If your chart doesn’t make it obvious, you know you are on the St Lawrence Seaway when you start sharing the channel with freighters. After the confines of the Erie Canal, the Seaway is a bit intimidating. I had hoped to have AIS on board so they could see me, and I could see them,… Continue reading St Lawrence Seaway – Thousand Islands – Clayton, NY

We arrived at Henderson Harbor Yacht Club on the 4th of July. Ed was a member here for 20+ years and was received like a conquering hero. We had a reception committee of 5 folks to catch our lines and provide a welcome. The club is like a bite out of time, reminds me of… Continue reading Henderson Harbor – A Step Back in Time

We made progress from the Erie Canal to the Oswego Canal with lots of locks along the way. The Oswego Canal runs straight north on the Seneca River to Lake Ontario. Ontario is a new Great Lake for WhimSea. Ontario is much much deeper than Erie. My depth sounder maxed out at 338 feet. The… Continue reading Goodbye Oswego Canal, Greetings Lake Ontario

Ed McChain joined the WhimSea crew in Brockport NY. Ed brings a lifetime of boating knowledge and an intimate Lord Nelson Victory Tug knowledge. Ed owns Thistle in Saluda VA. Ed’s been aboard a few days and it’s like having a master class on the mechanical side – just what I desperately needed. I left… Continue reading WhimSea adds Crew

Saturday I made the transition from the big waters of Lake Erie to the blissful calm of the Erie Canal. Last year I explored every cleat on the western canal so this summer is filled with familiarity. I know where the free walls are with complimentary electricity, the good diners, the convenient super markets and… Continue reading The Blissful Erie Canal

WhimSea has made it 219.4 NM across Lake Erie in 4 days. That’s about as screaming fast as her 7.4 knots will go. Long time cruisers say you should never try to keep a schedule because you make poor choices on weather windows. I woke up at 5 in Vermilion, checked the weather and called… Continue reading Screaming East Across Lake Erie

I took a big gulp of courage and started the adventure once again. I made it to my first stop in Vermilion and everything is working well. Let’s knock on some teak to keep that going! It took a village to get me back on the water again. When I returned to port with my… Continue reading On the Water Again….but it took a Village

I stopped at Cedar Point to fuel up and paid over $6 for 162 gallons of diesel. Last year the same fuel stop was $3.19 per gallon. Fortunately WhimSea sips fuel and that fuel will last a good part of the summer. The first day on the water is always a challenge for a big… Continue reading It Can’t Get Worse and Then It Did and Did and Did

WhimSea aka “The Hanger Queen” has left the building. It was a big season for WhimSea upgrades with new electronics, Stove and Davits but more on all that later. For now it’s time to rejoice in a successful launch! In the 10 years I have owned WhimSea this is the first time I have seen… Continue reading WhimSea Launch 2022

I had read about the Grey Whales in the Mexican lagoons seeking human touch, but I didn’t really believe it. I assumed the whales were just curious and got close to the boats but it is definitely more than that. We entered the lagoon and were immediately surrounded by mothers with new born calves. The… Continue reading The Big Friendlies