Travels of Sadie B
The following is a summary of a cruise we are taking covering the area from
Lake Champlain in Vermont south to the Erie Canal, across New York with the
Erie Canal Cruise and Trek, through the Welland Canal and several ports on
the Canadian side of Lake Ontario.
We are presently in the Rideau Canal, headed to Ottawa, then Montreal, and
back to Lake Champlain.
We hope it is of interest and informative to you.
Dennis and Esther Bruckel
M/V Sadie B
"The smaller the boat, the bigger the adventure"
TRAVELS OF SADIE B
August, 1999
Kingston, ONT
Hello to all!
Our last update was in late June from Lake Champlain, our former home. Since
then we have logged about 800 miles and had lots of adventures and great
summer weather (read hot and dry). Previous to that we had come up the East
Coast Intracoastal from Tampa Bay, FL, leaving there March 20, 1999. That trip
was covered in our last update. "Sadie B" is our 27 foot Albin trawler. If we
missed you with that letter and you are interested, we can e-mail a copy.
First, we spent about ten days on a mooring at an old friend's just a mile or
so
away from our former home and business in South Hero, VT. With both a loaner
car and bike and plenty old friends and family to invite us out to dinner,
the first
mate had a great holiday from the galley. Lake Champlain was as beautiful as
we
had remembered it, and tennis was available several days at a local resort.
We did
several needed maintenance operations on the boat as well, with the luxury of
not
having to get things cleaned up and running that day. The biggest projects
were
replacing of a leaky diesel fuel line and installation of a cooling fluid
overflow
tank and replacement of an expansion tank neck and cap. Both went easily with
plenty of time to go slowly.
We got to take most of the family and several friends out on day or dinner
cruises
on Lake Champlain which we all enjoyed. Particularly amazing were the changes
in the grandchildren. I'm sure all of you who live a distance away from your
families can appreciate that. Our cruises were confined to the so-called
"Inland
Sea" area of the lake, that is the extreme northeast corner. This area is
perhaps 40
miles long and 6-8 wide with many large and small islands and peninsulas. The
Lake is only 100 feet above sea level and the surrounding mountains are 4,000
plus feet, making for great scenery. The water, thanks to the presence of
Zebra
Mussels is very clear, and supports a great salmon and lake trout fishery.
On July 3, we ventured south down the Lake again to Burlington, to see the
annual fireworks display, the biggest in Vermont. Burlington harbor was in a
festive atmosphere, with a very crowded anchorage and viewers lining the
shores
for the big display. As usual it was great. The following morning we headed
down
the Lake to be in Whitehall, NY (birthplace of the US Navy) for the beginning
of
a cross-NY State Canal Cruise and Bike Trek. We were lucky enough to catch
another fireworks display on the night of the 4th in Ticonderoga, NY, but the
Captain slept through it.
July 6 found us meeting about ten other boaters and an equal number of bikers
ready to cross New York State all the way to Tonawanda (near Buffalo) on the
canal and its towpath, a distance of about 350 miles. This event had been held
two previous times with little publicity and few participants, and we just
happened to be lucky to hear of it. The evening before our departure a small
en-
tertainment program of local storytellers, musicians, and actors performed
from
the deck of a barge tied to the canal wall. One of the performers, a
balladeer of
Erie Canal songs, traveled with us and entertained us several times. Boating
participants were treated to free passes for lock fees, tee shirts, and
complimentary copies of a new "Cruising Guide to New York State Waters and
Lake Champlain" by Chris Brown. Plus Chris was on hand to autograph copies.
The fees for the use of the canal are nominal, in our opinion. A seasonal
pass is
$75.00 for a boat up to 30 feet, and $100.00 for a boat over 30 feet. This fee
includes the privilege of free mooring overnight at most of the 60 or so
locks in
the system. None have available power or water right at the lock, but many
towns
have added these amenities to attract and hold cruising boats. More on that
later.
