Sunday May 17, 2009
Happy Birthday to Dad Mac
wow what are we going to have left to celebrate:)
GETTING HOME SAFE
When Ed dropped us off yesterday at the Dunkirk Yacht Club gates he said "You won't be leaving tomorrow. I said, "We won't and why would that be?" 20 knot winds on the nose. What?????? again. So this morning when we got up to listen to the weather report it said tomorrow 10 - 15 northeast in the morning and switching to south west in the afternoon. So I looked at Dick and he said we head to home and 1/2 way there we gyb. I asked him "How far is it,
80 nm. Yes. Lets do it.
Today we went for a walk down to Dunkirk, board walk and then uptown. It is somewhat a depressed area with only about 1 out of every three shops occupied. The yacht club is having it carpets cleaned so we hung out in the boat to stay warm. I am reading and working on my quilt.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Saturday, May 16, 2009
End of the Canal notes
May 14, 2009
Happy 60th Anniversary to Mom and Dad Foster – hope the party is a blast.
Tonawanda N. Y. - Gateway to the Erie Canal
We are closing the Gate
Winds today were very strong and we were in the protection of the canal but the gusts were pretty bad in some places. We decided to stop in Tonawanda for the night and took a dock on the floating dock a the City docks. We were there about 3 hours before the dock master caught up to us. He is a gym teacher and is not available to collect during the day. He only dropped down to say hi and give us the passwords for the laundry and washrooms as they don't start charging for the docks until Memorial Day week-end. We took a brisk walk around the community and we discovered a Tim Horton's. I had a coffee there and was wired the whole rest of the day and could not get to sleep that night. Did some laundry and cleaned the boat up. Started getting the mast ready to take down tomorrow. Our appointment with Gene at Anchor Marine is at 8:00 am.
May 15, 2009
Resurrection of the Mast
We motored over to the marine at a c lippy 4 knots due to the current in the Niagara River. We were to be there by 8:00 am and we had planned to get there a half hour before and get the ropes untied. Gene was down and ready to go immediately. He was planning to launch a shipload of power boats that day and we were going to be in the way. By noon we were still madly getting things strung and he said we had to get out of the way he had no more room so he untied us and set us traveling down the Niagara River without VHF antenna hooked up or sails on. The weather was very light winds, sunny and we stopped in Buffalo for fuel and just keep working at the task at hand en route as we headed out into Lake Erie. The sight of seeing Lake Erie, with our sails up again was overwhelming. We set a course for Dunkirk and Autopilot lead the way and we managed to get everything up and tested and working again. Even my sail repair went off without a glitch. Dunkirk, N. Y. is a home port to Joan and Ed , (Willem is their Monk 36 )and we meet them at Green Turtle. I called Ed on the cell phone and they were at an engagement. We tied up at the club, meet a couple of the guys and went to dinner. When we got back I was exhausted and got ready to crash and I was just crawling into bed and I head Joan and Ed's voices. We went up to the clubhouse for a visit. The engagement they had been at was party for one of the club members who has just been ordained as a Pastor. That was why there were not very many club members around this night. Weather for tomorrow is thunderstorms and high winds so we have decided to do a layover. Ed had a flagpole he made and wants to install it and he has a boat he has been working on so he said he would be back at noon to pick up Dick.
Saturday May 16, 2009
As reported weather socked us in. Ed and Joan picked us up at noon and took us sight seeing for the afternoon. Joan made us lunch in their beautiful home on the Lake. We toured the boat that the club members are working on. It is a 1920 38 foot Alden. It was spectacular to see but even more what I enjoyed is the community energy around this project. One of the group is keeping a blog so check it out. bjurlinceramics.com and then click on Muirgen (the boats name) at the top of the page.
Love to all the family in Woodstock tonight celebrating mom and dad's 60th.
Happy 60th Anniversary to Mom and Dad Foster – hope the party is a blast.
Tonawanda N. Y. - Gateway to the Erie Canal
We are closing the Gate
Winds today were very strong and we were in the protection of the canal but the gusts were pretty bad in some places. We decided to stop in Tonawanda for the night and took a dock on the floating dock a the City docks. We were there about 3 hours before the dock master caught up to us. He is a gym teacher and is not available to collect during the day. He only dropped down to say hi and give us the passwords for the laundry and washrooms as they don't start charging for the docks until Memorial Day week-end. We took a brisk walk around the community and we discovered a Tim Horton's. I had a coffee there and was wired the whole rest of the day and could not get to sleep that night. Did some laundry and cleaned the boat up. Started getting the mast ready to take down tomorrow. Our appointment with Gene at Anchor Marine is at 8:00 am.
