Q&A's

I've been getting a few questions from our loyal readers, so I thought I'd address them here. Please send me your questions at billandboop@yahoo.com and I'll do another Q&A down the road. Thanks!

Exactly where the heck are you guys?

I've looked around and this is the best map I could find. When you go to the link, make a pdf of it (look at the note below the map) then you can enlarge it to review. [sorry, but it doesn't look like Blogger will let me insert a pdf.]

So far, we have visited the following towns (look from left to right on the map, although not all are listed):

• Lockport


• Medina


• Brockport


• Fairport


• Lyons


• Mays Point


• Cross Lake

Tonight, we hope to make it to Brewerton, just before Oneida Lake.

Why are you taking so long to get through the Erie Canal?

Welp, there are several reasons. It's beautiful and relaxing. Most towns are full of historic sites and provide free tie ups with electric, water and showers (or charge a nominal fee of $8 - $11). [This is a huge savings compared to ports in Lake Erie that charge $42 - 63 a night. I'm sure after we leave the canal we'll pay even more.] It's easy to provision and do laundry. We're meeting terrific people. [A guy in Lyons took Bill to Walmart to get a gas can then to a station to get diesel since we haven't been able to refuel for diesel yet. Then, since he is a cook at a fancy restaurant nearby, he brought us prime rib, complete with a container of au jus! The lock operator at Mays Point gave us peppers and cucumbers from his garden, "to keep you from getting scurvy."] Great fun. Great folks. What else could you ask for?

We can't leave the Chesapeake until early October (due to hurricane season), so what's the rush? Besides, this trip is ALL about the journey, not the destination.

If you still don't understand, why don't you join me on the bow of the boat for a short ride? Just click on the link below (yes, it's official, we're on YouTube now!).

Did you guys store the boom with the mast? How is it all tied up on the boat?

In two words: veeeerrrrry carefully! :) Hope the pics below help to illustrate. (Note to newbies: you can click on any photo to enlarge.)

The boom is tied up to the main mast, along with all the standing rigging.

What a mess of stuff, eh? You can see the furling drum for the jib as well.

Here's a side view of the big X in the middle of the cockpit that holds up the back end of the mast. There are four lines coming off of it to hold it vertically in place. (Fun to duck under whenever you go in or out of the cockpit.) This was a stroke of engineering genius on Bill's part. Enabled us to keep up the dodger and bimini canvas for much-needed shade.

This is a view from the helm. Can't see too much in front of you, huh? Obviously we have to sit on either side to steer. Luckily, neither of us have bonked our heads on this contraption as we've come in or out of the cabin.


Side view of the whole shebang. Wish we'd had the foresight to decorate it like a big sea serpent ala "Nessie does the Canal." :)

That's it for now kiddies. I've pulled out all the tricks I have from my goodie bag. Let me know if you have any other questions or comments. Love hearing from you!

NY Times article on Chris is out

The article about Christopher Bell, the crooning canoeist, came out in the NY Times today. Both Bill and Lonnie were quoted in the article. How fun!

Suggestion: visit Chris' web page first to play some of his music while you read the article.

Christopher's Music

NY Times article

Meet Lonnie...a seafaring spinner of tall tales and valuable bits of wisdom

July 23 & 24: Brockport NY
July 25 & 26: Fairport NY

We first met Lonnie (aka Lonzo) as we were motoring into Brockport. His was the first sailboat (s/v Smooth Moves) that we'd seen on the canal. He said he was also heading toward Florida. We said we'd meet up once we got to Brockport and talk.

Brockport was great, but it rained a great deal, so we had lots of time to sit around the table and talk. Lonnie is one interesting fellow. He has had more experiences than most of us will ever achieve. He said after high school, when his other friends were going off to college or getting jobs, he said he wanted to take his 20 years of retirement up front. He says he's never held a real job but he's worked all his life: as a carpenter, a jewelry maker, an antique dealer ("I specialize in the highly unique") and for a good part of his life, in the "delivery" business between the Keys and Carribean. He says he's quit that job for good because it's gotten too risky. He's now working on a degree in creative writing. I think he has a promising career in front of him! He certainly has lots of material to draw upon.

Lonnie-ism #1:
"I've made a lot of money and I've lost a lot of money and there's only one thing I've got to say...Ill-gotten means are easily pissed away."

(I think he should get that ditty embroidered on a pillow for his boat!)

