Our vacation plans this year called for takng the Lady Jane and my friend Jeff's 26' Bayliner from her homeport of Braddocks Bay on Lake Ontario to Sodus Bay, then onwards to the 1000 Islands region of the St Lawrence River. We would then continue throught the Bay of Quinte in Canada and then back across the Lake to Braddocks Bay....LETS GO!
Day 1 - Friday June 30th - we get down to the boat at around noon. First order of the day is to load all the gear and provisions - wow, about 4 load-hogs full! Once the gear is on board and stowed, we fuel the boat at our marina..$1.80 per gallon, the cheapest we will see fuel this trip.
Soon we are on our way - we depart through the markers at Braddocks, only to find about a 2-3 foot following sea. We continue eastward, running about 15-16 knots. The waves increase to about 2-4 foot, so we decide to pull into Irondiquiot Bay for a while to let the lake set down. There is a very nice cove in the southeast corner of the bay that we anchor and enjoy lunch and the nice sunny weather. At around 5 pm, we decide to make another run for Sodus...this time the waves have set down a bit, but they are still rolling and it takes some working of the throttle to keep the boat at a steady speed.
We arrive at Sodus around 8pm...just in time to tie up at Katlyn Marina and enjoy a hamburger barbeque, cooked to perfection on Jeff's new magma grill. It wasn't new after we got done with it that night!!
Kaytlyn Marina is the old Sill's Marina, and we found accomodations here very suitable. The new owners have invested heavily in new docks, restrooms, clubhouse and other anemities that we boaters love. Dockage is $1 per foot, gas was $1.94 per gallon for premium.
Day 2 - Saturday July 1 - today was "party" day! After getting up and taking the seadogs for thier morning constitutionals, we visited with my step-mother, Sue, on her boat. Sue is one of the lucky ones who lives aboard her boat...someday this will be us!! My brother, who had come down the night before, joined us at that time to spend the rest of the day with us.
Around noon, Jeff and the crew of the Lady Jane untie our boats and head for an area of Sodus Bay called "the sandbar". This area lies just inside of the main channel, off to the west just the other side of the Coast Gaurd station. On a good day, over 100 boats will anchor and raft here. Today was no exception! We met a good deal of boats from our home port, and we spent the day rafted 10 deep. Everyone was swimming, socializing and having a great time.
At 5 pm, we pulled the hook and headed back to Katlyn for dinner and to meet my sister and her husband and son. We enjoyed an delicious barbeque and then loaded everyone aboard to view the fireworks off Sodus Point. By this time, Jeff, who had remained at anchor with about 5 other boats, was feeling no pain. Earlier in the day he had slipped and fallen through his front hatch and was sporting large bruises all over his body. He said something about frozen margarita anesthesia, which I guess explained why he felt no pain at this point!
The fireworks were EXCELLENT! Everyone enjoyed the show, and soon it was time to ferry my sister, brother, and crew back to shore. We returned to the sandbar, dropped the hook, and moored along side Jeff, who was asleep in his boat when returned.
Day 3 - Sunday July 2 - ah, the fresh air! We awake to a gentle breeze and sunshine. I take the pooches on shore with the dinghy and they are happy to sniff around and do their duties. We have a pot of coffee, take on some fuel and we are off to Sacketts Harbor, about a 55 mile run from Sodus. Once again the lake starts out tame, but builds to 2-3 ft rollers by the time we reach Stoney Point light. Once we are between Stoney Point Island and the mainland, the water starts to set down a bit...just a short distance now to Sacketts Harbor.
Sacketts Harbor is a great place to visit - excellent marinas and a the town is steeped in history. The town served as a major military installation during the War of 1812. After securing our boats in Navy Point marina, we have lunch, crank up the A/C on the Lady Jane and relax for a few hours. After we are cool and refreshed, we head into town for a look around. Jane and I check out all the menus of the local restaurants and decide on the Boat House. This restaurant was an actual boat house at one time, but now has a great deck and view of the harbor. Jane had a pasta dish which she said was good, but the haddock fish fry I had was terrible. I would have thought that a nautical restuarant such as this one would have good seafood, but I was mistaken. Anyway, the wine and beer was good, if you are ever in Sacketts Harbor, be sure to try the 1812 draft. It is a locally brewed ale, very nice.
