WanderlustandWhimSea

So the Coast Guard made another visit to WhimSea today. This time the cause was interesting. A fishing vessel I passed this morning didn’t see me on board and reported it as an unmanned vessel underway. A Pon Pon message went out to Lake Erie and the Coast Guard out of Cleveland came to check… Continue reading The Coast Guard Visits – Again!

One of WhimSea’s winter projects was sanding the teak decks. The teak on the decks and caulking looked great but the project caused the top of the bungs covering the screws to get thin and pop off. As a result, the deck was an unappealing sea of screw heads that destroyed the charm of the… Continue reading WhimSea’s Summer 2022 Bung Project

My worries and concerns about solo locking with no bow thruster and towing the dinghy were unfounded. A local took this picture as I was entering the lock at Lyons NY. I’ve traversed 10 locks on the Erie Canal and it’s been pretty easy with no problems, no drama. I’ve also slowed WAY down to… Continue reading On the Erie Canal and the Living is Easy

Crossing from Kingston ON to Oswego NY requires a bit of planning and luck. There was a 12 hour weather window and WhimSea needed 7 1/2 of it to make it across to New York. The weather looked ok and we set off at about 5 am. The route took us very close to the… Continue reading Tilting at Windmills

I went to Outward Bound in the early ‘80s. During that experience they kept taking away things to see how you responded, innovated and continued moving forward. Just when you think you have been challenged to your limit, another bigger challenge presents itself. I had a day like that. After working for 3 days, the… Continue reading It was almost like an Outward Bound Experience

Well it’s time to bid the Rideau Adieu. Time to say goodbye to the Loons and Eagles and the land of Summer Cottages on tiny islands. A final word on the locks. The folks working the locks were amazingly helpful, whether calling ahead to see if docks were free or grabbing lines at the exact… Continue reading Adieu Rideau

The Rideau Canal is the longest continuously operating canal in North America. It started operation in 1832 and was built as a supply route as the Canadians were concerned of Americans attacking their routes on the St Lawrence Seaway. It starts in Kingston and runs 126 miles north and in those miles there are 49… Continue reading The Rideau Canal

After several years of wanting to get here by boat, I arrived in Kingston Canada on 11 July. It’s a big port with lots of boaters. Transients are not usually offered the best docks and we were asked to weave through a series of tight turns into a narrow corner. It is a basic law… Continue reading O’Canada

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