2005 CRUISE
TRIP 2 LOGS
Chicago, IL, USA to Toronto, Ontario, Canada
June 16 – July 4, 2005

Houston, TX to Chicago, IL, Thursday, June 16, 2005

     I flew to Chicago’s Midway Field and took a taxi to the marina.  The driver could not find the place, so it cost twice as much as the last time.  Angela did not go with me because she had a trip to Paraguay planned for a day or so after that boat trip was scheduled to end.  I was expecting to see a number of friends in Toronto, and I was looking forward to the trip.

     I borrowed the marina’s loaner car and went to the grocery store for supplies.  The boat had not been cleaned, at least not very well.  Also the fiberglass repairs had not been completed.  Otherwise the boat seemed to be in good shape.  I added chlorine to the water tank, filled it up, and then drained it and refilled it again.

Chicago, IL to Port Washington, WI, Friday, June 17, 2005

    I was up at 5am and underway at 6.  The first lock was just a mile or so from the marina.  The wait there was 30 minutes.  After that small rise in elevation (I floated through the lock) I had about 7 miles of very industrial canal to travel.  A few bridges had to open for me; the bridge attendants were fine to deal with.





     I got into Lake Michigan about 8:15am.  Seas were about 2 feet high.  Temperature had warmed from 59 to 63 degrees F.  The Chicago skyline was one of the finest in the nation, or the world as far as I knew.





     At 10am it got cloudy and looked like rain.  At 1pm the temperature was 55.  Winds were 16 knots, gusting to 19.  I passed Milwaukee and arrived in Port Washington, WI at 2:30pm.  I found a nice marina with nice folks working there and the least expensive fuel I had seen that year - $2 per gallon.  The slip charge was $67.60.  I filled up, and Taylor, the dock attendant, helped me get the boat tied up to a berth along a wall.  He and his friend came by later to chat; I gave them a couple of pieces of homemade fudge.



     I covered 125 miles in 8 running hours and went through one lock.  It was surprisingly cool.

     I shopped at a store right by the boat, and then I rested for 45 minutes.  My friend Dick showed up at 5:45pm, and we walked to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Port Washington, WI to Frankfort MI, Saturday, June 18, 2005

     I get up at 6am and took my time, leaving the marina at 7:45am.  The temperature was 53 degrees F, the winds were NW at 9, and seas were running 1 foot.  My plan was to cross Lake Michigan, and I expected seas and winds to increase as the day went on.

     Fishing was good on both sides of the lake.  Small boats were rigged up with multiple fishing rods and reels to catch large fish of several types – salmon, muskie, etc.  Leaving the marina the depth was about 30 feet; at 8:20am the depth was 171 feet.  There were a number of those fishing boats at the spot where the depth was 171 feet on my boat.  Dick had told me they go out to a spot and drop their hooks part way to the bottom, to where they thought the fish were feeding.  Ten minutes later I was reading depths of over 200 feet.  Fifteen minutes after that that the depth was 368 feet.



     I traveled about 100 miles in 7 hours and arrived in Frankfort at 2:15pm, but there was a time change so it was 3:15pm there.  I walked around the little town and took some photos.  I stopped at a store and then went back to the boat for a short nap.  I grilled chicken and had a salad for dinner, and I watched a movie afterwards.  Interestingly, some marinas forbade cooking on the docks, so I had to be careful about using the outdoor grill.  I kept some grilled chicken in the fridge so I could warm it up instead of cooking if and when necessary.





     Fuel there was $2.495 per gallon, and the slip fee was $64 per night.

Frankfort to Mackinac Island, MI, Sunday, June 19, 2005

     Working my way through the reefs and islands in NE Lake Michigan made me a little nervous.  I was nervous about a few things, and I think I was always conscious that I was by myself.  Falling overboard while the boat was moving forward was a nightmare that repeated itself over the entire week.  I distrusted the autopilot as well.  On Friday and again on Saturday I took the time to “swing” the compass and adjust the heading, and that seemed to make the autopilot more reliable.  Before doing that, the autopilot was apt to take the boat on wild and unpredictable turns, which was very unnerving if I was away from the helm when it happened.







