Sack of What?

 Sacketts Harbor

On Tuesday, June 21st, we headed out into Lake Ontario for a 34-mile cruise to Navy Point Marina in Sacketts Harbor. The cruise across the lake was fortunately uneventful and fairly smooth. The harbor is on the very east end of Lake Ontario. It has a tiny little town that was very neat and tidy. It is one of those communities where everybody knows everybody, including the mayor, by name. Navy Point Marina has a couple of friendly liveaboards, one of which was a Looper Harbor Host. He happened to be in the boat right next to our slip. He and his wife completed the loop a year ago. He was right there to help us in and offer any assistance we needed.

He also invited us to the marina Tiki Honor Bar at 5:00 along with a couple of other loopers that had come into the marina. It was explained to us that the honor bar is not provided by the marina itself, but somehow liquor just seems to show up and periodically gets restocked. You drink what you like, and if you want to leave a donation of either other liquor or a few bucks, it is purely optional. Sue and I did our usual ride about town, finding Sackett Harbor Brewing Co. and a lawn tractor to beat all lawn tractors. The next morning would put us back into the lake for our final leg to the 1000 Islands. 

What Goes Up Must Go Down

 Oswego

On Sunday, June 19th, we pulled out of Brewerton headed to Oswego. Again, another bluebird NY weather day. We were excited to have Sue’s brother, Mike, and his wife, Carol, join us for a short leg to Phoenix, where their daughter, Dawn, would pick them up and drive them back to Brewerton to fetch their car. They were able to experience the last Erie Canal lock we would pass through, E23. We would have 7 more locks to get to our port at the wall between Locks O7 and O8. We then passed by Three Rivers Junction, where the decision is to either continue heading west on the Erie or up the Oswego River to Lake Ontario. We pulled dockside at Phoenix and said our goodbyes as we headed into the O1 lock to begin our descent down. Going down in a lock for some reason is easier. The cruise was pretty smooth until we got to lock O5. Lock O5 was not a real problem, but as we were leaving the lock, the lock tender warned us about high winds at lock O6. Well, what he failed to tell us is when we exited lock O5, the spillway dumped right back into the river on the port side. It was easy to see, so I put the nose of Next Chapter at a 30-degree attack angle along with pulling back on the port engine. Well, good plan. As we hit the crosscurrent, we went straight as hoped, but the second we got halfway through, there was an unseen eddy that then pushed us hard to port right at the spillway! Yikes. Well, a little quick maneuvering and we averted going up the spillway, read very bad direction, and continued up the Oswego. When we entered O6 lock, the winds were blowing across the lock at 20+ knots. Keeping Next Chapter up against the wall was quite an effort. But thanks to great work by the Admiral, we got through the lock unscathed. A number of the other loopers we spoke to in Oswego had more harrowing stories to tell. PS that’s what Docktails are really about, debriefing of the day’s travel. No, really, it has nothing to do with the adult beverages that are consumed. Those are really medicinally purposed. LOL. Well, we passed through lock O7, and we were at our intended port. As we looked, we saw the lock wall was completely full of loopers. Fortunately, I rubbed the Farrell Lucky Horseshoe, and a boat pulled off just as we were looking.

We also wanted to comment on how well maintained the paint was on each of the locks. All painted the signature NYS blue and yellow. One lock we were greeted by a rather jovial lock tender that was as friendly as they come. Once inside the chamber, he closed the back gate and then, on his way to the other end to release the water, he stopped by and had a chat.

Told us all about the Baltimore Orioles he was feeding, not to mention the hummingbirds and how the two do not coexist well, as the Orioles always want to steal the hummingbird nectar. Well, he finally made his way to the valve to release the water, and we were on our way. In total, that day we negotiated 8 locks on our way to Oswego. 

We had fun exploring the town on our bikes and getting caught up on some boat chores. Going through the locks is dirty business as the slime and algae transfer from the ropes and fenders onto the boat. Clean up on Isle 4! So the admiral was pretty busy. We stocked up on beer and booze as we were told that beer is over $60 per case in Canada. Ouch! We stayed the extra day as the winds on Lake Ontario were forecast to be out of the southwest, which meant a beam sea. For those of you not up on the boating lingo, just know that beam sea means side-to-side rocking boat, which makes the captain and crew feel very bad. So we spent another sunny day at port exploring an old NY town.

