yes dear …

20-Jun-2021 Sunday Port Washington Marina, Port Washington WI to McKinnley Marina, Milwaukee MI (23 nautical miles 26.5 statute miles)

43°02’49.1″N 87°53’16.6″W
43.046982, -87.887951
Elevation: 579 feet     Elevation change: 0 feet
States (1): Wisconsin

Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers and especially to Dale, the father of my children, and to Jake who is celebrating be a father for the first time in his life.

Along the Way

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We were among the last to leave the marina this morning at 5:30am. All of the sport fishing boats left more than half an hour before us.

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Today was a great day for traveling except for the weather forecast. Waves were under a foot, four second swells. Severe thunderstorms predicted to start around noon. We had hoped to make Chicago today decided on Milwaukee, less than 25 miles away. Milwaukee will be a lot more interesting to sit out the sit out the weather than Port Washington.

Fishermen

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For the record, I really hate flies.

Milwaukee

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We pulled into McKinnley Marine’s fuel dock at 8am and slapped down our credit card for two nights. We will be pinned in by weather till at least Tuesday. As it looks today, there is a slim chance we can head to Chicago on Tuesday. If we can’t get out then we will be in Milwaukee for about a week. But who knows for sure. Weather changes.

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The rain came and I took a nap. When I awoke there was a pink pig flying at the end of our dock.

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I went back to bed.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

The idea for a day honoring dads is generally attributed to Sonora Dodd, a woman raised by her father after her mother died in childbirth, according to the Library of Congress. In 1910, Dodd was apparently listening to a church service on Mother’s Day, which itself had only existed for a few years and was still unofficial, and she began to think about everything her father had done for her growing up. The first Father’s Day celebration took place where Dodd lived, in Spokane, Wash., in June 1910.

In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed that the third Sunday in June would be officially known as Father’s Day, saying that we look to fathers to “provide the strength and stability which characterize the successful family.” In 1972, President Nixon made the day a national holiday.

Drolleries and Yuks

When does a joke become a dad joke?
~When it becomes apparent.

What’s the difference between a high-hit baseball and a maggot’s father?
~One’s a pop fly. The other’s a fly pop.

What did the mother bullet say to the daddy bullet?
~We’re gonna have a BB!

19-Jun-2021 Saturday Betsie Lake, Frankfort MI to Port Washington Marina, Port Washington WI (90 nautical miles 103.6 statute miles)

43°23’15.1″N 87°52’03.0″W
43.387515, -87.867488
Elevation: 579 feet     Elevation change: 0 feet
States (2): Michigan, Wisconsin

Along the Way

Following seas were predicted for today’s float plan. Leaving Frankfort before first light 5:30am.

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Autopilot was set to 229 degrees, RPMs to 1500 and we were off. Voila. We will be there in Sheboygan in~10 hours. Looking back at Frankfort. You can barely make out the lighthouse.

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Garden style rain showers were predicted for about 10:30am.

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It did rain.

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What we hadn’t expected was lightening. Dale pulled out one of our USPS (Power Squadron) manuals to see if it had any advice for what to do if your vessel gets struck by lightening. It didn’t offer up much but said lightening wasn’t as bad as either capsizing or sinking. OK.

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The time zone changed from EST to CST.  Sunset is one hour later tonight. Decisions. Decisions. Do we stop as planned at Sheboygan at 4PM or West Bend at 6PM?

With the weather in our favor we turned 14 degrees to the south, zipped open the isinglass and cruised, with a new heading of 215 degrees, West Bend.

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Various time during the day the waves were so jumbled it was hard to say what direction they were coming from. That’s one of the reasons that makes Lake Michigan so dangerous.

The nasty old flies were back, but not in the masses we had earlier.

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Someone had suggested using peppermint spray to keep them away. It helped but didn’t solve the problem. They started landing on me.

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The jury’s not out for me on the peppermint spray. As long as the peppermint aroma lingered the flies stayed away. I had used diluted diffuser oil. Perhaps if I had used a stronger scented peppermint oil, like a cooking peppermint oil, it might have worked better. Either way it worked well enough to keep the spray bottle at hand.

With Milwaukee in view we pulled into Port Washington. We initially anchored inside the breakwater. Unfortunately the swells were coming straight in so we decide to head into the marina. Dale will sleep better.

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The harbor wall wasn’t protective enough so a wall was added above the wall.

Charter fishing is big business in Port Washington. The marina is filled with fishing a boats. At least a dozen of them are charter fishing boats

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Good Night

Tonight we are on Wisconsin.

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Floccinaucinihilipilification

“On, Wisconsin!” can be traced back to the American Civil War where Lieutenant General Arthur MacArthur Jr. exclaimed these words in the Battle of Chattanooga at Missionary Ridge to help rally his regiment. This exclamation worked so well that he was rewarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts.

“On, Wisconsin!” was written W. T. Purdy and designated as the state song in 1959. The state song lyrics are different from the “On, Wisconsin!” the University of Wisconsin fight song lyrics.

State Song Lyrics:

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Grand old badger state!
We, thy loyal sons and daughters,
Hail thee, good and great.

On, Wisconsin! On, Wisconsin!
Champion of the right,
‘Forward’ – our motto –
God will give thee might!

BTW Wisconsin also has a state ballad ‘Oh Wisconsin, Land of My Dreams’ and a state waltz ‘Waltz of Wisconsin’.

More Floccinaucinihilipilification

The Sea Lamprey is the most dangerous fish in Lake Michigan. It is also the most dangerous fish in the entire Great Lakes area. Sea lamprey attach to a host fish, rasp and puncture its skin, and drain its body fluids, often killing the host fish. Their preferred hosts are salmon and lake trout, however they also feed on other fish species, including lake whitefish, walleye, northern pike, burbot, and lake sturgeon. Many of these fish species are important sportfish, highly prized and sought after by local and visiting anglers.

Drolleries and Yuks

Two goldfish are in a tank. One says to the other, “Do you know how to drive this thing?”

18-Jun-2021 Friday Petoskey City Marina, Petoskey MI to Betsie Lake, Frankfort MI (79.5 nautical miles 91.5 statute miles)

44°37’36.5″N 86°13’52.8″W
44.626812, -86.231333
Elevation: 579 feet     Elevation change: 0 feet
States (1): Michigan

Along the Way

It can’t always be sunny. The morning started with much needed rain. Today is ‘Doable’, not ‘Desirable’. We usually don’t do ‘Doable’. We did today.