At nine a.m. we all assembled for a press conference and introductions and
then
shoved (and pedaled) off. The Champlain Canal is 60 miles long with eleven
locks, starting at Whitehall, NY and ending in Waterford, NY. We were led by
the workboat "Grand Erie", an 80 foot tug. Within the first mile of our start,
"Sadie B" was called upon to do an errand of mercy. Another boat, a
motorsailer
from Wisconsin, "Lorie J", had lost her cooling, so we threw a line and towed
her
while owner attended to the problem. Sadly, we had to pull her two other times
that same day as she went aground twice, the only time she had hit bottom
since
leaving Wisconsin. Talk about having bad day! Generally there is plenty of
water
in the Canal, and this was the only instance of anyone touching the bottom
for the
whole trip.
With ten boats and some with limited experience in locks, the first few
lockages
were a little hectic. After four or five locks things started to flow
smoothly and
the cruise settled into a routine. Lock procedures on the NYS Canal system
vary
according to the age of the lock. The oldest have ropes hanging from the top
of
the lock, ready to be grabbed by a bow and stern line-handler on your boat.
The
next generation seems to be cables, fixed both top and bottom of the lock. In
some of the newly refurbished locks, recessed pipes are located every 40 +/-
feet.
We find it most convenient to bring the center ship cleat of "Sadie B"
alongside a
fixed cable or pipe, use a short piece of line from the center cleat around
the pipe
or cable and back to the cleat, making a loop not more than 1 foot in
diameter.
With adequate fendering, this is all one needs. The line will ride up or down
the
pipe or cable while the boat lies parallel with the wall.
We used fender boards for the first time this trip and now swear by them. For
our
boat, a five foot section of 2x4, painted white at the request of the first
mate, with
holes drilled in each end for the line to be attached. These were tied
outside two
fenders at the widest point on the boat. After several locks the rough lock
walls
actually scuffed the line in half. Making a notched channel on one side at
both
ends to eliminated the scuffing We fendered both sides and leave everything
in
place while we are in a lock system. This eliminates having to swap fenders
from
side to side, as situations change. We estimate it has taken about 1000 locks
for
us to figure this system out.
The night was spent at Fort Edward, with a brand new wall about 400 feet long
with free water and electricity available. Fort Edward is boater friendly with
several good eating spots. They genuinely appreciate boaters and many make a
ritual of stopping by the docks at night to see who is in port for the
evening. . It is
located where the Hudson River parts company with the Champlain Canal as one
goes north. Also, at the edge of town is a section of an old lock from the
1822
original canal bed. The small scale of the original system has to be seen to
be be-
lieved.
The next day set the stage for the whole cruise across the state.
Schuylerville
provided a complimentary breakfast put on by the local churches at a small
marina. Mechanicville provided a hot dog and hamburger lunch along with a
wonderful assortment of salads at a brand new wall with free power and water.
Waterford had a hot dog barbecue that evening at a brand new visitors center
adjacent to the historic flight of five locks which raise vessels 167 feet in
less
than two miles. That evening we attended a cocktail party at the Castaways
Restaurant, a favorite Troy watering spot right on the Hudson. Complimentary
dockage was provided overnight. Earlier that day we had stopped at the
wonderful
Price Chopper grocery store dock right on the Hudson at Waterford. Little did
we
know that we would not cook a meal on board for the next thirteen days.
In the morning several other boats joined the group coming from an opening
ceremony in Albany, about ten miles to the south. Plus, we were joined by
the 80
foot tug "Urger", built on Lake Michigan in 1901 originally steam powered but
converted to diesel in the 1920's. The Canal Authority bought her in the
1960's
and rather than retire her in the 1980's she has been converted to a floating
promotional piece for the Canal. The Skipper maneuvers the vessel with a 6'
diameter wheel, with 13 turns from stop to stop. As a "bell ringer" she has no
engine controls in the wheel house and is direct drive. When the Skipper
wants
reverse he rings a bell. The engineer slows and stops the engine, levers a
control
to reset the cam, restarts the engine and screw in reverse, hopefully all
carefully
coordinated. Needless to say, she is made of steel, and would not go into a
lock if
any other vessel was already in the chamber.
Interestingly, the crew was essentially all retired canal staff, enjoying a
waterman's holiday. Lots of stories were told and lots of beer consumed at
night,
often about the horrors of flattening fiberglass boats in a collision in a
lock. When
cruising, the boat is open to inspection tours, and the crew make many
presentation for schools around the state educating students about the
history and
potential of the Canal.
