Gananoque to Endymion Island

We stayed for late check out at the Gananoque Marina and got a bunch of boat chores taken care of.  Changed the oil and filters on the generator, watered the batteries, cleaned out the level sensors in the holding tank (yuk) and Debbie vacuumed, did laundry and cleaned.  When we left we got a pump out and filled with water for the next couple of days out on the hook. We looked at going to Camelot Island but there were no spaces available.  We rounded the corner of the next island to the east and found a nice mooring ball off of Parks Endymion Island. We are getting better at picking up mooring balls and may have come up with a method of getting the line around the hook on the mooring ball to the bow.  It worked well for us today. We swam and lounged the afternoon away, relaxing after a busy couple of weeks of visiting, guests and friends. I dove on the running gear and all is good still.  I'm not sure how many boat tours I have done so far but if I was charging I think I could pay for the trip.  We have had so many people bring food and with the provisions we got at Cosco I'm finally getting to the back of the fridge to see what we have.  I think we are still good for a couple of more days before we will need to re-provision.  We had hoped to have dinner with Russell and Brenda in Gananoque but their schedules and ours didn't work out.  I looked for Harmer's Cottages on our way out and spotted them from a distance.  Maybe we will see Mal and Penny nearer Kingston.
Abby, Debbie and I went out for a dingy cocktail ride and then dinner on the boat and after two episodes of Homeland it was time for bed.

Our neighbors in the mooring field at Endymion Island

The Parks dock.  Notice they have put concrete blocks on the dock so it doesn't float away

Raleigh Island to Gananogue

We woke up at our anchorage off Raleigh Island and took Abby over to the island for her morning walk and the girls swam.  Ian showed up mid morning and we agreed to meet for lunch at his house on the island.  Kinda a pot luck affair that turned out really well.  Ian has published a few books with beautiful pictures of scenes in the 1000 Islands.  Many were either taken from the ultralight or boat and now he tells me he is using a drone to capture the images.  Some of the pictures in this post and the previous one were lifted from his book.  So order yours today    1000islandsphotoart.com   shameless plug for an old friend!!

Lyne and Ian lit up the grill and we had burgers and dogs for lunch with salads to go with them.  We reminisced about the old days.  Hey what else do old guys do.  Ian gave Debbie a tour of the island and I ferried everyone back to the boat so we could head off to Gananoque for the night.

Ian and Lynn's Raleigh Island

Bob and Debbie enjoying lunch on the island

Ian and Lyne's house

 Once you leave Raleigh Island and head west the scenery just gets better and better.  We passed by Rockport and followed one of the uncle Sam's Tour boats through the narrow channels.  Hey I figured he knew where he was going.  We passed by beautiful mansions old and new, boy some people have money!!  Maybe that should be MONEY.  Some of the houses on the islands are tiny with tiny houses and others look like hotels with manicured lawns and magnificent boathouses and gardens. We passed under the bridge to the I-81 and numerous Canada Parks docks.  Some seemed to be closed due to the high water and there were signs out "Slow no wake we're flooded"  Lots of docks underwater and people doing their best to prevent them from floating away.  We pulled into Gananoque Municipal Marina around 5:30 and hooked up the power and filled with water.  Bob and the girls are getting off here and my niece Chloe is driving up from Hudson to pick them up. Juliette and I rode the bicycles up into town to scout out a restaurant for dinner while we waited for Chloe to arrive. We went back to the boat and rounded up the crew and headed to town. We found a nice restaurant Riva that served great pizza and tiramisu for dessert.  Thanks Bob for buying dinner

Long Sault to Raleigh Island

We took Abby over to the beach again in the morning and let her run all over as there was no one there.  Breakfast and then off towards Brockville and the beginning of the 1000 Islands. We passed through the Iroquois lock where there is very little lift.  It's the first time I have seen all the sluice gates wide open, they are doing their best to lower the water levels in Lake Ontario which is still a meter or more over datum.  Good for props bad for docks.  I had been in touch with and old friend Ian Coristine who has an island just west of Brockville Narrows and I had said I would be by to visit some time in July.  Ian was a customer of mine way back when and we traded off work for flying lessons in Ultralights.  I got to soloing in the Ultralights but didn't pursue flying again until I moved to Charlotte.  We found the island and anchored in behind between the island and the mainland.  Ian had replied to an email I had sent earlier in the day and told us he was boat camping off of Grenadier Island and would only be back in the morning.  We took Abby over to the island and the girls swam back from the island to the boat.  Ian bought the island back around 1990 and it is a beauty.  The house spans two small islands and this year it is the bridge between the two. We settled in for the night and enjoyed listening to the loons around the island.

Ian and Lyne's island where the boat is now is where he used to keep his plane on floats which he used to capture many amazing shots of the 1000 Islands