The Windy app said it was 2 feet waves 3 seconds. Mary said it was 4 feet waves 3 seconds. It was particularly rough crossing shoals and rounding points. Lake Washing Machine (Lake Michigan) did not disappoint in its reputation today. Fortunately the rain passed and the wind laid down some after we rounded Traverse Bay.

I decided to skip they lighthouse pictures today and take pictures of sand dunes instead. I have to say again today, upper Michigan is beautiful.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes rise as high as 460 feet above the lake and cover 4 square miles.

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There is a ‘walking path’ from the top of the dune to the shore. If you can super zoom in on the below picture you can just make out a few people near the top of dune, some in the path and some along the shore. I think its highly doubtful that you make the trek to the bottom more than once in your life.

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Empire Bluff

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Betsie Point, Lighthouse and Dunes

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The Frankfort harbor has breakwater walls about .4 mile long. It really helped for entering the harbor in the wind.

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Good Night

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Floccinaucinihilipilification

Sleeping Bear Dune is named after an Ojibwe legend of the sleeping bear. According to the legend, an enormous forest fire on the western shore of Lake Michigan drove a mother bear and her two cubs into the lake for shelter, determined to reach the opposite shore. After many miles of swimming, the two cubs lagged behind. When the mother bear reached the shore, she waited on the top of a high bluff. The exhausted cubs drowned in the lake, but the mother bear stayed and waited in hopes that her cubs would finally appear. Impressed by the mother bear’s determination and faith, the Great Spirit created two islands (North and South Manitou islands) to commemorate the cubs, and the winds buried the sleeping bear under the sands of the dunes where she waits to this day. The “bear” was a small tree-covered knoll at the top edge of the bluff that, from the water, had the appearance of a sleeping bear. Wind and erosion have caused the “bear” to be greatly reduced in size over the years.

Drolleries and Yuks

What do you call a bear without any teeth?
~A gummy bear!

Which type of bear is the most condescending?
~A pan-duh!

I’m Pondering This

Someone told me that I should write a book. It’s a novel concept.

16/17-Jun-2021 Wednesday/Thursday Petoskey City Marina, Petoskey MI (0 nautical miles 0 statute miles)

45°22’38.2″N 84°57’37.1″W
45.377284, -84.960293
Elevation: 579 feet     Elevation change: -3 feet
States (1): Michigan

Along the Way

Wednesday. WOO WOO. We rented a car. The only car available for rent in the area. Enterprise said we could have it as long as we promised to have it back by noon the next day as it was already booked for a 2pm pickup. The car was Lincoln Navigator 2021. Way too good for the Tobins.

I wonder what’s going on here. It will be interesting to see if anyone falls in. Having rented cool wheels, we didn’t stay around long enough to find out.

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Family first. We went to Traverse City to visit Dale’s Aunt Marilynn. She’s 88 years old and in great health. Aunt Marilynn and Uncle Stans (deceased) were extremely kind to us when we lived in Michigan in the early 1990’s. She has a special place in our hearts.

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We also stopped by to visit Mary minus Dave. We met them on the Erie Canal. They graciously said we could use their address to have a couple of packages to us. Mary’s great. How can you not like someone with the same name as you. It’s funny how close you can feel for someone after knowing them for such a short time. Dave is STILL two days away from getting their boat to Traverse City.

Mary likes rocks and has been collecting them and landscaping with them as long as they have had their house, about 20 years. They just sold their house and she is going through a crisis with what to do with her rock collection. She has a lot interesting rocks. Mary has been sifting through her yard and grabbing a few she plans to take with her when she moves. Power to the pebble!

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Dale mentioned I really wanted to find a Petoskey stone. I didn’t actually find a Petoskey stone, but Mary said I could select I wanted from her yard and as many as I wanted. Thanks Mary! They are really cool.

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We saw the dock hands were done when we got back to the dock. The flags were up and no one had fallen in.

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Thursday

Petoskey has a Meijer store! Meijer stores are the best. They are a combination of a Super Target, a Super Walmart, Fleet Farm and main street all rolled into one store. We used to shop at a Meijer all the time in the 1990’s when we lived in Troy MI.

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Back with our stash including a case of yellow bellies and two new fly swatters.

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The 2021 Lincoln Navigator was due back at Enterprise in two hours. We took it joy riding along Little Traverse Bay to get our moneys worth our of it. We didn’t at all look out of place with our 2021 Lincoln Navigator as we drove through Wequetonsing and Harbor Springs.

Wequetonsing was interesting. There were a lot of new homes made to look like old homes. All the old was really new. Rich people name name their houses.

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Good. Downtown and Uptown are in the same direction.

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Obligatory pictures. Michigan is really beautiful.

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The Michigan State Police was formed during World War I to serve as a home guard while many men were actively serving their country in the armed forces. Eventually, the duties of the State Police were changed and they became a permanent part of law enforcement in Michigan, totaling 300 men by 1919.

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I thought long and hard about putting the Traverse Bay and Little Traverse Bay on my the Best of the Best List, but decided against it. The only reason it didn’t make the list is the traffic is terrible. The infrastructure is not set up to support the VOLUMES of local and vacationer traffic it has.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

A Petoskey stone is a rock and a fossil that is composed of a fossilized rugose coral, Hexagonaria percarinata.  The 6-sided coral fossils are found in rock formations dating back to the Devonian period, about 350 million years ago. Complete fossilized coral colony heads can be found in Petoskey stones

In 1965, the Petoskey stone was named the state stone of Michigan.

Drolleries and Yuks

What’s big, red, and eats rocks?
~A big, red, rock eater

Why is a moon rock tastier than an earth rock?
~Because it’s a little meteor.

What rock group has four men that don’t sing?
~Mount Rushmore.

What do you call it when two carbons are in a relationship?
~Carbon dating.

Why was the boulder emotionless?
~Because it had a heart of stone.

What do you call a rock that bunks school?
~A skipping stone.

Why were the rock couple breaking up?
~Because they took each other for granite!

Why was the criminal rock acquitted?
~Because his alibi was rock solid.

What do they do with a dead geologist?
~They barium.

Why was the geologist considering changing his profession?
~Because he had hit rock bottom.

What do you call a dubious rock?
~A shamrock.

Where do rocks sleep?
~In bedrocks.

Which magazine do rocks subscribe to?
~The Rolling Stone.

15-Jun-2021 Tuesday Cheyboygan County Marina, Cheyboygan MI to Petosky City Marina, Petoskey MI (60.1 nautical miles 69.2 statute miles)

45°22’38.2″N 84°57’37.1″W
45.377284, -84.960293
Elevation: 579 feet     Elevation change: =3 feet
States (1): Michigan

Along the Way

It seems like every time we head towards this bridge it take for ever to get there. This is our third time.