     I made some rules for myself, such as to not venture outside the boat while underway, ie, with the engines in gear. I got my “ditch kit”, with the EPIRB in it, ready to use; and I set a large life preserver right beside it.  I even tried it on and adjusted the straps, so I would be familiar with it.  My reading for the week was a text on “Shipwrecks on the Great Lakes” – how appropriate.



     I was having trouble getting a “reservation” at Mackinac (pronounced Mackinaw) Island.  It’s a busy, popular place.  I found out they kept some slips separate from the reserved slips, so it was possible that I could get a slip on a first come, first served basis even if they had no reservations available.  That did prove to be the case, and I got a fine slip.  The SE winds were blowing through the marina, and all the boats were bobbing up and down like crazy.











     It was a beautiful day, sunny, warm, and clear.  It was Father’s Day, and most of my kids called me.  The temperature had warmed from 53 degrees F to 71 or so.  The International Lilac Festival was going on at the Island, and a parade was scheduled for 4pm.  I walked a little to the right and then a lot to the left until I reached The Grand Hotel.  Built in 1877 and featured in the movie, “Somewhere in Time”, the Grand Hotel is advertised as the world’s largest summer-only hotel.  The whole island is closed in the winter, and no cars or trucks are allowed, just bikes and horse-drawn buggies.







     It was an absolutely precious place, a fantasy land of very-well built and maintained houses, lawns, and businesses, many of which sold either ice cream or fudge.











Mackinac Island to Alpena, MI, Monday, June 20, 2005

     In checking the oil in the engines, and the bilge in general, I noticed a bolt or two was missing on the port side engine belt guard.  One of those connected the alternator to a solid base; without the bolt the alternator had fallen and the belt had been ruined.  I called a mechanic who came over from the mainland and put a new belt on for me.  Apparently the mechanics at Aqua Yacht Harbor in MS had not tightened the belts on the belt guard (two or three had fallen out) or the alternator.



     I left the marina at 12:15pm and headed down Lake Huron towards the south.  It was still windy; the winds were from the SE at 10 – 15 mph and building.  The ride was uneventful until I turned into Thunder Bay for Alpena.  The waves were coming at me from about 160 degrees, and my course to the municipal marina was 305 degrees.  Wave height was estimated by a nearby sailboat at 5 feet.  It was rolling my boat in spite of the stabilizers.  The answer was to go slow; there was just no other way to get through that type of weather.

     I came into the marina at 5:15pm, and they had stayed open for me.  At the slip I was able to fill up with fuel and stay there overnight.  I bought 697.3 gallons of diesel.  The sailboat that waited for me to finish using the hose took 3.5 gallons. 



     The State of Michigan has numerous marinas around the state; their policy is one every 15 miles.  Those marinas were often owned by the state and operated by the city, etc.  The state set the rates, and they were almost the same in each of the MI marinas where I stayed.  That marina charged $67 per night, and so did the marina the following night, in St. Claire.  Diesel was $2.459 per gallon.  

 

     The marina had a lot of grass and other water plants growing in it.  Some of the plants must have been 8’ tall, as they were visible just below the waterline.  I cooked dinner and walked up to the shore to dispose of trash.  It was chilly and windy.  I had covered 100 miles for the day.

Alpena to St. Clair, MI, Tuesday, June 21, 2005

     I was up at 6am and off at 7:15am.  Just outside the marina, in Thunder Bay, I could plane off and leave it there for most of the day.  There were reefs to the north of the entrance to the bay, but I had already passed those on the way in.  Rain was forecast, and it did rain.  Visibility was good enough, however, that I made good time, covering 160 miles in 9 running hours.



     I went under the Blue Water Bridge at 3:40pm.  The water in the St. Clair River changed to a beautiful color as Lake Huron ended and the river began.  I had been there in 1997 headed up into the lake, and it was an impressive time for me.  As I was going south, a large “laker” came up the river and passed me in a curve.  I gave him all the room I had.  Those boats are large.



