At Home, 6-17-11

The trip from Milwaukee to Winthrop Harbor was without without much wind.  It was a challenge though.  There was a thick fog in the harbor when I started that lasted until I was about two miles from shore.  I was going slow under power, using my radar, GPS and a visual lookout.  There were several small fishing boats in the Milwaukee inner harbor that I managed to evade.  Outside of Kenosha there was a fast moving power boat that was on a T-bone collision course with me.  I think he had his boat on autopilot and was talking to his fishing buddies in the back.  I brought my boat to a stop and waited for him to cross in front of me.  I stopped in plenty of time, but it could have ended the trip with a bang.  I had the right of way, but did not want to be dead right.


THE END
                                  Hard at work at home after a long trip

Milwaukee, 6-16-11

I left Sheboygan this morning and arrived in Milwaukee at about 4:30 PM.  One more day!!  I could not fix the autopilot last night, but I rigged up a rope to keep the clutch engaged.  The short term fix worked great. 

                            The boat at Milwaukee South Shore Yacht Club

Sheboygan, WI, 6-15-11

I left Charlevoix on Tuesday and made it to Portage Lake, MI, where I anchored for the night.  I left early, 0530, the next morning, Wednesday to cross the Lake and I am now in the Marina in Sheboygan, WI.  My autopilot was acting up on me today about 15 miles from Sheboygan, so it was a challenge when the time came to get the sails furled with 18 knots of wind and 5 foot seas.  I think I got it fixed, but I won't know for sure until tomorrow.  My next stop should be Milwaukee.


                          Michigan Shoreline from Charlevoix to Portage Lake

                                         Point Betsie Lighthouse

                                            More Michigan shoreline

                       Sunrise as I left Michigan and headed across the lake.

On Lake Michigan, 6-14-11

We arrive on Bois Blanc Island Marina at about 6:00 PM.  That is the Island Mike lives on, so we stopped at his house and had a wonderful home cooked meal.  We left the next morning and arrived at Charlevoix at about 6:00 PM.  Mike is leaving the boat in Charlevoix to attend to previous commitments.  I am single handling the rest of the way.  I am on the home stretch.  Tonight I should be in Frankfort, MI.


                                The marker at Poe Reef In Lake Huron

                                     The boat at Bois Blanc Marina

                          Mike and Ann celebrating Mike's safe return

                                          The Mackinac Bridge

                                        The Mackinac Bridge again

On Lake Huron, 6-12-11

Friday we left Port Huron and and arrived at Port Austin on Lake Huron.  Saturday, 6-11 we left Port Austin and arrived at Presque Isle.  Sunday we left Presque Isle and are heading for Bois Blanc Island.

                                    A bridge opening for us in Port Huron

                           Another bridge opening for us in Port Huron

                                           Our resting place in Port Huron

                                       Mike at the helm on Lake Huron

                                             A home with a view from the deck

                                         The view from the deck again

                                    Poe Reef Lighthouse near Bois Blanc

On Lake Huron, 6-10-11

We left Dunkirk, NY on Monday, 6-6-11.  I found the Yanmar repair shop and had new bearings put in my sea water pump.  I got the pump back at 5:30 PM.  Ya Hoo.  It no longer leaks.  We left Erie, PA on Tuesday at 0530 and arrived in Cleveland at 8:00 PM.  We had a nice visit and great dinner with my brother and his girl friend.  The next day we left Cleveland and anchored on the West side of Lake Erie next to the Monroe Power Plant.  The next day we made it to Port Huron at 10:30 PM.  On Friday 6-10-11 we headed out on to Lake Huron.  The current at the mouth of the St. Claire River at Lake Huron was 3.5 knots.  The lowest our boat speed over ground was 2.6 knots at that location.  We hope to get to Port Austin, MI by about midnight tonight.  We are behind schedule due to the late opening of the Erie Canal Locks, so we have some long travel days.

