The Trip through Canada

The summer is over and all we have left of it are our memories, a daily log, photos, and bits and bobs of information collected along the way.  Our summer cruise covered 780 miles and each week seemed to outdo the last.  We consider ourselves pretty experienced when it comes to covering the waterways since we have spent 30+ years cruising, mostly in Europe.  But in 2012 we headed north to Canada.

Our departure began from Clay, New York on the Erie Canal where Oasis, our 33-ft. tugboat had wintered at Pirate’s Cover Marina.  We spent one month tidying up the ship and what you do before a summer’s cruise.  The temperatures were above normal for a couple of those weeks when the boat was still on the hard.  We didn’t tolerate 97 degrees too well with no chance for any breeze to find us, so we got in our air-conditioned car and drove to Peterborough to see the ship lifts.  We spent two days visiting with staff, comparing this site with those we had gone through in Belgium and France.

On July13, we went north on the Oswego Canal to where else—Oswego.  There we had also visited by car and had planned to stay in a marina until Lake Ontario was kind to us.  However, one night moored at the city dock was all that was necessary as at 5 a.m. the next morning we had a great weather forecast.  Oasis is a beautiful tug and so very comfortable though our cruising speed is 6 mph.  Some people find that too slow but we have never had a fast boat and we move along just fine.  We found our way into the Kingston Marina and stayed there for a week.  It’s a lovely city.  The first weekend the Buskers were on show filling the streets with lots of performers and visitors. 

 One is wondering is this week going to be the highlight of our summer.  We’re moving on headed to the Rideau Canal.  This canal was built because the British feared an invasion across the St. Lawrence River, thus a second route from the Great Lakes to Montreal.  The St. Lawrence was upper Canada’s main supply route with Britain and Quebec and the alternate route would provide a trade route. We’ll travel through small lakes to the Cataraqui River and continue to Ottawa and its river to Montreal, up to Sorel, and down the Richelieu which feeds into Lake Champlain and the Champlain Canal to Waterford, the beginning of the Erie Canal.  One definitely needs to see this on a map to appreciate the trip.

 Our review will describe our personal highlights, naturally leaving out many good parts but noting those that raise a flag.  The review will be divided into GEOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS,  the PEOPLE WHO LEFT AN IMPRESSION, and last but not least, the GOURMAND memories.

 GEOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS:  As we said, we have traveled most European canals.  And, we both agreed that the Rideau Canal is close to the top of our “beautiful waterway” list. This canal was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, having opened in 1832, the oldest continuously operated canal in North America.  We have passed through thousands of canal and river locks and none has been as enjoyable and pleasant as on the Rideau.  Number one – the water enters and leaves at the bottom of the lock so you do not experience rushing water coming at you from the lock gates.  The lines run along the lock walls so you can either hold on to that line and/or wrap you own lines around a cable.  It’s easy-peasy.  The lockkeepers are often 2 and as many as 7 when using a series of staircase locks.  They are there to assist, if needed.  Men and women staff seem to enjoy their jobs.  The facilities include water and electricity (at a nominal cost, $9.80 for our tug) plus very clean restrooms.  Each lock was similar to a park setting and camping was very popular as well as folks traveling in canoes, kayaks, on bicycles or walking.  You could usually stay 2 nights at the entrance or exit and if they weren’t full, you could stay longer. 

 One never got bored as there was much to see and do along the way.  By going in and out of small lakes, the trip stayed new and fresh.  It is truly a spectacular route that includes country living, forests, and gorgeous scenery.  .

 Westport, the Village:  It’s difficult to pick just one or two but it’s hard to imagine a more beautiful spot to spend a day or two, just you and your boat at their harbour.  While enjoying the parade of folks who walked about the marina and getting a good perspective of the town itself, we also took a hike to the top of Foley Mountain.  It’s a great place to enjoy a picnic and look over the Upper Rideau waterway.  There are 9 kilometres of trails but having walked to the top, we figured that enough for one day.

Merrickville, another lovely village:  Do you need a ride back to Smith Falls to collect your car?  The lockkeeper learned that our family who was visiting for a few days were looking for a taxi and he immediately offered them a ride.  He was going that way at the end of the day…. We enjoyed the many shops, the small art gallery, the festival events, the good fishing, and the very friendly people.

