Time&TideTravels

Thursday, 11 July 2013

Here we go again!!!

We are back on the Trent Severn Waterway. This year things are different from previous years. The lock, which would open on demand in the past is now opening on a different schedule altogether…actually there is no schedule. The hours of operation are 9-5 but in reality more like 930-430.

Some of the older locks are still cranked by hand. I am sure that young
lady will have a pair of biceps on her after the summer.

Old fashioned (but still working)

The staff who are still very friendly and very helpful, move with less enthusiasm than in past years. Most of the lock masters are responsible for more than one lock, so it is a lot of back and forth driving to locks while leaving others unattended. They are not to blame, government cutbacks are.

A friendly lock master who reminded me of my brother-in-law Vossie.

It is a pity, and while it isn’t very busy right now, it will pick up once the Erie is open and all the boats stuck there now, head this way.

Anyhow, so we are back on the Trent-Severn…..and the deer flies got the memo that I am back!! Boy their bites are some fierce!!No amount of deet deters them from snacking on me.

Church on an Island

I guess if you are going to live in a glass house on the lake you
might as well have a horse in your living room|??

Hells Gate

Loon

It took us one day to do the same trip that took us 3 weeks to do last year. Our first stop was Campbellford, the second night we stopped in Peterborough. I had to go to emerge for an infection and ended up sitting there for 5 hours waiting to see a doctor. I was luckier than some whom after being there for eight hours eventually gave up and left. Gary also had some medical appointments in Ptb and as soon as we got those taken care of, we continued on.

Famous Campbellford donuts, so good!!

Peterborough Lift lock
The highest hydraulic lift lock in the world.
Opened on July 9, 1904,

Goats on an island near Peterborough

Peterborough fountain

The 3^rd night we stayed at Otanabe Lock and swam in the lovely warm clear (salt free) waters. I also did some laundry while Gary MacGyver-fixed a snag on our windless.

The days have been very warm and muggy and I wasn’t feeling well at all. The medication I was given by the dr in Ptb was taking its time to work and I felt miserable. So it was only appropriate that we stopped at Lovesick Lock, a lock on an island, beautiful and unspoilt, quiet and peaceful….or so we thought.

Last year we didn’t stop here because we had heard that the raccoons are very adventurous and that the bears use the bridge from the main land to the island for their commute. This year it looked so inviting and cool in the shade we spent a lovely afternoon and in the evening roasted marshmallows over a bon fire with MV Line of Credit . When the mosquitoes came out in force we decided to head off to bed.

Lovesick Lock

Rock dwellers

Isn't that something?

In the middle of the night I heard something like Velcro being ripped….I woke Gary ,who had a look around and declared me “crazy”. As we crawled back into bed I heard it again, this time there was no mistaken the sound….Velcro was being ripped, which meant one of our hatches was being broken into We got up to check and sure enough, there he was, Mr. Raccoon trying to break and enter into my bathroom. Gary chased him away with a stick but he was back couple of hours later.

Velcro open...

Raccoon on board

Look at those beady eyes!!

Making a get-a-way

We were nice and secured then, all windows closed and sealed (just in case) Those little raccoon nails can do major damage. And as for the cats??? They both slept right through all the drama, so much for being good watch cats. Gary said Jacob was to be fired as minister of Homeland security and Josie was on suspension form her position at Immigration, seems she would let any old critter in.

Just past Buckhorn we stopped in at a marina to look for the part we needed for the windlass and bumped into Loopers we met back in Jersey. After a quick visit we carried on and headed to Bobcaygeon.

In Bobcaygeon ,Gary was able to fix the windlass for good and I was able to update my blogs.

.......................to be conitnued

Some things never change

This past month back at our homeport of Trenton, many things occurred to me….the biggest is that some things just never change.

Our good friends are still our good friends, even though we had not seen them in a year we picked up where we left off, like no time has passed. The past year with all its adventures seems like a dream to me now……was the Gulf crossing really that scary? When we hit those big waves outside West End Bahamas, did I really think I was going to die?? All those thoughts and feelings seem so far away, like the memories belongs to someone else.