Upon our return to the boat, we find Kyle and Robbie fishing off the front of the boat. We wish them luck, and go below for an after-dinner drink and to watch some TV. All of a sudden we hear...I'VE GOT ONE!!! We run up on deck to find Kyle battling a huge bass! Lucky for us, Jeff remembered a landing net, and helps Kyle land a 4lb largemouh bass!! GREAT JOB, KYLE!
By the time the excitement died down, it was almost 10:30, so we all went below and called it a night..
Day 4 - Monday July 3 - we awake to rain..yuk!! We discuss our days plans over coffee...we plan to head out into the lake once more, and then north to the St Lawrence river. We plan to make a quick stop in Cape Vincent, which is at the mouth of the river, and then proceed up to the Lake of the Isles, which is a lake in the middle of Welsley Island.
After taking on some more fuel ($1.99 per gallon - ouch!) we head out. Conditions are very foggy, so we are running using the GPS to navigate and the radar to spot boats and bouys. Isn't technology wonderful?? We took our time because of the conditions, but in a few hours we were approaching Tibbets Point. Tibbets Point marks the beginning of the St. Lawrence river, and has a real pretty lighthouse. You can tour the lighthouse if you like, however it is about a 3 mile hike from the town of Cape Vincent.
By this time the fog is really dense. Visibilty is no more than 1/4 mile. We pull into Cape Vincent and look for a spot at the town dock. Cape Vincent has a great town dock, very long and close to town. Best of all - it's free! However, the dock was full today, so we motor over to the fish hatchery..another place to dock for free. This time we find space, and we both secure our boats and check out our surrondings. The fish hatchery visitor center has just been re-done, and offers us a close look at some of the fish in the St Lawrence river.
Jane and I walked into town while the boys fished from the dock and Jeff took a nap. We got more provisions for the boat (beer!!) and returned. By this time it was about 3pm, so we make the decision to spend the night. Still very foggy. So we decide to make the best of it and have our "Renaming Ceremony" tonight. Legend has it that if you change the name of a vessel without the proper ceromony and champagne christening that all sorts of evil things will bestow your boat... Not being one to tempt fate, we decide that tonight is the night. Jeff has supplied us with 2 bottles of champane specifically for this event. One small bottle of the good french stuff for the boat, and one large bottle of the not-so-good american stuff for the crew. After dinner it is time to begin!! With your captain at the bow of the boat and his lovely first mate at his side, a carefully scripted verse is recited. (Well, what we could remember of it anyway, since yours truly left the actual script at home) It was then time to shower the Lady Jane with her blessing of chanmpane. No problem here, since Kyle took the liberty of shaking the bottle quite vigorously - I think the cork landed somewhere in Canada! We all then drank some of the cheap stuff to complete the process. Of course no christening ceromony is complete without spraying the captain with champange (Kyles idea!) We declared our renaming ceremony success and stumbled into the boat after the champagne was gone to watch a movie.
Day 5 - Tuesday July 4th! - we get up early only to find...the fog! Still here, and just as thick. Jane went to the bakery in Cape Vincent on Monday, so we all enjoyed some great cherry cheese strudel for breakfast. The pooches we escorted out for thier morning duties by Captian Ron while Jane started to clean the boat and make ready to leave (if this fog ever lifts!) But it eventually does and we are on our way. Today's plan is to go to the Lake of the Isles, which is in the center of Wellsley Island. We plan to spend the day there, then pull up the hook and anchor behind Boldt Castle for the night. There is an excellent fireworks display put on by the town of Alexandria Bay tonight. They launch them right over the castle, it is always a great display.
After a slow 2 hour cruise, we arrive at the Lake of the Isles around 1pm. The cove that we anchor in is a favorite party spot for the local crowd, on a good day there will be 300 boats or more anchored and rafted here. The water is warm here, unlike the cold water of the main channel. We launch our dinghy and take a tour of the floating party. Lots of scantily clad women, which makes for interesting viewing. Of course, the reason we take the dinghy out is to check out all the BOATS..
We leave the cove around 5 pm, and so does everyone else..ZOOM, ZOOM boats passing us on each side. We watch as a jet-ski goes flying through a 5mph zone and gets chased by the Coast Guard. But the jet-ski keeps going and eventually outruns the Coast Guard boat! Too bad, I guess the bad guys win once in a while..
After anchoring behind the Castle, we enjoy a barbeque cooked on our boats. After dinner, the boys spend some time fishing while Jane and I take a short nap. Coco, not happy to sleep with us, jumps ship and joins Jeff on his boat. Man's best friend??
