 pm. We deployed the bikes and rode to Watkins Glen State Park to see the spectacular waterfall which has cut a gully 400' deep and two miles long during the last 12,000 years. The water that goes over this falls, dumps into Seneca Lake, which dumps into the Cayuga and Seneca Canal, which dumps into the Erie Canal, which dumps into the Oswego Canal, which dumps into Lake Ontario, which dumps into the St. Lawrence River, which dumps into the Atlantic. This process takes 25 years from the time the water flows down the falls in Watkins Glen.

The falls at Watkins Glen State Park, it's impossible to capture what we saw on film!


















Looking north up Seneca Lake from Looking south towards Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen. from about 8 miles up the lake.

Today, Monday, May 28 we are again on the town wall at Senica Falls. Waterloo, NY is only 3 miles to the west and it was at Waterloo that Memorial Day was first declaired, this was a pretty happining place this weekend. Tonight however there are only three boats that will spend the night.

ODYSSEE sitting at the wall in Seneca Falls.

Tomorrow we proceed back east to the Oswego Canal on our way up to Lake Ontario.

West on the Erie

We got to Waterford, NY, the entrance to the Erie only to learn that the canal was closed at Lock 18 until the middle of this week, that is tomorrow. We arrived at Waterford on Thursday, May 17, tied up to the Visitors Center floating dock, where they offer two nights free dockage including power and water. Every night after two is $10.00 a night. What a bargin! We stayed 3 nights, gave them $20.00, $10.00 for the third night and a $10.00 donation.

On Sunday we moved up to the Cresent Boat Club, and met with a retired police officer who had a canvas shop in his garage, to do some minor repair on some tabs on our starboard side curtains. We actually did the repair work until 9:30 PM Sunday night, and they reinstalled the side curtains on Monday morning. We were plugged in with power and water so Claria did some laundry in our washer/dryer on the boat. We left a about 2:00 PM and motored west on the canal to Amstgerdam, where we tied up to the town park wall. We plugged in for the night, but couldn't find anybody to pay and the phone numbers in the cruising guide didn't work. There were three of us there for the night, and we all said "Thank You", and left.

Today, Tuesday May 22, we traveled further west, and are anchored just below lock 16 for the night. There are quite a few boats that have bunched up here, at local marinas, tied up to the lock walls, or anchored out. Weather was beautiful today, the scenery on the canal is beautiful as we go through the mountains in the Mowhawk River valley which makes up the Erie in this part. We have traveled west in the canal 71 miles, probably about 45 miles as the crow flies, gone through 14 locks, and are currently 322' above sea level. When we get to lock 17 we go up 42' in one lock, that ought to be interesting.

This corridor through the mountains has railroad tracks on the north side of the canal and Interstate 90 on the south side of the canal. At one point we had an east bound and west bound train passing each other at some 60 MPH each, looked south to see traffic going east and west, looked up to see contrails of planes going east and west, as we motored along at 9 mph. What a great way to travel!


View looking west as we motor along!

Friday, May 25, and we are tied up to the canal wall in Brewerton, NY, at the west end of Oneida Lake. On Wednesday we moved up to the lower wall of lock 17, in Little Falls, NY, a very friendly little town. The Canal finally opened up on Thursday at noon and we were among the first four boats to go up 42' in the first lock through at about 12:30. Two notable boats were with us, the first a 90' Burger, TO FOUR owned by on of the Fisher family of General Motors which was being moved by it's crew from Florida to Michigan for the summer. The other boat was Hunter's Child II, a 50' version of Hunter's Child that Steve Pettengill solo raced around the world. Steve was on the boat and is moving it to the Great Lakes for some summer racing. We followed Hunters Child II through the next few locks. As we came out of lock 19 there was a shallow area at the upper end of the lock, and as Hunter's Child II tried to pass through with their 8' draft they got stuck. They backed off and tried again only to hit bottom again. So Steve radioed us and asked if we could try to pull him through. So we maqde up a bridle and he tied on a bow line. He hit again, and at idle speed on ODYSSEE we brock his bow line. It snapped back and under our boat, and you guessed it got around our port prop. We are right in the channel of the lock exit. Claria took the weel, radioed the lock master who was bringing up the next load, to tell him of our situation and advised him to hold the opening of the lock until we had the rope cleared. I set an anchor, put on my dive gear, took my shearing knife, and went under the boat to cut the rope clear. Well the lock mast didn't hold the opening of the lock and there were some very impatient Carvers and SeaRays in this load who wanted to go, irrespective of the fact that I was still in the water. All the radio discussion had been on channel 13, so all those boaters were aware of the situation. It only took me about 10 minutes to clear the prop, but we still had an anchor to pull, and these boaters were furious and rude, and were passing us with close clearance. Claria was furious, requested that they let me reboard the boat before passing to no avail. Luckily nobody got hurt and no contact was made between boats, but these jerks were just stupid. Thats probably why they have Carvers and SeaRays! Two boats did hold back of the six that were in that lock load, a Grand Banks and a Canadian trawler. When we got to the next lock, that lock tender held the rude boaters in the lock until we got there and then locked us up, so in all their hast, they didn't gain any ground. That lock tender came to talk to us as did the Canadian trawler owner, thanking us for trying to help Hunter's Child II. When we arrived here this afternoon, another Canadian boat owner who had heard the whole thing on the radio, came over to grab our lines and to pass on their appreciation of what we had done. We now have some new friends from Montreal.

Last night we spent the night on the wall at Rome, NY. This morning we went to Fort Stanwix, the fort the British put up to protect the water route. Near Rome are head waters of the Mohawk river to the east and Wood Creek to the west that are the natural waterways that are used to form the Erie Canal. This is truly an interesting waterway that was an important thorofare in history.

Trip up the Hudson

It's Saturday, May 19. We're sitting at the welcome center part at Waterford, NY, waiting for the Erie Canal to open. It was closed to boat traffic last week so a break in the wall at lock 18 can be repaired. Lock 18 is 84 miles to the west of this location, a two day run from here, We expect the canal to open again on Wednesday. Tomorrow we are going to go about 10 miles west to Cresent Boat Club where we will meet a canvas man to do some repair work on our rear side curtains.



We had a great ride up the beautiful Hudson River. Highlight of the trip was a guided tour of West Point arranged by my sister's neighbor. We also visited FDR's home and the Vanderbilt Mansion. Both are run by the National Park Service so our "golden age cards" got us free access. The downer for the week was having Alltel turn off our phone due to their error. We couldn't call out and nobody could call in, they were charging us air time for all the time we are on the internet or e-mail. Our plan has unlimited internet access but the Alltel billing computer doesn't know how to log the time we use on this fancy bag phone system. I'm not sure we've got it worked out yet, but Alltel thinks we are calling our message center, when we are actually on the internet during those minutes. They think we spent 309 minutes checking messages last month.



My sister has turned around and is heading back south towards St. Michael's

The Trip

LOST THIS ENTIRE POST LAST NIGHT WHEN I TRIED UP UPDATE!!!!! AGAIN, I WILL FILL IN THE FIRST PART OF THE TRIP WHEN I CAN.

Saturday, May 12, we took our boat around Manhatten Island, a 32 mile trip up the Hudson River, east on the Harlem River, through Hells Gate, west on the east river, then back north up the Hudson River past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island back to our marina. Interesting trip. Tomorrow we will start up the Hudson River.