Family Invasion

 Brewerton

Well, as things would have it, we woke up to a partly sunny day on Friday, June 17th, in Sylvan Beach with a bit of a wind that was forecast to pick up throughout the day. So, we had a bit of an early castoff and headed out into the lake. The trip down the length of Lake Oneida is only about 20 miles. Fortunately, the sea state had not picked up, so it was a pretty smooth ride. We arrived into Brewerton at about 9:30 am topped off the tanks, and relieved Next Chapter of her holding tank contents. The weather was very sunny, warm, but winds at 20+ mph. We were able to score the marina loaner wreck and made it to Wegmans to resupply the ship’s stores. My niece, Dawn, lives in Brewerton with her husband, Joe, and three dogs. Dawn finished work on Friday and met us on the boat. It was just so awesome to see her, newly married and busy as a chiropractor and a nurse practitioner working in Syracuse.    

We went to enjoy happy hour on board followed by dinner in town with Dawn and Joe. We returned to visit their beautiful home to meet the dogs!!! The next day we were joined by my oldest brother Mike and my sister-in-law Carol, Dawn’s parents. I secretly was hoping Carol was bringing a homemade pie and sure enough she showed up with a homemade rhubarb crumble. We headed into Syracuse for a fast spin through a farmers market. There was a Polish Festival going on so we checked that out too. The next day Carol and Mike cruised with us down the Erie Canal and got to experience a “lock.” Always great to see them!! It is so awesome to share a small piece of our epic journey with family. 

Summit Day

Sylvan Beach

As we were rafted up to Vita Dolce, they were planning a 6:30 a.m. departure, so Next Chapter would be getting underway at 6:30. We had a significant threat for severe thunderstorms beginning around 3 pm so an early departure was not a bad idea. Well, sort of. We cast our lines, and within 20 minutes, we were in a small pop-up thunderstorm. The pleasure in pleasure boating was beginning to fade. Good news was it was short-lived and was not too ferocious. Our trip plan was to make Sylvan Beach, which was 36 miles away plus 6 locks. That meant we would be pushing the weather window closer than I like, so we had a bailout port identified at Rome, NY. As things would have it, we did not need it as the weather cleared, and we had a wonderful cruising day.

We reached the summit on the Erie Canal at lock E20, raising Next Chapter to a height of 420’ above sea level. Whew, we were bushed! You guys won’t recognize Sailor Sue when you see her. She is ripped! We spotted numerous bald eagles along the way and enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Sylvan Beach is one of those NY towns frozen in time. It has one of those tiny vintage 1940s amusement parks that generations of families have visited year after year. Local restaurants are much the same.

The Canal View Cafe is one of those places where two generations have run the place since the 1940s with Mary, the owner, still at the hostesses’ stand greeting patrons as they enter. The weather did finally catch up to us about 5 pm but we were already at port and even had time to get in a short bike ride to explore the very small town of Sylvan Beach. Since a storm was about to interrupt our docktails, 12 loopers decided to move happy hour into the Canal View and have a dinner to boot. As the name suggests, Sylvan Beach is a beach town that swells with thousands of summer vacationers and fades away in the fall as the chill hits the air. It is situated at the southeast end of Lake Oneida, which is 20 miles long and fairly shallow. It too can show a lot of attitude in a strong west wind. If a front moves in, boats can get stuck at one end of the lake for days. We had a front approaching the next day, but it looked like we could sneak across early in the morning. We would just have to see how things looked when we got up. 

