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On June 12 , our 18th wedding anniversary the kids and I bid farewell and Glenn and his dad John came to help Nilson bring the boat across Oneida Lake and the Owesgo canal and finally across the lake to our new dock space on O dock. The journey took 2 1/2 days with the mast being stepped in Oswego. They did make a stop in at Rochester but when they saw where the winds were going to be blowing they decided to keep on their journey. At one point they reported that they had never been so cold and were wearing their winter clothes and jackets when they were sailing on Lake Ontario. Finally at 830am on Wednesday June 15 they arrived at PCYC both exhausted and tired. Finally Sealight was home. Sorry I don’t have more to report but I will post pictures soon.

This post was written on June 11, 2011 but I forgot to publish it.

Today it didn’t take much to get us out of bed as the train that seemed to be getting closer all night served as a alarm clock. We awoke to cloudy skys and a steady drizzle of rain. We let the children sleep and had pushed off the dock by 6am so we were at lock 12 when it opened at 7am. This was the only lock that we shared with someone else, and because they were a power boat they were 2 hrs ahead of us by mid day. The great thing about doing the locks today was that each lock would the call the next so when we arrived they were already ready for us. Nilson and I did locks 12 to 16 without the kids assistance but when we arrived at Lock 17 the were gear to participate. Lock 17 is the largest vertical lift lock in the world, and seems very daunting as you approach it. When we arrived there was a 4H club trip that was as excited as we were for the experience. The lock lifts the boat 40 ft and one of the most difficult ton keep from scraping the wall. We were able to get through it with no problems and continued on our journey. Even though the canal is well marked because it is early in the season it is obvious that drudging needs to be done in certain areas . Close to Albany we ended up a little stuck in the mud but were able to free ourselves. The kids kept themselves entertained as well as preparing a cake and my favorite Torta Fritas. Around locks 21 to 22 these are the only two locks that we were going down in the lock instead of up and I must say it is much easier to go down then up. We finally finished Lock 22 at 915. It was still a 30 min trip till we arrived at Sylvan beach Pier. Unfortunately it was very dark and all we could see was a variety of red markers. We must have made a wrong turn because again we got stuck in the mud but with some great maneuvering and a little luck we finally tied up on the pier. I have to say in felt like a icicle. So after some quick warm showers we grabbed a pizza and laid down for a good nights rest.

Today we pushed off the dock by 630am and continued our journey down the Hudson River. It didn’t take long before we were passing Albany, NY and by 9am we had arrived at our first lock in Troy. It is a federal lock so its passage was free, we radioed ahead that we were virgin sailors at locks and with some quick instructions we entered our first lock with no problems. The next lock is where we purchased our 10 day pass for the Erie Canal and along with 3 other boats all of which were power we proceeded from lock to lock and repeated the procedure. I have to say it’s a very reasonable deal using the canal as for a 10 day pass it is $50. It is amazing especially in the first few locks the height in which the boats are raised. The kids were great help and we were able to make it through all of the first 11 locks without incident. Note to others who stop at lock 11for the night to stop before the 11 lock at the town area instead of after as their is a very loud train after the lock that will make a good nights sleep impossible.

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Nilson and I started our day early. Finishing the last few things to do before the mast came down. The kids and I headed to the Mr Suds (not friendly) and to see the many cats around the area. It’s a very quaint little town and the kids really enjoyed all the cats including a humungous wood one. When we arrived back we had a quick lunch and pushed off the dock by 1pm. We started to get weather severe storm alerts but didn’t expect them to move vas fast as they did. The more north we moved the darker it got. The weather screen was pure red so we knew were in for trouble. I thought we should proceed, Nilson thought we should pull in. Unfortunately the storm moved faster then we did on making the decision and not only was the storm upon us but so was a big barge. We called the closet yacht club who said we could take shelter there. He said there was a back entrance but as we don’t know the area he said we should proceed north towards the barge and come in the other way. I couldn’t hear much with the winds blowing and the rain starting, thank goodness the yacht club could see us as I was heading straight for a big sand bar. The barge was calling us to say they had no visual to stay clear of them. What a mess. Somehow with pure luck we made it safely to a dock but of course by that time the storm was over. Next time Nilson will need to listen to his wife but hey we had a great chat and a little break. After a short visit we were on our way again to a marina not too far down where we decided to rest for the night. Early morning tomorrow. Good night.

Well there is no time like the present is what my dad would say. So Tuesday afternoon we jumped on a train to Yonkers, NY so we could start the journey down the Hudson. Let me tell you even boats I think are faster then a train. We finally arrived in Yonkers at 11pm and took a taxi with the worlds worse driver to Nyack NY where the boat was docked. We must have been a sight to behold as we had to go through a back entrance to a marina we had never visited before. First we had to find our dinghy and then to make matters worse we had to paddle out into the Hudson river with a current to find our boat on a mooring with no light. Of course it was the furthest one away but we did make it and off to bed we went. By 8 am we were on our way learning as we traveled. I have to say the sights were beautiful and the history that goes along with it is amazing. We made amazing time and were able to pull in to Hop-o-nose where we would have our mast taken down in prep for the canal. By 7pm we docked and the kids and I walked to Walmart to do some shopping for provisions. Luckily we made it there on time as a severe thunderstorm arrived. This was my first ever docking of this boat for me. Happy to report it went smoothly, but we won’t talk about the poorly marked entrance to the creek the marina was located on.