Anyway, Lonnie says he's sailed over a quarter million miles and still only knows about a quarter of what there is to know about sailing. "It's someting you constantly learn." He's been in the Keys, Jamaica, the USVIs and the BVIs including Anegada, Cuba, Africa, Thailand and "all over the Indian Ocean." He learned to sail from David Wegman who is a well-known sailor and artist. (Interesting character, himself. Lonnie said he heard David recently sued some lady for cutting off the tip of his beaded beard. Hmmmm)

Lonnie-ism #2

"There are two things I cannot abide on a boat...a thief or a liar. If I found out any of my crew was either of those, they were kicked off the boat at the next port. Now...I don't steal and I don't lie. However, I will embellish. Because an embellishment is based on the truth...with just a little extra thrown in to make it interesting."

I have more Lonnie stories than I can possibly tell here, besides, they are best told in person. But here's one he told over supper that you'll enjoy.

"We were in the Chagos, which is about 3 - 4 weeks east of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean. It's a safe layover for cruisers waiting for the best weather to move from Malaysia to South Africa. Now, it usually blows 300 days a year in the Indian Ocean. Seems like we were there for the 65 days that it did not. We didn't want to use up our provisions for the passage so we ate off the land. We mixed coconut with sugar and cooked patties on a grill we set up over an open fire. We tried to fish as well, but if you hooked anything you had to pull it in fast before the sharks got to it. I managed to catch a great grouper one day and was cleaning it on the dock. Two eels lived under the dock on either side. I accidently dropped the grouper filet in the water and I was damned if that eel was gonna get it. So I jumped in, grabbed the filet and jumped out on the dock. And wouldn't you know at least 3 foot of that eel was up on the dock just squirmin' away trying to chase me down."

(Sorry Lonnie, but that really sounds like an embellished tale to me!)

Lonzo coming into Fairport, where he invited us for cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. He served rum that he learned to love when he visited Cuba. "The Cuban woman are beautiful and they love, American men. Love 'em. But of course they would, we're all so good looking!"

Marlin Spike rigging knife that we bought off Lonnie. He had a great collection of antique ones and newer ones. This is from the 1970's. He said it's a must for a sailor to have on deck. "You never know when a line is going to wrap around your big toe. Gotta have a good knife to cut yourself free. I've seen several guys lose their toes because they weren't equipped." The spike is used to splice line together or tie fancy knots.

When he had out his case I saw this bracelet and asked about it. "It was made by a woman in Mozambique. Her husband was a descendent of the famous Watusi Warriors and they lived in a mud hut. His wife was very talented. He had to pay 4 cows for her!"

Of course, I had to buy the bracelet as well!

Meet Chris...the crooning canoeist

July 23

We met Chris in Mediana. He is canoeing the Erie Canal, gathering songwriting inspiration and singing in different venues along the way. In Medina, he stopped by our boat, asking where he might be able to set up his camp. We couldn't help him with a campsite, since we didn't know the area, but we loaded him up with water, power bars and fritoes.

The crazy firemen we partied with at Medina referrred to him as "banjo boy"...and told us he was playing in Brockport the next night. As we pulled into Brockport, we saw his canoe on the wall. We were tying up the boat and he stopped by with another lady to say hi. Turns out she was a writer for the NY Times and was doing a feature on him. She interviewed us and said the article should be out in the next week or so (we'll post a link to it when it comes out).

Anyway, Chris told us he was indeed playing at the bookstore in town. We went to his performance and it was great! And no, he doesn't play the banjo...it's a large ukulele and a variety of harmonicas. We have his CD so we can share it with y'all when we get back. Very good. Reminiscent of Louden Wainwright III from the early 1970's. Sort of folk, sort of like Bob Dylan (except understandable).


The poster promoting Chris' concert.

Chris, singin' his heart out.

Loved the harmonica.

Someday this kid is going to be famous and we can say we knew him when....

Nothin' could be finer than a day spent in Medina

(note: click on any photo to enlarge)
July 21 & 22, Medina, NY

Welp, Medina was our second stop on the Erie Canal. Nice little peaceful town with FREE tie up for the boat including water and electric, clean showers and restrooms. Can't beat that price! At first, no one was there so we were a bit skeptical...but by afternoon the place filled up.


Boats tied up along the wall.


Downtown Medina...you almost expect to see Andy and Aunt Bea walking down the street.


One of the first places I spotted was this day spa. I treated myself to a pedicure which was wonderful. They even included a free eye treatment. (Think it's cause I looked like I needed it?)