Amsterdam, not the one in Holland, and Little Falls

 Next Chapter Goes Mountain Climbing

After doing the first lock to get to Waterford, we thought that locks were a piece of cake. Well, not so much. Like anything else, a little bit goes a long way. So, Monday we were headed for nine locks over about 36 miles. Some of them were relatively easy, and some not, mostly because of wind. When you go into a lock chamber where they are going to lift you over 40’, the only way to keep your boat in control up against the wall is to hang onto a slimy lock line and hold on tight. As the wind blows across the top of the lock, it tends to curl down the walls and push you off. Oh, by the way, the bottom of the line is not attached to anything. So, unless you pull really hard, the boat wanders away. Oh, did I tell you we were locking through with six other looper boats? So, if your boat wanders too far, it kisses the boat next to you. Not a good thing. The good news is we were able to maintain decent control and did not have to exchange insurance information with anybody. We ended the day fairly late, getting to Amsterdam about 3:30 p.m. Fortunately, there was still a space available on the wall where we tied up for the night. Both Sue and I were pretty bushed and called it an early night after yet another Looper docktail. In total, we climbed 220 feet, passing through 9 locks. 

The next day we pushed off about 7:00 a.m. with our six locking buddies and headed out for another day of fun with locks. The good news was the wind was not as strong, so we were able to get into a better groove. But just about the time you think you got it down, the lock monster rears its ugly head, and you find yourself in a battle trying to keep a 35-ton vessel under control with two ropes attached at one end only. 

The good part is most of our travels were actually in the Mohawk River. No, we did not encounter any arrows flying across the bow, but thanks for playing along! The Mohawk River Valley is beautiful. What is interesting is you can clearly tell when you are in the part of the Erie Canal that was dug by hand because it gets narrow and straight as an arrow. See, there were arrows! There is also a trail along the whole canal. The day ended up with the last lock being a lift of 40 feet. Pulling into the chamber felt like cruising into a concrete canyon. On the other side was the little town of Little Falls. Again, we only traveled about 40 miles, but each lock takes about a half hour. That put us at port about 4:30 pm only to find the wall completely full of loopers.

Well, the good thing about loopers is that it is a close-knit community of people who will help any other looper in need, even if they have never met them. So, as we were milling around figuring out our next move, someone came out and offered to let us raft up to them. Well, by 5:30, most boats were rafted up, some three deep. It was a great docktail evening! Sue made another great meal aboard, and we hit the rack early again. After all, we had raised Next Chapter another 143’ passing through 8 locks. But we still had not reached the summit. 

 

Heading to the Big Ditch

 Waterford

Monday, June 13th, had us headed to Waterford and our first lock on the Erie Canal. We pulled away from the dock about 6:30 a.m. to head to Coeymanns to top off our tanks because they had diesel for $5.95 per gallon. It is incredible to think that is a deal, but we had seen it over $7.00. The further north you go, the higher it gets. We topped off and headed upstream.

We went by the capital of New York, Albany, along with Troy. Yes, that is where Troy-built rototillers were built. Any of you who had a real garden know that those tillers were considered top of the line. We then turned off the Hudson and started our journey on the famed Erie Canal, passing through the first lock, E1. It went pretty smoothly, and shortly after, we were at Waterford. They have a really nice free wall where cruisers can tie up and even get power if needed.

We got settled and jumped on the urban assault vehicles and headed out to explore. We stumbled across a trail called the Old Champlain Canal Trail. It followed the abandoned canal with many ruins along the way. It went on for 5 miles through marsh, meadows, forest, and even some industrial areas. One of the things NY got right is that they have hundreds of miles of trails directly along the canals. My understanding is that you can ride from Albany to Buffalo. The admiral served a wonderful dinner on board, followed by an early bedtime. We would need our strength as we would be doing a lot of heavy lifting the following day! More on that in our next post. 

Donovans Shady Harbor Pig Roast

 Party Weekend @Shady Harbor

After a 35-mile cruise in classic NY baby blue skies on Friday, June 10th, we pulled into Donovan’s Shady Harbor Marina in New Baltimore, New York, on the Hudson River. This was a highly anticipated “Boater Appreciation weekend” to meet up for a 3-day party hosted by Brian and Kathy Donovan, owners of the marina.  

There were at least 45 boats of Looper cruisers, adding 100 plus people to the already well-attended party. The marina complex has a restaurant called The Boathouse Grill that has daily live music and pretty views of the river. There is “The Twisted Prop Container Bar,”which is a shipping container turned into the perfect dockside bar complete with picnic tables and umbrellas. If I couldn’t find Mike, I knew if I walked over to “The Twisted Prop,” I would see him deep in a conversation about boat engines. They had a stage set up for a band, two tents for folks to hang out under, and a poolside area as well as a fire pit.  