Another thing, Trenton/Belleville’s sushi is still the best I have had…thank you to those friends who took me to lunch/dinner trying to satisfy the sushi monster in me.

Also stopped at the Burger Revolution !!

And Boy, do we have people to thank: Our wonderful friends and family who lent us their vehicles, gave us drives to places, fed us food and gave us drive-ways to park our new 5^th wheel. You know who you are and I hope when you read this you will know how much we appreciated everything you did for us.

We also want to give a shout out to all the commodore, staff and members of the CFB Trenton YC, Thank you for finding us a spot on the visitors dock and welcoming us back into the fold.

Visitors dock -CFB Trenton YC

Yes, we bought a 5^th wheel and truck, all in a matter of a week, can you imagine? Gary drove the truck and 5^th wheel down to Florida and parked it in Norma and Mike’s driveway in Jacksonville. There it will stay till we get back from the Bahamas next spring. We plan to put Time and Tide on the hard for the summer and use the truck and 5^th wheel to travel around in ….

When we crossed Lake Ontario, a little less than a month ago, we had no idea how lucky we were. Behind us Loopers were “stuck” because the Erie Canal slammed shut due to damage caused after high rains…. and it has been weeks and it is still not open. They had some major flooding and some damage to some of the locks. Like my friend Jim O’ Malley said:” sometimes going fast is good” We made it home just in time.

It is wonderful to be back in Trenton. Seeing the grand babies after a year we couldn’t believe how much they had grown. Mya and Avery stayed with us on the boat for a few days and entertained Gary and I by singing along to every song that played on the radio – songs we had never even heard and they knew all the words!! Freddie is not the baby boy we left behind but a precocious little man with a non-stop commentary on life. Anyone out there who have children and grandchildren know what I mean, you just hate to leave them behind as you go on your travels.

Freddie

Avery

Grampie and Mya

Grampie took the girls for a ride in the dingy

Something else I learnt since I have been back…apparently you do read my blog!! I knew there were one or two folks out there who did but we arrived back here, I was overwhelmed by all of you who said you read it and best of all ENJOYED it…now I suffer a little from performance anxiety….I will try to keep my blogs short and interesting and will post when ever I can.

So we are getting ready to continue our adventures, this time we are not heading off into the unknown – it feels more like we are meeting up with an old friend and that we are going for a stroll on a familiar path.

I am glad we are doing this again……

…..to be continued…………………………..

Bay of Quinte swans

Gold Loopers - Very proud

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

We crossed our wake!!

Today, 09 June 2013 at 11:20 we arrived at the Canadian Forces Base Trenton Yacht Club, crossing our wake.

CFB Trenton Yacht Club on Bakers Island Trenton Ontario

The past year was filled was with adventure, new friends, wonderful memories, scary and sad times but most of all lots of laughter and will remain an experience we will never forget!

In fact, as we were crossing Lake Ontario from Oswego back to Canada, I said to Gary that I really had a good time on the Loop and that I wish we could do it again.....so after a little discussion we decided that this summer we will leave Trenton, head north again and do the western part of the Loop AGAIN!!!!!

I am also happy to say that I have had a great response to my blog (apparently YOU do read it!!) so I will continue writing and keeping you all up to date with the goings on with the Donovans aboard Time& Tide.

Just a shout out to our great lady, Time & Tide, what a wonderful boat we have...through waters that made us tremble with fear she never waivered and carried herself with grace and beauty, thank you old girl, we wouldn't trade you for the world!!

So now we are going to rest and spend time with the family and friends here at our homebase before we take off on our continued adventures..

Thanks for the champagne Bruce and Ann MV Happy Hour

and now....apparently, still to be continued.......

Friday, 7 June 2013

Erie and Oswego Canals

People spend their whole summer on these canals but we have got itchy feet to get home and see all the people we have missed so much.
So we only took a week to do the canals and would have been home by now and would have crossed our wake by now, if not for the pesky weather.

When we arrived in Waterford (lock #1 on the Erie) it was hot and muggy. The weekend there we did have some rain but on Monday when we left it started to cool down a lot.

