CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (3).

 CODA : Valcour Island.

28 July 2025 

Butterfly  Bay, Valcour Island, Peru, New York

Valcour Island Lighthouse

Marc-  The sailboats started out of Shelburne Bay this morning at about 08:00 to take advantage of the 20 knot breeze from the South and to avoid potential thunderstorms that might arise in the afternoon.  I t raining at the start and intermittently all morning.  I raised the Genoa and decided that would be enough for me to handle single-handed.  All was fine until we passed Juniper Island and entered the broad part of Lake Champlain.  There were four foot waves created by the long open stretch of water with a wind from the South of this intensity.  Coda handled everything very well despite the Captain not enjoying the occasional roll of the boat.  By 10:00 the wind had diminished as well as the waves and the visibility had greatly improved.  I was quite excited to see the New York shoreline and the Adirondacks again.  It appears that the Southerly wind sent the forest fire smoke back North into Canada.

Approaching Valcour Island.

Butterfly Bay was full of Canadian boats at anchor when we arrived at 11:00.  Fortunately boats started to leave just as more of our boats arrived.  We all fit in the Bay and had a short trip to the beach.  Our first beach excursion was a trip to tour the Valcour Island Lighthouse.  It is a fully functioning lighthouse that is well maintained and is open for tours every Sunday in the summer from 13:00 to 15:00.  The lighthouse did not disappoint us with its great views from the cat walk at the top of the tower and the many historical displays in the 3 floors below.  Unfortunately the late arrivals were not able to take the tour since the Lighthouse closed early due to an approaching thunderstorm (it missed us by turning South).  

Tower view

Will has organized a poker game that requires all boaters to visit other boats to pick up a card.  You pick up five cards and then your hand is presented at the Poker prize event at Burton Island.  I made my way to visit 5 boats today.  It was nice to meet everyone.

New marina nearby on the mainland we visited for supplies.

Our evening event was a story hour where boaters recounted tales concerning certain topics like anchoring, batteries, etc...  We had a nice sunset and calm.

  

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (2).

CODA : Shelburne Bay.

27 July 2025 

Shelburne Bay, Southern anchorage, Shelburne, Vermont 

Forest fires in Canada are sending smoke into New England.

Marc-  Today the air quality we are accustomed to in Vermont took a big hit.  The skies were a dirty grey all day.  Fortunately the winds had changed to the South meaning that conditions would eventually improve.  We could not see New York from Charlotte when we left Converse Bay at 09:00.  The Lake is only 4 miles wide here and yet the smoke was so bad it blocked blocked not only the Adirondack mountains but the entire New York shoreline from view.  We set sail at first with a 9 knot breeze that faded as soon as we reached the deep lake. I started the engine and we motor-sailed up to Shelburne.  I was surprised to find that we were the first to arrive and anchor.  It was nice to get to pick where the fleet of boats would anchor.  Rosie with Will and Kathleen were the next to arrive.  Sue and our friend Roberta came over by car.  They picked up Stephanie and left off wonderful blueberry pie, wonderful zucchini bread and a few grocery items.  The highlight for me was getting a ride over to the Shelburne Country Store and having one of their great maple creamies. 

Our club event of the day a a dinghy raft up in the Bay for a free exchange of appetizers and our thoughts.  A good time was had by all.  I ate so many appetizers that I did not need to cook dinner.

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (1).

CODA : Cruise Week begins.

26 July 2025 

Town Farm Bay, Point Bay Marina mooring, Charlotte, Vermont

-Marc:  Cruise week is always something that I look forward to every year to spend time with my family on beautiful Lake Champlain.  The all volunteer yacht club puts together a tour on the lake of various anchorages and some marina stops in welcoming ports of call.  This year's cruise is off to a good start with  a fleet of 21 boats that have signed up to attend some or all of the trip.

Our first night out is kept simple with a short one hour sail over to Converse Bay.  Coda dropped her mooring at 16:00 and first proceeded to nearby Kingsland Bay to check on Lucy III on a friend's mooring.  We are trying to give the boat more exposure for sale.

Steph and I arrived at Converse Bay just in time to have dinner at 05:30.  There were 7 boats anchored when we arrived. There was no problem anchoring in 39 feet of water except that I let out a total of 150 feet of chain and rope combined to have the proper ratio for scope of 5:1.  No worries and certainly no weeds to foul the anchor at that depth.  I went over to assist Will and others helping to install a new anchor windless on Honeymoon.  

A cold front came through in the evening providing with lower temperatures and lower humidity.

CODA Vermont 2025 (31).

CODA : Home at last.

28 May 2025 

Town Farm Bay, Point Bay Marina Mooring Field, Charlotte, Vermont 

Beautiful Town Farm Bay with Mount Philo on your left and Camel's Hump at Center.  Point Bay Marina is deep in on your left.

Marc-  It felt so good to be back in Lake Champlain with clean water, green mountains and blue skies.  Coda was first in line for mast raising this morning at Chipman Point Marina.  All went well with the experienced Chipman Point crew doing the heavy lifting  and Will and I doing the rigging details.  I also added 10 gallons of diesel since it has been three days of travel since our last fill up.

One little problem came up on arrival.  We could not find our mooring.  Fortunately Todd dispatched Ray S. to come save the day mounting our necessary attachment gear called a mooring bridle.  These are well made and have the chafe protection built in.  All I will need to add is our pick up buoy.  Will Patten was a fantastic crew who even helped me mount the boom after we had arrived.  Sue, Kathleen and Nell (Will and Kathleen's dog) were there to greet us at the dinghy dock.