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Lake Washing Machine (aka Lake Michigan) is not too bad today. Northern Michigan is real pretty.

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All commercial vessels passing under the Mackinac Bridge, through the Mackinac Straits, issue sécurité warnings about 60 minutes so that traffic is kept to a minimal when they cross under the bridge. We heard sécurité warnings all day. Commercial ship traffic was heavy.

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Commercial fishing on Lake Michigan is not as prevalent as years ago.

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https://www.michiganseagrant.org/topics/coastal-hazards-and-safety/commercial-fishing-net-safety/

There are 4 big light houses between Waugoshance Point/Island and Hog Island to make sure no one makes a mistake. We ran rogue and didn’t follow the shipping lanes. Less miles and we have a shallower draft.

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Little Traverse Bay

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Petoskey

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Walk about

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We stopped to watch a baseball game at Bay Shore Park. I rooted for the Racers because I liked their shirts. I also like the players names on the shirts. Each was a funny nick name. They lost.

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Tonight we are at the tip of the ring finger of the left had Michigan mitten.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

Lake Huron and Lake Michigan really are one lake.
Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are culturally known as two lakes despite being connected. The splitting point is the Straights of Mackinac.

Nauti Words

Sécurité is a procedure word used in the Maritime radio service that warns the crew that the following message is important safety information. The most common use of this is by coast radio stations before the broadcast of navigational warnings and meteorological information.

14-Jun-2021 Monday Alpena Municipal Marina, Alpena MI to Cheyboygan County Marina, Cheyboygan MI (84.5 nautical miles 97.3 statute miles)

45°22’38.2″N 84°57’37.1″W
45.377284, -84.960293
Elevation: 582 feet     Elevation change: 3 feet
States (1): Michigan

Along the Way

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A light for the way.

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Another long run today.  Long runs are hard and when open water, boring. I finished my book a couple of days ago. We were too far out to get internet data. In desperation for something to do, I cleaned.

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Overall it was another great run. We did have a over an hour of 2 feet 3 seconds head on swells. That wasn’t so great. It’s on the very edge of the “I don’t like that” zone.

Cheyboygan

Shortly after we slipped in and showered another Looper couple with a Bayliner (Dan and Gina on Kittiwake) stopped by. That led to great conversations and story swapping. Then another Looper couple stopped by. Imagine our surprise to see Dan and June on Subject to Change. We had met them on our first Loop in Canada. They are traveling slow and still on their first Loop.

Dale and I never made it to see downtown Cheyboygan. I heard it was cute.

Tonight we are at the tip of the middle finger of the left hand Michigan mitten.

Neighbors

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Floccinaucinihilipilification

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Ponder This

Do gun manuals have a trouble-shooting section?

13-Jun-2021 Sunday Michigan State Harbor, Port Austin MI to Alpena Municipal Marina, Alpena MI (65 nautical miles 74.8 statute miles)

45°03’32.2″N 83°25’37.7″W
45.058944, -83.427142
Elevation: 579 feet     Elevation change: 2 feet
States (1): Michigan

Along the Way

Since we came in after hours last night, this morning I walked over to the harbor master’s to pay for our slip. I love dogs but dogs on the beach make me mad.

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I looked around for the owners and was getting ready to yell at it then realized … it wasn’t a real dog.

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Just leaving the harbor and the flies are already circling in. Bet I find protein in the bottom of my coffee cup again today 🙁

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Fortunately it didn’t get worse.

It was a beautiful run, but a long run across Saginaw Bay (60+ miles). You couldn’t have asked for more exceptional weather.

Alpena
Alpena lies on the 45th parallel, which means it is HALFWAY to the North Pole. BTW so does Larpenture Ave in St Paul MN.

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Tonight we are at the pointer finger middle joint of the left hand Michigan mitten.

Downtown Alpena looked like other smaller lake towns. This building caught my eye.

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Neighbors

Floccinaucinihilipilification

The map is courtesy of tonight’s NOAA neighbors.

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Looks like we might get a little push from the current tomorrow.

Drolleries and Yuks

Why do dogs like to run around in libraries?
~Lots of Tales to chase!

12-Jun-2021 Saturday River Street Marina, Port Huron MI to Michigan State Harbor, Port Austin MI (83.5 nautical miles 96.1 statute miles)

42°58’41.0″N 82°25’46.1″W
42.978050, -82.429482
Elevation: 577 feet Lift: 0 feet
States (1): Michigan

Vroom. Vroom. Vroom. I’m all about driving my Donzi through someone’s boatyard this morning. Donzi cigarette boats and pontoons paraded the channel last night until 2AM.

Along the Way

Since the camera went to bed early last night I thought I’d take a quick picture of the marina wall we stayed on. Last night the boat owners dragged picnic tables from the park grass to the side walks next to their boats. Others set-up their own patio furniture.

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Here on Huron!

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Then it was hell.

There must have been a million files swarming yes dear… today. It was like God took his pepper shaker and blessed our boat. The flies only redeeming qualities were that they didn’t bite and were stupid, making them relatively easy to kill. I coward in the downstairs salon. No way was I going to stand outside and take pictures. Dale turned the autopilot to head further out into Lake Huron hoping to move out of their range.

Dale took out the hose and sprayed down yes dear… to get the flies off. The carnage was great. The scupper drain water ran black with carcasses of dead flies. No kidding! Dale continued to defend, spray down the exterior of yes dear… against the plague of flies for about 2.5 hours.

I can’t help wondering how fishermen deal with the flies. They must really like to fish.

I continued to cower on the inside. I too had challenges. Some of our screens do not seal completely tight. Flies were streaming through yes dear’s… screen gaps. If I owned a burka I would have put it on. After waring out my both fly swatters I took to spraying the flies with Mrs Meyers cleaner. It slowed them down enough for me to wipe them up with paper towels and squish them. We had one sticky trap. I placed it in a strategic spot and in 20 minutes it was covered.

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Once in the marina and plugged into shore power, we hunted down the remaining flies inside yes dear… with the vacuum cleaner.

I am traumatized. I’m may to have to add therapy to my existing list of weight watchers, marriage counseling and Alcoholics Anonymous for when we complete the Loop. I hate flies more than spiders. Spiders eat flies.

Back to the voyage

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You know how lower Michigan looks like a left hand mitten? Tonight we are at the tip of the thumb of the left hand Michigan mitten.

I glanced at a bucket in the cockpit as I stepped off yes dear… The fly aftermath was right there in black and white. The mid-deck and upper helm on yes dear… looked this bad too. But, it wasn’t as evident because the blue gray carpet camouflaged the massacre.