 Perth on the Tay River:  We chose to take a detour based on suggestions from the locals and found this community with its Georgian architecture and stone masonry worth the effort.  We tied up in a slip, newly renovated, which was a part of the Last Duel Park and Campground.  We walked the streets into the city center but on our return to our mooring found a trail in a forest setting. 

 Ottawa, the city:  Oh, so beautiful.  We stayed for a week and each day found new places of interest to visit--a  Farmers’ Market, a large shopping complex called the Rideau Center, an 8-lock staircase leading down to the Ottawa River, historical landmarks, a new convention center, wide boulevards for pedestrians, and restaurants galore

Burton Island Vermont State Park.  We chose to visit here based on the description of the moorings.  Jeff and Maggie Teitelbaum from nearby Franklin had come to the most northern marina on Lake Champlain for a visit and a boat ride .  When we arrived at the Park it was empty except for one other boat.  By Labor Day weekend, the boat slips were all taken.  Inclement weather forced us to extend our visit.  If one had to be stuck in one place, this was a good area to relax and enjoy the hiking, the local sandwich shop, and the beautiful grounds of the island.

 PEOPLE WHO STOOD OUT ALONG THE WAY:

Several women traveling in canoes who were Scouts of Canada.  We crisscrossed with them on several occasions on the way to the summit.  It was interesting watching them set up camp which is provided at each Rideau lock.

 Definitely the lockkeepers.  Besides offering a ride in his car, many were interested in us and our unique tug.  They were a wealth of information and always seemed eager to help.

For our 33-foot tug, we paid $9.80/for electricity for each night we tied by the lock, well worth every cent.

Canadians in general.  Stop anyone on the street for directions or suggestions and they were gracious hosts.

 

A fellow cruiser, Kent Strobel and his wife, Annie, whom we met on several occasions along the way.   They had a houseboat and two dogs.

 The Doner Studio at the Mill:  These artists are located northeast of Kingston at the Lower Brewers Lock on the Rideau Canal.  Though we aren’t dedicated shoppers, we were curious about the art.  Randal Doner specializes in metal art and Darlene Doner has a gift shop displaying jewelry and other arts items.  It’s definitely worth a visit.

Whitehall Locals:  While checking out at a store, 2 men heard us inquire of the cashier about where we could purchase a propane part.  The men said there was no store in the area open that Sunday but they could either take us to another town to a discount store and/or sell us their part from their own propane tank.  This they did—they drove us to the home of one of the men and we thought this a good example of people helping people.

 

GOURMAND TREATS:

Dale Moore, owner of the Nest Egg, an ice cream shop that includes crafts and collectables.   Throughout our summer we didn’t find an ice cream shop that we didn’t like.  This one was special and is located at Sealey’s Bay

 The Cove Country Inn, Westport-on-the-Rideau.  This was probably our best “night out” of the summer.  The restaurant that is part of the resort served a spectacular meal.  Each course was outstanding, the service was excellent, and it was all within walking distance of the port.  There were several outdoor patios and a dining room inside.

The only pizza we ate all summer (and most Friday nights at home are reserved for pizza) was at Chambly.  The restaurant was very near the marina and the pizza so tasty.  The place was full of patrons, always a good sign.

 In the town of Perth, we happened upon a Mexican restaurant.  Since we have a long liking for Mexican, we convinced ourselves to have an early meal, selected a table overlooking the a branch of the River Tay, and enjoyed a favorite respite.  Dinner began with a gorgeous mango Marquarita and we would welcome a visit back there again.

In summary, we had one of our best summer cruises ever.  We stopped in Waterford on the Erie Canal to attend the Tugboat Roundup before heading back to Pirate’s Cove Marina, in Clay.