It has been a great trip and enjoyable for me to do this blog to chronicle some of it.  I will continue to blog about summer travels.  

Coda in her preparation slip at Chipman Point Marina.

Champlain Bridge and Lighthouse.  Lake Champlain broadens considerably after this point.

CODA Vermont 2025 (30).

CODA : Vermont at last:  the last of the Champlain Canal.

27 May 2025 

Chipman's Point Marina, Orwell, Vermont

Vermont symbol still stands after many decades.  This farm refuses to die. The roof made of Vermont slate is incredible.  I have been going by this barn for 50 years.

Marc-  We had a wonderful day overall.  It started with a fantastic breakfast with fellow boaters at "Mama's" restaurant.  It is a family place with great rustic decor (farm boards).  Coda, and most every other boat left Fort Edward today in two flotillas.  The first flotilla of 9 boats left very early (6:30) for an expected 08:00 opening.  The second flotilla (including Coda) left the docks at 09:00 expecting to find the first flotilla long gone.  They were still waiting to get through the locks when we arrived.  It was much calmer in the second flotilla of boats locking through.

All went very well in the Canal until our engine overheated after going through Lock 9.  One of the small powerboats, following behind us from Pennsylvania and doing the Great Loop solo, offered to tow us.  He towed us from Lock 9 to Lock 11 until we could tie up to the entry wall.  Will and I then set to work replacing the impeller on the water pump and blowing out the water intake line.  The intake line was completely blocked.  Everything worked great afterward.  We had a beautiful trip 20 miles up Lake Champlain to Chipman's Point.

The long face dock at Fort Edward after the second flotilla left.  Our friend Dorothy's Beneteau 423 sits all alone where there were 15 boats only a few hours before. 

Will at the helm.

Coda being towed up the Champlain Canal.

Arriving at Whitehall.

20 miles north of Lock 12 at Whitehall is Chipman's Point where we hope to have the mast raised.

Chipman's Point Marina main building.

CODA New York 2025 (29).

CODA : Waiting for water on the canal portion of the Champlain Canal.

26 May 2025 

Fort Edward free docks, Fort Edward, Hudson River, New York  

The canal portion of the Champlain Canal above Lock 7 is really low.

There are 15 boats tied up at the Fort Edward free docks.

Marc-  It is a waiting game here in Fort Edward.  Everyone is trying to guess just when the next 10 miles of the canal will open up (this section is at the highest elevation and its water comes from the Glens Falls Feeder Canal nearby).  The town is a good place to stop with a train station, supermarket, a variety of restaurants and even a brewery.  The sun is in the forecast.

Elevation Chart of the Champlain Canal.  The Canal is mostly in the modified Hudson River until Fort Edward.

Canal above Lock 7 still needs 3 feet of water at 14:00.

Fort Edward Amtrak Station from much earlier this year.

All sorts of Canadians in town.

We caught the small Memorial Day parade.

We kept watching the parade while eating ice cream in the shade.

One of our boater friends lost his cellphone overboard.  Other friends helped with scuba gear.  Unfortunately the phone was not found.

Will and I went on a 16 mile bike ride on the Champlain bike paths.  We went from Ft. Edward to Glenn's Falls and back.  It was mostly uphill along a feeder canal for 12 miles to the falls and really easy to glide back.  The feeder canal was also a small navigation canal at first.  Unfortunately the Champlain canal had to be stopped when the feeder canal was in use.

BREAKING NEWS:  The canal above Lock 7 has enough water to open tomorrow morning.  We will move onward to Lake Champlain.

 

CODA New York 2025 (28).

CODA : Moving on up the Champlain Canal.

25 May 2025 

Fort Edward free docks, Fort Edward, Hudson River, New York  

Will at the helm of Coda during a period of sunshine.

Marc-  We are at Fort Edward tonight.  This is the head of navigation on the Hudson River.  There is a Scotties tissue factory nearby but our free docks are courtesy of the town of Fort Edward.  Yesterday 27 boats came up the Hudson River from Waterford.  It was a mad rush to get out of town after 2-3 weeks of waiting for the NY State. Canal system to open.  Most of those boats came up here to Fort Edward and filled every available space.  Luckily I befriended a few of them so we had a few possibilities to raft up with them here.  Coda left Waterford this morning at 07:00 and we went to wait at Lock 1.  There were a 3 trawlers and one sailboat with us.  We traveled together in a calm travel day up through 6 locks over 30 miles to Fort Edward.  We were greeted by our new friends at the docks were we rafted up.

The current state of affairs of the Champlain Canal is as follows:  It remains closed due to low water from Lock 7 through Lock 9.  Will and I walked over to check it out and the water level seems to half of what it should be.  The channel markers are high and dry.  The Canal Authority will make a statement at 08:00 tomorrow morning.  They have 10 miles of the canal yet to fill with water.  A rise of 2 feet was expected today and it only came up 2 inches.  

On the bright side, there were sunny periods during the day and the temperature went up into the 60's.  It is grey and rainy again this evening.  Tomorrow has a sunny forecast.  

Passing through one of several locks where you can look over the wall and see a Hudson River dam waterfall past the canal wall.

Looking over another Lock wall.  Note the hydroelectric plant and dam.  

Many more trees in the river.

Small white tailed deer Will saw on the banks of the Hudson.

Tug with barge filled with concrete protectors to cover the underwater power cables laid in the bottom of Lake Champlain.

Final part of the Hudson River.  Note the small plane landing in a farmer's field.