Arctic Songbird Adventures

We were off to a late start yesterday after one more stroll to the convenience store and then not being in any hurry to say good bye to the Brats. As we motored down the canal on such a hot day, we decided to take a detour to Lake Onondaga and visit the gigantic six story Destiny Mall in Syracuse. Carrie and Frazier walked the short distance from the city dock while I (needed) to stay back with the dogs. I spent the next couple hours talking with a couple local fisherman about life in general. Being from Syracuse they had completely opposite views from the folks I talked with in Phoenix, which is maybe 15 miles away! Wow, it felt like I had crossed into a different country! Anyway, we had some good conversation and shook hands as we departed. Once we were back on our way it was time to figure out where to stay for the night. We kicked it into high gear and raced to make a couple locks at 30 knots before they closed at 5pm. We made the first after phoning the operator and got through at...

We spent the night at the wall in Oswego waiting for the locks to open. It was a bit uncomfortable when he had some prowlers looking in the windows at 11pm. The dogs quickly discouraged them and the left. There were multiple delays the next morning and we waited until 12:15p for the locks to open. Just as we approached the attendant advised us it would be another hour or longer because a body had been found at the lock. It was frustrating sitting there with no progress as the day wasted away. We finally got moving against a strong current in the Oswego River and averaged 5.7 knots to Phoenix, where we stopped for the night. Phoenix was one of the best places we have been. It was so nice, we stayed a second night and did nothing but hang out with the locals, the other boaters, and the Bridge House Brats. The Brats are a group of kids and young adults that cater to the boaters staying at the Phoenix boat wall. Cathy Lee started this group nearly 20 years ago and they are thriving today, ...

The weather forecast was perfect and the crossing of the lake was easy and quick. We cruised at 23 knots and the only time we took any water over the bow was when a large yacht passed us with a 5 foot wake! This is one big lake and for awhile there was nothing on the horizon but water. At this point I could not resist taking a roof top plunge into the crystal blue water! Jumping, diving, splashing, and enjoying an ocean of clean fresh water has never been so enjoyable. The dogs even swam around several times with me but at the high speed they paddled toward the boat, I could tell they weren't having as much fun as me. I ended up being in the water over an hour an then it was back in the cruising mode toward Oswego. We only made it through the first lock because the canal has been closed due to flooding. It was a lazy hot day for Frazier and I and we did nothing on the boat while Carrie explored the town. After dinner we walked to Fort Ontario where at least three major battles were...

It was a picture perfect day for cruising and we took a scenic detour through the 1000 Islands. We saw summer cottages (mansions) that had boat garages twice as big as our house! We saw several homes that had water inside, due to the excessive flooding that has been happening for the past month. The water is very high and some islands displayed on my chart had disappeared from sight! We stopped to change flags at the international boundary,  and docked in Clayton NY, where we cleared customs by a remote videophone. After the crew were allowed to put their feet on US soil, we explored the beautiful town. We immediately found the bakery, fudge store, and much needed ice cream, to replenish the calories burned from all the sightseeing we had done earlier. The highlight of the town for me was the antique boat museum! There are hundreds of vintage boats, motors, and every boating memorabilia one could imagine here. The smell of wood and varnish brought back memories of when I built seve...

A foggy, drizzly,  morning gave way to a sunny afternoon between Westport and Upper Brewers Lock, where we spent our last night on the Rideau Canal. We traveled with Shearwater, a yacht we first tied up with back in Burlington, VT. We got together after dinner and told some good stories, as the sky turned orange and pink at sunset. After dark, we heard some children running and laughing in the grass field and we found them catching fireflys. Being from Alaska we had never seen such a sight and we joined in the fun running around attempting to catch some. Frazier caught two and they were fun to watch as they flashed like a strobe while sitting on his hand. Carrie was busy photographing a blue heron catch the trapped fish out of the lock. It was a peaceful night until some fisherman fired up their boat at 5:30a to get on the lake early in preparation for the Canada Day fishing derby. The locks weren't ready until 9:30a so we got a late start toward Kingston. We had six more locks an...