CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (9).

CODA : Burton Island State Park

2 August 2025 

Willsboro Marina, Willsboro, New York.  

Upper Deck Restaurant view at Willsboro.

Marc-  We started the day off with a hike along the western shore of Valcour Island after breakfast. 

Valcour trails.

Is the poison ivy?

A rather harmless large snake crossed our path.

On returning Coda pulled its anchor and headed off to Valcour Island Marina to drop off Steph.  The trip really began at that point and I motored the entire 3 hours to Willsboro Marina at about 6 knots.  A friendly local boater helped me tie up and all was well.  Steph showed up by car soon afterward.

The events for the day were games and the final cruise dinner.  Steph and I ran the croquet game.  We also had Farkle in the cockpit.  The dinner was fine.  There was an awards ceremony at the end with Steph winning a Sweatshirt and a Champlain chocolate bar for her tie in the hula hoop competition at Burton.  There was a strong turnout of 24 for dinner.  A good time was enjoyed by all.

Willsboro sunset.

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (8).

  CODA : Burton Island State Park

1 August 2025 

Valcour Island State Park, Peru, New York. 

View from our anchorage at Bluff Point South.

Marc-  I am solo sailing again.  This morning I took Sue and Steph back to Kill Kare State Park via dinghy.  It is a 15 minute trip in mostly protected waters.  Steph will meet back up with Coda at the Valcour Island Marina ( $5 per night parking fee waived).  The service at this marina under new management and staff is excellent.

Pathfinder first to arrive at Valcour.

Bluff Point South Anchorage is an excellent spot with its sandy beach and trail access.  We used it for our pot luck dinner.  Sue and Kathleen supplied pie and cake for a surprise birthday party for our new member Dorothy Mammon.  

Beach Pot luck dinner / birthday party.

C'est moi.

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (7).

CODA : Burton Island State Park

31 July 2025 

Burton Island State Park, Saint Albans, Vermont. 

Burton Island Hula hoop competition: Steph tied for first place.

Marc-  We started this activity filled day off with a Marc led hike around the island. I recall that this was one of my favorite events when it was led by John Donnelly, retired UVM Professor of Forestry.  The first stop was Eagle Bay for a stone skipping competition (Teddy Patton won).  We found our way to the Southern tip where we took a brief recess to talk in the fantastic views.  

The more formal games began at the Island Tent.  There were board games, dominoes, card games and then games out in the bored such as bocce, disc throwing, and croquet.  A good time was had by all.

Out of service ferry.

Burton Island sunset from the Southern Tip by Stephanie.

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (6).

CODA : Burton Island State Park

30 July 2025 

Burton Island State Park, Saint Albans, Vermont. 

Another Burton Island sunset.

Marc-  It was nice having Steph back on the boat.  She helped with the shopping and especially helped with the transportation.  My lower back has really been slowing me down (muscle spasm?) so I am restricted in lifting heavy stuff.  Some of the shopping was done right at Hero's Welcome General Store before we departed for Burton this morning.

The trip over to Burton took just under an hour traveling at slow speed so as not to arrive overly early.  The marina manager was very helpful in coming down to the docks to help this solo sailer tie up stern join the assigned slip.  The Island has not changed much but it does have improved trails.  One big change is no ferry service since the Island Ferry is out of service for the rest of the season and just sitting at the dock here at Burton Island.  One ranger even asked if our fleet Tugboat "Rosie" could bring the Ferry over to the mainland dock.

We spent time today exploring some of the island, eating Bistro food under the Park tent, and playing various games there as well.  Two of the games were dominoes and poker.

Will and Nellie

Is this some new kind of hybrid boat?  Of course not it's just Coda rafted up to Madrigal II.

Let the games begin.

Some serious dominoes here.

Special cookies c/o Anna at the Bistro.

Somewhere out there is the Wendy, aboard Raven, headed for Burton.

 A reunion of sorts.

 

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (5).

CODA : City Bay, North Hero

29 July 2025 

City Bay Anchorage, North Hero, Vermont. 

The first to arrive at City Bay.

Marc-  I raised Coda's anchor and departed at 08:00 from Port au Roche State Park. I volunteered myself to be a sort of scout to check out the passage called the Gut that connects the Western part of Lake Champlain th the Eastern part.  Unfortunately this body of water is about 10 feet or less deep and thus is perfect for producing a lot of weeds.  This year milfoil is the problem that is choking up the passage.  Coda started to cross through the weeds at 7.5 knots and slowed to 5.5 knots before clearing the weeds near the drawbridge.  I reversed the engine and the weeds were released from the driveshaft and propeller.  I only waited 5 minutes for the bridge to open.

The Eastern side of the Lake is also called the Inland Sea.  Somehow weather conditions are quite different here.  The winds were out of the Northwest at 10 knots and the sky was blue.  The humidity was less here.  The water was sparkling clean and 77 degrees.  I jumped into the Lake as soon as Coda was anchored.

Hero's Welcome General Store and the US Post Office.

Pier Bar and Restaurant.

Our friends John and Pam Foley aboard Madrigal II rafted up to Coda.

View of Coda.

Dinner was at the Pier Bar and Restaurant (they also have games).

DIYC fleet of 12 boats in City Bay.

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (4).

CODA : Treadwell Bay, Point au Roche Start Park.

28 July 2025 

Treadwell  Bay (Northeast cove), Point au Roche State Park, New York

Marc-  It was an easy 9.6 mile trip from Valcour over to Point au Roche Park.  The only excitement came when passing the intersecting ferries at Cumberland head while Coda was on auto pilot.  I maintained course and just adjusted the speed to fit right between the two ferries. 

The only negative on arrival was a warning from the New York State Park website indicating that the beaches at Point au Roche State Park were closed due to ablue-green algae bloom and cyanobacteria.  That is enough to keep me out of the water.  I stuck to hiking the many trails with Charlie Hillman and his faithful dog Luca.  The other advantage to hiking is that the shade from the trees keeps the temperatures down.

Boaters tend to help each other. even if it is just to change a light bulb.

Rosie.  Party time?

Will and Kathleen hosted another happy-hour on Rosie that was very well attended.  

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (3).

 CODA : Valcour Island.

27 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 rained 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, that has been around here for a few days, 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.

Butterfly Bay beach sunset.

  

CODA Vermont DIYC Cruise Week 2025 (2).

CODA : Shelburne Bay.

26 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 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.

25 July 2025 

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

Steph is ready to go.

-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 visiting 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 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.