Category: Uncategorized

It’s been smooth sailing. Last night we stopped in Racine, and tonight it’s Manitowoc. Tomorrow we’ll get up to Sturgeon Bay before a small weather system comes through.

Here’s a selection of photos in chronological order.

As planned, I’m back aboard Escapade for a few weeks.  Susan and I drove to Chicago on Sunday, and Monday we stocked up and headed out.  Yesterday was a bit rough on the lake, so we headed in the Calumet River and up to the Ship and Sanitary Canal.  Last night we anchored just north of Midway Airport, and this morning came through downtown to the lake and headed north.

We’re headed for Door County WI.  Weather looks great for the next couple of days.  From there we’ll work our way over to Lake Huron and up the St Mary’s River.

Susan flies out of Sault Ste Marie in two weeks,  then I’ll head back to Chicago. 

Susan as usual has been taking gazillions of pictures.  I’ll try to post daily selections.

I left Escapade ashore at Crowley’s for a survey and some glass/paint repairs on deck. 

My plan is to store there this winter, but I inadvertently checked in to the US on last year’s cruising permit.  So my plan is to launch in late August and head back to Canada for a brief fall cruise.

In the meantime I’m writing this from the cockpit of Narwhal V in Bedford NS.  It’s like jumping back 38 years in time.  Or 19, as David reminded me that we last raced this boat in Chester in 2005, 19 years ago.  Time flies.  Now David’s son Allister is spearheading the program.

Tuesday I’m sailing this boat down to Chester with Allister, then I’ll be racing Weds – Sat in Chester Race Week.  I’m racing aboard a Viking 28 with old friends Liz and Charlene and crew.  I had fun in 2021 with them playing support boat with Escapade.

Today the weather was beautiful, and it looks fair through the week.  I drove today from Antigonish down to the eastern shore then up the coast.  The more I see of the eastern shore the more it appeals to me.  I stopped to take a few boat pics.

I got to Crowley’s Saturday evening.  It was a very uneventful trip – calm the whole way.  Six days to travel 600 miles with 78 hours operating time.  I stopped to sleep in South Baymouth, Charlevoix, Frankfort and Saugatuck.  Didn’t get off the boat.

It’s good to be here.  Have been cleaning up and meeting old friends.  I need to arrange an insurance survey while here.

Escapade will stay here for a few weeks while I’m back in Canada.  Then it looks like we’ll head north in September.

I’m just passing Grand Haven.  Tonight I’ll stay in Saugatuck, and will head across the lake to Calumet tomorrow. 

It’s been perfect trawlering weather.  No wind, no waves.  Today is the first time I’ve seen any breeze, and it’s light and behind me.  So I’ve been laying down the miles.

Some pics of the trip.

I had a nice break from the boat in southern Ontario.  When I got back in late May I was ready for one. 

Now we’re underway again.  I left Wiarton yesterday bound for Chicago.  As I write this I’m following the south shore of Manitoulin Island, heading for the Straits of Mackinac.  It’s been calm since I left, with good motoring weather forecast for the next couple of days.  Smooth sailing.

Not much else to report.  I saw a smaller version of Escapade in Wiarton, a boat named Saugeen Queen.  I’d be curious to find out more of the boat’s history.

I’ll leave Escapade in Chicago for a couple of weeks while I go to Nova Scotia – I’m racing in Chester Race Week – then back to do some fall cruising on the rivers or Lake Michigan.

Mike and I had a nice trip.  Colin joined us at Big Chute on Saturday, and on Sunday we headed up the small boat route to San Souci.  Had dinner at Henry’s then came across the lake today.  Smooth sailing.

We’ll be racing the Snipe here this weekend. 

Here’s a selection of Mike’s pictures as well as a few taken of us on the railway by Colin’s wife Sue.

Mike joined me yesterday as planned, and we set out from Peterborough at 0900 and stopped at the bottom of Buckhorn Lock about 1800.  Nice day, relaxed travel.  These pics were taken by Mike, and there are some shots of Escapade taken in Trenton by another looper.

I got the thruster working shortly after my last post.  It was a burned connection on a ground cable.  I got underway Thursday and arrived here yesterday.  No drama, chugging along at my river speed of about 6 mph.

Tomorrow my friend Mike arrives.  He’ll do the rest of the trip to Wiarton.  Mike was aboard for our inaugural voyage in Escapade almost 4 years ago. 

The Kawartha Voyager came through down bound earlier.  Looked empty.

I’m tied up at the first lock in Trenton.  Next up is the Trent Severn, which I’ve done many times.

I’ve been on and off the boat the last couple of weeks.  One of my missions was to fix the bow thruster before going any further.  So I pulled the motor, and had a motor repair shop do a rebuild.  It was ready on Tuesday, and I picked it up and installed it, but it still doesn’t work.

At that point I needed water and a pump out, so headed down to Kingston, then on to here.  I’ve got my motorcycle on deck.

I’ll pull the motor again tonight and have a few things to check, otherwise it’s back to the shop. 

My goal is to be in Wiarton by July 3, two weeks from now.  Hopefully I can get the thruster sorted soon.

I don’t have any interesting new pictures apart from the hat, which I splurged on in Kingston.  It’s my first Tilley.  I’ve tried lots of alternatives, and had a Goretex OP hat that I was very fond of, but it was lost at sea in the Bahamas.

If any adventurous souls want to join me for all or part of the trip up to Georgian Bay drop me a note.  I have no scheduled visitors.