BEST thing about boating; spending time with friends
Gary and Karl SV Ishmael

In Waterford they have a webcam so people can watch you on your boat...

Gary says it is a prior to 1967 VW Bug ( how does he know it is prior to 1967??)

Welcome to Little Falls

A trap door lock

Going up and down between locks can be tiring but I am all smiles

We had to cross Lake Oneida, not a big crossing but locals warned us it can be nasty in high winds, so we pick our day and had flat calm water all the way to the Oswego Canal.

Lovely day to cross Lake Oneida

We stayed in Phoenix, a little town famous for its hospitality. In the summer kids meet you at the dock, will do things like wash your boat and bring you coffee.....unfortunately all the kids are still in school so we didn't get meet them but we met many locals who stopped by the boat to say hello.

Waterway sign

Time & Tide looking very small under the bridge in Oswego

Oswego lighthouse

Oswego NY

The morning we did the Oswego canal it rained like stink!!! We got soaked going through the locks and when we arrived in Oswego I had a nice warm shower and a nap as a reward for all my hard work.

So now we are in Oswego, waiting for the weather (again!!!) to be good enough to cross Lake Ontario. That is another body of water you cannot mess with, and the crossing is 50 miles so it is almost as long as going from Florida to The Bahamas. I have checked the weather and tomorrow looks good (Saturday)

Keep your fingers crossed, next time you hear from me will be in Canada. (hopefully, if I can get online somewhere)

Till then

still.....................to be continued

Oh, BTW , once we cross our wake, we will officially be done with our LOOP trip (+- 6000 miles/ more than 900 hours!! ) and this blog is about that, so I am thinking I am going to stop writing even though we are still going to be travelling on our boat I can't imagine that anyone would be interested to read about our boring lives, but I have been asked to continue>>>>>>>>>.. I don't even know how many of you still read this but if you want me to, I can keep writing, if you don't want me to...I shall stop....so it is up to you , what should I do???

Saturday, 1 June 2013

Up the River /Hudson

Hudson River

The thing that surprised me most about the Hudson River is how BEAUTIFUL it was. From the Palisades, outside NYC, to the mountains of the Catskills and towards the Capitol of NY state, Albany. As we continued north along the Hudson we had to keep an eye open for debris. Logs and trees were floating down the river as the locks on the Erie, further up river, were opened after severe rainfalls.

George Washington Bridge or as the locals call it GWB

Hudson River

The famous prison SING SING in the town of Ossining,
"Sing Sing," was derived from the name of a Native American Nation, "Sinck Sinck" (or "Sint Sinck"), from whom the land was purchased in 1685.
The Sing Sing prison confines about 1,700 prisoners

Many lighthouses on the banks of the Hudson

IS it a castle? I don't really know, could be a monastery...

West Point Military Acadamy

Bannerman Castle on Pollepel Island
A European style castle located on an island in the middle of the Hudson River.
The island was owned by a man named David Bannerman who used the island castle to store weapons and ammunition

to be continued.........................

New York City / I want to live here!!!!

Hello from a wet and damp New York City!!

That is right folks, we are back on the inland waters and I for one can’t be happier.

We spent a lot of time in Toms River, New Jersey because we had to wait for a reasonable weather window to do the “outside” trip from Manasquan to Sandy Hook.

We were travelling with several other trawlers and it was a lovely day to be out in the Atlantic, it also was Memorial Day and every fisherman under the sun was out there too. The guys who have those big Sport Fishing boats that make such huge wakes they cause you to violently rock from side to side.

Skyline of the Big Apple

Finally we saw the NYC skyline on the horizon and soon we were in the middle of rush hour (water style) traffic on the Hudson. Because so many people work in NY but live on the outskirts, they commute by water taxi. Those taxis are fast and you have to keep an eye open for them as you try to make your way through all the congestion.

Staten Island Ferry

We anchored behind the Statue of Liberty, an unreal sight and feeling.

Closed since Superstorm Sandy , Ellis Island will
reopen again on July 4th

What a sight

The next day we splurged and went to a marina in NYC. Like everything else it is very expensive but it was worth it. We were 3 blocks from the subway and walking distance from Central Park and the MONH.