The fireworks finally started at around 10pm. Wow, great display! Lots of ooo's and ahhh's from the literally hundreds of boats anchored around us. Rob had fun beeping the horn after the display, a boaters tradition. Everyone cleared out quickly after the fireworks, and we were left alone except for a houseboat behind us. Great night, we turned in for the night at about 12m.
Day 6 - Wednesday July 5th - the plan today was to go to Waterson Point State Park and hang out for a day. We awoke to another beautiful morning. Clear skies, cool temps and a refreshing breeze. Fantastic!
After coffee and a light breakfast, we pull anchor and head over to Alexandria Bay for some fuel. Jeff loses power just as he starts to go, and almost drifts into the houseboat anchored behind us. Jane and I are laughing as everone runs out of the houseboat in their night clothes to fend off Jeff's boat. But he finally gets it running and we proceed without further incedents to the Bay.
Alex Bay is a neat town. Tons of gift shops, resturants and bars. We have done it all many times, so we just get our fuel and head out. However, if you are a first time visitor to the Islands, you definitely need to visit Alex Bay. They have 3 public docks, so dockage is usually not a problem. Great place to visit at night if you are into the club scene.
After fueling ($1.85 per gallon here, Lady Jane takes on about 80 gallons) we take a slow cruise back around Boldt Castle and then past Mary Island State Park. Mary Island is one of those unique State Parks that we love, only accessible by water. There are camping sites on this island, so it is frequented by small boats without sleeping facilities. We head around Mary island into the main Canadian channel of the St. Lawrence River. This is one of the most scenic areas in the 1000 Islands. It is literally island after island. The channel twists and turns, we are in awe of the mansions that are built on these small islands. The depth under us rises to 30 feet or less, then plunges back over 150 ft. The current here is aweome, we can feel it's pull on our boat.
Soon Waterson Point is in site. This is a GREAT park. It is located on Welsley island, but once again, only accessible by water. We pull into the main dock, and guess what?? We have the whole place to ourselves!! Not one other boat is here, and this is a holiday week! We take advantage of the solitude, and let the sea dogs run free on shore. Not something they are normally allowed to do, they love every minute of their freedom.
After a few hours, another boat pulls in, a 35' President Aft-Cabin. Nice. We talked with the owners a bit and find that the first mate's sister lives 2 streets away from us! Small world! The park ranger also arrives at about the same time. Overnight Dockage? $10 no matter what size vessel. Great deal, even without power.
The boys spend the day fishing, Jane and I do a bit of reading and relaxing and Jeff hangs with us when he isn't finding things to fix or improve on his boat. I take Jeff for a dinghy tour of the island before dinner. We marvel at all the campers a mile away from us, stacked up like cord-wood while we have the whole park to ourselves. On the way back, we run into some of our friends that we met at Sodus. They are kind enough to give us a couple of cold beers and we continue our dinghy ride back to the boats.
That night after a nice pasta dinner, we have a roaring campfire on shore. What a great view we have up on the hill, watching the sun slip below the horizon while our fire burns. This is the life!!
We turn in as the fire turns to ashes, about 2 hours after the spectacular sunset.
Day 6 - Thursday, July 6th - We awake today to cool temps and an overcast sky. Of course the first theing the pooches want is to go for a walk. On shore we see evidence of a party last night...a raccon party that is! Trash all over the place. We do our best to pick it up, this park is too nice to leave trash laying around. Bad racoons!
Back at the boat, we decide today that we will make the trip to Kingston, Ontario. Kingston is a great boating destination. The marina we are going to, Flora Confederation basin is right in the middle of the city. Great location, close to everything. Our trip today will take us into Canadian waters by Gananaque (another great little port!) and then into the Bataeu Channel around Howe Island. It is about a 30 mile run from where we are. Soon we are on our way...today we go slow, no need to let all this beautiful scenery rush by us. We run at about 9.5 mph, the sun comes out and life is good! Around 1pm, we arrive in Kingston. The dockmaster directs us over to the day docks, since there are currently no open overnight slips. Oh-oh..but they assure us they will find a slip for us! This marina is great - 300 transient slips!! A word of warning, even with that many slips, you will need to book ahead on the holiday weekends. They do find us slips, and we moor our boats for the night.
First order of duty is to check into Canadian Customs. Coming to Canada by water is much easier than by land. You simply call a toll free number and answer some simple questions. After you do this once, they have your boat number on record, and the next time will go even faster. The customs people we have spoke with are always polite and professional. Now that we have that taken care of, time to take the seadogs for a walk and check out the town. This is a neat town - there is always something going on at the waterfront park, and the restaurants are fantastic! Our favorite is Lone Star, it is in the old Kingston firehouse. Make sure you have a margarita on the deck if you visit!
