NAVY NEWS

Subject: Fourth Report Jun 30 - Jul 08

Subject: Short Circat Log #4
Welcome to the continuing story of " the Prop Turns"

Now that we have been on Canadian waters for about a week we have made some observations about the Canadian boater.

When it reaches 80 degrees, men on boats cannot wear shirts. It doesn´t matter how old, fat, skinny or hairy you are, if you get in a boat, you lose the shirt.

There must be some unwritten code that says you must have a grill. We saw boats as small as 17 feet with grills nearly as large. And they mount the grills on a pedestal on the swim platform.

In fact, they use the swim platform as kind of a luggage rack to haul beach chairs and coolers.

Not a lot of boats over 30' up here.

For expensive as fuel is here in Canada, it doesn´t stop the boaters from running full throttle.

And Sea Ray has the market on boats up here.

June 30/July 1 - Day 22 & 23

We left Montreal this morning expecting a rather tense day as we were going to enter the St. Lawrence Seaway. It´s the part of the St. Lawrence River that is actually a canal which takes you around all the rapids and other non-navigable areas. There would be 2 locks, St. Lambert and St. Catherine, that handle all the commercial shipping traffic (big boats). Have you noticed that the Canadians are real big on naming things after saints. Everything around here is saint something or other. We knew ahead of time that the lock tenders at these locks are rather rude to the pleasure boater. They make it very clear that they only want to deal with the commercial ships. The pleasure boater can´t hail them on the VHF radio, but have to dock the boat and walk up a flight of stairs and use a telephone. They told us we would have to wait for 1 1/2 hours for the lock to open. There was no other boat traffic in the other direction. They just made us wait. Dennis and Esther Bruckel on Sadie B (whom we had met a couple of years ago at Trawlerfest) timed it just right and were able to pull up along side of us to raft. And after the gates opened we had to wait another 45 minutes before we got the green light to head out. Then second lock was a bit better. We never saw a commercial ship on that portion of the seaway. We arrived at St. Anne de Bellavue and are tied to the lock wall 2 nights. The lock wall is actually the promenade for this small town. It was kind of neat the first night. There are lots of restaurants and lots of people strolling along eating creme glace´ (ice cream). We´ve also noticed that Canadians are big fans of ice cream. You would think they would have gotten enough of the cold stuff over the winter. There were just too many people stopping, staring and asking questions about the boat. I guess they don´t see too many power catamarans up here. So last night we moved the boat to the opposite wall which was much quieter. Brady was pleased because he stepped off the boat to green grass and seagulls to chase. We pulled out our chairs, grabbed a couple of cold Coronas and played gin rummy under the trees. Great afternoon

July 2 - Day 24

We were the first and only ones in the St. Anne de Bellavue lock this morning which surprised us as the previous 2 days the lock had been full all day. Today we are entering the Ottawa River and are planning on stopping at the Carillon lock for the night. We had hoped to lock thru and stay on the wall above the lock, but Skipper Bob´s book said if the wind was out of the west, don´t stay above the lock. So with a strong westerly wind today, we decided to stay below the lock. It turned out to be a better location. There is a beautiful park and lots of walking area. A nice couple helped us with our lines. It was a tight spot to get into, kinda like parallel parking. After we got settled, we walked over to thank them for the assistance. Their names Roger and Fran Bourne and we ended up spending several hours with them talking about the best things to see in Ottawa and on the Rideau Canal. They are from Montreal in the Quebec province, but are in the process of moving to London, Canada in the Ontario province. They clued us in on the politics going on between the French and Anglo Canadians. They are leaving Montreal because of it. John wanted everyone to know that we have now logged 100 hours on the engines this trip.

July 3 - Day 25

The Carillon lock is 2nd only to the Panama Canal in the height which you are lifted above the Ottawa River. Sixty-five feet is a long way up! What a difference from yesterday. We had 20 mph winds and cloudy conditions, today its calm and sunny. Our plans were to stop at Montebello and spend the afternoon touring the world´s largest log structure, Chateau Montebello, but the city dock wasn´t much and the Chateau was full. It was also pricey at $3.00/ft. ($102.00). So we will have to be happy with a picture as we passed by. The charts showed a ferry crossing up ahead at a narrow point in the river. Ferries all have the right of way. In this situation there were 4 ferries running. Do you remember the Atari game called Frogger? Well it´s kind of like a chicken crossing a 4 lane highway. You have to time your passing very carefully, then full throttle to get by. Each river we travel on seems to get more picturesque. We pulled in behind the Ile Dube´ and set the anchor for the night. Beautiful spot behind the island with a park behind us. If we hadn´t left the boat, I might have recommended it to fellow travelers. But Brady´s needs, taken into consideration, means lowering the dinghy and rowing to shore. That´s when the attack began. Deer flies, sweat bees, those swept-back winged biting flies - whatever you chose to call them - attacked with a vengeance. Of course, Brady with all his hair, wasn´t bothered, they concentrated their assault on the humans.

