Beautiful Erie - The canal

We've decided this is way prettier and interesting than expected. The canal is perfectly suited to boaters, usually power boaters mind you, but each little historic village along the way has free or low-fee docks. Tonight we decided to stay in Fairport, NY as it is just one lovely stop we couldn't leave. It also has free wifi, great washroom facilities and lots of shops and restaurants. Not much in the way of big grocery store, but we're still eating through the food Lisa put onboard.

Here are a few pics of Messenger getting her mast down, eating at Faso's restaurant, and passing under the Peace Bridge.

Shuffling around Buffalo

We got into Rich Marina after checking with customs at the Erie Basin Marina. Buffalo harbour is quite nice, with the Niagara River running in front of the Black Rock Canal.

We walked over to West Marine to look for a few items, namely a sending unit for our fuel gauge which just gave up the ghost after Scott tried to fix it. We went to MacDonald's (for Reg and Aidan) and then Faso's, a local Italian restaurant, for dinner then crashed after showers into bed.

The next day, Tuesday, we spent about four hours with the crew at the marina taking out mast down, securing it to the boat and made one last run to West Marine. There we splurged on a new main sheet (rope that adjusts the main sail) and some hardware for some odd jobs.

We got back, and Messenger now looks rather odd with her proud 55-foot mast strapped to the cabin on a series of boards Scott had built.

We were in increasingly desperate need for fuel so we were told Wardell's Marina at the Erie Canal entrance sold diesel. We passed under the Peace Bridge (what an engineering marvel from below) and headed for the canal. We took photos but have misplaced the camera for a bit - we'll post later.

We were in the narrow channel coming up to Wardell's and the jerk who works there wouldn't sell us any diesel because we didn't get our mast taken down there.

Frustrating and rude. But happily, he was the rarity.

We made our way about 18 miles up the canal to Lockport, the first of two locks (called staircase locks) that we would need to traverse of 35 before we enter the Hudson River.

The incredibly kind and helpful lockmaster helped us secure our boat to the wall and the kids were amazed at how quickly we dropped 25 feet. Then we did it again. It was so cool.

Lockport is beautiful. But what makes Lockport special for us is Sister Jeannette and Sister Kathleen.

We were struggling to find a source for diesel fuel as we knew that there are not many places on the canal to get it. The lockmaster said it would be hard as well, and suggested we walk to the Mobil gas station.

We docked in a strong current just past the lift bridge at a free terminal dock. It was growing late and clouds were gathering above. We cleaned up a bit and started to walk down the dock and there were two ladies sitting at the canal fishing.

We started talking to them, particularly the kids, about our adventures. Sister Jeannette asked me where we were going carrying yellow jugs. I told her we needed to get diesel. 'You can't walk there' she exclaimed. 'I have to take you'. We protested (weakly) and she started to tell us that she and Sister Kathleen were with an International Order, St. Mary of Mams (spelling?) of Belgium. That angel took Scott and I up to the gas station with five large jugs while the kids fished with Sister Kathleen.

We filled up the jugs with diesel and Scott declared he couldn't have carried two jugs let alone five the two miles up the hill back to the boat.

Sister Jeannette said that sometimes God brings people together for a reason. I think she's right. We gave them a tour of our rather messy boat and shared some stories. This cheered us enormously.

It poured rain outside but it didn't matter.

Today we had a fabulous day, stopping in Medina as Reg was in seriou

Reg has phone withdrawal because he didn't pack his charger. Our cruising guide said Medina had a Radio Shack. Turns out it shut down two years ago. But Medina had a fantastic little farmers market right next to the terminal dock. (Lisa docked the boat!!!) and a great bookstore. We topped up the water tanks and used the rather impressive boater washroom facilities, grabbed a pizza and headed out again.

We drove another 23 miles to Brockport where we finally got Wifi!!! Now I can update this blog, Elizabeth can update hers and we can do some banking, etc.

This stop has incredible facilities for boaters: borrow a bike, washroom, laundromat, borrow a wagon, great shopping nearby, a visitors' centre with DVD and TV, comfy sitting area, computers, Wifi, and someone to welcome you. Not free, but at $8 a steal.

A spectacularly beautiful day on the canal to make it perfect.

Tomorrow we might stay here for an extra day to stock up on groceries. Scott has to sort out problems with the alternator belt and maybe repair the sending unit on the fuel gauge.

More later with pics

The adventure begins!!!

I really did mean to post long before this but the last two weeks were a whirlwind of emotion and boat issues and packing and packing and packing. Not to mention trying to wrap up my duties as program coordinator of the PDYC Sailing School!

So we did leave Monday. We probably shouldn't have. it was blowing like stink but it was supposed to be out of the northwest which would carry us nicely along the coast to Buffalo. It started piping up to about 20 to 24 knots (1.1 miles to each nautical mile) and shifted perfectly to dead on our nose.