A highlight of the weekend was the Flag Raising and the Blessing of the Fleet. The tradition started many centuries ago in fishing villages along the Mediterranean to bless the sailors as they began a new fishing season. That morning, we all gathered around the flagpole for the ceremony.  

The National Anthem was played, and the flag slowly rose to the top of the pole, waving over the Hudson River. A Catholic Bishop in a purple cassock robe and mitre beanie strolled the docks, stopping at each Looper boat. Using water blessed from the Hudson, the Bishop dipped a branch and sprinkled water on each boat, saying a prayer to keep us safe while on the water.  

The day continued with tastings of rum, vodka, and mimosas at “The Twisted Prop”.  

The ladies on the loop had a meeting where we each introduced ourselves and had time together. There was an organized house and garden tour that some Loopers attended. At night, there was Prime Rib night at the restaurant followed by a big bonfire down by the water. For lunch on Saturday, the owners grilled hamburgers and hot dogs. Sunday was the Pig Roast where we were joined by boaters that use the marina all summer. Fellow Loopers each brought a side dish to add to the BBQ. The band played some really fun sets and the ladies got dancing feet!!!

The crowd was so enthusiastic that we convinced the band to play multiple encores. By the time the last table was stored away and the tents taken down,it was a pretty quiet evening. With full stomachs, ringing ears, and tired feet, we all strolled down the docks to tuck in safely for the night. Boater Appreciation Weekend was one for the history books. 

It’s really bad when we have to start putting dates in our blog. I know it is crazy, but there doesn’t ever seem to be any downtime. In fact, the time seems to be flying by way too fast. We would like to promise we will keep the blog more current, but that would be a promise we likely will never keep. However, we will try. 

Poughkeepsie

 Poughkeepsie

On Sunday, we had a beautiful cruise day to Poughkeepsie, where we stayed at Shadows Marina right on the Hudson. We chose the marina due to its proximity to a number of sights we wanted to see. On the way, we passed through Bear Mountain and West Point. Incredible history surrounding the Garrison. I know, I know, go Navy! 

The Hudson is flanked by pretty high bluffs and hills in that section. It was a 40-mile cruise to the marina. The next morning, we robbed a rental car and headed off to West Point for the campus tour. The campus is pretty remarkable with its citadel-like architecture. The one tidbit we found interesting was that during the Revolution, George Washington knew that whoever controlled NY would win the war. So one of the things they did was to stretch a large chain across the Hudson to block the Brits from coming down the Hudson to get to NY. Each chain link weighed over 120 lbs. Well, we all know the outcome. 

We then went to the Vanderbilt Mansion, which was in Hyde Park, only 4 miles from the Marina. The opulence, even in today’s standards, is really remarkable. What was interesting was that FDR had his summer home just a couple of miles down the road. As you could imagine, Vanderbilt and FDR were not drinking buddies. The story is told that when Vanderbilt came into town, he made his driver go inland to avoid driving past FDR’s property. Workers’ rights and social programs were like oil and water in the world of the corporate tycoons of the 1800s. Not being one of those, we also went to FDR’s home and enjoyed the tour there. 

FDR Mansion  

Vanderbilt Mansion

Wednesday, we did a bike ride with some of our looper friends. They have a great rails-to-trails right next to the marina. Just north of the Mid Hudson Bridge is an abandoned railroad trestle bridge that they converted to a walking/bike way connecting to the rail trails. What was neat is they had an elevator that took you and your bikes up over 100 feet to the top of the bridge. That night, we went to the CIA, which stands for Culinary Institute of America. It is a college campus where students train to become chefs and food service industry leaders. Tuition costs over $35K per year! This is where Anthony Bourdain went to school. They now have a wing named after him. The hope was for a spectacular meal and great service. Unfortunately, the food fell a bit short. It was still a neat experience nonetheless. 

Kingston

Thursday morning, we had a leisurely departure to time the currents to Kingston, which was only 17 miles upriver. We stayed at Rondout Yacht Basin, where Sue went to work to get caught up on laundry. We did get some time to ride bikes into town. We were starting to learn that staying on the Hudson means a significant uphill ride to get anywhere. We needed the exercise anyway. When we got back, we were invited onto Mountain Mermaid for happy hour. The crew was from Colorado. I had to believe those people actually know how to drive a boat, and they had a big one. 

