New Friends, Old Friends And The Weather

So there I was...anchored at this sweet little harbor in Mattituck on the north shore of Long Island.  I was curious about the make of a small trawler anchored not too far from me so I went over to inquire about it from the owners.  Little did I know that Bob and Liz would invite me aboard their Cape Dory trawler for drinks and dinner and watermelon and great animated conversation for several hours.  What nice people they were and it sure beat the ramen noodles I had planned for dinner that evening.  The next day, on the way to shore, some friends that I met in Mattituck the previous year called me over and we caught up over drinks in the cockpit of Eventide later that evening.  Funny how I can go for days and never talk to a soul while living on the water and all of a sudden the social calendar fills right up.  I found all these people far more interesting to talk to than talking to myself.  
Pulled anchor the next day and headed across Long Island Sound for the Connecticut shore, specifically North Cove in the Connecticut River.  "The marine forecast got it wrong" would be an understatement.  The waves that hit me as I entered the sound wreaked havoc on the interior of my boat where things were thrown everywhere.  For about an hour and a half it did its worst until I got closer to the Connecticut shore and in the lee of the land being that the wind was coming from the northwest.  Another hour and a half and I was in North Cove where I tied to a free three day mooring in quiet waters where I attempted to rinse off some of the salt that covered every inch of the exterior of Eventide from that little adventure.  A dingy dock that gave me access to the wonderful town of Old Saybrook with it's many coffee shops and store fronts to explore improved my outlook.  We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Boating By The Numbers

So there I was...going ashore in the dingy after anchoring in the east end of Oyster Bay found on the north shore of Long Island.  I loved the picturesque beauty of this bay from the first time I anchored here several years ago and the smell of the saltwater, after a year in it's absence, made it feel like something of a homecoming.  Walking into the quaint town I passed a sailing center, a place that seeks to raise sailors and sailing to a competitive level, where who walks out the door but Dawn Riley.  She is one of the premier women sailors in the world.  I remember watching her years ago when she was the first woman to captain and manage an America's Cup sailing team.  She went on to race on four Amerca's Cup teams in all.  Thinking I must be mistaken, I did a little research and found my sighting to be true.
  As I'm getting close to the end of my journey on the water for this season I began to tally a few things.  Since my retirement, a year ago in August, I have navigated Eventide well over 1,300 miles, through 4 different canal systems and 62 locks the largest of them in the St. Lawrence Seaway that empties 24 million gallons of water in 7-10 minutes to drop my little boat down to the next level.  When I arrived in Waterford a week and a half ago it completed a very large circle that took me up the Erie Canal (lots of locks) into the Oswego Canal (fewer locks) and through Lake Ontario (huge lake that gets nasty in a storm) into the St. Lawrence River (Thousand Islands, beautiful) and eventually by Montreal (practice your French) and then through the Richelieu River (beautiful homes on it's shoreline) to the Chambley Canal (makes you think you're in Europe) again back into the Richelieu River that eventually spits me out on the northern end of Lake Champlain (water is so clean and vistas are stunning) that exits on the southern end into the Champlain Canal (more locks) where at it's end you find yourself again in Waterford.  A few more miles and I get to stop and rest for awhile.  Then Kim puts me to work.   

Blessed

So there I was...coming up to the free docks in Waterford, NY after exiting the Champlain Canal and its 11 locks.  I was looking forward to spending my allotted 48 hours here where activity and stories abound as cruisers stop to reprovision at the confluence of the Champlain Canal, Erie Canal and Hudson River.  What I failed to remember from the last time I was through here was that this particular weekend was the Tugboat Roundup.  Though said to be an exciting time where tugboats from multiple states converge on this little town, they also completely take over the 1000 feet of floating docks and 600 feet of cement pier.  This left yours truly with no place to stay for the night.  After begging a spot to tie up long enough to get some groceries I went up to talk to Chris the Lockmaster at the first of the Erie Canal Locks.  He said, "We're gonna take care of you.  You get your boat and we'll lift you up through the lock and you can tie against the side wall up here by wrapping your lines around the trees on shore.  There's even electricity nearby so we'll hook you up to power and if you need to get to the Walmart 6 miles away here are the keys to my truck."  Talk about falling into cotton candy.  As I took his keys I told him driving his truck should be interesting since I hadn't driven in 3 months getting the reaction I hoped for.  The Tugboat Roundup was a blast and I got on so many boats.  Early Saturday morning I was having my coffee next to my boat when a guy approached me and asked if I could help him move his 85 foot 100 year old Norwegian cargo ship up through Lock 3 on the Erie Canal.  Of course I said yes.  I toured the inside of this behemoth admiring the beautifully redone spacious interior.  Controlling something that big through the lock was quite exciting.   Saturday night there was a big fireworks display and Chris's wife was engineer on the tug designated as the committee boat so he told me to come along with him to get front row seats to the event.  One of the best fireworks displays I've ever witnessed.  I was treated so well thanks to these wonderful people.  On Sunday afternoon I untied Eventide and went back down the lock leaving Waterford and my new friends.  After going through yet another lock almost immediately on the upper Hudson I traveled a couple hours south to a marina where the previous owner of Eventide wanted to buy me a seafood dinner at this very nice restaurant.  Three days later I was rounding Manhattan on 9/11.  As I entered the East River I looked up at the newly built Freedom Tower from the bridge of my boat and then over at the Statue of Liberty.  Indeed, we are blessed.

Sliding Through The Muck

So there I was...attempting to enter a small cove on the very southern end of Lake Champlain before you get to the locks in an area called The Narrows.  It is a very desolate area with no cell phone reception and you rarely see another person.  It was getting toward evening and though none of the cruisers had ever attempted this cove for anchoring, it's 75 ft high rock wall on one side and grassy marsh on the other side toward the main channel drew me in with it's beauty and secluded atmosphere.  The entrance was going to be tight but there was 8 feet of water once you got in.  My 17,000 pound boat requires a bit over 3 ft of water and it concerned me when I read 2 ft on the depth finder.  As I slid through the muck holding my breath the thought was going through my head that even if I got in, would I be able to get back out in the morning?  After succeeding and dropping my anchor I heard an airboat, the kind they use in the everglades, come flying through the marsh and into where I was with a look on the occupants faces that said, "How did you get that boat in here?"  It was a fantastic anchorage and after a narrow escape in the morning I made my way into the Champlain Canal and now sit at a dock in Mechanicville, NY, just south of Lock 3, where tie-up, water, and electricity hook-up are all free.  They like boaters.  Last night the previous owner of Eventide, who lives not too far from here, came to see his old boat at my invitation.  We talked and told boating stories until 11pm and one of the stories was how he had run Eventide onto the rocks at Colchester Shoals in Lake Champlain (see previous post) after leaving Fourth of July fireworks festivities in Burlington after dark.  Fortunately, very little damage was found after the Coast Guard pulled him off but what a coincidence that I just wrote about that shoal.  Checked out a museum in Shelburn, VT, aptly named Shelburn Museum, that has an incredible collection of Americana spread out over many acres.  It's worth a road trip and you can take in nearby Burlington while you're there.  Lots to do in that town and a great waterfront.  I'll finish up the Champlain Canal and locks tomorrow morning, then it's onto the Hudson River heading toward New York City.