Houseboat rentals along the canal make for great summer vacations.


This is a pic of a river that runs UNDER the canal. The waterfall is about a 50 foot drop.

Another unusual feature near Medina is Culvert Road. It's a road that runs UNDER the canal as well. It only has a 7 foot clearance. This is a view from the boat looking down at the road. For more info go to this link on Ripleys website.

This is a pic of some great folks we met in Medina. They are real pro's at traveling the canal. They even take along this tent to cook under and conduct fierce chess matches. From left to right: Nancy, Frank, Dolly and Bruce (oh, and Bill). Frank and Bruce are both firefighters from Buffalo (obviously, these kids can party!) They gave us lots of input on stops to make down the "road." Thanks guys!

We begin the Erie Canal

(Note: you can double click on photos to enlarge)

July 19 & 20 Lockport, NY

The beginning of the Erie Canal!

Now that we've turned our sailboat into a power boat (evil grin from the first mate), we're ready to travel down the 300+ miles of the Erie Canal to get to the Hudson River.

I was a bit nervous about going through a canal lock, but luckily, we had a good first impression.

As we left Buffalo, we had to go through a small lock in the Black Rock Canal in downtown Buffalo.

We pulled into the lock and the doors shut behind us.

This is looking forward to the other doors. The water drains out like a big old bathtub, taking us down about 5 feet. The doors open and we pulled away. No big deal, right?

As we entered the Erie Canal system, we traveld quite a ways before we came to any of their locks. It was absolutely beautiful! Very peaceful...like floating down a lazy river that's about 11 - 13 feet deep. No sails to fuss with, no navigation to worry about...just simple motoring. Ahhhh, this power boat gal is lovin' it!

Looking down the canal.

Beautiful homes along the water...I've attached just a few for you to see.

This is Tonawanda...it was the first town we came across. We'd plan to stop there, but wouldn't you know it was their annual Canal Days festival. Looked like a great party! (And you know how we hate to miss a good party.) But there were no tie ups available and there was no way I wanted to try to raft off another boat with this huge mast hanging off the front and back of our boat! Sadly, we moved on...waving to the revelers. There will be plenty of other parties along the way.

Then we came to the next town...Lockport. This is where the first locks are located. So, here comes a short history lesson:

"Proclaimed by General Marquis de Lafayette in the 1800's as one of the 'greatest engineering feats in the world', Lockport's famous double locks are a must see for any visitor to the Canal System. Side by side, you can view the historic 'Flight of 5' historic locks on one side and the current operational locks on the other." The original 'Flight of 5' locks were built in the 1840's. It is now a tier of 5 spillways (see photo below). The current set of two locks was built in 1912 - 1914 and drops boats 25 feet each for a total of a 50 foot drop. It uses the same gears and pumps as the original design. And, get this, it's all powered by a 7 hp motor. Imagine! It really is something to see.

The lock operator allowed us to tie up right next to the lock for free. We stayed there two nights. It was convenient to everything in town. When they filled the locks, it created quite a current, so we had to be careful about how we tied up the boat to keep the mast from banging into the metal bars that surrounded the lock area (you can see them in yellow).

This is a front view at water level of our docking spot. You can see the series of bridges behind the boat. We had lots of rain and in the evening mist you could squint and almost think you were in London, England.

Those of you who know how graceful I am (NOT) can imagine the fun I had stepping up from the boat to the ledge then climbing under the bars to get on the concrete landing. Luckily I never fell....but believe me, I was holding on TIGHT.

Here's a 30 foot power boat in the first lock, 25 feet down (looks like a toy, huh?) You can see the swirling water as the lock is being filled up with water from the upper level lock.

This is the view the power boat would have of the doors in front of him before the lock is filled. Gulp! Gets your attention, believe me.

This is a view of the original Flight of 5 locks that took boats through in the 1800's. As I mentioned above, what used to take 5 locks is now done in two. It's amazing. The 5 locks were all formed by hand cut stone blocks. And they still look great today.


Your lovely host and hostess...standing in the rain above the first lock.

We got through the locks just fine. They have long lines running from the top of the lock to the bottom. We put a line through them and just adjusted as we went down. The first lock was a bit scary because we were holding on too close to the middle of the boat and the bow and stern kept moving with the current. I was scared to death one of the ends of the mast would bang into the wall. We did much better on the second one by spacing out our hand holds a bit further to keep the boat more steady. And yes, the walls are very slimey, so you would want to wear rubber gloves if possible.