July 4/5 - Day 26 & 27

Happy Independence Day! That´s what our waiter at the Lac Leamy Casino in Hull, across from Ottawa told us at dinner. The great thing about talking to locals is you find out some interesting information that isn´t in the cruising books. Roger and Fran told us about this casino that has a real nice marina you can stay at for free. It´s in a rock quarry, crystal clear with a big fountain in the middle. The casino and Hilton hotel overlook it. What a deal. We hit the casino and won about $125, enough for drinks and dinner. The next morning we took a bus over to Ottawa to check out the flight of 8 locks we will be going up he next day. The last $20 of our winnings was burning a hole in John´s pocket and he headed back to the casino. I stayed on the boat and did some cleaning. He was gone about 2 hours and I was starting to plan on how we would spend the winnings, but when returned, it was penniless, though he had a good time.

July 6/7/8 - Days 28,29 & 30

This morning we were at the blue line (that´s the part of the lock wall were you wait) at 8:00 am to start the flight of 8 consecutive locks to enter the Rideau Canal. There were several other boats waiting to lock with us. It took a total of 2 hours to get to the top. I wouldn´t have to have to do it on a warm day. Immediately after exiting lock 8, we found ourselves in the middle of the city of Ottawa. We can sit on the boat deck and see Parliament and the government buildings. The Rideau Center (large shopping mall) is just across the street. The large outdoor market is only a few minutes to walk. The weather is perfect with temps in the low 80's and only 30% humidity. Great for touring the city. First stop was to exchange some money and head to the liquor store. We only purchased 2 bottles of wine because all alcohol products here in Canada are at least 25% higher than in the states. We toured the Parliament building visiting the House of Commons and sitting in on a session of the Senate. That´s something we haven´t even done in Washington, DC. The elevator took us up to the Peace Tower which has panoramic view of the entire city. The attached photo was taken from the tower and if you look close you can see Short Circat in the canal. At 9:30 that evening there was a light and sound show projected against the Parliament building all about the history of Canada. Our new friends Roger and Fran had stopped by the boat bringing us Canada ball hats and we walked over to the light show with them. The next morning we were standing on Wellington Street to watch the Changing of the Guard. It´s modeled after England´s. Quite impressive. I decided to do the walking tour of the Parliament grounds while John walked around town and checked out the US Embassy which is a rather ugly building. Had a great dinner at the Fish Market and went back to the boat to listen to the music from the Blues Festival which is in the park just across from the canal. It´s Friday morning and we walked across the Alexandra Point bridge to visit the Museum of Civilization. We were going to spend another night here, but now have changed our minds. We are off to the internet cafe to send this log and then to the outdoor market to pick up some fresh vegetables. Hopefully we will be headed down the Rideau by this afternoon. Internet and phone service for the next two weeks will be scarce. We have reached the northernmost point of our trip.

"Hopefully we will be able to get some weather updates on Hurricane Dennis. We´re worried!"

John, Bobbie and Brady

Subject: Fifth Report Jul 09 - Jul 18

Subject: Short Circat Log
Welcome to the continuing story of " the Prop Turns"

July 9 - Day 31

After leaving Ottawa yesterday, we stopped at Dow's Lake Marina to get fuel and pump out. This was one of the last places we could fuel up before getting to Kingston at the end of the Rideau Canal. Diesel was $097.9 a liter. We took on 400 liters. One of the problems we have been having is converting everything to metric. Our paper charts are in meters, but luckily the C-map on the chartplotter is in good old feet. Same goes with temperature. How to you convert Celsius to Farhenheit? There is some complex equation that we haven't taken the time to learn. We just know at 33 degrees Celsius it's pretty darned hot. And together with 80% humidity, we might as well be back in Florida. Last night we stayed above the Long Island lock. Looking for some quite time after leaving the hustle and bustle of Ottawa. We'd thought we'd found it until several families with lot's of kids showed up to have a picnic in the park. They were gone at dusk (the bugs ran them out!). It rained all night and we still have a leak in one of the forward hatches right over where John sleeps. We've re-caulked it and removed some of the cams from the handles to tighten it, but nothing has worked. The next step is to remove it and try to re-bed it. Today we traveled 26 miles to Burritts Rapids locks. We're lucky we stayed an extra day in Ottawa because there has been somewhat of a traffic jam at the Clowe's lock. The sill that had to be replaced took 4 days instead of the 48 hours the lockmasters at Ottawa had told us it would take. They had boats tied up and anchored everywhere waiting for the lock to be fixed. We've seen some pretty large boats on the Rideau. I'm talking 45-52 feet. They are just too big for these narrow canals and locks. They tie up to the lock walls and take the spots of two boats (and the power stands). We got into Burritts Rapids early and grabbed the first spot with power. This is a nice spot with a small restaurant across the road with a laundromat behind it. The laundromat did more business than the restaurant. We got our laundry done. The lock walls filled up quickly for the evening. John put our chairs and table under the trees and we sat back and watched the boat traffic.