Plans for summer, 2012

     Planning for the summer of 2012 is well underway and charts and books have been collected.  We will return to OASIS shortly after Christina and Dave get married the weekend of May 26th.  There are a number of jobs to be done on the tug, mostly cosmetic this year, i.e. painting and a little carpentry. 
     We intend to go north of Clay, NY to Oswego for a careful trip across the eastern end of Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands area of the St. Lawrence River.  The mouth of the Trent-Severn Canal is located via a twisty route to Trenton, Ontario and our official entry into Canada.  The TS canal will be an out-and-back trip as far as the Peterborough Ship-Lift.  We were at the twinning of the two shiplifts in Canada at a July 1986 ceremony held in Belgium at the site of four lifts built there.  Two other lifts are in England and France. After returning to the St. Lawrence river we will look for Kingston and the Rideau Canal which takes us to Ottawa, the capital of Canada.  After descending the 8-rise set of locks, the Ottawa River, now in French-speaking Quebec, takes us down to Montreal and again to the St. Lawrence.  This will take us to Sorel at the mouth of the Richelieu River.  The Richelieu and the Chambly Canal will return us to the USA at the northern end of Lake Champlain.  The Teitelbaums will join us somewhere in the Ottawa/Montreal area and travel with us for a week, hopefully to the US border.  The Tugboat Roundup held the 2nd weekend of September is the next goal and is due south across the lake and down the Champlain Canal.to Waterford.  All that is encompassed in this paragraph is known as the Little Loop.  Then it is back to Clay, NY and the Pirates' Cove Marina for more winter storage.

The summer cruise after New York City

The Erie Canal begins about 160 miles north of New York City at the town of Waterford, New York.  This canal built in the early 1800’s is three times as long as the Nivernais Canal in France which was our home canal for dozens of years.  We excitedly look forward to building a new set of memories about cruising in America and eventually the several canals in nearby Canada.  Bonjour Quebec.

Waterford, NY is the host for an annual Tugboat Roundup usually held on the second weekend of September.   Waterford also says that it is the oldest continuously incorporated village in the United States and is located in southern Saratoga County where the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers join. The roundup was begun in 1999 and a number of old and new tugboats meet at the 1600ft long waterfront to show the roughly 25,000 spectators how tugboats have evolved through the years.  The 2011 Roundup was cancelled due to the ravages of Hurricane Irene in August.  The Erie and Champlain Canals were closed for long periods of time in the Fall of 2011.

Tugboats played an important role in the commerce of the region.  After the eastern half of the Erie Canal was upgraded in the first part of the 20^th century, horse drawn barges that were using the canalized Mohawk River turned to tugboats to move them along.  The new, larger locks allowed more barges to work through together and that meant that it was more efficient to tow more barges with a tugboat, as on the Mississippi River and the larger waterways of Europe.  It was interesting to me to find that the Waterford Harbor Visitors Center address is 1 Tugboat Alley.  Hah!  Much more information about the New York Canals can be found by looking up their website.  http://www.nycanal.com.

An organization you may not know about is the American Great Loop Cruising Association that can be found at www.greatloop.org.   This volunteer group has a wealth of information available about cruising the waterways of the eastern half of the U.S., in other words, everything east of the Mississippi River.  The main goal of this group is to complete this-nearly 6,000-mile-long route.  They sell books to help you plan such a voyage or tell you where else to obtain information.  There is a daily forum to sign onto once you are a member to answer any conceivable question you may have.  There are hundreds of other websites and blogsites that cruisers have written or are writing about their adventures. 

Boating season Summer 2011

The season started in early June and Oasis was still wrapped in shrink-wrap when we arrived in Wickford.  It took us 6 weeks to get Oasis changed over to 110 volt AC, add a new refrigerator and microwave, and number of small jobs.  Dorothy spent most of the time painting the whole boat--top to bottom.  We stayed at the La Quinta motel in Warwick and were happy to do so when several days went above 90F.  But, we gave that up and moved aboard when we found that it was too easy to stop work and go have an air-conditioned time-off the job. 

Sarah and Andy came on Father's Day and took us out for a meal at our favorite restaurant by the tidal stream in Wickford.  This time I shmoozed the hostess into a stream-side table mainly because an old boyfriend's name was Hal.  Wickford is really a special town to us.  There was an Art Festival the 2nd weekend of July with about 250 exhibitors.