May 15, 2009
Resurrection of the Mast
We motored over to the marine at a c lippy 4 knots due to the current in the Niagara River. We were to be there by 8:00 am and we had planned to get there a half hour before and get the ropes untied. Gene was down and ready to go immediately. He was planning to launch a shipload of power boats that day and we were going to be in the way. By noon we were still madly getting things strung and he said we had to get out of the way he had no more room so he untied us and set us traveling down the Niagara River without VHF antenna hooked up or sails on. The weather was very light winds, sunny and we stopped in Buffalo for fuel and just keep working at the task at hand en route as we headed out into Lake Erie. The sight of seeing Lake Erie, with our sails up again was overwhelming. We set a course for Dunkirk and Autopilot lead the way and we managed to get everything up and tested and working again. Even my sail repair went off without a glitch. Dunkirk, N. Y. is a home port to Joan and Ed , (Willem is their Monk 36 )and we meet them at Green Turtle. I called Ed on the cell phone and they were at an engagement. We tied up at the club, meet a couple of the guys and went to dinner. When we got back I was exhausted and got ready to crash and I was just crawling into bed and I head Joan and Ed's voices. We went up to the clubhouse for a visit. The engagement they had been at was party for one of the club members who has just been ordained as a Pastor. That was why there were not very many club members around this night. Weather for tomorrow is thunderstorms and high winds so we have decided to do a layover. Ed had a flagpole he made and wants to install it and he has a boat he has been working on so he said he would be back at noon to pick up Dick.
Saturday May 16, 2009
As reported weather socked us in. Ed and Joan picked us up at noon and took us sight seeing for the afternoon. Joan made us lunch in their beautiful home on the Lake. We toured the boat that the club members are working on. It is a 1920 38 foot Alden. It was spectacular to see but even more what I enjoyed is the community energy around this project. One of the group is keeping a blog so check it out. bjurlinceramics.com and then click on Muirgen (the boats name) at the top of the page.
Love to all the family in Woodstock tonight celebrating mom and dad's 60th.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Middleport N.Y. - We get Toronto Radio Stations
This morning we woke and discovered the bolt had broken on the alternator bracket again. Dick was able to drill it out and put a new one in as we had hydro at the dock in Pittsford. After the first lock we discovered the raw water pump was acting up and so Dick primed it and it started working again. The weather was a lift as it was warm and the sun shown all day. When we arrived at the Park Avenue Bridge at Brockport the lady Bridge master said she was having trouble with the bridge lifting and had to change a fuse. Dick and I just looked at each other wide-eyed and held our breath for a minute. If one bridge does not work we are stuck here!!!!!! Our lady bridge master came back on the VHF and said she was lifting it. Putting the guard rails down was our first clue. Being from Port Stanley we are really quick on the lift bridge manuevers. You cannot put one over on us. Thank the Lord we are moving again. We were able to travel to Middleport which was one place short of our goal. We wanted to make it to Gasport as they have a Ace Hardware and we are running out of bolts. :) Middleport is a welcome respite for weary travellers. There is a dock, hydro and showers at the local police station. Skipper Bob said pick up the key at the bridge master office and when I tried to do that he said there was no key anymore they are open all the time. We headed over there to check it out and when we got there they were locked. A lady who worked in the building stopped and offered to find a key. She made a few calls and the Police Chief himself showed up with the key. They had painted them and someone locked them and no one who works there noticed. They were greatful that we brought it to their attention. Got to love a small town. I really miss ours. After a shower we went out to the local restaurant and had meatloaf. Rain is coming tonight but we will just see how it goes for tomorrow.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Erie Canal Notes
Saturday May 9, 2009
We woke up to a blustery day. We had to find a place to get diesel fuel, oil and a phone card at Wal-mart. Dick had done a google search and discovered that Herkimer had a one in walking distance. We were just planning to stop but when we got back on board the boat with all our groceries and things and the wind came up and two storms hit us one after another. I was so thankful to be stopped and tied up in a safe place. We decided to stay for the night.
Sunday May 10, 2009
We got up and headed out even though the weather was saying it would be west winds with gusts to 35 knots. We had heard that the temperatures were going to drop down to freezing and we wanted to be tied up at a dock for the night with hydro. We decided to pull into Sylvian Beach at a marina called Mariners Landing. Dick asked how much it cost per foot and the girl said 1.25 per foot. I went up to pay for the dock and she asked me how long the mast was. I said 54 feet and she said we charge for the mast. The older gentleman that was working there said, how long is the boat and I said 33 feet and he said since they were not busy we could split it and charge me for 40 feet. Having heat for the night was worth it. :)
Monday May 11, 2009
Monday we woke up and headed out at 6:00 am and headed across Lake Oneida before the wind was to pick up. We had had west wind the day before and it was rough on the east side but as we got closer to the west side it calmed down. It was an all out go for it kind of day and we did not stop until we got to Lock 25. We parked on the wall beside the lock. We went for a walk, had dinner and went to bed early.
