One if By Land Two If By Sea

Category: True East Sabre 48 Travels

  • True East Following Lewis and Clark down the Columbia River May 28 – Jun 10, 2014

    At Kennewick we say goodbye to Peter and Diane who drive the GMC and the now dead Smart Car to Seattle where the vechiles will spend the summer. One last dinner with Jeannie and Phil and we head down river to the Pacific Ocean.

    The first three days take up thru the McNarly, John Day and Dalles locks, each about 100’ rise and void of any cruising boats like ours.

    At the intersect of the Hood River, we enter the narrow part of the river with it’s towering hillsides. The town of Hood River becomes our base for a few days while we rent a car and drive to Mt Hood having lunch at the wonderful Timberline Lodge. This area is renown for its outdoor sports, windsurfing, cycling, climbing, skiing, etc….lots of chiropractors.

    After a very rough ride out of Hood River (35kt winds against a 5kt current), we headed down to Cascade Lock and the Bridge of the Gods…not sure how it got the name. On to the Bonneville Dam and another 100’ lock.

    After six days on the Columbia River, we arrived in Portland for a four-day stay visiting friends and enjoying the city and it’s wonderful parks. Dan get’s a chance to catch up with Carl Farrington, a Williston classmate for dinner and brunch cruise up the Willamette River.

    Down river again with a stop in Kalama were we again rented a car and this time visited Mt. St. Helens. The devastation is still an awesome sight….trying to imagine a 300 mile/hr wind!.

    We first discovered the Brew Express coffee maker when it came standard on our Legacy boat. We loved it so much we now have four of them. In Kalama we got a chance to visit the company and it’s owner Bill Spencer.

    Last stop on the Columbia River is Astoria, primarily a lumber and fishing town.

    The entrance to the Columbia River from the Pacific Ocean is known as the ‘Portland Bar’ and is a major training center for Coast Guard personnel. On the out edge of the bar the ocean swells up from hundreds of feet deep onto a wide and shallow bank about 40 feet deep. The big ocean swells build on this bar and are met by the outflow of the river….potentially one very nasty scene.

    We had waited a couple of days for a dead calm winds on an ebb tide, at 5am we left the dock following an experienced skipper on a 100’ Ocean Alexander. Even then, we had a five-foot swell as we moved off the bar about an hour later and headed north up the coast.

    Slowed by fog, fishing boats and crab traps we arrived at Neah Bay in the Straight of Juan De Fuca about 2pm without incident.

    All told, this leg of our journeys is not one we would repeat in a boat. They make cars and planes for visiting this area.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East Snake River and Hell’s Canyon May 22 – 28, 2014

    We have already taken ten days to tour the Olympic Penninsula in True West when True East arrives in Pasco, WA on the Columbia River. Jeanne & Phil provide local hospitality while Peter and Diane Mahoney fly in for extra help.

    After unloading True East and getting her ‘put back together’ after the 2,800 mile road trip, we head up the Snake River into Idaho with Peter and Diane.


    On arrival at Clarkson, we signed up for a wonderful jet boat tour up the wilder Snake into Hell’s Canyon.

    Five days later we are back in Pasco to off load the tender which travelled separately from Wyoming due to inexplicable regulations.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East – Bound for Maine Aug 7 -Sep 28, 2013

    This leg of our trip will take us down the “Sunrise Coast” of Nova Scotia and then around into the Bay of Fundy.

    From there it is back to the familiar waters of Maine were we will have a chance to visit a number of friends before laying up the boat for the winter in Belfast at Front Street Shipyard.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East – Cape Breton and Newfoundland Jul 14 – Aug 7, 2013

    The Bras d’Or Lakes form the interior of Cape Breton Island and offer magnificent boating that is enjoyed by few Americans today. We were able to cruise this area with Kristi and follow a sailboat race from port to port. Great new friends in Ben Eion.

