Marica wanted London for her birthday. As usual, it could not be quite that simple. Using up a bunch of miles, it turned out it was easier to get to Paris then it was to London given all the blackout dates, etc.
So Paris it is and then on to London. But not so quick, going over we decided to cross the English Channel by water and see the white cliffs of Dover, on the way back under the Channel with the Eurostar.
In Paris we enjoyed the Muse d’orsay and a day a Palace Versaille and a climb to the top of Notre Dame cathedral. On to Lille for an overnight, a train to Callis, a ferry to Dover, a train to London for a birthday dinner.
The Big Red Bus for a day with a long stop at the magnificent St Paul Cathedral, requiring another hike to the top. A day at Victoria and Albert Museum and then some time at Churchill’s War rooms and musuem. Long walk along Oxford Street and black and tan in the pubs. Too short a trip.
Given the schedule on the new boat, we did not get in a spring RV trip so True West sat in storage in Denver. During the summer, Marcia’s brother Tim and his family got it out of storage and enjoyed a few weekend camping experiences.
In August, our friends the Gero’s were invited to a wedding in Wyoming and decided to use True West for a three week travel experience. Thankfully, they had only minor operational issues.
In September, we flew out to Denver and took a hand off from the Gero’s and started our trip with a quick stop to see Tim, Kelly and Claire in Manitou Springs. From there we headed up into Wyoming on our way to to the Yellowstone area. After a visit to the Thermopolis Hot Springs on route to Cody, trouble started.
First a puff of blue smoke, next day a cloud of blue smoke from transmission fluid boiling over onto the muffler….60 miles to Cody. Call the tow truck and load up the Smart. Loved the Buffalo Bill museum in Cody and made arrangements for a new transmission….about a week.
Off in the Smart to circumnavigate Yellowstone with stops at all the highlinght spots. We had never been to Yellowstone Lake on the south side which, combined with the trip east on Rt 14 to Cody was a highlight. GMC still not ready, so another side trip. Up to Billings and Lewiston with a ride on the Charlie Chew Choo railroad (not worth it). Then over to Sheridan with a stop at the delightfully unexpected Bradford Brinton Museum.
Ten days later with a new transmission, tires, brake pads, etc. we are off again. Up the wonderful Chief Joseph highway over to Bozman to visit the Museum of the Rockies stopping a little campground by the Gallitan River. Now following the Lewis and Clark Trail, a stop at the Caverns Lewis and Clark never discovered on to Great Falls and wonderful Lewis and Clark Center.
Continuing north thru the Blackfoot Reservation we are on the plains east of the Rockies. Once again a puff of blue smoke, this time 70 miles from Cut Bank, MT (coldest place in the nation!). Pack up the Smart again for a trip in an around Glacier National Park including venturing into Briish Columbia and Alberta to get around the north side of the park. As the weather turns and the snow starts to fly, we decide to leave the Beast with the mechanics replacing the transmission agina (heavier parts andadded cooling this time) and high tail it home.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
After sea trials with Peter and Diane Mahoney in early April, we returned in early May to get started for the summer. Mike and Malli Gero, Ed Howe, and Dan Calono stopped by to wish us well.
First stop was Wickford, RI for a meeting of the Prigmore family hosted by Tony and Julie. With an overnight at Block Island, we head across Buzzard’s Bay to Westerly, RI where we picked up Dave Prigmore. Together we ran Long Island sound and up the Hudson. This is a trip Dave and Dan took with their father in the opposite direction about 20 years ago in an open runabout. Thankfully, this near tragic trip turned out ok.
Great stop in NYC to pick up Kristi and Chris and visit the WTC memorial. Stopped at Hyde Park to visit FDR’s homestead and Vanderbuilt estate. K & C left us at Albany as we start out the Erie Canal. Day one brings us to lock 8, stopped due to weather. Next day to Utica in cold and rain.
Don and Carla Penny join us in Syracuse to continue out the canal with stops on the finger lakes of Seneca and Cayuga….several winery tours and a walk up Watkins Glen (spectacular example of the CCC at work). At Fairport, D&C leave and we take a lay day before proceeding to Rochester. A tour of the Eastman home and museum, Highland Park for the gardens then a chance meeting with new friends Hugh and Cheryl.
Then on to Buffalo, Erie, PA where we will meet Jim and Beatrice DeAngelis.
True South arrived in Harbour Island on Feb 25th with Peter Mahoney at the helm.
Dan and Marcia used True South during the first two weeks of March, then return in April to cruise the Bahama before bringing the boat back to Coconut Grove.
Leaving Harbour Island, we proceeded thru the Devil’s Backbone passage to Spanish Wells where we had a visit ashore. On Hatched Bay for an overnight anchorage. Proceeding down the 100 mile long island of Eleuthera, we stopped at Governors Harbour for lunch. Then it was on to Cape Eleuthera and the Island School. Dan has been a supporter for the School and the Island Institute and spoke at the dedication of a new building…”In an age of entitlement, this is a place that supports responsibility and sustainability.”
From there, east to Highborne Cay in the Exumas, then on to Nassau. Fighting a tough sea we were working to get to Bimini for a weather break across the Gulf Steam. After Nassau, we stopped at Chubb Cay and then Bimini before the crossing. As this was the end of the season, we headed for Cable Marine in Ft Lauderdale to leave the boat for some scheduled repairs.
From Casco, Maine the Sabre get’s trucked, with a major escort, to Fairhaven, MA.
Our relationship with Sabre started after signing a contract with Down East Yachts of FL in October with the selection of the major options available for the boat….color, woods, arrangements, etc. Assembly started in December after the hull and deck were molded. Dave Jirikoviv did a great job.
Working with S&S fabrics, the cushions, mattress, fabrics, window covering and the like were selected.
Working with Siebert Yacht Mangement, the electronics of boat including chartplotters, radars, radios and the like were selected and layouts established.
West Marine got a monster order for anchors, life jackets, grills and the like.
Everything you need for a house…pots, pans, wine glasses, towels, etc. were ordered based on our past boating experiences.
In Feburary, after wiring the final payment the broker wrote back “congradulations on the 36,000 lbs. baby.”
In March the boat and all the misc pieces came together at Fairhaven Shipyard for the commissioning with a launch scheduled for April.
Click on the photo to see the album of True East build
It’s back to where Marcia, Dan and Kristi first spent time together.
This year we rented the Alexander house at the South Bar Club for two weeks. Peter and Diane had arrived a few days earlier with True South and joined us for several days. Prince Harry arrived for a quick inspection of his ex subjects and we had a front row seat.
Kristi arrived for five days of relaxing. Bill and Mina Schultes arrived on Dan’s birthday and were able to spend five days with us. Lot’s of challenging tennis and cards.
Marcia and Lola got to try out thier new kayak with great success.