     St. Clair was a cute town, but you had to wait for a low bridge to open and let you access the canal off to the side of the St. Clair River.  Port Huron was another possible stop, but it had two bridges; and I had time to go further before stopping for the night.



     I bought fuel there also, 377 gallons at $2.40 per gallon.  I moved to a slip and prepared dinner.  I had phoned Jim Hebert and left a message, and he returned my call.  (Jim was an inspiration to me in setting up this website.  He had a boating website in 1994 or 1995, and to me it was endlessly fascinating.  His attention to detail was wonderful.  Check it out at
www.continuouswave.com. )  We agreed to meet the next day in downtown Detroit for lunch. 

     Later Jim called back.  He could meet me at my boat and ride down to downtown Detroit with me.  He said he would bring sandwiches (I found out later he went out that instant and bought Subway sandwiches at 9:30 in the evening).  We agreed to meet about 7am, as I had asked the bridge tender to open for me a little earlier than they usually went to work.  They were nice and accommodating

St. Clair, MI to Put-in-Bay, OH, Wednesday, June 22, 2005

     Jim arrived a little after 7m, and I was ready to shove off when he stepped aboard.  It was the first time we had met face-to-face.  Jim was born and raised in that area, and he told me a lot of history about the sights we were seeing.  He also related some of his early experiences growing up in the area – learning how to fish, swim, sail, etc.  His usual cruising boat is a Boston Whaler, and he usually cruises in the cooler areas of Georgian Bay and the North Channel.





     I really appreciated Jim’s upbeat and enthusiastic attitude towards the area he called Home.  He would point out various spots and describe them to me.  I found his appreciation of the good in the area to be uplifting.  Sometimes I need an improvement in my attitude.





     The St. Clair River enters Lake St. Clair through 4 – 5 major streams, like a delta as a river enters the sea.  There was a strong current moving south, and the day became sunny and warm.  By the time we reached downtown and the Renaissance Center, it was a beautiful day.  I pulled around a cruise boat named the DETROIT PRINCESS, which was docked on the RDB; and Jim stepped ashore and walked a few blocks to his place of work.  I continued downstream into Lake Erie.









     The channels in the Detroit River were delta-like, with islands and both upbound and downbound channels for the big boats.  Once well into the lake, I set a course for the north side of South Bass Island, home of Put-in-Bay.  I had been there before, in 1997; and it was a cute spot to stop for the night.

     The winds continued from the NW, and so I had following seas on my port side, almost like going into Alpena.  I slowed down to avoid the rolling motion, and I came into Put-in-Bay about 3:15pm after traveling 85 miles in 8 hours for the day.



     I found out they had a yacht club, and I called ahead for a slip.  They said I was welcome, and they helped me tie up.  My boat took almost half of one side of their available dockage space.  Most members keep their boats elsewhere.  It was shallow in that harbor, too. They told me not to back in. Put-in-Bay Yacht Club was formed in 1886, had over 500 members, and charged dues of $200 per year.  See their website for maps, photos, history, etc.



     The yacht club folks said they were serving dinner at 5pm, so I went to the clubhouse to join them.  By 6pm the caterer had arrived (she was also a member), and she asked me what I wanted.  I made a choice, but there was no one else there.  Then a mom with a couple of teenagers came in, then another, and then another.  By the time I got my sandwich and salad, there were four moms in deep conversation, and ten teenagers doing their thing.  Chuck, the bartender, told me all about his real estate investments while I was waiting for the food; then he got busy with the moms’ drinks.  Apparently several people who were members there also had homes in Naples, FL; and they were all very pleased with the rise in property values in Naples.

Put-in-Bay to Erie, PA, Thursday, June 23,2005

     I was up at 6am and off at 8am .  It was 63 degrees F with variable winds, according to the radio.  I called a couple of people I knew in Cleveland to arrange a dinner appointment, but no one was available.  (We had stopped in Cleveland on Trips 1 and 2 in 1997.)  There was a seminar in my industry on that day, and the people I called were all at the seminar.  So, I bypassed Cleveland, which I passed off to starboard about 11:15am.  I had come about 50 miles at that point.



