A Day at the Antique Boat Museum

Day 6: August 15, 2017

You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Wind's Progress Live

Today was a great day.  We started with a nice breakfast of bacon, eggs (over easy) and toast. 

I put the motor on Damn Dink Too and Janine and I headed out across French Bay in route for the Antique Boat Museum.  We spent 7 hours wandering about this wonderful collection of all types of old boats.  As I prepare this blog, I find it difficult trying to filter out the highlights there were so many.  I offer the official web link that will provide a thorough overview of the museum.  www.abm.org. 

Janine and I took a tour of the opulent “… 106′ houseboat La Duchesse which brings the gracious River lifestyle of one hundred years ago to life. Built in

1903 for hotelier George Boldt, manager of New York City’s famed Waldorf-Astoria hotel, the houseboat has been in continuous use as an elegant summer residence ever since.”  Boldt built the barge so that he could live in style while he oversaw the construction of his famous Boldt Castle on a small island in the St. Lawrence River. Another highlight was a ride around the area islands in a replica of a 1920 Hackler

The houseboat La Duchesse

runabout.  We spent 45 minutes traveling in this classic beauty.
 

On the museum campus, there are 10 buildings, each housing a different collection including canoes, runabouts, cruisers, racers, a restoration shop, a fishing display and more.

Finally, around 4:00, we climbed back in the Dink and headed back to the Grants and Second Wind.  Rob and their great yellow lab “Bailey” met us as we approached dock.  We

enjoyed more socialization

and a glass of wine before Sharon presented an elegantly prepared dinner of salmon grilled on a cedar plank, wild rice and oven roasted vegetables.  

A much appreciated bed time arrived at 9:00. 

Cape Vincent to Clayton

You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Wind's Progress Live

Day 4; August 14, 2017

We started our day with our version of Sausage Gravy and biscuits (toast) and we both agreed we like what we make more than the expensive one that we had at Tin Pan Galley. 

After we cleaned up the boat a bit, we walked down to the US Port of Entry office where we met with a customs and boarder protection guy to find out if the SVRS, Small Vessel Reporting System, program that we registered for when we went out of country to the Bahamas was applicable to returning to the US from Canada.  It turns out the Canada to US program and the Small Vessel program are compatible and can be used to reenter the country.  The nice thing about that is that we only have to call an 800 number upon returning to the US as opposed to reporting to a customs site in person. 

Back at the boat, we pushed off from the DEC dock and headed down river towards the town of Clayton.  There was a light breeze following us so we put up the sails and enjoyed

A freighter that passed us as we headed out

a peaceful ride the entire 13 miles to our destination.

We did run a man over board drill when my hat flew over board. While Janine kept her eye of the sinking sailor (hat) I fired up the motor and began circling the poor sinking fellow.  I am sad to report that although we caught sight of the poor guy on two passes, we were unable to accomplish a rescue before he sank to a watery grave. I loved that had.  He shall be sorely missed.

And a large barge - strange

We finally dropped the sails as we passed Bartlett Point on our way into French Bay and a rendezvous with our friends, the Grants.  They helped us tie the boat to their dock and invited us into their lovely home to enjoy a glass of wine.  We talked and lied for quite a while before they offered to take us around the area on the 20-foot runabout. 

Second Wind at rest at the Grant's

We slowly motored around the Clayton Harbor and then out amongst the beautiful group of islands located in their area.  This area reminds us of what we enjoyed as we traveled through the 30,000 Islands of Georgian Bay.  We passed large islands with few homes to those that were ringed with summer cottages. We passed small islands that had a couple of trees that

were home to about 100 cormorants to ones just big enough to house one little cottage.  This was a most enjoyable introduction where we will be traveling for the next couple of weeks. 

The Wooden Boat Brewry

Back at the Grants, we enjoyed hors d’ouevres and another glass of wine before heading to a stone oven pizzeria, The Wooden Boat Brewery, where we enjoyed a nice BLT pizza. 

 At the Grant’s we said our “good nights” and ambled back to Second Wind and a night of rest.

 

Sacket's Harbor to Cape Vincent

Day 4; August 13, 2017

 You can monitor my trip at the link: Second Wind's Progress Live

Yesterday, I was excited to get to try a fancy sausage gravy and biscuits at the Tin Pan Galley but yielded to the huge French Toast entrée instead. So, this morning

Tin Pan Galley

we had to return to that fine restaurant so that I could get my breakfast staple.  And I was not disappointed.  The quantity of gravy wasn’t so huge but serving included two eggs and a pile of hash browns.  I wasn’t able to finish it all.  Janine had a cheese omelet which, like my meal, was too much to eat.

Back at the boat, we fired up the motor, backed out of our slip and headed out into the Lake in route for the St. Lawrence River and the village of Cape Vincent.  The Cape is really right at the entrance to the river.  The wind was light from the

Tin Pan Galley's Sausage Gravy and Biscuit breakfast

northwest, the direction we were traveling for the first half of our trip so we spent an hour and a half motoring. 

The breeze finally increased a bit so with our heading more north, we put up the sails.  However, the wind was so light we could barely make 2 knots headway so we went back to motoring until we swung more to the east.  We again raised the sails and with a bit stronger breeze, we were able to move along between 4 and 5 knots.  That is a respectable

One effect of high water on the great lakes

pace for this boat especially in relatively light winds.  I pushed the jib to the opposite side of the main holding it out with the whisker pole and ran wing and wing (wung out) for about 5 miles.

 

We dropped the sails and motored behind the breakwater that protects the water front of Cape Vince looking for the DEC Fisheries Research dock.  Our guide book advises that the use of the dock is free if the DEC folks are not using it. Finding the dock, we were amazed that there were no other boats tied up there.  Sure enough, there was

Second Wind at rest at the DEC Fisheries Research dock

a sign welcoming boaters to use the facilities.  

We made our landing in a fairly uneventful fashion and immediately created lunch.  I allowed myself to break to my cache of Spam for a sandwich made with mayo on a tortilla.  IT WAS WONDERFUL!  Janine had tuna for her entrée.   We are living well!

Along the way, we have been staying in touch with our friends Rob and Sharon Grant whom I met last year on my trip down the

Fisheries Research Bldg - and old gristmill circa 1856

Intracoastal Waterway.  They live in the town of Clayton, NY, which is just a few miles downstream from Cape Vincent.  They agreed to come to Cape Vincent and join us for dinner. They arrived at Second Wind at around 5:00 and joined us in a glass of wine before we headed out for one of the only two eating establishments in this small town.

Our waterfront seat on the patio at Captain Jacks provided us with a nice view of the St. Lawrence. This eating place was at the opposite end of the spectrum from Tin Pan Galley.  The food was good as was the service. We were entertained by the musical sounds made by the sheets of corrugated steel of a dilapidated boat house that were

Tibbett's Lighthouse

waving in the breeze. 

After dinner, we took a drive down the coast to the Tibbetts light house.  This beautifully maintained structure was built in 1837 and is now maintained by a light house society and the town of Cape Vincent. The location of the light is critical because it sits at the mouth of the funnel that leads into the St. Lawrence from Lake Ontario.  They also have maintained the light keepers home and fog horn building.

We said our good evenings to the Grants at around 8:00 and made plans to head tomorrow for Clayton where we plan to spend a couple of days near them.

Sunset over the St. Lawrence River from Cape Vincent