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Dale has had a hankering for Revel Stokes Pecan Whiskey for over a month now. It’s been out of stock at every liquor store we’ve checked at. We stopped at the liquor store here in Port Austin, the one that has the Bentley parked outside of it. BTW liquor stores in Michigan are called party stores.

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They didn’t have any Revel Stokes Pecan Whiskey either. The woman working behind the counter was a font of knowledge. Business was slow so we visited with her for a while. She said that there is currently a plastic and glass shortage in the US that is affecting liquor supplies and probably other supplies. She showed us several bottles of liquor that are currently using mismatching bottle caps because it’s the only color bottle caps available at the moment. She hasn’t had Corona beer in stock for 4 weeks and is having similar issues with other beers and some liquors. She didn’t attribute this shortage to ‘China issues’ but rather the reticence of American workers to go back to work.

She also said that there have been unusually heavy hatches of flies this year. We told her we had experienced that.

Down the street we stopped a little bar restaurant. We ordered pizza. The choices were traditional round or Detroit square style. We went with Detroit square.

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I commented to Carrie, the bartender, as we paid the bill “You look tired. How long have you been on your shift?” Her reply was “Only since four. I just had Covid really bad and I’m still recovering. I really shouldn’t be here.” She wasn’t wearing a mask. She was wearing a chin diaper.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

Lake Huron has the longest shoreline of the Great Lakes.
The Lake’s shoreline stretches 3,827 miles. The vast number of islands in Lake Huron contribute to the high shoreline mileage.

Great Lakes Loch Ness Monster.
An old Ojibwa legend claims that a water monster lives in the Lake Huron. The monster, Mishebeshu, is said to live in a den at the mouth of the Serpent River. (Canada)

Over 1,000 Shipwrecks have Occurred.
While Lake Superior is well-known for shipwrecks due to the SS Edmund Fitzgerald wreck in 1975, Lake Huron has had numerous wrecks too. Fathom Five National Marine Park houses artifacts from 22 of the wrecks, only a small fraction of the wrecks. (Canada)

Lake Huron has an Underwater Forest.
Off the shores of Lexington, Michigan you can find 7,000-year-old petrified trees

Lake Huron has a Salt Mine under it.
Goderich Mine, which is the largest salt mine in the world, partly runs 1,800 feet under Lake Huron. (Canada)

Drolleries and Yuks

What do you call an iPhone’s battery?
~Apple juice.

11-Jun-2021 Friday  Alcyone’s dock (Todd and Patty), Gross Isle MI to River Street Marina, Port Huron MI (23.3 nautical miles  26.8 statute miles)

42°58’41.0″N 82°25’46.1″W
42.978050, -82.429482
Elevation: 577 feet Lift: 4 feet
States (1): Michigan

Great morning. Got to the bottom of my coffee cup without finding a bug.

Geography Lesson

The St. Clair River flows south from Lake Huron into Lake St Clair. The Detroit River flows south from Lake St Clair into Lake Erie. We are ran up river, both the Detroit River and the St Clair River, all day today. The current was quite strong on both rivers evidenced by a 4 foot elevation rise over ~27 statue miles.

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One thing about rivers, its best to let them decide your travel speed. 1500 – 1600 rpms is the sweet spot for yes dear’s… 2-250 Hino engines. At times the rivers today let us run 6.5 kts and other times we ran 3.4 kts, both much slower than our 7.5 rpms – 8 rpms average. In the sweet spot increasing rpms only burns fuel and doesn’t do much to increase speed.

Along the Way

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US Steel as far as the eye can see. Iron ore, old plants and new plants.

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The south side of Detroit is industrial. Auto manufacturing related plants of various kinds go on and on. The Canadian side isn’t any prettier.

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There is a different configuration of tow boat / barge in this area than we’ve seen before. When they are joined they resemble a ship with a swap out bridge/engines. The barges are notched so that the tow slips partially into them. It must be more efficient/cost effective to switch a tow out if mechanical issues arise.
I don’t know what the configuration is called 🙁

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Heading into Detroit

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Time trials for the Detroit Grand Prix were happening on Belle Isle as we passed by.

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Here they come.

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Lake St Clair

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Nemesis of the Day – NONE. Today there were almost 50 dragonflies on yes dear…. Flies hate dragonflies. Dragonflies eat flies 🙂

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The southern end of the St Clair River has cottages on the USA side and open land on the Canadian side. As we headed up the St Clair River the Canadian side became more residential.

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The northern end of St Clair River is industrial, little bit more on the Canadian side that the USA side. All of the quaint houses on the USA side of the St Clair River have a most excellent view of Canadian factories and plants.

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Remember the Waterworld post-apocalyptic action film staring Kevin Costner? The St Clair River felt that way.

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I’m really glad this is not a weekend day. Pleasure boat traffic must be a nightmare. I didn’t take any pictures of Donzi boats (cigarette boats) as I refuse to feed their egos. If I had a dime for every Donzi we saw screaming past I’d own the Queen Mary.

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Port Huron

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My camera went to bed early, even before yes dear… was docked.

10-Jun-2021 Thursday  Village Marina on South Bass Island, Put-In-Bay OH to Alcyone’s dock (Todd and Patty), Gross Isle MI (32.6 nautical miles  37.5 statute miles)

42°06’21.0″N 83°08’59.0″W
42.105824, -83.149727
Elevation: 573 feet Lift 2 feet
States (2): Ohio, Michigan

Along the Way

Leaving Put-In-Bay

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Nemesis of the Day

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Todd and Patty graciously offered us a place on their wall for the night. We followed them home.

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Todd and Patty live in a Wonderland. I wondered if we could make it in and if we did, I wondered if we could make it back out.

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Changing of the colors.
Todd and Patty’s Gold Looper Flag was in the mail stack waiting for them at their house. We had the privilege of watching them change their colors.

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Thanks Todd and Patty for your hospitality. We’ll see you in Florida.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

Centipedes generally avoid water. They can swim for a short while but soon drown due to lack of oxygen. They take in oxygen from the atmosphere thro’ small pores located under their legs.

Drolleries and Yuks

How much room is needed for a fungi to grow?
~As mushroom as possible 

09-Jun-2021 Wednesday  Mentor Harbor Yacht Club, Mentor-on-the-Lake OH  to Village Marina on South Bass Island, Put-In-Bay OH  (68.1 nautical miles  78.4 statute miles)

41°39’15.2″N 82°49’05.9″W
41.654229, -82.818317
Elevation: 571 feet     Lift 0
States (1): Ohio

Along the Way

Rather than bounce along the southern shore of Lake Erie past Cleveland and Sandusky we decided to head straight across towards Detroit. The forecast said weather would be good for traveling all day but I didn’t think it looked that way.