     I had good weather and seas and made good time.  On the way I made phone calls to find a marina and fuel and to arrange for another person to go down the Welland Canal with me.  Seaway Welland requires two people on board going downstream and three going upstream, primarily reflecting the turbulence in the lock chamber when draining or filling the lock.  I called Roger St. Amand, who lived in the area and regularly spent his days off performing just that type of service.  I had met Roger in 1997 and kept up with him over the years.

     Erie, PA had an interesting layout.  The bay containing their marinas, port, parks, etc. was almost entirely protected by a peninsula that carved around the bay.  The entrance was on the east end of the bay.  So, I traveled the length of the peninsula and turned right 180 degrees to enter the bay.  Inside the bay there was almost no wind and certainly no waves.



      I found an inexpensive place to buy fuel, Perry’s Landing; but they could not accommodate my boat overnight.  Their fuel was relatively inexpensive at $1.82 per gallon, but they added sales tax to it, which brought the final price up to $1.92 per gallon.  I took 477 gallons, having run 145 miles on the day and 230 miles since my last fill-up.  On those long, fast days my fuel consumption went above 2 gallons per mile.  On slow boat ride days my mileage was much better.

     I got a slip at the Erie Yacht Club for $1.25 per foot.  The young man who directed me to the slip was absolutely ignorant about boats.  I had to back into a slip with boats on both sides; and I asked him to tell me which way to steer, as I could not see the corners of my swim platform.  He did not have a clue.  A lady in a boat a few slips away came over and helped me tie up.



     I cooked on board and washed some clothes.  As I was carrying the trash across the parking lot, I could clearly hear the live band playing on the lawn outside the yacht club.  Their marina was large with room for 500 boats or more, I’d say.  The shoreline was a bluff which was much higher a short distance inland from the waterline.



Erie, PA, USA to Port Dalhouise, Ontario, Canada, Friday, June 24, 2005

     On Friday I was up at 6am and off at 7:10am.  I had to go slow until I got back into Lake Erie, but then I had a straight shot for about 60 miles to the Welland Canal.  I waited until I thought Roger was awake, and then I reached him on the phone.  He encouraged me to come on and do the canal or Friday.  He thought it would be faster on Friday than on Saturday.  I called him several times after that to give him updates on my arrival time, as he lived at the other end of the canal in St. Catherines, Ontario.  I arrived there about 10:45am.





     Going upstream, Roger will usually ride with a boat through Lock 7 (out of 8) because the uppermost lock (Lock 8) has only a 2’ elevation change.  It is a “guard lock”.  But going downstream the Canal management requires two people on board from the beginning, so he had to drive about 30 miles to get to our meeting place in Port Colborne.  He met me at a small dock where I tied up to call the Canadian officials while he readied the fenders and lines.





     Canada is so civilized.  The recreational boater has to call 1-888-CAN-PASS, which is a free call.  Telephone booths are located at both ends of the canal.  A nice lady took down my information – vessel name and documentation and registration data, number and names of persons aboard, specifics on guns, alcohol, and cigarettes on board, purpose and duration of the visit to Canada, etc.  Then she gave me a Report Number, which I wrote in large letters on a piece of paper and taped to the inside of both pilothouse doors – so Canadian officials walking by could see and read it.  That’s all there was to it, except to pay a fee of $20 per lock, Canadian, which Roger did with my credit card while I was talking.



     Going downstream the bridge tenders and lockmaster anticipated your needs and responded appropriately before you asked them – what a concept!  The US Army Corps of Engineers never thought of that, I’ll bet.  Everything was smooth and pleasant, just as it had been every other time I was in Canada.