On top of that, of course Lake Erie likes to do a dance of confused big seas and so we lugged our way loaded down with cans of soup, way too many clothes and books not to mention about 400 pounds of water and tons of fuel, radar strapped to the back and dinghy and life raft strapped to the bow along with our pre-cut pieces of wood to make our cradle for our mast once it was destepped in Buffalo.

Naturally, the wind shifted to the east dead on our nose. Now we were bashing our poor heavy boat into the waves, burying the bow in a way I've never seen.

Thank God for Janice Eammons' handy hammock work. Our wooden cradle was worked loose and if not for her hammock, it would have jettisoned overboard. Scott ran up to the bow wearing a life jacket (of course Molly) and had to secure it. He was in water up to his shoulders.

Cold water.

He came down below, stripped down and got dressed.

Last year was the first year I'd ever been seasick but now that i've got the hang of it, turns out I'm pretty good at hurling. So Elizabeth and I were rather ill at the back.

Scott and I decided to head to Port Maitland and tuck in for the night and let the lake lie down. We did so, and found a lovely anchorage just inside the quiet port.

We tried to dry out everything that had gotten sodden with our pounding. We are very very thankful for the dodger, awning and bimini Ken and Linda Foote so carefully made for us.

Aidan decided that our first day would likely be our worst. So far, it's true.

The disaster - the chaos before the launch

Scott is getting geared up for diving into the engine room.

Only a month to go before we leave the dock....

The trouble with getting ready to sail for a year is that really we haven't had a whole lot of time to sail at all in what is turning out to be the summer of the century. OK, so maybe I'm whining just a wee bit. We've actually only had our boat off the dock three times this year. I'm volunteer driving a vanload of kids down to the Port Dover Harbour Marina all summer for the Port Dover Yacht Club Sailing School (I'm program coordinator, popsicle delivery person and general gopher). Coming over the crest of the hill, the view of Long Point Bay is spectacular nearly every day. Sun shining, setting sparkles over the white crested waters. Sigh. Lucky little whatsits.

We are planning a jaunt across the lake in early August to shake down the boat - we have run out one night to test the new anchor windlass. Very very cool. So easy it seems a sin. One press of the button and the anchor comes up and neatly slides into its groove. No muscle whatsoever. Scott had taken apart and cleaned and repaired the auotpilot so that needed to be reinstalled and tested and that seems to work well also.

The new roller furling that curls the genoa up at the front of the boat is a wonder. It's weird how effortless it is to put the sail away. I can see the attraction for the main. If living in the lap of luxury.

The new batteries are installed, and thanks to Ken and Linda Foote we have a lovely new bimini and joiner at the back of the boat to create a full enclosure around the cockpit. We can now sail in all weather.

I'm trying to squeeze in dishes, pots and pans, utensils and baking equipment into the galley and new storage shelves Scott has built.

I've also started taking loads of books down to what is fast becoming a floating library and schoolhouse. So far though, there is a surprising amount of room on the bookshelf. Scott just pointed out that we still have all of our charts and guides at home. Ugh.

I've said it before but I really mean it this time, pictures this week!!!!

The 65-line list

So, on the first weekend of my leave, Scott kindly developed a project spreadsheet tailored just for me.

It is, in fact, 65 lines long.

So, insurance is under way - travel medical insurance (slightly more than expected), boat insurance (also slightly more than expected) and car insurance costs while we were away (yes, also slightly more than expected).

I spent last weekend running around assisting our friend Heather Rand, who kindly agreed to help cut and sew clever storage panels to substantially increase our storage capacity. Photos to follow of the installation of this great innovation (not quite complete). Heather and her husband Murray stay on their C&C 40 Windswept in the Bahamas six months a year. Scott and Murray met while Scott started his first job at Timberjack in Woodstock 20 ears ago. Murray and Heather were in the final stages (which took them years instead of months) to head south. They are both wizards at creating space where none exists, of fixing and installing just about anything, all with a cheerfulness despite a humidex of 40 or more. Stowage, including designing and building shelves is one of the items on the list and Heather is making that much more enjoyable.

The home schooling portion is coming along nicely.

This week, I also hope to start tackling several safety items on the list - buying and installing jack lines for safety harnesses, locating a place to refurb our diesel fuel fire extinguisher, checking for the expiry on flares,sourcing new automatic inflatable life jackets with safety harness carbines and starting to shop for the first aid and other safety equipment. Also on our list: installing some hammocking on our life lines supplied to us for free by a Ken and Linda Foote of Better Than New who are making us a canvas bimini (awning) for the back of the boat.

The intent of the hammocking is to catch kids or gear or maybe even us in a heavy sea.

Every night we read various articles or books about offshore sailing. Some of the more alarming tales I've relegated to the bottom of the pile.

After all, I'm all for safety first, but really, do I need to know about how to troubleshoot collisions with whales?

Still, I know that at 4 a.m. about a week before we leave I'll have a nightmare about Moby Dick and the lack of a collision mat.

If I can conquer this part of the list, I might make it to line 42.