We were launched on July 7th but didn't get away from the docks untiil the 13th because of strong winds out on the ocean.  The first day we were up early and got away before daylight was fully established, rounded Point Judith and got into Long Island Sound in time to check-in to the Brewer yard in Mystic, CT in the late afternoon.  The next day we made it to the CT River and up to the Brewer yard at Essex in time for Sarah and Andy to come down for supper, which we ate at a lovely little restaurant back down by Old Saybrook, check lifted by them, again.  We spent 2 more days getting to the eastern suburbs of New York, another Brewer yard at Port Washington.  This was a good place, we thought, to go through New York in one day.

The day we chose was a Sunday which was a dumb idea because every idiot who knew how to start his boat was on the East River.  We had the worst bouncy ride, ever, until we got to Hell Gate and turned up the Harlem River. We chose the Harlem because we could avoid all the heavy shipping around the south end of Manhattan Island and besides we had done that before in Sea Quester and with Ruth and Jerry on their way to a Maryland marina.

Transporting Oasis to the U.S.

At the end of August, 2010 we took Oasis to Rotterdam for shipment to the USA.  There was a high degree of professionalism by the crew from Seven Star Yacht Transport based in Amsterdam,  We were lifted by a crane on the ship and lashed down on the aft deck next to a sailboat that was also going to Newport, Rhode Island.  The ocean passage took longer than expected because it ran into Hurricanes Danielle and Earl.  Even though Oasis was lashed down near the rear of the freighter the tugboat was covered with salt.  A crew member told me that waves came over the steering cabin that was in the front of the ship and covered all the boats front to back.  Dorothy's paint job suffered some damage.

As you can imagine the trip took longer than expected--4 days extra--and arrived in Newport with a thoroughly exhausted crew.  Unloading was delayed a day because the US Coast Guard made the crew run through a fire drill and a mock escape from a sinking ship.  We saw the ship come to anchor 3 miles north of Newport at a designated anchorage.  A nearby boat yard was used as a base for the RIB that ran back and forth with boatowners , the pilot, Customs and the Coast Guard.  The Customs Inspector told me that all was well with our paperwork and we should have no trouble entering the US.  Also, we had a nice boat.  As we were unloading a phone call came to the Load-master that Oasis was impounded until a question by Customs was resolved.  Some damn bureaucrat decided that we might be a working tugboat and should pay more Import Duty.  At the end of the day we were told that there was no problem and we were released.  By this time Small Craft warnings came up for Narragansett Bay and I was too timid to cross the bay with those conditions.  So, we were held up 2 days and shelled out $225 for two days moorings.  Rhode Island Prices.  Ugh!  Dorothy delivered me early the 3rd day and I zipped across the Bay in quick time to Brewer's Wickford Cove Marina for winter storage.  We did some painting and other prepartion for a survey by Bill Coble, a lovely guy.  Boat US required the survey for insurance by them.

The inland waterways of Europe are an irresistible destination for anyone who wants to widen their horizons. The sheer size of the network (France alone has twice as many navigable miles as Britain), the fascination of working barge traffic, and of course, the countryside these waterways pass through--taken together, exploring the Continental waterways could be a lifetime's work. Indeed, we have been at it for 30 years and still not visited every canal and river in Europe, even though we have been on most canals from the south of France, through all of Belgium and onto the North coast of Netherlands. One of the summers, when we had our motorsailer, we went through northern Germany, a lot of Denmark, the west coast of Sweden and spent 2-weeks on the Telemark Canal in Southern Norway.

But, do you need a large boat for Europe? In many eyes, Dutch barges and French peniches are the craft most associated with European cruising. In fact, most private boats on the Continental waterways are small boats under 15-meters (49ft). Just as in the USA, there are more and more people cruising and that can make for a difficult situation when looking for a mooring if you have anything over 15-meters. More and more marinas and town moorings are prohibiting boats over 15-meters. Our 10-meter tugboat has no problem finding moorings and big smiles are on the faces of the men of the capitainerie at the Bastille marina, near the center of Paris and one lock above the Seine River.

Background

We have built 7 boats over the past 45 years, 2 while working in Maryland and 5 in Europe since we retired in 1980. Our system has been to have a shell built, the motor installed and we do the building of everything else. This allowed us to maintain a high standard of quality. Also, we got to live in four interesting communities in England and again in central France for extended periods of time, where we have made many friends.