Ian and Lyne's house

View from the island

looking out from the house to the harbor

Coteaux to Long Sault

After breakfast we weighed anchor and headed back out into Lake St Francis to follow the seaway west to Lake Ontario.  The day was bright with lots of sunshine and the crew relaxed through the day.  I had wanted to fuel up in the states on the way west before we crossed back over into Trenton.  I posted to the AGLCA forum hoping someone would have a suggestion for cheap fuel.  As I was waiting for a reply I spotted the Aknawate Marina on the south shore and remembered that they had always had good gas prices years ago and we cruised up to the dock and asked how much.  $2.25 a gallon as they don't pay or collect any taxes so we filled up with 500 gallons and water.  Very happy I figure I saved $500.00 over fuel in Alexandria Bay or Clayton.  The Snell locks were just opening upon our arrival and we breezed through both American locks and out into the Long Sault stretch.  We passed Santorini downbound and hailed them on the radio to learn of their adventures.  They had spent a week or two in the 10000 islands and were having a great time.  We had spent a week with them in Waterford so it was nice to see them again even in passing.
We pulled out of the seaway and headed over to the Canadian side because we had not cleared customs and didn't want to anchor in the states.  We found a nice anchorage just off of Woodlands Beach and swam and took Abby for a run in the park near the beach. Juliette swam back to the boat from the beach, that girl can swim.  Dinner was an invention of brats and shrimp in a garlic, tomato pepper sauce with rice.  Turned out really well if I don't say so myself.  Might make it again. Topped it off with berry pie and ice cream. We sat out in the cockpit and watched the fourth of July fireworks from the American side.  All in all in very pleasant day.

Juliette swimming

Mara contemplating lunch

Debbie snoozing

Lots of current coming up the seaway.  Mostly 2+ knots

swimming is done for the day

More snoozing

Waiting for the fireworks to begin

There going to start soon

Hudson to Coteau du Lac via Dorval

We cruised from Quarry Point over to HYC at 8:00 to pick up Bob and my grand nieces from the end of the L pier.  There was even less pier showing this morning.  I'm glad we decided to anchor out. With Mara, Juliette and Bob aboard we headed of for St Annes and through the locks.  Abby got her morning walk at the locks and then down Lake St Louis to the Dorval channel to head up the seaway to Behaurnois.  We had to wait for the locks to open so Juliette and Mara went swimming and Juliette pulled more fishing line and leaders off of the props.  I feel that I have used up 5 of my nine lives with the props as we have now hit 3 deadheads and had nylon line and now fishing gear wrapped around the props.  Once through the locks we had to wait again for the lift bridge and tried anchoring just out of the channel.   When we went to leave I put her in gear and we stirred up some gravel, make that strike 6.  Everything seemed to still be running smoothly and we headed into Coteaux and anchored just before the entrance to the old Soulonge canal.  Abby got to go for a walk in the canal park with Mara and Juliette and I cruised the old canal in the dingy.  Bob made a nice dinner and we all turned in shortly after 9:00.  I dove on the props and everything is still good.  Thank you

Juliette and Mara swimming and me checking the props

Juliette working the lines in the seaway locks

One of the many freighters we would pass 

Lighthouse in Les Coteaux

Bob got on board this morning and curiosity got the best of him  Fixing the door he opened that fell off

The L Pier at HYC when we left this morning.  We were tied up there for 4 days and the water rose two feet

Hudson

During our stay we had dinners with friends and many visitors come over to see the boat and ask what we were doing and getting a tour of the boat.  Thank you all. We had dinner with Dan at Mon Village Thursday night then dinner at Wendy's on Friday night, dinner with Dave and Lucie at Rube's Saturday night and then the fireworks at HYC for Canada Day.  Happy 150th Canada. My sister, two grand nieces and Bob came for lunch on Saturday.  Sunday we met Andre and Martine at Cosco to stock up on supplies then over to the SAQ Liquor Depot for more wine and spirits.  I ran into Ron Hryniowski at the SAQ and he was stocking up for a big celebration.  I showed him a finger he had sewn back together many years ago that still works great. Thanks Ron. 
Sunday night we had dinner with Andre and Martine at Lois' new house.  Another great meal and lots of conversation.  Unfortunately no internet as apparently some people can't remember their passwords for their WiFi !! Home to the boat tired and happy.

When we arrived at the boat the water had risen on the L pier and there was lightening in the distance.  With the water blevel up we were down to our fenders floating sideways and no wall to keep us off of the L pier so we decided to go out and anchor off of Quarry Point, something I hadn't done in 22 years. To our surprise when we woke up Monday morning there was 5 other sailboats there.  I had seen 2 but not 5!

Martha's Cove to Hudson

 We left Martha';s Cove around 10:00 AM after spending time chatting with Lawrence and walking around to check the place out. Down the river to the lock at Carillon where the doors opened for us on arrival and we proceeded straight into the lock.  Once through we started to see how much the high water had affected Rigaud and on down the Ottawa towards Hudson. There are fewer and fewer buoys in the water and in fact there were a total of 6 buoys from Carillon to Ottawa and some of those are privately maintained like the red off of Martha's Cove. It made me smile to pull into HYC after not driving a boat into there for 22 years.  We were greeted by Lois and many others as we tied up for 5 days.  The only available spot was outside on the L pier and with the high water this year there was no power or water out there.  We were fine as we had filled up this morning and had the generator when we needed power.

Carillon Lock with the door opening

View of the staircase to get out of the lock in an emergency

Wendy checking out the lock

Jim chatting to the lock tenders

Andre and Martine had invited us to dinner and we needed to get over there for 5:00.  I was running a little late and headed over to the car when I was hailed into the tent and much to my surprise there was a tent full of people there to greet Debbie and I back to Hudson.  This is the third time I have had a surprise party in my honor at HYC and I was again truly surprised.  Thank you to all who came and especially Andre and Martine who made it a special evening for Debbie and I.  The other two surprises were my 40th birthday (with a Belly Dancer) and a welcome to Hudson party for Debbie years ago including a Key to the town!

It rained for a while and after the rain  ended there was a beautiful rainbow over the boat.  I felt so lucky to be greeted and celebrated by many good friends.  Thank you all.

Theres gold at the end of the Rainbow and its right in our boat