In Troy we got our first e-mail via a new system recommended by Mark Reichter
of "Winnie the Pooh". Using the Yahoo Welcome page, one can sign up for free
e-mail. I used the same name and password to limit confusion, and ask friends
to
e-mail me when we are cruising to two address. The Yahoo address I can access
from almost any library. So far I've only found one without internet service.
One
library recently asked for a $2.50 user fee, but all others have not charged.
A few
have balked at a non-local library card holder using their system, but most
are
happy to allow the use when they find we are boaters traveling through their
area.
Plus, a library is a great place to hang out on those hot, dog days of
summer. Also,
the system works equally well in Canada so far. The set up is very easy as
well.
When we visit friends, or the very occasional marina we stay at, I can
download
e-mail to my laptop, thus having a permanent record of the same
correspondence.
The Erie Canal, from Troy to Buffalo is 352 miles long with 32 locks. The
route
opened in 1822, following first the Mohawk River then several smaller streams
across the eastern half of New York, paralleling the route of the present
I-90. Of
course I-90 was built to connect the cities that sprang up on the completion
of the
Erie. The canal made possible the expansion of the US into the then frontier
west
of Buffalo. Remember, the area of Ohio, Indianna, Michigan, etc. was called
the
Northwest Territory at that time and open to settlement and expansion.
For our cruise and trek many towns along the way were recruited to provide
hospitality to both the bikers and boaters. A typical cruise day included
25-30
miles and at least two complimentary meals by waterfront towns. The canal is
now administered by the New York State Thruway Authority, and they have the
economic punch to develop the waterway into a first class recreational
facility.
All commercial traffic has been eliminated by the competition of railroads and
trucking and the Canal Authority is committed to working in partnership with
towns and cites along the way to develop the canal's full recreational
potential.
This includes hiking, biking, boating, fishing and all other recreational
aspects of
the canal. Our participation was intended to generate interest and promote the
canal.
We really enjoyed the small and medium sized towns along the waterway. Lock
approach walls are available for overnight or short term docking at no charge
,
and each town has its own interesting shops, homes and neighborhoods. A real
bonus to boaters being in the canal is to be able to ignore weather forecasts.
About the worst that can happen is to get wet in rain.
At Oneida Lake's Sylvan Beach the entire group was hosted to a cocktail party
in
a lovely old inn called Yesterday's Royal Casino. At Syracuse we were treated
to,
of all things, a cruise on an Onondaga Lake's excursion boat "City of
Syracuse".
Syracuse has major renovations planned for an "eyesore" waterfront. The old
canal terminal waterfront will be redeveloped as a blend of public and private
space connecting the enormous new Carrousel Mall with Franklin Square, a very
successful development of old commercial buildings. Onondaga Lake is unique in
its lack of commercial or residential development along it shoreline and truly
beautiful. It was once the source of most of the salt used in the United
States,
drawn from wells surrounding the Lake.
At Oneida Lake there is an excellent chart house, Ess-kay Yard, which can
supply all the needed Canadian charts. They will discount the price, but only
20%
off the Canadian dollar price noted on the chart. They do however have a great
selection and having the chart in hand before you need it is a great aid to
relaxation at the helm..
At Lyons the canal leaves the Clyde River and becomes a dug ditch,. at one
point,
going over a highway. We expected this section to be less scenic and
monotonous. Not true. It was even prettier and more interesting the eastern
section. One hundred seventy five years of vegetation have "naturalized" the
banks. Towns were quaint and more prosperous as well.
Fairport is the jewel of the waterway, and the model for all of the towns
wanting
to develop the recreational use of the canal. The entire wall of the canal for
several hundred yards on both banks was lined with boats from all over this
country and Canada. There were boaters, walkers, bikers, spectators, shoppers
everywhere. Build it and they will come seems to be the motto. Farther along,
towns are catching on; Spencerport, Brockport, Medina, Lockport are all
bustling
towns eager to please boaters. Brockport provided us with a great dinner,
then a
breakfast in the Fire Department Building organized by their lady Mayor.