Our five European boats have always been commented about for their excellence of appearance. In 1996 we won a trophy for the best private boat at the 350 boat Inland Waterways Association Rally in Birmingham, England. All of our previous boats been sold to the first or second inquirer. Our 2nd boat, a Bruce Roberts 31ft Spray motorsailer was bought by Bruce for his and Gwenda’s own use.

We were cruising down the Intracoastal Waterway in the winter of 1983 on our 34 ft Seafarer sailboat from the Chesapeake Bay to the Florida Keys. Along the way we became enthralled with the variety of tugboats in use. As a part of her Log, Dorothy even wrote down the names of all we passed.

Dorothy’s photo of our tugboat Oasis on the left has surpassed all previous boats in the number of people in France or Belgium that have come forward to discuss the boat. Oasis was featured twice in the French waterways magazine FLUVIAL and many of the conversations were engendered by this exposure. It is truly a delight to live-aboard, for its acceptance everywhere and it even gets a thumbs-up from working boat crews.

Searches led us to a steel tugboat kit from Euroship Services in Netherlands. We bought a kit in 2003, had the shell welded up in France, installed a 43hp Beta diesel motor, did all of the remainder of construction and launched a completed boat in July 2005.

Oasis is a 10-meter (32.8ft) by 3.5-metre (11.5ft) steel Dutch Replica Tugboat. It is 8ft above the water and is 3ft into the water. Anyone who wants to contact us about this boat can find us at: hdstufft@aol.com.

Two can sleep on the lounge in the Snug (front cabin). In addition to the lounge the Snug has fully equipped galley with plenty of cupboards, a coal stove, and an entertainment center that houses the TV and satellite receiver gear, an HP laptop computer with printer and a CD/Cassette player/radio. All cabinets have French oak doors and frames.

When we have another couple with us, they sleep in the back cabin and we remove the cushions for plenty of reclining room for our 6’2” and 5’8” bodies. A porta-potty is stored behind the steps and is brought out in the normal process of going to bed. We have used this method of entertaining friends and family for seven 2-week periods and all want another visit.

The galley area has sufficient storage area for everything Dorothy, our gourmet chef, thinks is necessary for ease of cooking. The small cupboard on the above left is the spice cupboard. The propane stove to the left is stainless steel and is set in a fireproof surround. It is equipped with four burners, an oven and a grille inside the oven. The round stainless steel sink is 8” deep. There is a microwave oven over the counter just out of sight to the right. The 12-volt refrigerator/freezer has two compartments and is quiet and low demanding on electricity. The hydraulic steering gear is in the back of the upper dish cupboards and the whole galley, except the stove, is under the pilothouse instrument panel.

We can sleep 2 people in the back cabin on a double bed and is equipped with a shower, toilet, Pullman sink, 2 hanging lockers, 4 cupboard and four cupboards in the back wall.

The book shelves seen here are but a small sample of the nearly 30ft of book shelving in all three cabins. The head of the bed shown here is under the long seat in the pilothouse.

There are four 115 volt outlets throughout the boat and an additional nine in the entertainment cabinet. An electric meter is beside the 7-circuit main power panel to measure current usage when moored somewhere that charges for electricity usage by the kilowatt hour, rather than an overpriced daily rate in addition to the mooring fee. Power input for 115 volts is by an external socket.

Behind Dorothy is a folding pilot’s seat that is just visible in the bottom left-hand corner. Also behind Dorothy is a 3-person bench that is built on top of a comprehensive tool chest. There is a foot rest shelf that houses a variety of fastenings beneath it.

An ICOM Vhf marine transceiver is mounted above Dorothy’s head and is very useful to talk to lockkeepers.

There are 12 circuit breakers on a 12volt panel in front of Dorothy’s hand that control everything you could think of for your 12 lighting and other needs. Her hand is on the speed/gear shift lever.

All of the above circuits are laid with double insulated copper multi-strand wire in an oversize gauge for the expected ampere demands.

In August, 2010 we had Oasis shipped from Rotterdam, Netherlands to Newport, Rhode island and it is stored for the winter at Wickford, RI--one of the loveliest towns in New England.  In July 2011 we took Oasis to New York and up the Hudson River to the Erie Canal and other waterways up in that area.