Changes in Altitude -- the mast comes down

July 17 & 18, Buffalo, NY
We had totally flat seas on our trip from Dunkirk to Buffalo (about 40 miles), so we fired up the diesel engine and let Otto take over. We got inundated by a bunch of "no see um" type bugs and man-eater flies. The flies were NASTY, even drew blood as they bit us incessently. Usually, when I kill bugs I apologize to them, but these little guys were an exception. I closed the door to the forward head where a bunch of them had gathered to burb and laugh at us, and commenced to go crazy with my flip flop. Had to clean up the carnage before Bill came back in. :)

Since it was so calm we decided to try washing down the boat to see if we could get them to leave. It didn't work, but at least we cooled down and the boat looked better. We then stopped the boat to take a dip in the lake. Little buggers couldn't get us when we were immersed in the water!

Bill washing down the boat.

Finally, we came into Buffalo. We went behind the breakwall and followed the outer harbor waterway to the Buffalo ship canal, where RCR Yachts is located.

As we turned into the canal, we saw this big Coast Guard ship. Salute to our nephew Josh who is stationed with the Coast Guard in Hawaii (tough assignment, eh?).


We got to RCR Yachts and found out they could drop our mast the next morning at 10. So the rest of our afternnon was spent tearing down the boat in 90 degree temps. We took off both sails, dismantled the boom and tied up all the lines. It was a long day, but we got a lot done.

[note: double click on any photos to enlarge]

At 10 they came over to get us. We moved into a dock with scaffolding on either side.

Our boat was below land level where this truck and crane were located. Chris is working the levers on the truck. He was great! Worked with us all day to build the cradles in the afternoon and put the mast in place on the boat.

One of the crew, John (aka "Monkey Man") rode the hook of the crane over to the mast like a pirate to attach a sling. Above, John is on the spreaders, hooking things up with NO safety harness. The guy is either fearless or nuts...or both! :) I told him later in the day that I was going to sprinkle holy water on him!

This photo shows the operation a bit better. John is on the spreaders, Jack is on the deck.

John climbs down the mast like a monkey. I have no idea how he does this.

Bill (from RCR) oversaw the operation. Here he gathers the spreaders to the mast as it is pulled out of the boat. Note: our mast is a step-keel, meaning it runs through the deck beside our bed and down to the keel.

The mast is pulled out of the boat then carefully laid down horizontally in the lot above.

Bill helps the crew to remove the spreaders and tie up all the lines. We were super impressed with the level of service we received from the RCR Yacht guys. They were very knowledgeable and efficient. We'd highly recommend them!!!!

The hole left by the missing mast in our bedroom is now covered with bubble wrap and duct tape. It makes for a lovely new skylight!

Here she is, back at dock, everything tucked away. The mast and boom sit on a two saw horses at the bow and amidshp then on an X brace in the cockpit that holds the end. We have about a 10 foot overhang on either side. Oh, forgot to tell you. As they were positioning the mast back on the boat, they wanted to even out the overhangs since there was too much on the back of the boat. They asked Bill to pull down the front as they lifted the mast with the crane to inch it forward. Suddenly, I see Bill flying up in the air! I yell, "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" The difference in weight was too much. Luckily a couple guys came over and helped to get it in place without killing anyone.

After a long hot day, we took showers and treated ourselves to dinner at the Anchor Bar. Bill LOVES wings and this is the birthplace of Buffalo wings. They were terrific!

Dunkirk, NY Yacht Club -- Friendliest on the lake!

July 16, Dunkirk, NY

Pic of the yacht club's main building. Really homey and comfy! And the people were so friendly!


We left Erie in the morning, after filling up our diesel tank. The wind was not very strong at all. We sailed about 26 miles or so, but then started hearing thunder in the distance. Since the sails weren't doing much good, we put on the motor to get into port. Oh, by the way, we crossed the NY state line about 2:20 pm. One more state under our keel!

We were going to stay in the public marina in Dunkirk...even made reservations. But when we tried to contact them as we were coming into the area we did not recieve any reply. So we put in a call to the Dunkirk Yacht Club and they graciously invited us to pull in.