It has nearly been a week since Sealight arrived in NYC unfortunately I forgot to update. The boys made a pit stop on their way on the Jersey Shore. This is where the second oldest light house in America is. They picked up fuel and then made their way down the shore to NYC. I have attached some of the photos Ed sent along of the AIS. When they arrived in NYC they docked close to the World Trade Centre, where they spent the night so early in the am crew mates Paul and Mike could catch a train home. Who knows what happened that night, they did come in late but did talk about looking up the Ms. Liberty’s dress. The next day Ed and Artem made their way down the Hudson River to Nyack, NY which is by the Tapenzee bridge, where the boat needed to be by June 1 and as promised by Ed it was there on May 31 all in one piece. The boys had a well deserved night out and caught the train out in the am.
The train ride home was a interesting one home and at a later date I will share Ed’s texts. All I can say is there texts about Planes, Trains & boats & Automobiles, a derailment, hot tracks, no free rum, Rochester Jail and the Conductor. Fortunately they made it back by 10 pm safe and sound.

Today’s update at 218 pm
“We’ve had no wind since last night due to a high pressure system, 1023hPa. We’ve been running the engine for 30 hours so far – sucks! If needed, we may have to make a fuel pit stop in Atlantic City.”

Text received at 130 pm
“We just sailed through a thunder and lightning storm from 9AM till now. Visibility is almost zero, and we don’t have radar, so we are headed out a bit to avoid the weather and catch the gulf steam. Crew is fine, no one is sick, as per captains orders! We are currently doing 8.5kts. “

Text received at 340 pm
“We went farther out now, into a faster part of the gulf stream. There is no wind after the storm so we have the motor on, at 2000 RPM, yet we’re riding the stream at 9.5kts!”

Text received at 746 pm
“We now have beautiful, sunny weather. We just enjoyed BBQ steak, salad, corn, beans and fried potato. All the boys had a shower!”

I am happy to report that with the help of great friends Sealight is on the move to it’s new home at PCYC. Ed Radonic, Paul Benninger, Mike Racicot, & Artem all from PCYC offered to sail Sealight from Charleston to Tapenzee, NY where it will be docked for a short time and then make it’s final voyage down the canal and on to PCYC.

Early Thursday morning I drove the boys to Buffalo where they caught flights to Charleston. They finished provisioning the boat and were able to push off the just after midnight. The first communication we received was

” We left last night, on schedule, after checking the tidal current on the plotter. We passed and talked to seven large ships in the channel as we left Charleston. One was a tug boat pulling a barge, we had to read the light guide to determine not to cross. We did this for two hours, at night, before we got out to sea. Artem and I piloted the channel and raised the sails, while Mike and Paul rested until sunrise. The crew is doing great! I insisted that everyone wears a patch, I told them that we don’t stop for sea sickness! Last night wind was 18kts, now 13kts on beam – SOG is 6.5kts – ETA is Tuesday evening. Forecast tells us that there is a severe thunderstorm warning, with 1-2 inch hail, possible waterspouts, and gusts up to 70kts. Right now it’s sunny, beautiful 30 degrees, the waves are nice – 4ft swells.”

Another update was received at 930pm stating

“All the men send greetings to their wives. Storm warning is still in effect, but we’re not too worried because the satellite weather shows it passing closer to shore. The winds have picked up, so we put in the first reef, in anticipation. We had a beautiful day! We saw four pods of dolphins… life is good!”

All looks good and I hope they are enjoying their sail. Nilson and I appreciate their assistance in helping us get Sealight home. Nilson is looking for help to bring boat down the canal, Nicholas will be assisting him but another strong body is needed. The trip down the canal should take another 7 days. I am keeping my fingers crossed but if all works out we may have the boat here by mid June.

Well there is lots to tell, and I am sorry I haven’t kept everyone updated. Anyways the boys made it to Hilton Head, South Carolina and headed inside on the ICW. Chris Parker had suggested that they take cover as some heavy winds were coming. The boys headed in and it wasn’t long before they were moving through swamp land. The spot has been great for watching where the boat is but can sometimes scare you when you can only see them move but not really have a idea where they are going. They moved until late night fall and then anchored for the night. I have to say I didn’t sleep well that night knowing that the guys could have been a alligator smorgasbord. Nilson said all you could see was their eyes. When they woke in the morning they headed to Charleston and docked. Nilson worked on the engine and prepared the boat for it’s next leg. Ed of course told me not to be concerned about the guys as it was 5 women to every man there so he felt he would be well taken care of. On Saturday they were finally ready to leave and headed out just after lunch, unfortunately things didn’t go as planned, and for reasons unknown at this time Nilson passed out, and out of great concern for his health the men returned back to the dock. We have decided to leave the boat in Charleston and have the crew fly home, and will make arrangements for the boat to make it’s finally journey home in the next few weeks. It needs to be in Tarry Town by June 1 for insurance reasons and there is a delay on the canal opening so hopefully mid June it will be there. I will update progress once the boat is on the move again. Thank you for all the support to date your support has been invaluable.