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An unexpected guest

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The weather did eventually clear up.

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The nemesis of the day was the nematocera. I just don’t where all the bugs come from when we are 3 miles or more off shore.

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We traveled just south of the USA/Canada boundary.

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There’s a small group of islands in Lake Erie just north of Sandusky OH. Some are in the USA and others are in Canada.

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Entering Put-in-Bay OH on South Bass Island.

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Someone somewhere along the line released a couple of koi carp in Put-In-Bay. They interbred with the local carp so it’s not surprising for the locals to see orange carp. It is surprising for the rest of us to see the orange carp.

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We rented a golf cart and toured the island with Todd and Patty from Alcyone. They had been out here several times before and were great tour guides.

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The 352-foot Perry’s Victory and International Peace Memorial monument is the world’s tallest Doric column. IT was constructed between 1912 to 1915 it stands 47 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.

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We needed to stop for one beer before we had to return the golf cart.

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Good Night

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Floccinaucinihilipilification

The Battle of Lake Erie, sometimes called the Battle of Put-in-Bay, was fought on 10 September 1813, on Lake Erie during the War of 1812. Nine vessels of the United States Navy defeated and captured six vessels of the British Royal Navy. This ensured American control of the lake for the rest of the war, which in turn allowed the Americans to recover Detroit and win the Battle of the Thames to break the Indian confederation of Tecumseh. It was one of the biggest naval battles of the War of 1812.

Ponder This

Do song birds get mad at humming birds for not knowing the words?

08-Jun-2021 Tuesday  Presque Isle State Park, Erie PA  to  Mentor Harbor Yacht Club, Mentor-on-the-Lake OH  (68.8 nautical miles  79.2 statute miles)

41°43’35.3″N 81°20’59.2″W
41.726464, -81.349783
Elevation: 570 feet   Lift -1
States (2): Pennsylvania, Ohio

Along the Way

Our day went like this.

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The Mentor marina is man made/dredged. There are two businesses, Mentor Harbor Yacht Club and Mentor Lagoons Marina. We stayed at the yacht club,

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A shuttle runs between the Mentor Harbor Yacht Club and the Mentor Harbor Yacht Club docks

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After sunset the shuttle took us back to our dock

Neighbors

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Ponder This

If an electricians kid gets in trouble do they ground them?

07-JUN-2021 Monday  LaSalle Yacht Club, Niagara Falls NY to Presque Isle State Park, Erie PA (87.7 nautical miles  100.9 statute miles)

42°09’25.1″N 80°07’14.0″W
42.156970, -80.120550
Elevation: 571 feet Rise 9 feet
States (2): New York, Pennsylvania

Locks (1):
Black Rock Lock

Along the Way

Beautifully still this morning. Looking at the Grand Island North Bridge.

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The sand flies were horrid. Tammy had to protect her coffee cup when she got up to tell us goodbye. I ended up with extra protein in mine. YUK.

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A couple of last looks towards Niagara Falls. You can see the mist from the falls.

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I got to thinking what DOES Niagara Fall look like on the nautical charts?

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I have to admit I was more than a little confused about the geography of Niagara Falls and Buffalo. So I looked it up. Niagara Falls is on Lake Ontario and Buffalo is on Lake Erie. They are connected by the Niagara River which is 36 miles long.

Buffalo NY

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We connected up with Looper Alcyone in Black Rock Lock. We had first met them in Everglade City.

Black Rock Lock is a Federal Lock, 650 feet in length and 70 feet wide. There is only one chamber and the total weight of the gate is 480 tons. The lock has been a part of Black Rock since the state of New York built the Erie Canal in 1833.

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Wall of Fame. High school sports teams championships are painted on the wall.

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Root for the Home Team! Toronto Blue Jays are using the Buffalo Stadium. Yankees will be playing them in Buffalo later this summer. All the seats for the series are are ready sold out. The community is loving it, having MLB in town.  It will be crazy when the Yankees are here. New York really likes their baseball.

International Peace Bridge

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Things got a lot more Erie, Lake Erie.

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The sand fly problem turned into a biting fly problem after we entered Lake Erie.

Again things got a lot more Erie, Erie PA.

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Erie PA is bigger than I thought it was.

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Presque Isle State Park

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The biting fly problem turned into a mosquito problem after we entered Presque Isle State Park Bay,

Neighbors

We are anchored at the pin in the state park. This the first time we’ve anchored since leaving the Hudson River. It’s great not to have to worry about tides and currents.

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Floccinaucinihilipilification

As of today, yes dear… has traveled on all of the Great Lakes

By surface area, Lake Erie is the fourth-largest of the Great Lakes, with a surface area of 9,910 square miles. It is the eleventh largest lake in the world if measured in terms of surface area.

By volume Lake Erie is the smallest of the Great Lakes with 116 cubic miles of water.

Lake Erie is the shallowest of the Great Lakes. The lake’s average depth is 62 feet, while the maximum depth is 210 feet.

Ponder This

Did the guy who coined ‘one hit wonder’ ever come up with any other popular phrases?

06-JUN-2021 Sunday  Free Dock, Middleport NY to LaSalle Yacht Club, Niagra Falls NY (33.1 nautical miles  38.1 statute miles)

43°04’22.1″N 78°59’08.2″W
43.072805, -78.985607
Elevation: 562 feet Rise 50 feet
States (1): New York

Locks (2):
Lock E34 – Lockport
Lock E35 – Lockport (Elevation 564 at top of lock)

Along the Way

Wester Erie Canal is not at all like southern Florida ICW. Everything is shiny new and big in southern Florida. You never see an older boat (unless it’s a Looper boat). Here, you never see a new a new boat.

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I wonder if they hung the right doors. There’s a different color and the down arrows are missing.

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The weirdest thing of the day award goes to something I didn’t get a picture of. Some guy in his 60’s came roaring down to the canal edge on his four wheeler with his little dog on his lap. He skidded to a stop, lifted up his little dog and pointed to our boat so the dog could see it.

The Erie Canal saved the best for last.
Lockport. Sections of the original Erie Canal have been persevered. Other sections are in their original state. (Warning: I’m picture happy)

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Lock E34 – Lockport (Lock 1)
Originally there were two sets of five step locks at Lockport to allow boats to travel both East and West at the same time. These two sets of five step locks have been replaced by two locks with significant lifts (~45 feet each). One set of the original locks have been preserved and are used for overflow.