The reason we went to bed so early is the temperature had dipped down to the 30's again.
Tuesday May 12, 2009
Happy Birthday to me,
We called it a day at Pittsford and decided to do a walk about, have dinner and relax. We are up to Lock 30. We went under the lift bridge at Fairport that is in the Guinness Book of Records. One end is higher than the other, it is built on a slant and no two angles are the same. We went by the great Embankment Park and you can see Lake Ontario in the distance. Well you could if there was not so many buds on the trees. We checked out a store here called Harmony in Wood with beautiful wood products. They had a line of Pottery by a potter from London, ON. His name is Ed Lucier, we had never heard of him and she took our card to give to him. We recommend this as a must see port along the canal.
We woke up to a blustery day. We had to find a place to get diesel fuel, oil and a phone card at Wal-mart. Dick had done a google search and discovered that Herkimer had a one in walking distance. We were just planning to stop but when we got back on board the boat with all our groceries and things and the wind came up and two storms hit us one after another. I was so thankful to be stopped and tied up in a safe place. We decided to stay for the night.
Sunday May 10, 2009
We got up and headed out even though the weather was saying it would be west winds with gusts to 35 knots. We had heard that the temperatures were going to drop down to freezing and we wanted to be tied up at a dock for the night with hydro. We decided to pull into Sylvian Beach at a marina called Mariners Landing. Dick asked how much it cost per foot and the girl said 1.25 per foot. I went up to pay for the dock and she asked me how long the mast was. I said 54 feet and she said we charge for the mast. The older gentleman that was working there said, how long is the boat and I said 33 feet and he said since they were not busy we could split it and charge me for 40 feet. Having heat for the night was worth it. :)
Monday May 11, 2009
Monday we woke up and headed out at 6:00 am and headed across Lake Oneida before the wind was to pick up. We had had west wind the day before and it was rough on the east side but as we got closer to the west side it calmed down. It was an all out go for it kind of day and we did not stop until we got to Lock 25. We parked on the wall beside the lock. We went for a walk, had dinner and went to bed early.
The reason we went to bed so early is the temperature had dipped down to the 30's again.
Tuesday May 12, 2009
Happy Birthday to me,
We called it a day at Pittsford and decided to do a walk about, have dinner and relax. We are up to Lock 30. We went under the lift bridge at Fairport that is in the Guinness Book of Records. One end is higher than the other, it is built on a slant and no two angles are the same. We went by the great Embankment Park and you can see Lake Ontario in the distance. Well you could if there was not so many buds on the trees. We checked out a store here called Harmony in Wood with beautiful wood products. They had a line of Pottery by a potter from London, ON. His name is Ed Lucier, we had never heard of him and she took our card to give to him. We recommend this as a must see port along the canal.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Fonda - home of Henry Fonda Clan
Left Waterford this morning and entered lock 2 at 7:00 am. The weather was beautiful for a change and we made our way through 11 locks. The first ones are Flight of Five which are within a mile of each other. That took 2 hours. We went to Lock 12 and then on to Fonda and tied up for the night a Concrete Dock for commercial boats. We are beside a Trucking company with a Gated Frost Fence around their property. MacDonald's is within walking distance and we cannot get to it. Back at the Lock would have been a better choice as there is a few things there you can access. Skipper Bob told us it was like this but we chose not to believe him.
We got tied up just before a thunderstorm hit. It was a pleasant thought not to have to worry about he mast getting struck. :) We had a barbeque of Hamburgers and Stawberries for dessert.
Quiet night on board.
We got tied up just before a thunderstorm hit. It was a pleasant thought not to have to worry about he mast getting struck. :) We had a barbeque of Hamburgers and Stawberries for dessert.
Quiet night on board.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Layover day in Waterford
The heavens opened this morning and there was a huge downpour. We decided to roll over and go back to sleep. We are going to take a day to rest and relax. Since Atlantic City we have been on the move and with all the stress of getting the mast done and watch for dead heads and survive engine failure in the ocean we need to chill out.
We walked up to Peeble Island and dropped by the Visitor Centre which was closed but a guy having lunch let us come in. There is so much history here. There is a factory which use to make shirt fabric in the 40's Cluett -Peabody& Co. and it showed the process they had to go through from raw cotton to beautiful linen shirt fabric. Peebles Island has walking trails around it.
Today is a National Day of Prayer and it was started with Abraham Lincoln.
We walked up to Peeble Island and dropped by the Visitor Centre which was closed but a guy having lunch let us come in. There is so much history here. There is a factory which use to make shirt fabric in the 40's Cluett -Peabody& Co. and it showed the process they had to go through from raw cotton to beautiful linen shirt fabric. Peebles Island has walking trails around it.
Today is a National Day of Prayer and it was started with Abraham Lincoln.
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