WanderlustandWhimSea

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

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