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At the top of Lock E34 you directly pass into Lock E35 – Lockport, the last lock until the Niagara River.

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Signs of the original Erie Canal are very evident on the starboard/right/north side of the canal. You can still see the old mule path cut into the rock, forming a ledge. Rocks along the waterline have been worn smooth by the water through the years. The mule path was removed from port/left/south side of the canal when it was widened years ago.

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Oopsies. I accidently bumped a button on my camera. The next set of pictures are in some sort of special effects cartoon mode. I thought they were kinda funky so I included more that I should have.

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The closer to Niagara River we got the bluer the water got.

Kayak breeding grounds. This place is a zoo.

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Give them the horn Dom!

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The Erie Canal ends where it enters the Niagara River.

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It’s hard to say goodbye. Rather than saying goodbye, Brandi Jo (Dom and Tammy) took us home with them. We headed down the Niagara River towards the falls to their yacht club. The waterway was Florida crazy.

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Tonawanda, which means “swift waters,” was the name given to the area by Neuter and Erie Indians, the area’s original inhabitants. It probably refers to the Niagara River current.

Back to reality. I discover my oopsies and reset my camera.

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Brandi Jo’s home marina is just before the North Grand Island Bridge.

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Dale and Tom put the boom back on the sun roof. The Mooch was returned to her spot on top.

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Then Tom snuck off to Minnesota. It was great having you aboard!

Current Status and Elevation

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Floccinaucinihilipilification

The Niagara River is a connecting channel between two Great Lakes, Erie and Ontario. Niagara Falls has moved back seven miles in 12,500 years and is thought to be the fastest moving waterfalls in the world.  700,000 of water travel down Niagara Falls every second.

It is believed that the word Niagara originates from the Iroquoian word ‘Onguiaahra’ meaning ‘Strait’. Making reference to the narrow waterways that flow north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

Ponder This

If there is an earthquake on a dairy farm, is it called a milkshake?

05-JUN-2021 Saturday  Free Wall, Holley NY to Free Dock, Middleport NY (22.8 nautical miles   26.2 statute miles)

43°12’45.3″N 78°28’38.3″W
43.212570, -78.477301
Elevation: 512 feet Rise 0 feet
States (1): New York

Locks (0):

Along the Way

We watched another boat head out this morning before we left. The guy on the bow is holding an upright pole. As long as the pole clears, the boat will clear.

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Today’s entire run was above grade. Mind blowing. And windy too. 20 mph wind. I’m glad we are not on Lake Erie today.

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Recently reinforced banks or just power washed the rocks?

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I’d have loved to stop in Albion for a quick walk about. It’s known for its old churches. Alas, there was no room to tie up with the dredges and barges on the free wall.

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Albion was the home of George Pullman, the guy that invented railroad sleeping cars. He got the idea from watching canal boats.

A roaming operator works both the Ingersoll bridge and the Main Street Bridge in Albion.

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I somehow messed up my camera. A lot of todays pictures are a blurry. How can you mess up autofocus??
Continuing on.

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The Erie Canal continues to surprise with beautiful farmland and orchards.

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Orchards

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An Erie Canal surprise!
Near Medina the Erie Canal crosses over Culvert Road on an aqueduct. This is the only place a car can driver under the Erie Canal. It’s not that amazing from above but I bet it is mind blowing to see a boat pass over road on the aqueduct from below.

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As Brandi Jo approached the kayakers Dom honked his horn. They scattered like baby Canadian geese being chased.

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Back to an area of cement walls. The cement walls are about 3 feet high and have cable mounted for water emergencies (e.g. something to grab on to if you fall out of your boat or have boat trouble). It’s au naturale on the other side.

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Medina, another Erie Canal surprise. The north side the canal is an 61 foot embankment. The canal elevation is 512 feet and the land/lake below is 451 feet elevation

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Medina is known for its Medina Sandstone, a stone used widely in buildings across the region. Some local examples include the “million dollar grand staircase” at the New York State Capitol in Albany, the Richardson Olmsted Complex in Buffalo, and in buildings at the University of Rochester and Cornell University. Sandstone varies in color from light grey to a deep reddish brown. It can also be found at Buckingham Palace and the the streets of Havana.

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Murals

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On occasion I still need to check the bridge height.

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Middleport

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Downtown Middleport is one block long. All the buildings in downtown Middleport, both sides, are owned by one person who is trying to develop it.

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Epilogue

Dale read us a bedtime story while we ate our epilogues.

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P.S. Dale fixed my camera settings so I’m good to go for tomorrow 🙂

04-JUN-2021 Friday  Free Wall, Spencerport NY to Free Wall, Holley NY (11 nautical miles   12.7 statute miles)

43°13’39.8″N 78°01’15.3″W
43.227713, -78.020925
Elevation: 512 feet Rise 0 feet
States (1): New York

Locks (0):

Along the Way

I’m liking the lift bridges.

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Some bridge operators run two bridges. The bridge operator at the Spencerport Union Street Lift Bridge also runs the Adams Basin Lift Bridge ~3 miles away.

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Large sections of today’s run ran well above the grade of the land. The Erie Canal, probably like most canals, is truly an engineering marvel. Not only did the early designers have to design the canals across peaks, valleys and flats, they had to identify water sources and build aqueducts to feed the canal. It takes a lot of coordination to keep the water flowing, pools at the correct height and not deplete the water sources.

Bridge inspection. Checkout the outrigger pontoon stabilizers.

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Continuing on.

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Dale has been “little towned” to death. They all have a head shop, a restaurant, a shitnack store, a grocery store, a Dollar Store and maybe a hardware store. I love them. We stopped at Brockport.

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The hardware store in Brockport was a time capsule.

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We went to find the Fire Department Museum about 5 blocks away on the edge of town.

Apparently some of the drivers around here have a little difficulty judging the height on the bridge. I understand the problem. It’s the same problem we’ve been dealing with on yes dear… But, so far we’ve been able to clear all these bridges.

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The Fire Department Museum was closed.

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Diversity in housing

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Kayak and other personal craft launching station. I haven’t seen one of these before.

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We docked yes dear… on the Holley Canal Park free wall for the night and went off to find the waterfalls.

Canal Park has has this weird thing going on with painted rocks. They are just kinda laying around like Easter Egg or something. A local resident told me I could take one if I wanted. I didn’t.

