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.