    Peter Mahoney joined us in Baddeck for the crossing to Newfoundland and on to St. Pierre. My brother asked if the trip to Newfoundland was worth it, the response below:

    As to NL, first it’s a big place with not a lot going on. Like many places the main industries were extractive….fishing, timber, mining….combined with great traditional skills such as building boats, nets, barrels, etc. A tough life style, but of choice.
    The collapse of the cod fishery has been devastating though out the Maritimes, particularly here. The commercial fishing that remains is quite industrial with very large off shore boats with almost 100% of the catch going to Asia. What remains of the inshore fishery….some cod, short lobster season, a little tuna or swordfish is barely existence fishing. Some boats fish for welk, sea cucumber and anything to catch….all for the Asia market.
    The south shore we cruised is very steep with deep (5-10 mile) fjords. The only other area I have visited that looks like this was up on the Alaska coast.
    There are small “outpost” communities scattered along the coast. These villages of 50-150 people are connected only by water….there is a subsidized gov’t ferry system, diesel generator plants, and schools. The government has been trying to close these ‘outpost’ down for more than 20 years. Grand Bruit, population 40, closeted three years ago and looks like everyone just went away for a few days. McCallum is in flux, the government offer is $250,000 per household. Grey River, population 150, was having it’s annual music festival….this is where Howard Blackburn came ashore and the locals can remember the story from their grandparents.
    The accent is fun, the folks love their music and culture. It will be sad to see these things pass.
    St John’s is the major city and pretty much feels like any other American city. It is host to the Hibernia off shore oil field http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibernia_oil_field.
    This oil platform, combined with a refinery here have turned this area into a boomtown with a great many subdivision homes under construction…Tim Horton’s instead of Dunkin Donuts.
    Additionally, thousands of Newfoundlander’s work in the Alberta oil fields either part of the year or for a new of years but maintain homes here. Other’s do things like picking apples in Nova Scotia for several months during the year, then return home to NL.
    Was it worth it? We have seen six cruising boats in our two weeks here, three American (two sailors from Maine, and a power boater from Newport). The weather has been cloudy, rainy and foggy…with occasional beautiful days lost up in isolated fjords. We have seen very little in term of sea life…birds, whales, fish, etc. and nothing on the land despite the moose warnings on the road.  It would certainly be a hell of lot cheaper to fly to St Johns, rent a car, go to Burgeo and take the ferry to the ‘outpost’ villages. No regrets, but we will not be back here by boat and in ten years the culture we loved most will likely be missing.
    Clink on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East – Northumberland Straits Jun 18 – July 14, 2013

    After the St Lawence, we entered the Bay of Chaleur with a stiff wind and temperatures in the 50s and 60s. After a stop in Chandler, we headed across the Bay to Shippigan where a small passage leads to the Northumberland Staights separating the mainland and Prince Edward Island.

    Down the coast we entered the Mirimachi River, where over 50% of the Atlantic Salmon come up this river to spawn each year. The area has many lodges dating back a century. Leaving the river, we anchored up in Bay du Vin….our first night on the hook after three weeks of marinas.

    On to the northwestern tip of Prince Edward Island (PEI) to meet up with our friend Cooper who was traveling in her RV. The next three weeks were spent around PEI by boat and car with several side trips to the western coast of Cape Bretton Island for whale watching.

    Rob and Melissa Gray were kind enough to introduce us to their friends Hal and Vickie in Georgetown, John and Gale Sobey were generous enough to share their boat slips and loan us a car in Pictou….great place, great people. Mussels, oysters, clams, lobsters, snow crabs, cod, haddock and lots of PEI potatos…good living for a couple of months a year before it all freezes over.

    After Cooper left us, Jen and Megan Trovato joined us for a week as the weather warmed and summer finally arrived. Kristi then joined us at our final PEI stop before we head for Cape Breton Island and the Bras d’Or Lakes.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East – St Lawrence River Jun 1-18, 2013

    We flew into Syracuse, then drove up to Alexandria Bay to check on the boat and provision for the summer trip. Two days later, we headed out in beautiful 80 degree weather to the locks of the St. Lawrence seaway. Just below the Eisenhower/Snell locks is Cornwall, ONT…just above is Robert Moses State Park in NY. It’s like two worlds divided on the river, separated by $60 lock fees and customs on both sides people on either side had never been to the other.

    Our last lock in the system had an electrical problem which gave us a couple of hours to spend with a group delivering a boat to New Brunswick, arrived in Monteal at 10pm. Fine dining, great shopping at Atwater outdoor market. ‘Downbound’ on the river to Quebec City with a stop in the Sorel Islands and the Trois Rivereres Marina.