July 10 - Day 32

We are heading 7 miles today to the town of Merricksville. Even though we are above the lock, we have to wait for 8:30 for the lockmaster to arrive to handcrank the swing bridge so we can proceed. The flies are particularly bad on this this leg. No one told us we needed a bulk supply of bug spray to do this trip. We have 6 locks to pass through to get to Merricksville. At the Clowes lock we ask the lockmaster to check ahead if there is any room on the wall in Merricksville. He tells us that there should be plenty. We've heard that before and sure enough when we come out of the top lock and turn the bend into town, it's full. A big 50' Jefferson from Peachtree, GA was nice enough to let us raft off until they left later in the afternoon and then we grabbed their space. What a cute town. Kind of reminded us of a larger St. Michaels. Lot's of gift shops and restaurants. We were even treated to a antique/street rod car show. Over 800 cars. We both found several types of cars that we'd previously owned. We helped a Mainship trawler into a tight space behind us and noticed that they were from Punta Gorda. They gave us the latest update on Hurricane Dennis and we were glad to hear that is brushed by the coast, but was was headed for Pensacola.

July 11/12 - Day 33 & 34

15 miles to go today. That will put us into Smith Falls. We made reservations at the Victoria Park marina for 2 nights. It's not part of Parks Canada so our mooring pass won't work here. It will cost us $44 for the 2 nights, but the catcher is they only have 15 amp hookups. We figured that we would at least be able to run the AC because it is awfully hot (Florida hot). But when we check in, we find out that they don't have any adapters for our 30 amp plugs. John walked a mile to the Canadian Tire (like a Home Depot) to see if they carried any, but no luck. So we filled up the water tank and headed across the lake to the park wall. It's a pretty park with lots of flowers. The basin has some of the clearest water we've seen yet. There are some weeds, but that didn't stop us from jumping in several time during the day to stay cool. We even but Brady on the floating mat. I'd like to say he loved it, but he didn't. It's a small town of about 10,000. The neighborhood kids spend the day in the park and the lake. After dinner, we walked about a mile to the Walmart and grocery store. The next morning the plan was to get an early start and walk to the Hershey factory about 2 miles away. On weekends, the town has shuttle bus to the attractions. But today is Tuesday. One of the Parks Canada gardeners was doing some weeding when John asked him the best way to get there, he said he'd be done in about 30 minutes and would give us a ride. We toured the factory and had to buy several pounds of chocolate "rejects". The walk back was so hot that by the time we got back to the boat, the chocolate was a puddle in the bottom of the bag. I just threw it in the freezer, it might not look good, but it tastes the same. We took a swim, changed and walked a block or so into town. John was in search of a liquor store, I needed a haircut. John got his Scotch and I got a haircut. In the afternoon, we toured the Rideau Canal museum. We enjoyed the exhibits and the AC. We have now stayed 14 nights on the Parks Canada lock walls, some with, some without power. The break even point of buying the season pass is 13 nights.

July 13 - Day 35

It was hot last night, we ran the generator several hours to cool down the inside of the boat. Several storms rumbled by in the distance. The locks don't open until 8:30 and we were at the "Blue line" waiting at 8:15. It started raining as we entered the upper Smith Falls lock. We stayed in the lock until the storm passed and then headed for the Poonamalie lock about 3 miles ahead. Again we asked the lockmaster if he could check to see if there was room on the wall at the Beveridge lock. He tried, but the phone was busy, but assured us there was room. There are only about 5 locks in the whole Rideau system that have power. Beveridge is one. There were storms all around us as we traveled the 8 miles to the Beveridge lock. It didn't look good, but as we got closer, there was one space for us to squeeze into and grab that treasured power pedestal. The storms help cool the temperature, but we have the AC on anyway and are looking forward to a good nights sleep. We are just off the Lower Rideau Lake. It's a pretty spot and we are contemplating taking the dinghy about 5 miles into the town of Perth. We'd have to go through 2 locks. It's rather shallow for Short Circat and there is a 7' fixed bridge. So the dinghy would work fine. Someone had told us about an observation tower in the marsh that gives you a panoramic view. Lots of wildlife. So we hiked the 2 miles fighting the flies all the way. We found the observation tower, but as John put it, "the only wildlife we saw were mosquitoes breeding". That also changed our mind about taking the dinghy into Perth since we'd have to travel through some of the marshes to get there. So instead, we spent the afternoon giving Brady a haircut. The evening promised thunderstorms, so we closed up the boat and turned the AC on. John's happy, he found Seinfeld and Everybody Loves Raymond on the TV.

