Aug 12, 2014 Put In Bay So after losing a day due to rain and a bad weather start to today, we decided to rent a golf cart to get around the island. We really wanted to bike it but the threatening rain would have made it uncomfortable.
Aug 11, 2014 Put In Bay, South Bass Island
Rain………………walked about 5 km in the rain. Came home soaked head to toe. Wanted to see the Aquatic Centre which as it turns out is a fish hatchery and is only open Wed – Saturday. They really should put that in those brochures. Heading back out into the rain to head to the winery. Stay tuned for the result. You can be tit will be a movie night. Rain came all day but that didn’t stop us from having a good time.
Aug 10, 2014 Kelley’s Island – Put In Bay, South Bass Island
Put In Bay, South Bass Island
Check out from Portside on Kelley’s Island was at 11:00 so each and every large boat was leaving at the same time. We were second in line due to our slip placement. Winds wer okay but breezy. We were heading to Put In Bay which was about a 40 minute slow steady ride. We had reservations again at Millers Marina. The new Park Place Marina is beautiful. It’s only been open about a month, is village owned and has one of the best facilities here at Put In. Same price $1.75 per ft. We do like our slip at Millers. Right up front, in front of the pavilion and not far from the main village. We spent the afternoon tripping through the village, which was bustling on a Sunday. Saw an antique car show drive by, a veterans parade, had a local beer from Put In Bay, and of course, the illustrious ice cream. There is enough to do on this island to keep us here for days. Memorials about the peace between Canada, the US and Britian and an entirely different perspective on the war of 1812. The Battle of Erie was here on September 10, 1813 where Oliver Hazard Perry beat the British on Lake Erie. The only battle won by the Redcoats which made it easy for them to stop supplies heading toward the western end of the lake from Kingston. The history is outstanding here. This place is known as the Peace Memorial due to the monument for that commemorative on this island. So many Canadian flags here in Put In Bay are seen on buildings, streets and poles. It is impressive.
Wear Red …..and then wear Red, white and blue. Those two holidays blend into each other while living so close to the border. Scott took some fellas out on the boat for an evening cruise. From Tonawanda Gateway Park to Canalside, Buffalo and then along Black Rock Lock they cruised through a good wind of 30 km/hr. At Canalside they had a great dinner and headed back to Tonawanda for the weekly evening band.
On July 3rd, we took out our friends from squash, Matt, Lesley and family. It was quite cool and rainy. The sun made a few appearances but it was still sweaters to watch the sunset fall over the brim of Niagara Falls. We traveled around Navy Island and saw a deer drinking along the shore. Dinner was a BBQ which the kids thought was something just to have that on board a boat. Great memories made!
We stayed the weekend in Chippawa at the Greater Niagara Boat Club. A cute, quiet little place with a bar style food choice and beer aplenty. Canadian, eh! Since we were so close to home we also managed to head there to get some well needed yard work done.
When we decided to take out a seasonal slip we wondered if we would ever stay in one place. Well for the month of June that became the norm. Scott decided to install a davit system with a tender. Purchasing the davit from a company in New Jersey, they stated that it was to be a perfect fit and easily installed on our specific boat. The other boaters from Sea Ray said that the company was reputable. We ordered the davit system in February in hopes that it would be here in May so that Scott could install the new bling to the swim platform. As it turns out, it was late and it arrived in June. Upon looking at the pieces sent Scott quickly realized that it was no way a “perfect fit” for our boat. That began with countless hours on his part to re-engineer the entire system. Thank goodness for friends that lived on the island. Scott couldn’t have done the cutting and welding of the stainless brackets without Warren’s help and tools. The entire project spanned over two full, hard work weekends while at Beaver Island. He didn’t stop until it was done. Scott had called the company and asked what they had done to be told that they were not sure of measurements, so they “winged it”. How you “wing” something like this is beyond me. They even had the gumption to ask that once he had all the measurements and figures and had it in place if he would mind sending those figures to them. All this for a “perfect fit”.
The best part about staying here are all the kids. Aiden had so many to play with dawn till after campfire. Rarely saw him the entire days there.
After her launch from Smith Boys on Tonawanda Island we decided to stop overnight at Tonawanda Gateway Park to get supplies. Groceries and some incidentals, like beer. You know us Canadians and our beer!! It was a cold one for sure. Had the heat on.