We have dinner (fajitas!) and then take a slow walk back to the boat for a short siesta and then spend the rest of the evening checking out the other boats (some really big ones here!) before we retire to the Lady Jane for the night. Jeff says he is going out on the town, but the fajitas do him in, and he never makes it..
Day 7 - Friday, July 7th - We have a long voyage ahead of us today...we are planning to travel through the Bay of Quinte to the town of Trenton. This is probably about 60-70 mies away. Once againn, we decide to go easy and make a day out of this cruise with a nice slow pace. WE cover some open water before entering protected waters inside of Amherst Island. A trawler that has been following us this morning hails us on the VHF and asks us where we are headed. They have just made the trip up the ICW and are headed to the Georgian Bay via the Trent Severn Canal, which coincidentally starts at Trenton. They ask us about marinas, and I advise them of our choice. (Fraser Park) I volunteer to make them reservations, and they are happy for the offer and promise to follow up with cocktails when we arrive..sounds like a deal to me! I phone the marina on our cell phone and we are all set!
After Amherst Island, we make the turn north into the Bay of Quinte. The channel gets narrow here, and the water changes color to a brownish black. I radio Jeff and let him know that I will need fuel shortly, we decide to stop in a small town called Desoranto. Soon we are at the gas dock draining our credit cards...gas here is .90 per liter! That is around $3.50 per gallon! Thank goodness we get about $1.46 for our american dollars..another great reason to visit Canada!
Since the trawler "Maria Donna" cruised on while we fueled, we decide to pour on the coals and put some miles under our keels before it gets too late. It is already about 4pm now, and we want to get to Trenton before 6 (crew is getting hungry!) In about 1/2 hour , we catch up with the Maria Donna just outside of Bellville (another nice port!) I radio them and let them know we will go ahead and make sure they are all set for a dock. We wave goodbye for now and soon they are far behind us..
We arrived at Trenton at around 5:00. Craig and his wife who run the marina were on the docks to help us in. They are probably the nicest marina operators on the Lake! .Soon after we were secured, the Maria Donna pulled in. We went over and introduced ourselves, and we told them we would be back after dinner for cocktails.
Dinner tonight was fresh spareribs and baked potatoes cooked on the grills. We ate dinner with Jeff and the boys in the small park adjacent to the marina. After our long day on the water, we were all famished and devoured the ribs in short order! After dishes, we went over to visit our new friends on their trawler. A very nice boat, 42' made in Taiwan. For the life of me, I can't remember the make, but it was similar in appearance to a Grand Banks. Anyway, they gave us the tour and we spent a few hours jsut talking boating with them. Phil and his wife Maria, are retired and live on the boat. This is our dream!!
After our visit, we took a short walk (with pooches of course!) to the park. Lot's of activity in this town, there is a Tim Horton's on the corner by the marina and it seemed to be busy night and day. Soon we were back at the boat and ready to turn in for the night. We said goodnight to Jeff and headed below to watch a movie before lights out.
Day 8 - Saturday, July 8th -Today we go home :( After checcking the weather forecast and getting our vessels in order for the long journey home, we cast off and head out once again. The cruise home today will take us through the Murray Canal to Presquille Bay and then out into Lake Ontario. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the entrance of the Murray Canal from Trenton. Once in the canal, the speed limit is 10kph, or about 6mph. The Murray Canal is about 5 miles long and will takes about an hour to traverse. There are 2 swing bridges, on the second bridge the bridge master passes cup on a pole to our boat to collect the $4 fee for the passage. Kind of like a toll booth for boats! Once past the canal, we motor into Presquille Bay. Presquille is very shallow and weedy, we make sure to follow the markers to stay in the channel. We pass Presqulle Lighthouse and once again, Lake Ontario welcomes us!
Seas today are running about 2-3 ft. We set our GPS heading for Braddocks and throttle the Lady Jane up. Today we will cruise at about 14knots. It is around 50 miles to Braddocks, it will take us about 3 hours to get there.
Our crossing was uneventful, we saw one ship and that was about it. Jeff veered off towards Sandy Creek and we said goodbye to him as he left us.
.......and that was our trip! Hope you enjoyed reading about it as much as we enjoyed our time on the boat!!!!!