5/28-29/26 To and at 42 12.664N, 73 51.425W Riverview Marine
Catskill 53.6 NM
Keeping our plans fluid, we moved our reservation at Riverview up a
day, taking advantage of the current that finally started flowing N
in the afternoon. The folks at Riverview promised us a spot on the
dock, we just needed to call before 1700 for our slip assignment.
The GPS indicated we'd arrive at 1800, and given the uncertainty of
current (and the fact that our time calculation doesn't include
every twist and turn), it was amazingly accurate. We arrived at
1800, and Mike was on hand to catch our lines and welcome us back.
During prime boating season, he works 10 - 12 hours, 7 days a week.
Running a marina is more of a vocation than a job, and his
dedication is reflected by his 5 star rating on Active Captain.
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Colorful umbrellas on the Poughkeepsie waterfront
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We put in a long day too - it was after 2000 before we called it a
day, taking advantage of the light wind and dry conditions to get
the sails down and stowed. The forecast had record temperatures,
rain and possible thunder showers on a daily basis for the next few
days, and stowing wet sails is a pain. We hadn't expected the
unusually hot temperatures - into the 90's with minimal wind to cool
things down. We don't know what happened to spring - this was full
blown summer!
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| Mural of 'Life in old Catskill' on one of the buildings on Main Street |
With half a day's work before we'd be ready to have the mast
stepped, we were up and at it first thing in the morning. We were
in position at 1200, and by 1300 our mast was in the cradle on the
deck. Everything went smoothly and the crew was great as always.
All that was left was lashing the mast and cradle on deck to keep it
stable through wakes and waves. That done, we were more than ready
to take a break. Maybe, if it hadn't been so hot, we would have
scrubbed the decks, instead we walked into town for some ice cream.
Below are some of this year's crop of Catskill Cats. It's always
fun to see the new ideas the artists and groups come up with every
year. Unfortunately
, this year's winners were displayed in a
store front, and the reflections in the glass made it
difficult to get a photo. The first prize cat was a 'knight in
armor' complete with visor.
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| Picatso Cat |
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| Cat's Eye Cat (all cat eye marbles) |
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| Gotham City Cat |
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| A wizard cat with butterflies, including 1 on his nose |
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And Rip Van Winkle at the head of Main Street
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5/30/16 To 42 54,226N, 73 41.039W Mechanicville, NY Town
Dock 46.3NM
As forecast, rain arrived overnight. Thankful the mast was
down and we weren't stepping it in the rain, we departed while we
still had a boost from the current. Unfortunately, when the mast is
down, so is the bimini, and without it, we can't zip in our
connector or side curtains to keep us dry. We made do with a
plastic tarp, and were glad to see the sky starting to clear by the
time we got to Albany.
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| Pair of eagles on the Hudson |
When we took on fuel at the Albany Yacht Club, we also purchased our
lock pass, which, while it would need to be signed and dated by the
Lock Master, would save us time in the lock. It was 1500 when we'd
risen to the top of Lock 1, and the Lock Master was kind and gave us
3 days on our pass (issued as a 2 day pass). The locks used to have
summer hours, 0700-2230, but most likely due to budgetary issues,
the hours this year are 0800 - 1800. We could make it to Lock 4
where a short tie up is available E of the lock, or we could stop at
Mechanicville, just before Lock 3 and stay on the free town dock.
Being a holiday weekend, we chose to stop early rather than risk the
space at Lock 4 being full.
Doing the locks before the boat was freshly painted was less
stressful, and usually we didn't have a lot of problems. However,
having a tail wind never helps, and we had a tail wind and were
trying to be cautious. A wind gust can throw off the approach to
the wall, and I'm at the stage in life where I have less height and
mass to fend off the lock walls That's why we have fenders, and for
the first time wished we had a fender board as well. Don't think we
dinged the paint, but the fenders required spraying with the wash
down pump after every lock to rinse the grime and slime off to keep
it from scratching the paint.
Mechanicville added free bathroom/showers for cruisers since we last
stayed there - a great plus, especially after a day in the 90's and
our shower was packed with sails and gear. During the afternoon,
the hot sun and high humidity formed some interesting cumulus
clouds, and shortly after we tied up the rain began. While we had a
few rumbles of thunder and some big rain drops, the bigger cells
were S of us, giving us a quick deck rinse followed by clearing.
After dinner we took a walk through town, there must be a Stewart's
in every town along the canal, and they have good ice cream - it's
good to have a destination.
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| Old fire house in Mechanicville |
5/31/16 To 43 33.224N, 73 24.136W Whitehall, NY Town
Dock 47.8 NM
When Leonard turned the key on in the morning nothing happened.