     Roger worked for Seaway Welland and was occasionally in touch with the lock master, keeping up with traffic going in both directions.  At the 3 locks at the Niagara Escarpment, the Canal has a set of locks for going up and another set for going down.  At all other lock locations there is only one lock, and it works both ways.  So, when a large cement barge was inside our next lock, and there was no other lock as an alternative, Roger knew about it and encouraged me to go slow and eventually to pull over and tie up.  When the cement barge passed us, we pulled up to the lock and went down.  There were 7 locks at 45 feet each and one lock at 2 feet, for total difference in elevation going down from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario of 315 feet.



     I did not know how the lakes flowed in 1997 when I was there for the first time.  Now I understand that Lake Superior is higher than all the other lakes.  It drains to Lake Huron through the locks at Sault Ste. Marie, near Mackinac Island.  Lake Michigan flows into Lake Huron through the Mackinac Straits under the Mackinac Bridge.  All this water flows through the St. Claire River and Lake St. Claire and down the Detroit River and across Lake Erie and over Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario, without any other locks, except the Welland Canal, which bypasses the waterfalls.  The St. Lawrence Seaway takes that water out to the Atlantic via Montreal and Quebec with at least 4 locks, possibly more, between Lake Ontario and the ocean.

     We got to the lower end, and I dropped Roger off about 4:30pm.  He had another boat to take upstream.  He continued to assist me in several ways throughout my stay in Canada.  He’s a good man to know; if you can use his services, call 1-905-933-4146.

     I went into Lake Ontario, and it was windy!  I was a little disoriented, also.  I made my way over to the Port Dalhousie Pier Marina, and Roger had alerted them I was coming.  Paul, the manager, got about 6 other guys; and they pulled me into a T-head pier against the wind and tied the boat expertly.  What a nice group of guys.  I gave a couple of tours of the boat, as mine was almost the largest boat there.  One of the regulars on “C” Dock said there was always someone there to help anyone else coming onto that dock – that’s just the way they are.

     Checking in at the office I inquired about leaving the boat there for 5 weeks.  Also, I had called and left that message on their answering machine.  Roger had called and requested a price quotation from the owners, who were out.  I cooked dinner and made a few more phone calls.  I had run 10 hours during the day but only covered 60 plus 30, or 90, miles because of the slow speeds in the canal.

Port Dalhouise to Toronto, Ontario, Saturday, June 25, 2005

     I was up at 6am and fixed a nice breakfast for myself.  It was only a two-hour run across Lake Ontario to Toronto.  It was so hazy I did not see the CN Tower until I was a couple of miles from shore.  That tower is the tallest structure in the world - 1,815 feet tall.  When I pulled into the harbor, it was a little confusing, as I had never been there before.  As I approached the Harbor Master’s office, I heard someone call my name.  One of my friends had come down to meet me.  He helped me tie up and plug in, and then we went to a boat store and to lunch.  His wife joined us for lunch.  Then his wife went on her way, and we went to the grocery store and back to the boat.  About 5:30pm his son joined us, and the three of us went to the Toronto Argonauts football game in the Rogers Skydome that evening.  What a treat!





Lay Days, Sunday – Tuesday, June 26 – 28, 2005

     On Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday the boat did not move from its alongside berth.  On Sunday I walked down the waterfront and saw many interesting activities that Toronto enjoyed frequently.  For example there was a free band concert on stage in the shell near my boat during every weekend of the summer.  There were all kinds of boats offering cruises of the harbor and the islands, some of which also provided meals, dancing, etc.  There were restaurants and live sidewalk performers of all types.  The weather was wonderful.  

          One pressing need I had was getting my pictures downloaded from my digital camera onto a CD.  I had used up both of my chips and needed the download so I could take more pictures.  So, Sunday I walked the dozen or so blocks to the grocery store and did just that.  Then I walked north on Yonge Street to find the Gay Parade and did eventually see a few minutes of that.  It was a long way, and I was tired by the time I got back to the boat.  I walked back on Dundas Street and University Avenue and then by the Convention Centre, the CN Tower, and the Skydome, all of which were right next to each other.






                                                                                      Movie 1





                                                                                 Movie 2
    

                                                                                 Movie 3










     My friend took me to eat Sunday night, with his wife and son; we had sushi on Dundas Street.  It was a nice weekend, and my friend made himself available to help me out during the week as well.  

