CODA Bahamas bound cont.

 CODA completes the Champlain Canal

16 September 2024

Waterford Visitors Center, Waterford, New York

Waterford is the place where decisions are made (The Waterford Welcome Center docks are at the begining of the Erie Canal).

Our friend Sal was there to greet us on arrival.

Marc-  08:00 Timely departure from Lock # 5 Park dock for passage through the lock and beyond.  Once through the lock we encountered poor visibility in fog for the first hour of travel and then full sunshine for the rest of the day.  We met up with two powerboats at Lock # 4 and went through several locks with them (our first multiple boat lockings of this trip).  Note that you have to proceed at 7.1 knots in order to arrive at Lock #4 in time for the 10:00 lockage.  This was not a problem for CODA with its powerful Yanmar 100 hp diesel.  We soon discovered that our powerboat traveling companions would speed away for the next lock once the gates opened only to wait for us to arrive some time later before being locked through (Sort of like the "tortoise and the hare" ).  It also helped that Brian would call the next Lockmaster to let him/her know that we were coming along.

Soon after Lock #1 we turned the corner and went West on the Erie Canal a short distance to reach the Waterford Welcome Center and docks.  This is an excellent and almost entirely free facility with floating docks, power and water.  The village of Waterford is right next door making this an excellent stopover.  We were assisted in docking by a couple from Ontario who had come down the Erie Canal and were headed for the Bahamas.  

CODA Bahamas Bound 2024-2025 continued

 CODA enters the Champlain Canal

14 - 15 September 2024

Lock # 9 Park, Champlain Canal, New York.  

Foggy start to the day at Lock 9.

Great Blue Heron

and a few ducks.

Marc-  My friend Brian Gilmartin and I arrived at the marina at 11:15 and met met up with Charlie Langworthy.  Charlie is waiting to have his mast lowered at Chipman Point Marina.  The delay was due to efforts being made by Chip (of Chipman Point Marina) to raise a boat that recently sunk at one of the docks.  

CODA departed at 11:30 and motored South to Whitehall.  We were having issues connecting to my starboard fuel tank so the Whitehall Marina came through with diesel fuel to fill the port fuel tank.  No issues with ascending Lock 12 on the port side tie up. There were several full size trees in the canal passages.  Our biggest encounter was with a large barge and tugboat transporting up a very large spool of heavy power transmission wire for the HydroQuebec - NYC project.

CODA stopped for the night at the Lock Number 9 Park.  I cooked some burgers on the grilled and enjoyed Paul Newman’s salsa and purple chips  (Chocolate chip cookies for desert).

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Lock # 5, Schuylerville, New York

Pal

The Champlain Canal Mules at Schuylerville, NY

Pedro

Marc-  We had a very foggy start to the day but within an hour it had cleared up to a cloudless blue sky.  Even though we made excellent progress we were stopped by the Lockmaster at Lock # 5 since we could not get through the next lock for their last southbound opening at 14:00.  This is some workday.  The Lockmaster explained that limited openings are in place to somehow prevent invasive fish species from getting into lake Champlain.   We walked downtown and enjoyed lunch while watching the New England Patriots play the Seattle Sea Hawks. Bad news Patriots lost.

Fear not we did find an Ice Cream parlor.  I was a little confused when I walked by the place with this cow / mule statue.  The root beer float was excellent!

More ducks in a row here. They are in heaven with all of the duck weed in the old canal that we walk by on the way to town.

Great blue heron in flight over a few more ducks.

Reflections of CODA tonight.  The foliage is just starting to change.

CODA Bahamas Bound 2024-2025

 Point Bay Marina Moorings

Charlotte, Vermont

September 5, 2024. 

Basin Harbor Resort Docks

Last sail on Lake Champlain this season.

Marc-  We went to for a short sail to entertain our friend Cheryl who was visiting from Massachusetts.  We enjoyed lunch at the Red Mill Restaurant at Basin Harbor.  Dockage for lunch at this fancy resort is free.  We contacted the marina manager on VHF and we were assigned a great dock spot next to the resort water sports center.  The high point of the day was putting on the colorful spinnaker and mainsail to return to our mooring.  

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 Point Bay Marina Moorings

Charlotte, Vermont

September 10, 2024. 

Trip Departure Day.  

07:15  Marc-  I am alone at the start of this trip on a calm Lake with clear weather.  No problem getting underway aboard CODA.  This boat has many systems and a certain simplicity in its design that makes it safe to get around.  The clean wide decks and the dual controls as well as the solid guardrail are just the start.  The boat is a very stable platform at 28,000 pounds.   I checked the engine and dropped the mooring line and off we went for Orwell and our scheduled mast lowering at about noon.  I thought we wound average 6.5 knots and would arrive in five hours more or less.  We arrived at 12:15.  This even though we had to stop and wait for the cable ferry to pass at Ticonderoga.

Passing under Champlain Bridge at Crown Point 

(note:  large tug and barge at the Champlain Lighthouse pier - part of the new power cable laying project connecting Hydro Quebec Power to New York City).

CODA docked at Chipman Point Marina after a very efficient mast lowering.

We will be staying here for several days to load the boat and await White Seal that is having a mast lowering on Saturday.  Both boats will then head down the canal.