July 14 - Day 36

A short 2 hour trip brought us to Colonel By island. It was named after Colonel John By who was the English engineer who designed the Rideau Canal during the early 1800's. There is an old resort home here that in its heyday had Paul Anka, David Niven, Fanny Bryce and Al Capone as guests. I think they were all Canadian with the exception of Capone. It is falling into ruins and Parks Canada says that restoration is not in the budget. The water is crystal clear with little weeds. We did notice a few zebra mussels along the pier. I don't think we have had the dinghy in the water since Lake Champlain. We decided to take a ride around some of the smaller islands. Beautiful cottages, some built right on the water with boat houses underneath (picture attached). We hadn't planned to spend the night, but the water was too enticing and we decided to stay.

July 15 - Day 37

The town of Westport was only a few miles out of the way and the cruising guide made it sound interesting. So we headed that way with the intention of only spending a few hours. But when I saw the cute little town with picturesque streets, I wanted to stay the night. There is internet access available for $7.50 for 15 minutes. Rather pricey. There are a couple of bakeries and cafes that look welcoming. We're going to do laundry, wash the boat and eat dinner in town. We are starting to pick up some tv stations from NY now so at least we get a better idea on what's happening in the world and with the hurricanes. I did a little shopping while John wandered the docks talking to everyone. We went to dinner at Remy's Pub overlooking Big Rideau Lake. Looking back on our journey so far, the past 2 days we've some of the prettiest scenery and definitely clearest water (with the exception being Lake Champlain).

July 16 - Day 38

We took our time leaving Westport this morning. For breakfast, John grilled some sausage to go with the eggs. I took a last walk into town, stoppping at the bakery for fresh bread, cinnamon buns and a banana cream pie that is John's favorite. Our destination today was supposed to Chaffey's lock and we were planning to go to dinner at the Opinicon Lodge which we had heard so much about. They serve family style dinners and won't take credit cards, only cash and checks. But there was no place to tie up at the lock. Today is Saturday and all the locals are out in their boats. They arrive early at the locks and spend the weekend there, sometimes longer. If we were to do it over again, we would arrange our travels so that we were docked somewhere for the entire weekend. It's just too crowded in the locks on weekends with the locals and cottage people. The next lock with power was Davis, but we blew by there because it too was packed with boats rafted off each other. So that left Jones Falls. It didn't look promising as we approached with the only space being the blue line where you tie when you are locking through. But then we heard someone hailing Short Circat on the radio with a french accent. It was La Farniente. a Montreal boat that we had seen on and off since we first entered Canada. They invited us to raft off until some of the smaller boats tied in front of them left. Jones Falls is a series of 4 locks with with plenty of trails to walk, but without power. We went for a swim and played some cards. When it came time to dive into that Banana Cream Pie, we sliced two large pieces to share with our French Canadian friends aboard La Farniente. (Mom, the pie was good, but nothing compared to what you used to make!)

July 17 - Day 39

The next destination is Morton's Bay which we had planned to stay anchored for 2 days. We had heard so much about how beautiful and pristine the bay was that we were really looking forward to the next two days. At the far end of the bay we found a small public pier and decided to take advantage of it making it easier to walk Brady. It was one of the most scenic locations we had been to yet. Rock cliffs diving down into the water's edge. A few cottages were tucked into the trees. The heat wave continues here in Canada. The small pier is a favorite of the locals and many of them arrived on this hot afternoon to swim and fish. We launched the dinghy to explore the bay, but were chased by the deer flies. The faster we went, the faster they flew. It was an overcast day with high humidity. The thunder rolled in the distance. The next morning the boat was covered with small gnats and we decided to leave and head to Brewer's lock where they had power. Since the weekend was over we stood a better chance of getting a space.

July 18 - Day 40

Surprise, as we approach Brewer's lock, there are several power stands available. We are at the top of the 3 locks and are getting a great breeze. Met up with several other boats that we have seen on and off during the Rideau Canal trip. We will enjoy a good nights sleep in the AC. A cold front is approaching and it should cool things down the next several days. Our next stop is Kingston at the end of the Rideau Canal. We will be meeting up with Don and Ruth Kalen who are onboard Odyssey, a sister ship to Short Circat. Plan is to spend several days there before departing for the Thousand Islands.

Subject: Sixth Report Jul 19 - Jul 27
Subject: Short Circat Log #6

"It sure feels good to be back in the U.S."