     On Monday and Tuesday I spent my time trying to get the boat cleaned, getting the teak deck on the cockpit and swim platform cleaned and oiled, washing clothes and rugs from the boat, meeting another friend for lunch on Tuesday, making business and personal telephone calls, etc.  One chore was trying to get a price for a slip in the marina across the lake, which took a lot of phone calls.  I think the owners had a friend or family member go to the hospital, and they were naturally distracted.  I put the dinghy in the water and enjoyed running around the harbor in that, including running out to Ontario Place Marina to buy gasoline for the dinghy.  










     I had a mechanic from Toronto Island Marina come to the boat on Tuesday to try and clear the grass out of my water intake for the air conditioner.  That did not work, so I slept through Monday and Tuesday nights with very little air conditioning.  It was hot there (above 30 degrees C), but the humidity was low.  The temperature was usually in the low 70s when I woke in the mornings.

Slow Boat Ride, Toronto Islands, Wednesday, June 29, 2005



     Wednesday I went on a sales call with one of my salesmen and one of our dealer’s salesmen.  Later I went over to Toronto Island Marina and had a diver go under the boat.  He cleared the grass from the intake for the A/C and the generator, and I had no further trouble with grass during the trip.  Later that evening the two sales people and two customers came by for a boat ride.  It was a nice evening, and I learned a lot about the harbor from our guests.  Later we went to eat in downtown Toronto, which is truly a beautiful city.

Lay Days, Thursday – Friday, June 30 – July 1, 2005

     On Thursday I went on a sales call from 10am to 4:30pm, which pretty much used up my day.  Otherwise, I walked a lot in Toronto.  I lost weight while I was there, and walking probably contributed to that.  Eating less also helped. Friday I rested and visited with friends.  It was hot in the afternoons, with high temperatures above 30 C; and Friday it was hazy again like the previous Saturday.

Slow Boat Ride, Toronto Islands, Saturday, July 2, 2005

     On Saturday I took a few of my friends on a slow boat ride.  The high temperatures of Thursday and Friday were reduced by a cold front on Friday night, and Saturday was a glorious day.  You can see from the photos there was hardly a cloud in the sky, which was an amazing blue color.  It was a great day to be alive and on the water in Toronto!













Toronto to Port Dalhousie, Ontario, Sunday, July 3, 2005

     On Sunday I said good-bye to Toronto and crossed Lake Ontario again.  I had worked out a deal with the Port Dalhousie Marina and had been assigned a slip on F Dock.  A couple of guys helped me back into the slip, but I did not have nearly the wind I had experienced a week earlier.  I bought fuel at Dalhousie Yacht Club and made a reservation with the airport van company.  I checked in and paid for the slip at the office.









     It was time to change the oil and filter on the generator, so I did that.  I also cleaned some other parts of the boat, like the bathroom.  I packed and tried to eat all the left-overs.  I slept very well.

Port Dalhouise, Ontario, Canada, to Houston, TX, USA, Monday, July 4, 2005

     All the flights on Tuesday were full, so I booked a flight from Buffalo to Houston for Monday afternoon.

Statistics for Year 2005 Cruise, Trips 1 & 2:

              Engine  Generator                 Fuel        Fuel        Run     Lay    Travel  Total   No. of
              Hours      Hours      Miles    Gallons     Costs       Days   Days   Days   Days  Locks

Trip 1       55            53          850        1437      $3253          6         1        2         9         9
Trip 2       72            48         1010       2109      $4900         12         5        2       19         9

Total       127          101        1860        3546      $8153        18         6        4       28        18

Average fuel price was $2.30  ($2.32 on Trip 2)
Average gallons per mile was 1.91  (2.09 on Trip 2)
Average speed was 14.6 mph  (14.0 on Trip 2)
Running hours per running day was 7.0  (6 on Trip 2)
Miles per running day was 103  (84 on Trip 2)
Generator hours per running hour was 0.8  (0.7 on Trip 2)