Lockport was the site of two sets of five step locks, one in each direction
climbing
or descending the Niagara Escapment. Most of the walls remain in good
condition
for one set of these locks, function now as a spillway. The town just
announced a
plan to rebuild the works for these locks and reuse them with mules and small
barges as a tourist attraction.
The finale of the trip was the town of Tonawanda, in the first weekend of
their
annual Canalfest. A parade of the "Urger", leading the 20 or so boats who
completed the entire trip, plus many other local boats, idled into town to
lots of
applause and horn blowing and informal judging. The boaters and bikers had
such
a good time on the cruise and trek that we all went to dinner at a local
watering
hole famous for its only two items on the menu; chili or sliced beef on
Kimmelwick roll, a local tradition.
The cruise officially ended on Sunday afternoon but several boats hung around
for a few days to enjoy the carnival and take it easy for a change. Jim and
Jan
Paulus, our-across-the-Florida- street neighbors, were able to drive from
Mayville,
NY to spend a day with us. They tried to give us a lesson on the Casino slots
in
Niagara Falls but we were more interested in the Falls and eating. We finally
left
on Thursday and with a bit of trepidation, headed out into the Niagara River.
running
along the Buffalo shore. My only experience with the Niagara River had been
seeing the water going over the Falls, so the prospect of going upstream in
my six
mile per hour boat was more than a little daunting. But, having been to the
Falls
the day before, and not seeing a pile of fiberglass boats at the bottom, we
screwed
up our nerve and went. It turns out that the current runs a maximum of 2 mph
or
so and only for a short distance. At Buffalo, the Black Rock Canal and Lock
take
one around the strongest currents of several knots.
At Tonawanda and Buffalo there are plenty of chances to replenish diesel fuel
and
have pumpouts. Fuel in Canada is marginally more expensive than in New York.
The least expensive fuel we saw was just west of Oneida Lake at $.99 while in
Buffalo it was $1.25 and in Canada around $1.49 for the equivalent of a US
gallon in US dollars. At the time we checked $100.00 US dollars would buy
$152.77 in Canadian funds, but the rate changes daily.
Lake Erie was very calm and hazy the day we crossed the 20 or so miles to Port
Colbourne, ONT. There, one must clear customs and contact the Welland Canal
authorities to arrange for transit of that canal. Customs is a bit of a joke,
being
done entirely on the phone with only a few questions regarding firearms
(illegal to
import), and alcohol (ok in limited amounts). Port Colbourne is a quaint
little
town with a good museum and library as well as a town dock, with phones for
customs and the canal. It is my understanding that firearms are one item the
Cana-
dians are really serious about.
We traveled the 26 miles including eight locks in about six hours, which we
were
told was faster than average. Several boats in a group left Port Colbourne at
8 pm
the night before we did, and they were still in the locks the next noon.
Several things to note regarding this canal. First, they make no distinction
between Canadian and US funds; so have the Canadian funds to make the $80.00
fee payment. Second, when ascending, that is from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie, a
boat is required to have two line handlers on board plus a helmsman. When
descending only two crew members are required. I am told it is easy to find
crew
if necessary. We found the descent to be very gentle, much less disturbance
in the
locks than we have seen in the Ohio, Tennessee, or Cumberland Rivers. Lines
are
provided by the canal staff and passed or dropped to your boat.
The locks lifts averaged about 30 feet except for the flight of three locks
carrying
boats over the Niagara Escarpment. There one drops about 120 feet in three
step
locks over a short distance. Here there are two sets of locks, side by side
to ease
the congestion. One is always aware of the Welland being a commercial ship
canal as there is lots of traffic of both "Salties" and 'Lakers". To use it
was more
reminiscent of the Panama Canal than the more modern lock and dam projects in
the middle of the US, which are mostly barge and tow boat traffic.
Exiting the Welland we started a clockwise route around Lake Ontario, with
stops
at St. Catherine's, Hamilton, Toronto, Pickering, Brighton, Picton, and
Kingston.