July 19 - Day 41

Before the lock tenders left last evening, we told them we would be ready for the first lock down in the morning. There are 3 locks at Brewers and we made it through in 45 minutes which was quick. As we pulled out of the last lock, we were told that several miles down the canal on the River Styx we would pass through an area that was weed covered. The river at this point is quite shallow (between 4 and 5 feet) and the weeds choke the channel. There is a weed eating barge that is working in the area cutting the weeds and hauling them to dump trucks on the shore.. The local farmers use the weeds for fertilizer. But it is a lot of water for one weed eater to cover. When we hit the weedy areas we can hear the engines straining to keep the props turning. Stopping the boat and putting it in reverse clears the props and we continue on. The final four locks on the Rideau Canal are all that is between us and the town of Kingston in the northeast corner of Lake Ontario. We quickly transited locks 46 through 49 and a few miles later headed into Confederation Basin Marina in Kingston. As we were a day earlier than planned, we were surprised to see Don and Ruth aboard Odyssey waving us into our slip. We�d last seen them in Florida in February. They had a slip at the Crow�s Nest in Venice and we picked them up to show them our new house. We�d discussed our cruising plans for this summer and said it would be great to meet up someplace if our schedules permitted. It�s terrific when a great plan comes together. After we got settled, we headed over to their boat to get caught up on what they�ve been up to.

July 20 & 21 - Days 42/43

A cold front came through last night and now we have a few days of promised low temps and low humidity. After breakfast, we headed out to the library to check email and send out the last log. Kingston is a great town and the marina is right in the center of everything. A great park, plenty of pubs, restaurants and other stores within a few blocks walking distance. Canadian Customs Agents were patrolling the marina checking boats. This is a popular stop for New York boats. They asked us what our customs number was and we informed them that we were never given one when we checked in. When we told them we entered on June 24th and it was on the Richelieu River, they mumbled something about it being in Quebec, and not to worry. We were given a number to post on our windshield. Kind of ironic since we had been in Canada for almost a month and no one had ever noticed. Needing some exercise, we accompanied Don and Ruth on a 2 hour walk around the waterfront, passing Queen�s University campus and some beautiful older homes. Brady was worn out when we got back to the boat and he collapsed in the A/C. We washed the boat and got ready for cocktails. Don and Ruth came over and we got out the charts to discuss our next travels to the Thousand Islands. They have cruised the Lake Ontario area since they were youngsters. We now have some spots marked on the charts to visit. During our walk to the library we passed a restaurant called Johnny Macs and decided to head there for dinner. It�s in an old mansion and we chose to eat in the courtyard. It was tree shaded with a fountain in the center. Reminded me of the place in the French Quarter where you get the world famous Hurricane drink (Fran O�Brien�s?). It�s always fun to walk the piers and see where all the boats are from. At this marina they seem to be split between NY and Quebec. Quebec is on a 3 week holiday starting the second week in July. You can differentiate between Quebec and Ontario by the registration number on the boat. Quebec boats have a "D" in the number, Ontario has an "E". We�ll be seeing a lot of "D" boats the next week in the Thousand Islands. Don and Ruth invited us aboard for a nightcap and we watched a beautiful full moon rise. They plan on leaving early in the morning heading back Oswego, NY.

Odyssey was gone with the first light. We slept soundly and never heard them depart. It�s a beautiful day with temps in the high 70's. There�s an A&P about 1/2 mile away, so we grabbed our cart and headed that way. Today is also the day of the farmer�s market so we stocked up on fresh veggies. At 11:00 we had tickets for the Kingston tour bus. It�s an open air trolley-like bus that takes about 1 hour to drive around the city. We drove through the Royal Military College which is Canada�s equivalent to our Annapolis, West Point or Colorado Springs. The marina was completely filled up when we returned. The "D" boats had arrived (also called the Quebec Navy!). They party hard and now we could hear more french than english spoken. Eh?