    Cooper Raphael, new friend from RVing in Montana, meets us for next leg. After a couple of days in Quebec City, on to Tadaussac at the mouth of Sageunay Fjord. Loved the area but not many whales in the area yet, traveled up Sageunay to La Baie for an overnight. Leaving Cooper back at Tadaussac, we headed across the river to Rimouski on the south side. Another day to St Anne des Monts where we planned to lay in for a couple of days waiting for some weather to pass. Made great friends with fellow boaters at marina despite the languauge differences (this really is French Canada!) and picked up tips about ports ahead.

    Final leg down the river has a stop at Riviere au Renard, a true fishing port with little else to offer including eagles, water temperature is 48 degrees, high we have seen is 63 and the low was 40. Left in light fog for the tip of Gaspe, calm seas as we round the point. After a stop at Forillion National Park for a walk in the park it is on to Gaspe after an 800 mile trip ‘downbound’. Next, we look for the blue whales reported to be in the baie.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East Lake Ontario and the St Lawrence River Aug 7 – Sep 5, 2012

    From Toronto on the Western end of Lake Ontario, we headed for the Thousand Island area of upper New York and lower Ontario at the east end of the Lake. Along Millionaires Row in Alexandria Bay are the magnificent houses and castles of America industrialists. Rejected by Newport society, the men came here to build on community suited to their lives. The Antique and Classic boat musuem in Clayton gives testiment to one of their pastimes.

    Over to Kingston on the north shore where Bill and Mina Schultes join us for the leg up the Rideau Canal, a World Heritage Site for its 150 mile lenght. A beautiful journey thru 40 plus locks, mostly hand operated, that ends in Ottowa. What a beautiful city where one of the highlights is Mosaika, a nighly light show on the side of Parliment Buildings. Watch a little of the vidio on the Mosaika link. The Musuem of Civilization is also wonderful.

    Bill and Mina leave us in Ottowa and Meagan Trovado joins us for the trip down the Ottowa River to Montreal. The highlight of this trip is Chateau Montobello, constructed of 10,000 logs imported form British Columbia and build about the same time as the Yellowstone Lodge. Meagan leaves us in Montreal where we are joined by Kristi and Chris for a long weekend in the city. One highlight of this stay is dinner with Xavier de Vaureix who is celebrating the first anniversary of his departure from France on his 28′ sail boat header for who knows where.

    Our last leg is back down the St Lawrence thru the seaway locks to Alexandria Bay where True East will spend the winter in a heated shed at Horizon Marina.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East Trent Severn Waterway Jul 23 – Aug 5, 2012

    The Trent Severn is a waterway with 45 locks joining some 380 km (236 mi) of lakes and rivers to connect Lake Huron with Lake Ontario.

    The waterway dates back to 1883 and is one of the finest cruises in the world. Visit the website here.

    While it is possible to transverse with waterway in about 5 days, we elected to take our time and had a stop in Barrie, ON to pick up Marcia’s sister Jeanne and her friend Phil at the Toronto airport so they could join us for this leg.

    Big Chute Marine Railway across the road.

    Traveling this waterway is to sit back and think about the Americas two hundred years ago and the progress we have made. Started in 1833, the waterway took 83 years to complete with the most advanced engineering of the day. Watch the video of the Big Chute and the Peterborough Lift Lock for examples. The canal systems of the time reduced the cost of transport 100 fold and opened up the inland of America.

    Mostly small hand operated locks in the center of small towns, the canal system is today primarily a park operated by the Canadian government for the benefit of recreational boaters. In a world of ‘clorox bottle’ boating, the appreciation for True East was felt at every stop along the way.

    As we exited the waterway at Trent, we turned west once again and headed for Toronto. Docked at the intown waterfront, we had the chance to spend several days as sightseers in this, the largest Canadian city. Brunch at the CN tower a thousand feet above the city, dinner in the Distillery district. Phil and Jeanne catch their flight back to Seattle and we wandered the waterfront, the farmers market and the galleries. We are then joined by Torondo natives Peter and Vivian Gauer (Peter was an HBS classmate of Dan’s).

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East Lakes Superior and Huron Jul 5-22, 2012

    Sault Ste Marie is at the juncture of Lake Superior and Lake Huron, just above Lake Michigan and right on the US and Canadian Border.

    On arrival we stayed on the US side, then moved over to the Canadian side for the 4th of July fireworks where we joined the Canadians to watch the show on the US side. While here we got organized for our Canadian visit arranging for wireless internet service, customs and currency.