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Holley Canal Falls is one of the more unique and historic waterfalls in New York. It is a man made waterfall and part of the Erie Canal system. When the canal was widened over 100 years old, a water overflow outlet was created in Holley. Water that flows out of the canal plunges off a 35-foot sandstone cliff and makes its way into the East Branch of Sandy Creek.

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Canal Park, along the canal

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Ponder This

If dentists make their money off bad teeth… why should I trust the toothpaste that 4 out of 5 dentists recommend?

03-JUN-2021 Thursday  Free Wall, Newark NY to City Wall, Fairport NY to Free Wall, Spencerport NY (22.1 nautical miles   25.4 statute miles)

43°11’33.0″N 77°47’57.8″W
43.192505, -77.799385
Elevation: 512 feet Rise 50 feet
States (1): New York

Locks (2 up):
Lock E31 – <NO LOCK>
Lock E32 – Pittsford
Lock E33 – Henrietta

Along the Way

The Newark lift bridge is lifted for repairs.

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The western portion of the Erie Canal, for about the next 100 miles to Buffalo, resembles the original Erie Canal, a trench dug through the landscape with a tow path on both sides for the mules.

It will be mostly 15 foot bridges and 15 foot guard gates today. Cringe.

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Interstate I490.
It looks a little dubious from below.

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Continuing on.

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Some of these canal boats have tiller steering. I wonder how that works for docking?

I finally got to the point where I’m not cringing under every 15 foot bridge. I still keep a cautious eye though.

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Lock E32 – Pittsford. This was crazy. If I understand correctly, the giant stream of mounded of water get diverted to fill the locks when the doors are closed.

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The echoing waterfalls, leaks in the doors, dampened as the chamber filled. Lock walls crumbled as I pushed to keep yes dear.. off them. This lock too is in need of repair.

They are making some updates. They’ve recently swapped out the weighted lock lines for cables attached to the bottom and the top of the lock wall. We wrap a line around them old on and has the water depth changes. They are a lot easier and safer than the weighted lock lines.

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Lock E33 – Henrietta also had a giant stream of mounded of water. Scary.

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The powerhouses house equipment used to generate electricity to power lock gates and valves. Almost all the locks have a powerhouse.

Lock E33 is the last lock for 42 miles. (NO LOCKS TOMORROW!!!!)

At this point the Erie Canal is skirting Rochester along the southwest corner I390 beltline.

The runner is running slightly faster than we are traveling (6.2 kts/7.1 mph). Note the grade. If the canal wall fails it will swap the area.

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It’s pretty incredible after pretty incredible.

The “Rock Cut”, miles 260-264, required some of the most extensive excavation of the entire Erie Canal. The deep cut was made through solid rock without the aid of modern earthmoving equipment.

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Canal Relics

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We are here.

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Junction Lock – The original Erie Canal used to go into downtown Rochester. This was the original canal and lock entrance to downtown Rochester.

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I haven’t seen any turtles the entire length of the Erie Canal.

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Spencerport

About 10 days ago there was a breach in the the canal walls some where around here. Guard gates were closed and the canal was drained to repair the canal wall. The water is about 1.5 feet low in this section of the canal as they are still trying to raise the pool to normal height.

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Walkabout
Tomorrow we will pass under the Union Street Lift Bridge. Pedestrians can cross the bridge when it is in the down position or the raised position. The bridge walkway, on the left, raises with the bridge to the height of the red steps for pedestrians to pass.

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Good Night

Thanks Tom F for the great picture.

Ponder This

How many times do you have to click “I accept cookies” before they send you the cookies?

02-JUN-2021 Wednesday  Free Wall, Newark NY to City Wall, Fairport NY (17.7 nautical miles  20.4 statute miles)

43°06’03.8″N 77°26’27.5″W
43.101057, -77.440964
Elevation: 462 feet Rise 28 feet
States (1): New York

Locks (2 up):
Lock E29 – Palmyra
Lock E30 – Macedon

Along the Way

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First bridge was REALLY low. None of us were paying attention. Good thing we didn’t hit. We were all looking at the street light on the bridge.

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Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints in Palmyra in1830.

Lock E29 – Palmyra. Another lock in rough shape.

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The aqueduct that feeds the pool between Lock E29 and Lock E30 collapsed about the same time Lock E17 went caput. It’s been stabilized but a lot of rain is needed to fill the aqueduct source. Vessels with a draft of 5 feet or less can plow their way through. Lock E29 provides each vessel locking through with a depth map. It’s a lot worse at the western E30 end than at the eastern E29 end.

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Exiting Lock E29.

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Like a dock out of water.

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At least we didn’t need to worry about bridge height for 1.3 miles until the next lock.

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Old Lock 61 from 1862.

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Lock E30 – Macedon. Our Lock E17 friend Clyde and his dad got stuck and had to be drug through the shallows. His 5 foot sailboat keel to was too deep and got stuck. A kindly trawler tossed him a line and drug him through. Wonder what his keel looks like now. yes dear… was vertically challenged too. We draft 3’9″. The canal bottom by the wall seemed soft. We didn’t feel any bottom contact but the depth on the depth finder was unsettling.

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Free and clear! Whew! This should be just about it for the western Erie Canal challenges. Only four more locks to do until we are out of the Erie Canal.

Long about the Wayneport Road at Wayneport the daymarks are no longer numbered.

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I think there were 2 more number signs after these but I didn’t see them.

It’s very different from Florida, but its still “WOW look at that house. WOW look at that house. LOOK at that DOCK”.

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The lift bridge at Fairport is in the Guiness Book of World Records for several reasons. One end is higher than the other, it’s built on a slant and no two angles on the entire bridge are exactly the same. Constructed in 1913 it’s been closed for repair since September 2019. DOT hopes it will be complete in June 2021. Think about it. Some poor dude had to figure that all out in 1913 by manual calculations.

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Walk about. Dom and Tammy want to go the the Italian Market in town here. We followed. They haven’t steared us wrong yet.

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Italian Market. Baccala (codfish). It sure looks like lutefisk to me. They are both dried and salted cod.

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Interesting shops

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We did a pass through at the Iron Smoke Distillery.

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Stopped for a beer at the Triphammer.

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Neighbors

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Drolleries and Yuks

What’s the leading cause of dry skin?
~Towels.

01-JUN-2021 Tuesday  Free Wall, Baldwinsville NY to Free Wall, Newark NY (48.3 nautical miles  55.6 statute miles)

43°02’50.9″N 77°05’41.3″W
43.047480, -77.094808
Elevation: 434 feet Rise 62 feet
States (1): New York

Locks (5 up):
Lock E25 – Mays Point
Lock E26 – Clyde
Lock E27 – Lyons
Lock E28A – Lyons
Lock E28B – Newark

Along the Way

It wasn’t enough to simply have mannequins on the dock…. Dale and Tom had to critique their skin tone and wardrobe.