July 22 - Day 44

We will be cruising the Thousand Islands, both Canadian and American, the next few days. We have to plan our travels so as to finish the Canadian side first, then check into customs before starting the American side. Our Parks Canada pass is also valid in these islands. Knowing that it would probably be crowded, we purposely left Kingston on a Friday morning instead of Saturday. But it didn�t seem to matter because all of the floating docks we passed were full. We were hoping to find a place on Beaurivage or Aubrey Island but they were full. So we continued on. There are over 1800 islands in the Thousand Islands, both Canadian and American. Canada has the most available to the public as parks. The US has only a few. We had about given up and were sighting out a place to anchor when John looked through the binoculars and thought there might be room to squeeze in on McDonald Island. It was a rickety floating pier, but would do. The parks all have nice camping areas with trails around each island. The water here is very clear, but the bottom is weedy with deep mud as I found when I stepped in. Everyone swims in the deep water where your feet don�t touch the weeds growing up from the bottom. We found out from some folks in the sailboat next to us that the best thing to do is once you find a pier, stay there. Some stay in the same place for their entire holiday. If you want visit the other islands, take your dinghy or jet ski (a lot of boats up here tow them around). We lowered the dinghy and proceeded to explore the neighboring islands. John thought he saw a boat like ours coming in to an anchorage area. We were quite surprised as we didn�t think anyone else with an 36' Endeavour Trawlercat was in the area (there are only about 29 made). Sure enough it was Tim and Michelle Smith aboard Shell y T. They hail from Palm Desert, CA and we had met them when they first took delivery of their boat in Clearwater, FL about 3 years ago. Tim and Michelle are doing what is known as the "Great Loop" and are taking a couple of years to do it. The Great Loop consists of traveling up the east coast, through the Great Lakes and down several rivers (part being the Mississippi) and ending up in the Gulf of Mexico. Shell y T is doing it in a phased approach choosing to winter their boat wherever they end up in the fall. They spend the off season in California. We agreed to get together the next day.

July 23 - Day 45

The town of Gananoque was only a short dinghy ride across the Canadian Middle Channel. There is free dockage at the public piers. As we passed Shell y T, they were also getting in their dinghy and heading into town. It seems that we are always in search of groceries. I probably have enough food on board to last us 2 weeks, but we always feel the need to stock the cabinets. We found an A&P and stopped at Dairy Queen for lunch. When we got back to our boat, we found that a few boats had left and several house boats had arrived - "D" boats. Let the party begin. They had circled the picnic tables and were setting up for a long evening. Tim, Michelle and their friend Susan came over for happy hour and we enjoyed talking with them about their travels to date. Their charts of the Rideau of Canal were somewhat outdated, so they borrowed ours and will mail them back to us when they are done. We probably won�t see them again until they return to Florida in 2 years. And as we thought, it proved to be a very noisy evening with all of the French Canadians singing into the late hours

July 24 - Day 46

We thought we would take a chance and leave McDonald Island and the singing French Canadians and try to find space on another island. We were heading to Georgina Island which is just under the Thousand Islands Bridge. Thinking is might not be crowded because of it�s location, we were proved wrong when all the docks were full. Around the back side there was an anchorage shown on the charts that looked promising. Luckily a couple of boats were just leaving and we slid in and dropped our anchor. We enjoyed the afternoon swimming in the clearest water we�ve seen yet. The depth sounder showed 20 feet and we could see the bottom. As the afternoon progressed, more boats arrived and we decided to head for someplace a little quieter. A little further up the St. Lawrence River on Grenadier Island we found another park dock. At first I thought is as a little too tight for us to fit into, but John spun the boat around and masterfully back it in. There were only 2 other boats and we had a quiet evening

July 25 - Day 47

Well we broke the customs and immigration laws today and entered the US without checking in. Since you are all friends and family, I know you won�t turn us in. We wanted to visit Jorstadt Island to visit the Singer Castle. Jorstadt Island is US and has no check in facility. So we just took down the Canadian flag and headed to the Singer Castle. Frederick Bourne, the founder of the Singer Sewing Machine Company built the Singer Castle as a hunting lodge in 1903. The attached picture is of John and I in front of the castle. It has been restored with all the furniture of it�s time and for $650 a night you can stay in the manor suite. Satellite TV, but no A/C. We then left the island and headed back into Canada to another park dock on the south side of Grenadier Island. This location had a sandy beach and we all went swimming, including Brady. I don�t ever think that he will willingly enter the water on his own, I have to take him about 30 feet out and let him swim in. A water dog he is not!

July 26 - Day 48

Today, we will leave Canada and officially enter the US. Heart Island is the location of Boldt Castle and also has a US Customs and Immigration Office to check in. The history of this castle is quite sad. George and Louise Boldt owned hotels in new York City and were the managers of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. In 1894, George Boldt started construction of a "summerhouse" which was to be a valentines gift to his beloved wife Louise. The house was completed on the outside and the interior work was progressing when the construction foreman received a telegram to cease all work. Louise had died. George Boldt never returned to the island and the house was never totally completed. The second picture is of the Boldt Castle. Our trip up the St. Lawrence to Clayton, NY was very scenic. Only one freighter passed heading north. This area of the Thousand Islands has many mansions along the shorelines. It was a millionaires retreat from the hot NY city summers.

The Clayton Municipal Dock would be our destination for the evening. We got tied up and walked around the town stopping in some gift shops along the way. It proved to be a really nasty night as the winds and rain moved in. The wind was out of the north at 15-20 mph most of the night making it very rough for sleeping with the boat jerking on the lines. But we at least had that secure feeling of being tied to a pier and not riding it out at anchor.