    TE at Pictured Rocka
    True East at Pictured Rocks

    Our first journey took us west up thru the Canadian lock into Lake Superior. After the lock we set course to the north side of lle Parisienne Island…not much to see except a huge wind farm on the Canadian side of the lake. On the the south side of the lake with a stop at Grand Marais for lunch while anchored up. As we headed further west to Munising, we encountered the magnificent Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Park. Towering clifts with many minerals leaching their colors on the rock. Crystal clear water with huge round boulders 15 feet deep that appeared as they where 3 feet. We have included a separate set of photos of this wonderful place. At Munising, we got to see another fireworks display as they were rain delayed…by far the best small city show ever.

    On the return we stopped overnight at Whitefish bay and met another very enthusiastic Sabre owner. We cleared customs again at Sault St Marie and headed staight up to Lake George where we anchored off Squirrel Island. This was the start of our jouney down the North Channel. For us, one of most beautiful parts of the trip. 150 miles of weaving our way thru narrow, rocky channels…..a bit like Maine without salt, lobster pots or people. Stopping along the way to play some great little golf courses with Lola in tow most of the time. In addtion to following the small boat channel down the north side, we took a side trip over to Manitoulin Island, the largest island on a fresh water lake in the world.

    Little Current and Detroit Narrows are the dividing line between the North Channel and Georgian Bay. The small boat channel is suppost to be limited to boats under 40′, a number of times we were glad not to be meeting ourselves coming the other way. Georgian Bay is filled with inumerable islands each with a single cottage and small boat dock. Again very Maine like with long and deep peninsulas with a wooded rocky shore line. Georgian Bay was almost a separate Great Lake with the Bruce Peninsula forming the south side of the Bay. From the Bad River, we took a staight shot over to Tobermory. This is very popular town with some nice galleries and a friendly golf course.

    As we moved east toward the influence of Toronto, the development got more intense and the boats more numerous. By the time we got to Midland, the place was thick with boats, but few venture very far from home and most found our trip to be beyond their comprehension.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip

  • True East New York to Canada – Jun 1 – Jul 4, 2012

    This part of the trip takes us across Lake Erie, up thru Lake St Clair and along the western shore of Lake Huron to the Upper Peninsula.

    After a nice visit with Jim and Beatrice DeAngelis in Erie, PA we headed out to Detroit with a short weather delay. About 15 miles out of Sandusky, OH we encountered out first mechanical failure on the new boat. Limping into Catawba Is, OH we left the boat for repairs that would end up of taking two weeks. This still gave us a chance to catch up with Dan’s old friend Oscar King and his wife Robin in Detroit for dinner…great reunion. We also took time to visit the Edsel Ford estate and spin thru Grosse Point.

    After some time in FL, we returned on Jun 20 after knowing the boat was back in operation to resume the trip. Ray Patman, Deacon of Oscars’s Church was kind enough to drive us from Detroit to Port Clinton. The crew at MarineMax headed by Trey Hardy were first rate.

    Thru the islands with the Perry Monument, up thru Detroit, across Lake St Clair with a stop at Port Huron and then up the western side of Lake Huron to Mackinac Island. This island is a throw back about the size of Block Is, RI with NO MOTORIZED vehicles, it’s bicycles or horses.

    Next, a run across Lake Michigan to the Wisconson side and the Dorr Peninsula leading down to Sturgeon Bay. WI. Lovely country with a couple of rounds of golf along the way. Dinner with Michael and Bobbi Doerr, he is a wonderful furniture maker and Bobbi is a great landscape architect. Back to Michigan, passing thru the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park..who would guess 300 foot sand dunes! Northport, Traverse City, Charlevois, Petosky and Harbor Springs..these are the hot spots of this area…similar to the Cape. A respectful walk by and drive by of CANIM, she looks in great shape.

    Les Cheneaux on Michigan’s North Channel was by far the best. An inside passage thru the island with tons of boat houses with classic wooden runabouts. Magnificent waters with another round of golf on a course that reminded us of Chappy.

    Over to Dummond Island with an anchorage at Harbor Island (no u). A $10 car rental to the golf course with an airstrip (yes a runway) down the middle. Lola’s second walking course in two days. The final leg was up the channel to Saulte St Marie…..an amazing lack of Great Lakes freighters…what a changing world. We now recycle so much steel that that the barges of iron ore, limestone, and coal necessary for making pig iron are no long needed to carry these ingrediants. Times a changin.

    Click on the photo to see the album of this trip