Hamilton is the home of several of our Florida neighbors and again we were
treated like visiting royalty. Dan and Katie took us out to dinner at the
lovely
Budapest Restaurant. Ray, Bill, Gordy, and Ron let the Captain win several
sets
of tennis. Ray and Marj fed us a lovely dinner with most items coming from
their
own garden. Bill hosted us all at a wonderful backyard barbecue at the Four
Seasons.
Hamilton Harbor was where an untoward event almost took place. When Dan was
fetching us back to the waterfront around dusk, a sudden and violent squall
began
to form. By the time we had walked to our dingy, the wind was blowing 30-40
and the waves were 2-3 feet in Hamilton's protected harbor. Plus "Sadie B" was
180 degrees away from where we had left her, and pounding up and down about
25 feet from a heavy rock seawall. Well, any other time I would have looked at
the dingy, then the mate, then the sea and said, "No way". But, there seemed
to be
no choice, so off we went in our most unseaworthy 8 foot fiberglass dingy,
rowing
downwind (thankfully) like a man possessed.
Luckily, we caught the boat as we hurtled by, pitched ourselves in, started
up and
headed for the other side of the bay, perhaps a half mile away, with the seas
lessening as we went. No sooner had we gotten safely anchored there in the
lee,
when the wind shifted again another 180 degrees and we were right back into it
again for another half hour! Welcome to Hamilton.
In Toronto we walked the Islands Park, amazed at the beauty and tranquillity
so
close to such a big city. The Toronto skyline is spectacular from the water.
We
are eager to see the photos. At Pickering we met several members of the
Pickering Yacht Club, amazingly enough; live-aboards year-round here in the
frozen north. Also, Georgs Kolesnikovs, organizer of West Marine's
TrawlerFests
met us and hosted a lovely pizza and beer gathering at the Yacht Club.
Particularly interesting was meeting Fred and Donna Hammond who have just
launched their homemade wooden 50 foot trawler, "Autumn Daze", near Lake
Simcoe. The engine exhaust system had just been completed that day. Fred is
looking forward to leaving for the Great Circle soon, Donna says she is
flying. I
wish we had the chance to see the boat, but it was about an hour away by
automobile.
In the Brighton area we passed thought the Murray Canal into the Bay of
Quinty.
This is truly spectacular scenery, with relatively few people and lots of
beautiful
anchorages. At one of the swing bridges of the Murrary Canal tolls are
collected.
The bridge operator passes out a cup on a long pole and you deposit your $4.00
toll, no change is made, so you better get the right amount ready! Another
set of
Florida friends, Lothar and Inga took us to the lovely small town of
Brighton, and
a small farmers market. The Murray Canal connects the Bay of Quinty with the
western or Toronto side of Lake Ontario, making a protected passageway for the
60 or so miles to Kingston.
Picton is a little out of the way but a wonderful town we fondly remembered
from
our last trip to this area. At the end of a long fjord, it's out of sight
until you round
the last bend in the waterway, then a beautiful harbor full of local and
cruising
boats opens up. The local marinas are very generous with short term dockage
for
visitors, allowing relaxed shopping and dining ashore.
The next stop was Kingston (Canada's answer to Annapolis). We did a city
tour,
learned a lot of local lore, listened to free concerts, visited two wonderful
museums, and had access to McDonald's early morning senior's coffee. Also,
surprisingly, two establishments make excellent bagels. The Confederation
Basin
is still available for anchorage, although we had some discussions about that
with
the local enforcement zealots, and even made the local papers regarding our
rights as boaters. Day use docks are plentiful, although a little short, even
for
Sadie B.
Kingston is the jumping off point for the Rideau Canal to Ottawa, as well as a
center of activity of its own. At the head of Lake Ontario, it is convenient
to the
Thousand Islands and St. Lawrence River, and easily accessible via the Oswego
Canal section of the Erie. In all a very boater friendly city. We even ran
into a
boater from Plattsburgh who was a customer at Grand Isle Nursery!
We will be going up the Rideau, down the Ottawa River to Montreal, down the
St. Lawrence to Sorrel, PQ, and south on the Richeleau back to Lake Champlain.
Will send another letter from there.
Keep in touch via e-mail to dbruckel@aol.com and and dbruckel@yahoo.com.