July 27 - Day 49

It�s 2 pm and we are still in Clayton. It has rained all morning so we did some boat chores and worked on the log. John walked into town for a haircut and to visit the hardware store. Got a phone call from mom and dad. They were at our house in FL and just wanted to tell us that everything looked fine. The weather is supposed to clear this afternoon, so we are trying to decide whether or not to make a run for Cape Vincent about 15 miles west. Cape Vincent is at the mouth of the St Lawrence river and Lake Ontario. About 3 pm the skies started to clear and the wind decrease. Cape Vincent was only 15 miles and had a free municipal dock. As we approached the town, the municipal dock didn�t look to desirable as it was exposed to the wind and waves coming between the breakwater jetty. We opted for the concrete pier at the NY fisheries which is also available to visitors. Dinner was at a small pizzeria. Cape Vincent is a small town at the mouth of the St. Lawrence River. Tomorrow, weather permitting we will cross Lake Ontario to Oswego, NY.

Missing everyone, Bobbie, John and Brady

Subject: Seventh Report Jul 28 - Aug 05

Subject: Short Circat Log
Welcome to the continuing story of " the Prop Turns"

We are glad we are on the return trip now. It will be good to get back to the Chesapeake Bay and see everyone.

July 28 - Day 50

It was a perfect day for crossing Lake Ontario. A slight northeast wind made it a pleasant trip. Looking at the water in our wake it appears to be an ice blue color. At times our depth sounder showed over 500 ft. This is the deepest water we have ever been in. The smoke from cooling tower for the Nine Mile Pt. nuclear power plant (near Oswego) was visible as soon as we entered Lake Ontario. We were never out of sight of land and the 50 miles went quick. The autopilot steered the quickest course and brought us right to the breakwater at the Oswego River. The town of Oswego is busy preparing for Harborfest which starts tomorrow. It�s a 3-day festival with 3 music stages, art and craft fairs, carnival rides, fireworks and culminates with an air show. We hailed our friends Don and Ruth Kalen on the VHF and they answered saying that they had a space on the river wall saved for us. We hadn�t expected to see them until perhaps this winter, but the Harborfest kept them in Oswego a week longer. After we got settled, it was time for a walk around town. We found the farmer�s market and picked up some fresh Italian bread and vegetables. Don and Ruth invited us over for appetizers and we caught up on what we did since we last saw them a week ago.

July 29/30 - Day 51/52

Oswego. At 8:30 am John and Don had a date with a leaky front hatch. Armed with screw drivers, putty knives, and caulk, they began work. The hatch was taken out and the old caulk removed. About an hour later they were done. It sure looks good, but does it still leak? The first rain storm will tell. John is confident and said he will not wake up again on soggy sheets. Spent the day walking around the festival area. The highlight of the day was a NY State Winery wine tasting. For $5.00 you could spend the afternoon sampling wine and cheeses. We even took a break for an hour to watch a boomerang exhibition, then went back to the wine tasting. We had enough and looked for Don and Ruth, but they weren�t even half way through. I think they were sampling every wine the vendor�s had to offer. The boats have been arriving all afternoon and now they are rafted 3 deep on the river wall (see picture). I�m glad that we are tied on the other side of the lock where it is more quiet (boy are we getting old!).
We had laundry to do and needed groceries this morning. Just a few blocks away we found the laundry and a Price Chopper food store. With boat chores done, we headed to the other side of the river with Don and Ruth to check out the best viewing location for the fireworks show tonight. Stopped for lunch at a riverside pub and watched the boats come and go. After dinner aboard Odyssey it was time to join the crowds heading to watch the fireworks. It was a great show that I would compare to the July 4th show in DC. The only downside was we had to listen to all the drunks as they stumbled passed the boat as late as 3 am. Don and Ruth were going to get an early start in the morning and catch the first lock opening at 7am. We decided to join them and avoid the rush later in the day.

July 31 - Day 53

At 7 am we were following Odyssey into the lock on the Oswego Canal. There are 7ocks and 24 miles on the Oswego Canal. As we exited the last lock we parted company with Don and Ruth. They are heading west on the Erie Canal and down to Watkins Glen, NY on Seneca Lake. We are heading east on the Erie Canal through Lake Oneida towards the Hudson River. We stopped Winter Haven Marina in Brewerton to get fuel. Diesel was $2.14 and we took on 170 gallons. Our plan was to stop at Sylvan Beach on the eastern end of Lake Oneida. The shoreline appeared to be crowded with boats. As we got closer we counted over 100 boats all close to the shore. First we thought they were on mooring balls, but no, they were anchored in 2-3 foot of water. This was the place to be on a Sunday afternoon. Everyone was in the water with coolers floating on rafts. There were no vacancies on the town wall either with boats rafted off each other. Six miles further east on the Erie Canal we stopped at Lock #21 and spent the night tied off the lock wall. It was very quiet here. A lot of Canada geese. We had to be careful where we stepped while taking Brady for a walk. It�s about 90 with high humidity and little breeze. We�ll run the generator so we can use the AC and cool down the cabin to sleep tonight.

