Day 35: We got the mast and antennae back up with a little help from our friends (thank you Boris!) and left Oswego entering Lake Ontario around 10:00 am heading NE with 12-18 knot winds from the west – nothing Legacy can’t handle with ease. The shore line is enshrouded with haze/smoke from the fires in Canada which you could smell in port, but it’s not nearly as bad as when we were in NYC. We can barely see a faint outline of the shore. Traveling around 3-4 miles offshore, waves are about 1 foot for a very smooth ride. This is the deepest water we’ve seen yet: 406 feet!
We left one of the three musketeers (SAGA) behind in Oswego with the other 2 (Coda and Lil Sudden) on the move from Winter Haven (after some work) moving through the final Erie Canal lock and all 7 of the Oswego locks to rejoin SAGA in Oswego. We’ve been named the 4th musketeer (d’Artagnan, joining Athos, Porthos and Aramis) and accept that role with joy! Will reconnect with the fleet in 1000 Islands.
Just a little mundane of boat life: We’ve developed a bit of a routine while we are under way for a substantial period of time in deep water. We run the generator and turn on the water maker. Since we are burning fuel to run the power plant, we might as well do laundry and run the dishwasher at the same time, especially if we won’t have power at the dock or will be at anchor. It is best to ‘make water’ in deeper water because it’s cleaner, but also because it is one of the louder pieces of equipment on the boat, especially if you are sitting in the cockpit or salon.
Arrived at Sackets Harbor, but the public wall was under construction and unusable while the very small marina had no room for us. We considered anchoring in Black River Bay but the bottom was very rocky and with a 5-10 knot wind, we were not trusting the hold. Decided to backtrack a little to Henderson Bay, a well protected anchorage and drop the hook there for the night. We would have liked to walk the town at Sackets Harbor, but looks like that wasn’t meant to be. Sackets Harbor hosted the American Navy during the War of 1812 and also played host to two critical battles along its shores. You can tour the battlefield and historic buildings as well as take in its history as a shipbuilding hub. Maybe next time!!
We anchored in Whites Bay at the end of Henderson Bay – a lovely well protected cove with beautiful homes and crystal clear water. We are in about 22’ of 71 degree water, enjoying the gentle breeze and solitude. It was a beautiful ride for our first day in open water again, contrasted to our last couple weeks of winding rivers, locks and kind of mucky water. Residents with antique boats keep coming by, but keeping a safe distance, checking us out. We are checking them out too!
For the Marylanders, it feels like we are in Sillary Bay without Dobbins Island! Grilled some steaks, fed the seagulls (much to Gary’s chagrin) and waiting for the sun to set! It’s so quiet we can hear the dogs barking and 2 people chatting in the distance. Life is good!!
Jean Wagner
Enjoy being