Lake Champlain

Lake Champlain:  We left Essex Marina at 8:30 this morning to head to Westport, NY.  Getting out of the marina was an interesting problem.  The docking area was shaped like a U with a flat bottom with slips along the right-hand side at a 45 degree angle which in and by itself is unusual.  We were tied to the wall at the bottom of the U and our bow was hanging over the sailboat docked in the lower right corner of the U – very close quarters.  All was fine until another boat was tied up on the left side of the U.  We were now basically boxed in.  Unfortunately, we wanted to leave early and none of the other boats obstructing our exit were of a similar frame of mind. 

The captain decided that the best way to get out of there would be to back up to the left side wall, push off the bow and then pull out forwards from there.  Some folks who keep their boat at the marina asked if we needed help and we readily accepted the offer.  We tied a long line to the bow so that someone on the dock could continue to hold the boat even when perpendicular to the wall we were originally tied to.  The owner of the sailboat under our bow came running and the man helping us passed the line to him to hold from his boat.  Meanwhile the man’s wife was holding our stern near the wall, and the boat owner that blocked us in stood and watched the show.  Everything went very smoothly and we were out of there slick as anything.  We had a little wind which was pushing us towards the vessel at our stern but we were able to make a successful escape with all the help we got.

After we wiggled out of Essex we headed to Westport, NY to visit the marine store there before traveling to Whitehall.  We fueled up at the dock and while the tanks were being filled, I slipped into the store expecting to find something like a boats parts display.  I was shocked and disappointed to find a nautical gift shop with t-shirts, dresses, and other miscellaneous junk we didn’t need.  I bought some boat clothes pins and toilet paper and left.  I told the captain he would be disappointed but I think he was as amazed as I was when he walked into the store to see such a touristy selection of merchandise.    Needless to say, he walked out empty handed and we got on our way.

Traveling along Lake Champlain, we enjoyed the tranquil scenery and pleasant weather.  Along the way  we came upon our friends from way back on the Erie Canal – Dunwurkin.  We slowed our vessel down to their speed and traveled the Champlain Narrows at a very relaxed rate enjoying the view and taking far too many pictures of the lake and surrounding terrain.    Somewhere along the way Dunwurkin called us to tell us that his boat had hit something and he was slowing down to take a look for damage.  He found nothing and we continued on to Whitehall Marina. 

After we got ourselves settled into our slip, my captain jumped into the rather murky looking water to dive under Dunwurkin and take a look for any potential damage caused by what we had found out was a log that had hit their vessel bottom.  Apparently the locals know that the Clorox bottle floating in the channel marks a submerged log.  Funny thing – I don’t remember reading that in any of my boating manuals or charts.  In NJ waters a Clorox bottle floating in the water means there is a crab trap under the water – not a log!

Anyway after a nice swim in the less than attractive water, my captain declared the bottom of their vessel to be in excellent condition with no signs of log impact.  The Dunwurkin captain was very appreciative of my captain’s boat diving, and while we were waiting for the results of the examination, he turned to me and said, “your husband is a very unusual person”.  I had to laugh out loud at that assessment since I can only agree whole-heartedly.  He’s “unusual” and I’m very happy he’s mine!

We had intended to stay at the Lock 12 Marina; however, we learned, as did Dunwurkin, that the Lock 12 Marina was closed.  The only marina option was the Whitehall Marina so we got our reservations there.  As it turns out the new owners of Whitehall Marina only took ownership in the spring and are still working to bring the marina up to snuff as well as the restaurant across the way – the Finch & Chubb,   After hanging out at the marina for a couple of hours, we walked into Whitehall with the Dunwurkin crew and ate at the City Steak and Seafood restaurant.  The food was passable but not marvelous.

On the way back to the boat we strolled through the town, saw the park, Lock 12, and some very interesting cloud formations which we captured in our Lake Champlain pictures.  Tomorrow we tackle the Champlain Canal locks starting at Lock 12 and working our way down to Lock 1.  We'll see how far we can get before we call it quits for the day.  If all goes smoothly, we’ll aim for Waterford but if all goes slowly or weather is an issue, etc, we’ll stop somewhere along the way and continue down to the Hudson River on Tuesday. 

We’re going to try to be on our way tomorrow around 8:30 to tackle the Champlain Canal.  We have our fender boards all setup and ready to go, but we found out when we walked to the restaurant that we have them on the wrong side of the boat for Lock 12 but on the right side of the boat for the other locks. We’ll have to figure out what we want to do about that issue in the morning.  The fender boards are clunky and heavy and a pain to move around.  If the captain wants them moved, he’ll be doing the moving and I’ll be doing the steering!