                                           Sunset at anchor on Lake Erie

Our wall tie up in Port Huron

On Lake Erie, 6-6-11

We left lock 24 at Baldwinsville on Tuesday, 5-31-11 and headed back toward lock 23, then out the Oswego Canal.  Locks 24 through 26 were going to stay closed until the weekend or later.  The Erie Canal did open locks 24 through 26 on Sunday, 6-5-11.  We arrived at Oswego on 5-31-11 and prepared to have the mast stepped.  Wednesday, 6-1-11 we had the mast stepped and spent the rest of the day putting on the sails, running the lines, and installing everything that was removed.  Thursday I rented a car and took Erin to the Rochester Airport, so she could be home for her sister's baby shower.  Friday, 6-3-11 we arrived at Oak Orchard where I changed my Racor fuel filter.  It needed changed.  Saturday we arrived at the Welland Canal at 5:00 PM and started through the canal at about 7:30 PM.  I had to hire one crew member (Don) for the locks, since they require 3 people on board when going to Lake Erie.  The lock management system arranged it for me.  We made it through the canal and arrived at Port Colborne at 5:30 AM on Sunday, 6-5-11.  We stopped at the City Pier and slept until about 1130.  We arrive at Dunkirk, NY on Sunday, 6-5-11.  Monday we are heading to Erie, PA where I hope to have my water pump rebuilt, since it is dripping.  The bearings need replaced.  There is a shop there that said they have the parts and can do the job.  There is no wind today, so we are motoring.  We have to stop the engine and empty the little catch basin under the motor every 2 hour of running time.

                                Erin at the top of the mast in Oswego

                                      Erin installing the VHF antenna

                                     Inside one of the locks at night

                                          Inside one of the locks

                    A ship we had to wait for to get into the first lock

                                  The ship on it's way to Lake Ontario.  We got the green light to go into the lock.

Mike and Don holding the boat while we wait for a lock to open

                                The boat waiting for a lock to open

                                Dunkirk, NY Chadwick Bay at night

  

Baldwinsville, NY, 5-30-11

Happy Memorial Day.
We are on the outlet side of lock 24, but had to promise that we would not go up the river, since it is still closed.  We now have power and water hook ups, so everyone is happy, except that we can not go anywhere.  We went to a cookout to one of the local Aflac Rep that one of the boaters knew.  He invited 12 of us boaters to his house for the cook out.  It was great.  He also had several friends over.  It sure made us all feel welcome. 
The town mayor came around and met all of us at the wall also.  We all went to the town Memorial Day Parade today.  It was a very nice day.

                                            Boaters at the cook out

                                                      Boats at the wall

                                                    The parade

They even had dogs driving some of the cars

Baldwinsville, NY, 5-29-11

We left Brewerton on 0730 on Friday, 5-27-11 and got to lock 24 at about 1100. Lock 24 was closed!  We tied up at the lower end of the lock and have been waiting for the lock to open since Friday.  As of today, Sunday, at 0800 it is still closed.  There about a dozen boats tied up at the wall waiting with us.  This is not a bad lock to be stuck at, since it is right in the center of town.  There is no power or water, but there are a lot of nice restaurants and stores close by.  The other side of the lock has power and water, but they will not let us through for fear that we will dash up the river that is closed to navigation.

One advantage of the delays in the lock openings is that the weather is getting warmer.


                                               Along the Seneca River

                                  At Lock 24 with leftovers from dinner

                                       At the Dam next to lock 24

           Preparing for a concert at the outdoor park in Baldwinsville.

Brewerton, NY, 5-26-11

We left Waterford with 5 other boats and went through locks 2 through 10 on Tuesday 5-24-11 at 0715 when the first lock opened at Waterford.  The boats we went through with were all Canadian boats.  One of which I locked through with in October from Oswego.  We stopped along a wall at Riverlink Park.  It was a good calm location, but there were trains blowing their whistles every hour it seemed.  The other boats we were traveling with stopped at the wall before lock  11.  It was a very rough turbulent location for them, not a good spot.
The next day Wednesday, 5-24-11  we went through locks 11 through 18.  Our Canadian group stopped at Little Falls and we kept going through lock 18, stopping at Ilion Marina.  It was very nice. 
On Thursday we went through locks 17 through 22 and crossed Oneida Lake.  We tied up at the wall in Brewerton and went to Rosies Restaurant for a carry out dinner.  It was very good.  As we arrived at the wall we were informed that locks 23 and 24 just opened.  We plan to go through those locks tomorrow.  Three of the Marinas I wanted to stay at were full, since lock 23 has been closed for the last 4 weeks.  Our timing appears to be very good.  The Oswego Canal is still closed, but we are by-passing it and Lake Ontario on our return trip.  Lock 25 is still closed, but we are hopeful that it will open by the time we get there.


                              One of the Guard Gates on the Erie Canal.
               As we go under we hope it doesn't have a cable break.

                             Mike on the back line in one of the locks.

                                 Erin on the front line in one of the locks.

                                    In the lock at the top, after it is filled.

                                       More guard gates to pass under

                      Our Canadian friends that we locked through with.

                                           On the Mohawk River

                                          On the Erie Canal

                                       Approaching lock 20

                                       The lock doors opening for us

                                 Erin handling the front line in the lock

                                                 Crossing Oneida Lake