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Cross Lake. Exactly what we did. Head straight across the lake heading for the hole in the trees. (Cross Lake is not cross shaped.)

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Farmland. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen farmland along the waterway.

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Bridges…. The bridges on the western side the Erie Canal are lower than the bridges on the eastern side the Erie Canal. We made the decision to run it and see what happens. Today will tell. Some of them look like they have been built by fairies and others look like they have been built by trolls.

Checking out the bridge heights. Just because you’ve made one at 15 feet it doesn’t mean you make another at 15 feet. The pool levels between the lock might flux due to rain or other conditions.

Low bridge. Everybody down.

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This guy is sitting in the weeds. Bet he’s full of ticks.

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It’s looking like we can clear the bridges. It’s the electrical wires I’m starting to worry about.

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High density housing. Not everyone can afford the Finger Lakes region.

Everyone has a golf cart. A guy could make a fine living here fixing golf carts.

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It’s a mixed bag of landscape. Fun to see farms again. I miss the mountains though.

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Cayuga-Seneca(C-S) Canal to the portside. Daymarks are always interesting where channels split.

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Remains of the Montezuma Aqueduct where the canal of 1862 crossed the Seneca River.

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Lock E25 – Mays Point – Fishing bobbers used for trawling 🙂 Interestingly they are painted different colors on each end.

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18 foot practice bridge

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OK. Cleared.

Lock E26 – Clyde

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Water spider about 4 inches across. It crawled up the wall as the water rose.

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This train bridge is supposedly the lowest bridge on the Erie Canal. 15 feet. Our moment has come. Take it slow.

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We just saved ourselves $1,000! We won’t have to hire a captain to take our boat through the Welland Canal in Canada to circumnavigate Niagara Falls.
Through history there has been heavy competition between trains and boats for tonnage along the Erie Canal. The sneaky railroads built their bridges as low as possible to impede the boat traffic.

Lyons Lock E27

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This bridge must have been made by trolls.

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Lyons Lock E27

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There was a time in Lyons when you could smell peppermint wherever you went in town. Hundreds and hundreds of acres of surrounding farmland was devoted to growing peppermint plants. Lyons was once a major producer of peppermint. The H.G. Hotchkiss Essential Oil Company exported its product internationally, and in addition to early medicinal uses, it provided the palate-pleasing tingle of Beech-Nut Gum. 

Lock E28A – Lyons

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Lock E28B – Newark. This lock was in really rough shape. One of the worst so far.

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Welcome to Newark

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Good Night

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Floccinaucinihilipilification

On the Erie Canal it takes 100,000 gallons of water per foot of lift. AND they do it for free.

Drolleries and Yuks

Why did the cattle rancher buy a dachshund?
~ He heard someone say get a long little doggie.

31-May-2021 Monday  Ess-Kay Marina, Brewerton NY to Free Wall, Baldwinsville NY (20.1 nautical miles  23.1 statute miles)

43°09’23.2″N 76°20’13.0″W
43.156440, -76.336933
Elevation: 372 feet Rise 3 feet
States (1): New York

Locks (2):
Lock E23 – Brewerton (down)
Lock E24 – Baldwinsville (up)

Remember all those who have sacrificed this Memorial Day.

Greater love has no one but this,
Than to lie down their life for a friend. John 15:13

Along the Way

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Woo Woo. They put a sign on the women’s restroom door. It was a little interesting yesterday. I walked into one of the restrooms yesterday turned around and walked out. I figured I was in them men’s because it was painted all blue. As I went to check out the other restroom a guy stepped out of it. He’d checked both of them out and decided to use the one with the urinals. Guess the all blue one must be the women’s.

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We were waiting for our neighbors to leamoove. Waiting and waiting and waiting. They are too tall to travel the western side of the Erie Canal and need to use the Oswego Canal. Lock issues on the Oswego Canal are preventing them from continuing on today. They didn’t want to move their boat…
At about 11:00am we asked them to move their boat so we could get out. The captain decided to walk the 110 foot boat back rather than start the engine.

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We barely squeezed past.

yes dear… is so dirty again we look like nautical Beverly Hill Billies, especially when dragging The Mooch.

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Lock E23 – Brewerton (down)

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This is the Three Rivers section of the Erie Canal. We came in on the Oneida River and exited on the Seneca River. The Oswego Canal/River heads north to Lake Ontario here.

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We continued west on the Erie Canal following the Seneca River.

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Just down from there we found a guy having troubles with his ski jet. We dragged the ski jet back to the party for him. His friends picked him up and dragged ski jet back into the marina.

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Today’s Rant
All the docks have aprons on them. I just don’t get why. Further more, why are the boards nailed on vertically? It seems to me it would be a whole lot easier to nail longer boards horizonally.

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Lighthouses are a thing here too.

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The thing that puzzles me most are the private marinas and private canals just carved right out of the shoreline. No way could you do that in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

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These docks don’t have aprons. It’s interesting how they are cantilevered out from the shore.

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Lock E24 – Baldwinsville (up)

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I rarely feel comfortable tossing a line to anyone on a dock. I’d feel comfortable tossing a line to anyone of these four people. Tammy, Mary, Dave and Dom!

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We headed out for summer but got stopped up at the bridge to watch the fishermen. The fishermen were fishing the river about 20 feet below. They had a custom fish net, just the right length, to net the fish.

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We ate supper at the B’ville Diner. Great food at a great price!

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Neighbors

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We told Dave and Mary good bye again. They decided to turn around and go out the Oswego Canal. An aqueduct broke up river on the Erie Canal and they draft too deep to continue on.
Superman was their boat Starlight’s original owner. She was custom built for Christopher Reeves before he had his equestrian accident.

Floccinaucinihilipilification

The New York State Canal System (formerly known as the New York State Barge Canal) is a successor to the Erie Canal and other canals within New York. Currently, the 525-mile system is composed of the Erie Canal, the Oswego Canal, the Cayuga–Seneca Canal, and the Champlain Canal. In 2014 the system was listed as a national historic district on the National Register of Historic Places in its entirety, and in 2016 it was designated a National Historic Landmark.

The Erie Canal connects the Hudson River to Lake Erie; the Cayuga–Seneca Canal connects Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake to the Erie Canal; the Oswego Canal connects the Erie Canal to Lake Ontario; and the Champlain Canal connects the Hudson River to Lake Champlain.

Current status and elevation

Drolleries and Yuks