4 Jun 17
We had a bit of rain in the early hours, so it was tough to get out of bed, but we finally got underway just after 09:00. We had light rain most of the morning, but at least we did not have to fool with a lock until we got to the Black Rock Canal in Buffalo, by which time it had stopped raining. The eastern terminus of the Erie Canal was achieved at 11:45 (2 weeks and 2 days from one end to the other, including Cayuga Lake), when we turned into the Niagara River; as the falls are just 9 miles below us, this step is a bit unsettling. However, the current against was only 2.5 kn maximum, so we were good, as long as the engine holds up, which it did. After we got through the lock without incident, we had a couple of lift bridges to negotiate, but as the minimum vertical clearance in the closed position was listed as 17’, I did not bother to ask for an opening. However, the level in Lake Erie is obviously way up, as we had only about 6” of clearance over the top of our radar dome, which is about 10’ above the waterline; we crept through at dead slow. We finally tied up at the Erie Basin Marina just after 14:00; our buddies from “Daddy’s Dream” were there to catch our lines. This is a rock and rolly marina, at least where they put the transients, so we are not too happy about that, but it is the only place near to the mast where I could get a slip, so we will just have to put up with it. Some coastal engineer is going to get a nasty e-mail from me, if I can find out who the designer is. After we got tied up, the Admiral made a quick run to the grocery store and then packed for her flight home tomorrow, while I did some preparations for re-stepping the mast, which will probably take place on Tuesday, weather permitting; I have a few more hours of preparation (reassembling the spreaders and shrouds, attaching the mast-head instruments, and lowering the bimini arch and radar mast - to facilitate re-connection of the port-side back stay). Captain’s hour and dinner aboard.
42-52.996’N, 078-53.366’W; Log = 31.1 N-m, Sum (2017) = 473.2 N-m.
5 Jun 17
The alarm went off at 07:00 and we bounded out; busy day today. After breakfast, I collected a rental car and hauled the Admiral to the airport for a quick flight home; she returns on Wednesday. I spent the rest of the day getting the mast ready for re-stepping tomorrow (scheduled for 10:15, weather permitting): reattached the spreaders and got the shrouds rerun. The radar reflector (attached to the port-side middle shroud) had got demolished during shipping and the masthead (or anchor) light globe was also broken, so I made a quick run to West Marine to replace them; mercifully, they had replacements in stock, so I was able to get them installed while the mast was still on the ground - saves a later trip up the mast. Arriving back at the boat about 16:00, I spent a couple of hours cleansing the deck and topsides of some of the grime accumulated during our run across New York on the Erie Canal. I also pumped out the bilge (which has been sloshing around for the last week with a bunch of water and bilge cleaner); unfortunately, neither of the two electric bilge pumps is sucking, so I am going to have to spend some time figuring out what is going on. The manual bilge pump is working fine, so I used that to pump the bilge dry. After a cleanup, I went to the Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo Wings (or so they claim) to check out the real thing. And, they were great. Had a couple of beers and a chat with a chap from Chicago, Brett, who is in town attending a Homeland Security convention.
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6 Jun 17
The 73rd anniversary of the Normandy Landings - lest we forget. I went to bed early last night, after watching the Astros beat Kansas City 7-3, and win their 42nd game of the season. After breakfast, I stripped the bimini and cockpit enclosure canvas, so I could lower the rear arch and the radar support post. Then, it was time to head over to RCR Yachts to re-step the mast. The weather was miserable all day; about every 15 minutes, a 5 minute long rain squall would blow through. I lost track of how many times I put on my foulies, only to take them off a few minutes later. The boys had the mast up by noon. I spent the rest of the afternoon tightening the shrouds and backstays, installing the boom and vang, re-wiring the mast-head lights and instruments, re-running the running rigging, and reinstating the bimini and enclosure canvas. On the way back to Erie Basin, I stopped and pumped out the holding tanks. A good day’s work, all in all, but man, am I sore and stiff. Unfortunately, it is too windy to attempt to hoist the main sail, so I will probably have to listen to the main furling post bang around inside the mast all night long - very annoying. After a cleanup, I went for dinner at William K’s; excellent pizza.
7 Jun 17
The banging on the mast did not keep me awake at all. I slept like a log all night long. Unfortunately, I fell asleep after the top of the 8th, with Astros up 7-3, only to wake up and find out they lost 9-7. The dawn broke clear and warm, for a change; perhaps summer has finally arrived. After breakfast, I tackled the bilge pump issue. After filling a bucket with water and using it to prime the pumps, they started sucking, but as soon as I turned off the pump, the water all ran back; not good. The bilge pumps are diaphragm pumps with a couple of simple rubber valves for inlet and outlet strokes. I took the first pump apart and both valves are not sealing. West Marine does not carry Jabsco pumps or the rebuild kits, so I came back to the boat to search on-line; finally found a company that had valve kits in stock and would ship overnight (for a fee). After ordering these kits, I spent an hour tuning up the standing rigging and then it was time to collect the Admiral at the airport. As it was a beautiful day, we went straight from the airport to Niagara Falls. We had a great time checking out the American Falls and then drove over to Goat Island to have a good look at Horseshoe Falls. We had dinner at the Pearl. After dinner, we came back to the boat and hoisted and furled both the main sail and the jib; no more banging in the mast.
8 Jun 17
Another beautiful day in paradise; sun-shiny and warm all day long. After breakfast, we ran into town to do the laundry and I filled up the empty propane tank. When we got back to the boat, the replacement valves for the bilge pumps had been delivered, so I spent an hour or so installing these and reassembling the pumps (with plenty of cursing and skinned knuckles - why do they put these things where it is nye-on impossible to get to them?), after which they both sucked big time, which, in this case, is a good thing. Then, we reprovisioned at the local Tops and turned in the rental car. We are all set for an early departure tomorrow, headed for Dunkirk, NY; naturally, the wind is going to be smack on the nose, now that we have a sail - hopefully, it will not get too rough. The warm weather has brought lots of folks down to the breakwater for a stroll and a look out at Lake Erie; we had a nice chat with a few of them. Dinner aboard and early to bed.