Our first stop in Florida was Fernandina, the pretty town between the factories on Amelia Island. We docked nose-to-nose with Double Down, a 214-ft yacht that made our boat look like a tender. We walked the town, finding good music along the way. Next stop was Jacksonville, where we celebrated Curtis’s birthday with Chrissie and new friends from the dock. Then on to St Augustine, … Continue reading Finding Our Happy Place
Our visit to NJ allowed us to avoid traveling through Hurricane Ian. We used the time to visit family and friends, and to pack up the house we were selling in Toms River. Once Ian was gone the weather had cooled (38 degrees!), and we enjoyed one last fire in the backyard before we moved back to our boat to head south toward warmer weather. … Continue reading Looking for Warmer Weather
We left the Erie Canal and turned south, cruising down the Hudson River past Troy, Menands, and Starbuck Island. At Albany we watched a small tug turn a large freighter that was docking. We made a quick stop at New Baltimore, then continued south on the always beautiful Hudson River, past Coxsackie and Athens, following a rainbow. The clouds swirled as we passed Saugherties, Kingston, … Continue reading Heading down the Hudson River
The weather was gloomy as we headed into the Erie Canal. We fueled up at the infamous Wardell Boat Yard and then headed east, cruising behind a sailboat with new owners who jokingly referred to us as their “search and rescue” team. The skies were gray and it rained off and on as we made our way to Middleport. We tied to the wall for … Continue reading Rainy days on the Erie Canal
We worked our way through the amazingly blue waters of Lake Huron as we headed south along the Michigan coast, stopping first at beautiful Rogers City. Then we made a stop at lovely Port Austin, where we had a fantastic dinner at The Bank. I love a restaurant with a theme! Also impressive was the sunset that evening. The next day we continued on to … Continue reading Lake Erie, Revisited
I’m sailing away (Wye Heritage Marina) Set an open course for the virgin sea (Beausoleil Island – Frying Pan Bay) ‘Cause I’ve got to be free (Beausoleil Island – Hiked around Fairy Lake) Free to face the life that’s ahead of me (Three Finger Bay – Anchored and tied our stern to a tree) On board I’m the captain, so climb aboard (Sans Souci) We’ll … Continue reading Georgian Bay
A quick stop in Trenton gave us the opportunity to refuel and provision before entering the Trent-Severn Waterway, a series of beautiful rivers and lakes connected by locks that run through the heart of Ontario. Once we were set, we entered the waterway. Observing the posted speed signs, we cruised the Trent River. The path was beautiful and there were many locks. Soon we had … Continue reading Trent-Severn Waterway
After enjoying our stay in Kingston, we left the harbor, went under the bascule bridge and turned at Fort Henry to head north on the St Lawrence River. We cruised through the Bateau Channel, staying on the Canada (west) side of the Thousand Islands to reach Gananoque. We visited the small antique boat museum there, and explored the pretty, artsy town. Next day we continued … Continue reading Thousand Islands
On our path to Ottawa, we needed to wait for several large ships to move through the industrial locks south of Montreal. When it was finally our turn, we rafted with several other pleasure boats so we could all lock through at once. Our first night was spent in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, a charming, waterside town. The next day we traveled through the Carillon Lock that raised … Continue reading The Rideau Canal
We headed down the busy St Lawrence Seaway toward Montreal. We cruised against a very strong current, passing landmarks like the Clock Tower and Molson Brewery. We docked in Old Port and explored a very European-style city. It was a charming area, where everyone initially spoke French, but then switched to English for us, a relief since their English was so much better than our … Continue reading Montreal