And continued to happen. Sometimes it takes several tries, but it's
always started (replacing the starter motor is a very major job
requiring getting under the engine). When the simple fix of turning
the engine a bit didn't work, we cleared out the shower to access
the side of the engine with the starter motor (I've often wondered
if the designers/builders of boats have ever needed to work on the
engines in their vessels - they're cleverly packed into tight
quarters, usually with minimal access or room for repairs). With
the voltmeter leads attached, I turned on the key to start the
engine, and it started on the first try, and before Leonard got to
check the readings on the voltmeter, so he still doesn't know
exactly what the problem was. Needless to say, he gave me no
argument when I suggested we not shut the engine down in the locks!
We had to wait for Lock 3 to open. Then, after we were secure and
the gate closed, we waited some more. Then the gate opened behind
us. It was not looking like an great start to the already somewhat
delayed day. Eventually we were joined by 2 power boats and a sail
boat, and 45 minutes later we exited Lock 3. Good thing we had an
extra day on our pass. We needed it, even if we really pushed, we
be too late to clear Lock 12 by 1800.
The day brightener was locking through with a good sized turtle.
We've never done that before, and after a somewhat turbulent lift
(up is always harder), the turtle was trying to get a claw onto the
lock wall to catch a breath - I knew how he felt since we got
bounced around a bit too.
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| Red barn along the canal |
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| And then this 'fixer upper' barn that has sagged a bit more over the winter |
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This work boat was picking up snags in the canal that had been marked with tin jugs
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By Lock 5, the power boats were long gone, and the 44' sailboat was
too, allowing us to lock through by ourselves which was easier and
faster, and most locks, knowing we were coming, were ready for us.
It was a beautiful day - lots of sun, and warm, but not as hot has
the last few days. We arrived at the Whitehall town dock at 1830,
joining 2 sailboats already there. The Whitehall volunteer fire
department were doing a training session - the fire station was next
to the dock, so we had front row seats - and watched, along with
most of the kids in town, as they practiced putting ladders up,
scrambling through a window mock-up, practicing with their axes and
other drills.
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| Volunteer fire fighting training |
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| Whitehall - Skene Manor overlooking the valley |
After dinner, we walked through town, hiking up to Skene Manor at
dusk. Like every other town in upstate NY, there was a Stewart's to
provide dessert. Time has not been kind to Whitehall. This (then
named Skenesville) was where Benedict Arnold's gun boats were built
for various battles on the lake in the Revolutionary War. So was
the Ticonderoga that fought in the War of 1812, and the town served
as a hub for canal traffic on Champlain Canal. Railroads and
highways eroded the canal traffic over the decades, leaving the town
bereft of its prime industry, with more buildings becoming vacant
than occupied. Since 1978 when we first stopped here, several
buildings have been demolished, and the town has struggled to
survive. The good news is the marina is under new management and
trying to provide services for locals and cruisers alike. With a
good crane and knowledgeable staff, it would be a great place to
step masts and help draw business to the area.
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| Antares in front of the Museum at Whitehall |
6/1/2016 To our LCYC mooring and home About 62 NM
Shortly after 0800, we exited Lock 12, and were officially back
on the lake. With 60NM to go, we had a long day ahead of us, but
with sunshine and light winds it was a great end to a good trip. We
certainly aren't complaining about the weather this trip. Although
the Bahamas had some significant weather this winter (80kt winds in
Georgetown in January, and twice-weekly cold fronts), it occurred
before we arrived, and we had fewer fronts that required hiding
tactics than on previous trips. We sailed more than any trip we can
remember, and the offshore hops, other than rolling in a following
sea, were easy compared to fighting headwinds, thunderstorms or fog
that we've dealt in the past.
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Crew doing RR track maintenance at the S end of the lake
(an oil train accident would be catastrophic) |
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| An unusual snag |
Knowing Wednesday nights tend to have little, if any, wind for the
racers, we figured Wednesday would be a good day to travel up the
lake. It was, with the wind close to calm by the time we arrived on
the broad lake, we had an easy trip and were able to do some of the
inevitable cleaning while we were underway. Although we try to keep
the boat clean when we travel, salt water and intense sunlight take
a toll over time and everything requires a more thorough cleaning
and polishing once we get back to fresh water.
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| Race night at LCYC |
As we headed for our mooring, we motored past the racers as they
drifted on a shortened race course on the bay. We were on our
mooring at 1930, washing the gunk off the mooring pennants when Beth
and Wes, out for a ride in the Nautilus, the club's newly repowered,
electric launch, welcomed us home. Pierre, who was out checking
moorings, stopped by to welcome us back and admire the new paint
job. Although it was a good trip, it's also good to be home.
Since we left on October 7th last year, we've traveled 4286 NM by
the ship's log, which is probably fairly accurate, given the current
either slows us down (more log miles) or gives us a boost (less log
miles). So, the miles traveled are approximate values.
In comparison to other trips to the Bahamas:
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