What an incredibly nice group of folks! Several people were out on the dock to help us get in the slip (wind had picked up with the incoming storm plus there was a strong current). We got settled in and went to sign in. We started talking to one of the members, Tom, who foolishly offered to take us to the grocery. EUREKA! I wasn't going to let that opportunity pass by. Not only did he take me to the grocery...he took me to the super Walmart! I kept telling him how great it was. It was like I hadn't been to a grocery in years instead of weeks. I tell you, I'm NEVER going to take grocery shopping for granted again! Tom was terrific and even helped me carry the bags back to the boat.

In the meantime, Bill had grilled up some chicken and spent time chatting with our dockmates. They were from Canada and arrived only moments before we did. Great folks. In fact, the owners of the boat were on their honeymoon. (how romantic). Bill and I ate dinner then fell into bed. Another day, another state. The great adventure is moving faster now!

Tomorrow...Buffalo NY where we will unstep the mast. Oh Lord...wonder how that will go????

So, just how tall IS our mast?

July 14,15 & 16, Erie, PA (our first state crossing!)

We left Fairport around 8 am in the morning. Kathy & Dan were on the stern of their boat waving good-bye and wishing us a safe passage. (It's so much fun meeting new people...and everyone is so friendly!) The winds were 18 - 20 knots with 4 -5 foot waves on the stern AGAIN...but not as bad as our trip from Cleveland to Fairport. It was a nice relaxing ride.

Bill stands watch on the deck.

Boop contemplating life from the stern.

Surfin' down a wave.

The lake was FULL of white caps. It was really deceiving...sometimes I'd think I saw a boat on the horizon, but it dissipated and was just another white cap from the waves. One thing that really surprised me was that we were about 6 - 7 miles off shore and STILL came across fishing boats out there fishing. Their boats had to be rolling like crazy! I tell ya, those fishermen are a hardy lot!

We were going to go to Ashtabula but made such great time that we decided to pass it by and head on to Erie, PA. We crossed the PA border at 3:10 pm. We got into Erie close to 8 pm by the time we anchored in the Presque Isle State Park. We were really worn out from all the sun and wind. Although I must confess, we made "Otto" do most of the steering on the way over. The state park is really pretty and VERY well protected. Kinda reminded us of Buck Creek days.

In the morning, we pulled anchor to head over to the Moorings at Wolverine Park marina. We wanted to go over there because they had laundry facilities and, (ahem), it was definitely time to do laundry. Oh, and before I forget, it was also Bill's BIRTHDAY!!!! He claims he's only 28....right, and I'm Marilyn Monroe. Oh well, gotta keep the boy happy. To get to the marina, we had to go under a causeway between the Sheraton hotel and the Erie convention center. I'm going to show you a series of photos so you can see how incredibly heart-stopping it is to go under ANYTHING with a 58 foot mast.

Ok, this is to give you an idea of the setting. Our boat is at dock here. In the background you can see the causeway.

This is the view from the deck of the boat, looking up to the causeway. Are we going to make it? The folks in the causeway looking down at us, look skeptical. We'd checked out the depth and it said we had 63 feet and our mast is 58. OK, anyone who knows me, knows that numbers are not my friend. But even I could do the math on that one. We SHOULD have enough room, right?

At this point, I'm saying, "I don't know Bill...maybe we shouldn't try this." I know according to the math, we had 5 feet, but it sure didn't look like it. My heart was beating a mile a minute. I just sat there waiting for the crash.

But look, the math won out in the end! I guess numbers COULD be my friend. But I tell you, I'm not going to enjoy going under bridges on the Intercoastal at all!

Perry's Monument was near our dock. It has a lookout area at the top. Very popular with tourists. The maritime museum was also near the pier. It's the home port of the Niagra...Oliver Perry's flagship in the battle of Lake Erie (war of 1812).


This is the outside patio area of a place called Smuggler's Wharf. It was absolutely beautiful and had wonderful food! We had lunch there then went back to the boat. I did laundry while Bill took the bike to try to find a grocery. THIS time I did get directions, but Bill said it was in a crummy part of town and was really more like just a convenience store. Seems like that's the only kind of provisioning we can find. Ugh! At night, we celebrated Bill's birthday at another place nearby called Rum Runners...looked a lot like an Indian Lake honky tonk...with Tiki umbrellas. Then we stopped in Smuggler's again for a late night snack.

Couple observations I've noticed so far....almost all marinas are near a kind of crummy part of town and they all have railroad tracks nearby. Hmmmm. Glad we endured getting the air conditioning installed. It not only keeps the cabin cool at night...it blocks out the noise!

Tomorrow, it's on to New York.