August 1 - Day 54

The Erie Canal is not what we expected. I thought it would be more industrial and less rural than it is. At times the only signs of civilization is the railroad which runs on the northern shore and the NY Thruway which appears every now then on the south shore. As we head east, part of the time we are on the Mohawk River and part of the time on the Erie Canal. The Mohawk River is much more scenic. The speed limit on the Erie Canal is 10 mph. That sounds slow, but that is the speed we have been traveling the entire trip. Tonight our stop is Little Falls, NY. There is a town pier and for $25 we can tie up and get power for the night. The dockmaster offers us a ride into town across the river and we took him up on it. It�s only about a mile and we will walk back. It�s a nice little town like so many others we�ve seen that are trying to make a comeback. They can�t keep the younger generation here because there are no good jobs. The factories and industry have left leaving vacant buildings and storefronts. We stopped at a CVS to develop some pictures and had to run back to the boat when the rain began to fall.

August 2 - Day 55

Only traveled 18 miles and 4 locks today. We stopped in another dying town named Canajoharie. The have a free floating dock with electric and water. The riverfront park is very nice with fountains and picnic tables with a covered pavilion. The only job in town here is with Beech Nut Baby Food. The factory overlooks the Erie Canal and riverfront park.

August 3 - Day 56

We have 60 miles left on the Erie Canal and have to time our arrival in Waterford to get a space at the visitor�s center. If we get there too late in the day the docks will be full and might have to ask someone to raft off their boat. So today we traveled 48 miles and 6 locks. We decided to stop at Lock #7 and spend the night on the wall. Not much here. Very rural, a lot of people fishing and using the boat ramps.

August 4 - Day 57

Last day on the Erie Canal. We passed through two guard gates (they look like gigantic guillotines). The flight of 5 descending locks drops 170 ft. in 4 miles with the average drop being 34 ft. into the town of Waterford. As the last lock doors opened, we were relieved to see space available on the town wall. The visitor center provides 2 days free docking with power and water. Additional days are $10/day. The second picture is of the Waterford waterfront. [I got three photos click each link here to see them: Photo 6721, Photo 6731, and Photo 6891.] We have officially completed what is known as the "Little Loop". We started the little loop when we left Waterford, NY on June 18th. We are going to stay here for 3 nights before starting down the Hudson River to New York City. The boat needed a good washing so we spent the afternoon cleaning. Tomorrow we have rented a car and will drive down to Hyde Park, NY to visit the National Culinary Institute of America, Franklin D. Roosevelt�s home and presidential library, and the Vanderbilt Mansion.

August 4/5 - Day 58/59

The Enterprise agent was here at 8 am to deliver the rental car. We headed south on Interstate 87 towards Poughkeepsie. An hour and a half later we were at FDR�s home "Springwood". It was a wonderful tour. FDR gave the house to the US Government upon his death. His wife Eleanor only took a few personal items with her so the house is completely in tact reflecting the period which he lived. We had a 1 pm reservation for lunch in the American Bounty Room of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) so we left FDR�s home with intentions of returning after lunch to visit the presidential library. The CIA is a neat place to visit. It�s an actual college offering a BA degree. You can walk around the different restaurants and watch the meals being prepared through big glass windows. Lunch was fun. We enjoyed talking to the waiters and bus boys about their plans when they graduate. All the students have to rotate positions during their stay. The only other CIA is located in the Napa Valley in California. Our plans to return to the presidential library were cancelled when a fierce thunderstorm rolled through. As we exited the CIA, the police were detouring all the traffic. Power lines had fallen in the vicinity of FDR�s home and the Vanderbilt Mansion and we had return to Waterford without finishing our visit. Taking advantage of having a car, we headed to Petco and WalMart. No dinner tonight, we are still full from lunch.
John returned the car this morning while I visited the laundromat. The weather has cooled down a bit. We put the dinghy in the water and worked our way around the boat trying to clean the brown water stain from the water line of the boat. I�ve heard this called the "Intercoastal Smile", but we weren�t on the intercoastal and this is nothing to smile about! It�s hard work. Tonight there is a concert in the park with Danny and the Celebration. We�ll walk over the bridge to the Hannaford grocery store and look around for a liquor store. Can you believe that the liquor stores close at 9 pm? We stopped at one last night, but the doors were already locked. We will get an early start tomorrow and begin the trip down the Hudson.

Missing everyone, Bobbie, John and Brady

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