We have really been blessed with incredible weather here in NY. As some of you may know, the early summers here in NY are spectacular with bluebird skies, puffy white clouds, and some of the best open-window sleeping you can get. Mornings are still a little crisp but great for exercising. We continue to meet so many great people. Being on the loop is like one big fraternity of such like-minded people. Time is already flying by. 

NYC & Half Moon Bay

 Next Chapter Takes A Bite Out Of The Big Apple

We weighed anchor at 9:45 a.m. on Tuesday and headed for NY Harbor, which was only about 12 miles from Great Kills. It was a postcard day for weather. As we passed under the Verrazzano Bridge, we both got goosebumps. The excitement only grew as we saw the Manhattan skyline get closer. And then Lady Liberty was there to greet us, as she had done for millions of immigrants that passed through Ellis Island. Sue and I both agreed that entering NY Harbor rates as one of the top ten things we have ever done. 

It is hard to describe the sensation of being in your own boat in the shadows of the NY skyline. For all its problems, NYC is still probably the greatest city in the world. We stayed at Liberty Landing right next to Jersey City. The view from our boat was spectacular. The marina happens to be in Liberty Park, which has a 5-mile bike/walking path along the Hudson. We got right on our bikes and rode the whole thing. We had a bit of a thunderstorm come in late in the evening, but it really didn’t impact too much. Sue did her usual magic in the galley and served an awesome dinner. The next day, we did the tourist thing and jumped on the ferry and did the Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty tour. Yes, very touristy, but we both agreed it was worth the time. So much history. We spent the entire day doing both parts. 

The next day, we took the ferry over to Manhattan and just winged it. We walked around the 9/11 park and down to Battery Park. We then hoofed it to Chinatown and had dim sum for lunch. Such a unique experience. All these Chinese ladies coming around with carts that have all kinds of tasty small plates, most of which you have no idea what they are. 

From there, we rolled the dice and got on the subway and made our way to Chelsea Market. The market is full of restaurants, shops, and groceries. Chelsea Market used to be where all the meat came into NYC and then distributed to parts near and far. We then went on another walkabout and stumbled across the High Line Park. The park is built on and above an abandoned elevated small rail line that was used to bring meat to and from the market. Someone had the brilliant idea to turn it into an elevated park complete with trees, shrubs, and plants. It stretches over 3 miles and passes by some of the most incredible modern architecture that you will ever see. It ends at a hard-to-describe piece of art that you really have to experience to get it. 

We then decided to get real touristy and go up to the world’s highest open air observation platform. Complete with a section of plexiglass floor that you can a stand on and look down over 1200’. Yes it does give you butterflies. Even the glass walls are tilted out so you can lean out and look down. Holy vertigo! Well you can’t go to the highest outdoor platform and not have the highest price beer to match. As we sat at the bar a storm came across and gave us a show. It was really cool watching it approach and then encompass the building. Well that meant we had to make our way back into the subway system in the rain. We came out in the World Trade Center rail hub. Wow what an incredible complex. It is called the Oculus. Again just amazing architecture. Once back to the marina we meet a couple of other Loopers one of which was traveling with a 10 month old Newfoundland. Sweet dog but huge. They have far more intestinal fortitude than we do. Overall we found the parts of NYC that we were in to be clean, safe and fun. You could spend a year in the city and never see it all. 

Half Moon Bay Marina

Half Moon Bay is in a sleepy NY town of Croton. It’s about 40 miles from Liberty Landing Marina up the Hudson. We passed buy the entire NY skyline past Queens and points north. Not a whole lot there but we had a lot of fun with visitors. My niece Ann came in from Clifton, New York and spent Friday night and part of Saturday with us.  We enjoyed sitting by the pool enjoying the view, cocktails and great conversation.  Off to a Greek restaurant and continued fun conversation.  In the morning we went to a diner in town and then a 4 mile bike ride to the “other side” of the Harbor.  Ann is such a fine young woman and we are super proud of her!!!!!  Come back soon!!