On Saturday we headed over to Beaver Island Marina for the weekend. Conductance started up no problem. Love her mechanic/Captain. He always knows what she needs to keep her going after 6 months in storage. We found out that our favourite spot in the marina at Beaver Island had been taken by a seasonal occupant. Darn. We managed to find a small dock with a centre post between slips that we could tie off. So once that was figured out we were all set. Aiden was happy to see all his friends from the Island and made a couple new ones. Young fellas about his age. The rest are all girls so this is a treat. We spent the weekend recounting all our winter stories about blizzards, work, family, life with our ole friends and the kids spent their time catching millions of minnows. Some sun even made an appearance. Love the campfires that we have here. It’s the only place around this area on the Upper Niagara River that you can have campfires, every night if you want. It was this weekend that we decided to take out a seasonal slip here. We won’t be here full time but at least we will have a home.
After a winter like that one I started to wonder if we would ever be on the boat again. The ice just left the river about 2 weeks ago with a few straggler left from Lake Erie thawing. We missed Victoria Day cause we were not in yet so Memorial Day here we come. Our plan is to stop over at Tonawanda Gateway Park then head over to Beaver Island State Park marina on Grand Island.
We stayed on the wall in Tonawanda Gateway Park this week. Super easy for Scott to get to work and good friends made in the other boaters. Met some families from Greater Niagara Boat Club, our home club and some friends from a Grand Island club, Red Oaks Club. Came home for a couple days to catch up on work stuff, had some work friends out on the boat for a cruise around Grand Island and then decided to head on out to Canal Days in Port Colborne stopping at a few new spots along the way.
Holy Party Batman!!! With concerts every night, a carnival, streets closed down, hundreds of boats in the harbour, people literally everywhere, kids games, scavenger hunts, obstacle course, and everything else you can think of, we certainly were not bored this week. Some boats from a local yacht club decorated their boats for a Christmas in July theme after dark. The bands were amazing every single night. Next year if we choose to come to this event we will be prepared instead of showing up the day it starts after a 10 vacation.
………………and HOT, ridiculously hot temps hovering around 35 degrees, 90’s for our American neighbours. It was difficult to get around in the crowds in that heat but we all did it anyway. Tracey, Brian and family made it out to our Friday night concert to be met by an insane thunderstorm. Beautiful light show in the lightening for a couple hours and then crazy wind, rain and literally pounding rain until the wee hours of the next day. Everything shut down at that point. We managed to have a great time anyway. Wine, beer and Jamieson’s flowed with a dinner better than any 5 star restaurant. Great company.
The week ended with a fireworks show on the Sunday night. Stunning show, although short, with a huge crowd. We had to clear out the harbour so it was interesting moving about 30+ boats back behind the main barrier. A lot of boats had left already but there were still several sticking around till Monday. After the fireworks we made our way back to our favourite spot on the terminal wall and stayed there for another week.
Leaving Holley at a reasonable hour did not make the 9 hour trip back to Tonawanda any quicker. The trek back through, what we consider the most boring stretch of the Erie Canal, was still full of surprises. We definitely saw more boat traffic along the route going in both directions. We had heard that the canal had both opened and then closed a portion of the canal on the eastern half. Maybe that is what created folks deciding to push on.
We did have the opportunity to watch the geese, a lonely doe, a few ducks, and a few osprey along the way. It was our first time locking up at Lockport, NY. We didn’t realize that the locks were as large as they are. Being a set of flight locks the two locks did seem a bit cavernous after the much smaller locks that we have had. We did lock down them but they didn’t seem as large. It’s all perspective, I suppose.
It was a hot, hot day too. Not able to swim in the canal makes it all seem even hotter. Surrounded by water and no way in. Not fun. The waterway is so silty and polluted at this portion not a sole goes in. As we made our way closer to our end stop of Tonawanda the water did open up to the more clear green, blue colour of the Niagara River. A welcome sight.
Upon arriving in Tonawanda, after the dinner hour, the harbour was full with Canal Fest going on. The first day. Not a spot available anywhere. We saw a couple boats from our home club of the Greater Niagara Boat Club on the wall and were going to ask to raft but “John” said he was leaving and could have his space. We didn’t even know that this was a space. Actually it isn’t, but at Canal Fest it is a free for all and anything goes scenario. You have got to see this place for the next week to believe it. Bands every night, a carnival, streets shut down, vendors, games, food, literally everywhere. It starts at 10:00 am and goes till 11:00 pm every single night this week. It is truly amazing to see all the boats, lights and sounds. So if you are looking for things to do this week, trip on over to the Tonawanda Gateway Harbour. Don’t forget your bathing suit!