So here we have a roommate from college days!!!  nothing like reminiscing about the college days with Geri.  We picked up where we left off, mixing cocktails, adding ingredients, switching to another cocktail.  We lived in the upstairs of a law firm in town that had a ancient claw foot bathtub with a hose attached to the faucet.  Most morning began with a scream as the hose detached from the faucet spraying water everywhere.  Geri organized a rack in the living room which held clothing we all borrowed for student teaching.  Three of us benefited from the shared rack of cloths and kept us dressed for success!!  Come Friday night, the rack was pushed into the bedroom to make room for any partying that ensued.  Geri thanks for the best college memories and I look forward to seeing you and Alex in Texas!!!

So it is hard to believe we have been gone for over a month. We have passed thru four states, covered 650 miles to date and spent and had more fun than the law allows. We both feel like our souls are being recharged. Doing the Great Loop, at least so far, has far exceeded our wildest hopes and dreams. It is easy to see why some do it over and over. 

As we are both new at this please let us know if you are enjoying the blogs or they are boring you to death or if you have constructive advise on how we can make it better. Below is a link I hope works to see the travel log from NEBO. 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uEgHuuTxCjwLPkTyjz-56cHH5Zw9GNHq/view?usp=drivesdk

Atlantic City, NJ

Putting it all on red or black!

This cruise would be the crew of Next Chapter’s first time in the big blue ocean. Patience paid off waiting out the weather in Cape May, as our 40-mile cruise to Atlantic City was great. It was a beautiful sunny day with temps in the low 70s. The seas were calm with just a little roll. Being Sunday of Memorial Day weekend, the marina at the Golden Nugget was wide open with dock parties and bands up at the dockside bar.

Sometimes you just have to let loose and join the party. The funny thing was the band members were so classic stereotypical Jersey boys. But could they play? We decided to take a quick bike ride down to the boardwalk on the ocean against the advice of those who had been. After an expedient ride through the projects, we arrived at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Wow, what a complex. First off, it is huge. The casino is in the center with just about any kind of restaurant on the outside perimeter. It backed up right onto the boardwalk. Really cool setup. I wanted to put Next Chapter up on the block and put her on Red or Black, but the Admiral struck that down. I really had my eye on a 43’ Selene Trawler. Oh well. So we decided to venture out onto the boardwalk to experience the Jersey shore. We decided that locking up the bikes and walking would likely result in a cut lock and a long walk back to the marina, so we walked with our bikes.

That lasted about 10 minutes as we realized we were the only English-speaking people on the boardwalk. So on our bikes and back to the Marina with a check-in the box next to Boardwalk Atlantic City. Even better news: we didn’t need to find a hotel to sleep in from losing Next Chapter at the roulette table. Sometimes things just work out. 

We got back to the docks and hooked up with a bunch of loopers and enjoyed the music and a few docktails. A group of us went into the Golden Nugget and had sushi for dinner. It was actually pretty good. We were treated to a fireworks show just before we hit the rack as we had a planned 6 a.m. departure for our next run on the ocean. 

So meet Theresa in the hat and sunglasses. She is holding a stuffed animal that is a mechanical cat. Apparently, Theresa had problems with birds pooping on her deck furniture. She tried putting a plastic owl on the back of her boat to “scare” off birds, but no luck. She tried a large plastic snake placed on the deck, but still poop…every day birds would poop on her furniture. Then she heard about this mechanical cat that wags its tail and moves its head side to side, and voila!! She hasn’t had a bird on her boat in two years. The cat is all faded and creepy looking, and it would scare even a person from coming on her boat.

Jersey Coast Outside

Monday started with an early muster allowing just enough time to splash water on our face, quick engine inspection and tossing the lines. It was going to be another great day on the ocean so we were going to take full advantage of it.  Normally the next stop would be a 60 mile run to Manasquan, NJ but we decided to push another 30 miles to Sandy Hook and spend the night at anchor.  Well the winds were not going to cooperate so we pushed another 6 miles to Great Kills Harbor where we found a great anchorage to spend the night. It was a 10.5 hour cruise but a great day on the water. Sue made a classic Memorial Day dinner followed by an early bedtime.