The last leg of Lake Erie

Cleveland, Ohio

July 22, 23

We left Put-in-Bay with hopes to sail to Cleveland.  Spinnaker ready.  Jim and Jan deployed it and we were making a whopping 3 knots.  Wanting to make the city that day, they doused the sail and relinquished the  duties to the engine.  The lake was a bit sloppy.  Waves coming from every direction. My theory, all those guys that died in the battle here are still going at it from the depths.

We took a slip at Edgewater Marina.  One attraction, only $40 bucks a foot and the second night free if you belong to a Yacht club…. we do.  We dock hand is ready to catch our lines but I hesitate… the slip looks too narrow.  I shout, ‘what’s the width?’  he replies… 12 feet… We are 13ish…. Then the engine quits ! … Jim quick hits the starter, the engine fires right up (?) we’ll deal with that issue later… the dock hand’s radio quits.. so he has to run back to the office to request a new slip… it is a REALLY long way… We have time to turn around and regroup… He returns and says the slip is 14 feet… we are good to approach again… so, in we go.  We indeed do fit, nice and cozy.  Jim and Jan head to the office to settle up and get head (bathroom) codes, internet info, etc… After we shower, we make dinner while watching the local sailing fleet head out to race…. remember I said we motored? … the racers returned within the hour.  Flaute (German for no wind).  The marina has a huge sailing community and serious sailors.  Boats of all types racing.  We venture up to the club house and find a table amongst the throngs of sailers lamenting the canceled race.  

We found Stan in Cleveland ....

  Next morning. Chores.  The boat needs a bath.  The Propane needs to be refilled and certified; the last place would not fill the tank because we don’t have the right sticker / stamp.  The fridge wants some fresh veggies and protein.  Weighing our options for transportation,  we decide to give UBER a try.  Pretty amazing… (we are UBER virgins).  The driver is on at the curb in 1 minute!  The cost ?  done through a credit card, no money changes hands (unless tipping).  The fee?… it is priced by time, (we think) and it doesn't matter it you have 1, 2 or 3 people… 2 or no tanks of propane.   We ask the drive to drop Jan and I at the grocery store, Jim continues on to the propane facility, they return just as we are putting the last of the groceries in the bags and then he takes us to the auto parts for anti freeze for the engine coolant.  All this: one hour +,  miles (?), and the bill.  $32 bucks.  And…  your FIRST ride is free.  Seems pretty reasonable to us.  And efficient.  We stow all the goods and get ready to head back to the city and a Cleveland Indians baseball game against the White Sox… We know a friend from our home marina is working here so we give Stan a call and make arrangements to meet.  Downtown via UBER again (6 bucks this time) we walk up and down he busy streets taking in the city sites.  The city is preparing for next years republican convention so there is a lot of construction.  Roads and buildings.  None of us want to spend time inside so decide against a visit to the Rock and Roll Hall Museum.  We’ll get our oldies fix from the iPod.  We meet up with Stan.  Reminisce and head off to the  game.  Who do we route for though?  The game is a bit of a dud… It is Jan's first ball base game, it can't compare to a soccer game in Europe, but there is no hoopla.  I have only been to two ‘cubby’ games.  They were fun, loud, cheering, booing,  music…. etc.  Sorry, Cleveland.  Chicago has you on team spirit… 

Return trip via UBER again, this time just over $7 bucks.  The drivers were all polite, friendly and timely.  We give UBER  5 stars.  

Tomorrow’s forecast.  Flouter.  

With the predicted winds… we are off motoring to Geneva on the Lake, our next destination.  We hear its retro architecture with appeal to us.  We secure things below then haul in the dock lines.  Lake Erie has been a choppy ride with a few rouge waves.  Today does not disappoint.  There has been very little wind for 4 days yet the waters are completely confused.  There are white caps here and there.  The waves less than a foot but the swells are knocking us this way and that.  Nearly everyone we talked to and the literature about the area all claim the Lake is like this all the time.  Maybe due to it’s relatively shallow depths… ?  It’s a bit like a washing machine, sloshing water all over from numerous directions.  Although I stowed things pretty well, a few errant items make their way through / across the cabin… My water glass, just filled, now gets it’s contents used for mopping the galley.  The dish drainer ejects itself from it’s locker under the oven, and the can goods in the cupboard are smacking against the doors and the hull…. 

The guys are hanging on up top and I take refuge below… trying to type this… I have to give it up a few times due to the motion.  We eventually make our way more off shore and the seas are less erratic, though still sloppy.  Who needs Cedar Point when you have a boat on Lake Erie… 

Geneva on the Lake  July 24

We arrived with plenty of time to shower and walk to town.  It’s hard to describe this little burg and give it justice.  But I will try.  The 3+ block main street is lined with lots of arcade type buildings dating from the 40’s and 50’s.  Retro signs declaring the specialties inside.  About every 3rd shop is an arcade of some sort.  Kind of like a carnival came to town but instead of tents, they built a town around the ‘carnie' scene.  Various types of food to please the greasy, fast food palette… and a few ‘good ole’ bars strewn in for good measure.  We ventured into an arcade, the ceiling draped in plush animals and silly critters waiting to be taken home by the next big winner.  Jim tried his hand at the ‘quarter drop’ game.  The one where there are LOTS of quarters on a shelf, you drop another in as a slide mechanism slowly pushed the coins to the edge … IF any should fall into the tray, you win!  He did not… bummer.  Next, Jan gives it a go. Ding, Ding, Ding!  We have a winner!!!!  Tickets begin puking out of the machine…. many, many feet of tickets… Holy c$@*… Jan won big ! … This is gonna be good.  The tickets get fed into a ‘counter’, 129 in all… To retrieve your prize you take the receipt for the tickets to the counter…. woo-hoo… he can choose from… (drum roll please) a selection of fringe magnets, a bottle opener or a inch peg-leg sailor… So, it’s not quite the prize we expected.  But another memory for the books.  We continue on.  More arcades, fast foods, sweets and do-dads to buy.  It is really pretty interesting.  A few places have pictures of the town in its hay-day… Old cars and the same buildings, although in better repair than today’s facades.  The town proper is about a block off Lake Erie with rental cottages separating town from the shore line.  A couple of wineries too.  This weekend they are hosting Christmas in July.  Music, more fast food and sidewalk sales.  

We plan to head to Erie, Pennsylvania however.  Can they top this?   We shall see.  

July 25 ,26 …

Erie,  Pennsylvania

We were able to fly the spinnaker  a good deal of the time!  Starboard tack changing to port as the day wore on.  There were numerous fishing fleets out on this lovely summer day.  The guys even got a swim in off the boat.  The landscape is getting noticeably different.  Low lands giving way to hills with the shore line sprouting bluffs.  

We were treated to the Niagara coming out of the channel as we entered.  The Niagara was the flag ship of Admiral Perry fleet.  It suffered severe damage during the battle of Lake Erie. The new Niagara is a replica of the original, providing tours and occasionally a sailing adventure.
We were pleasantly surprise the anchorage was nearly empty and we could have our choice of spots.  Getting in late in the afternoon, we stayed aboard for the evening.  We did have a bit of a battle with the “Skally Wag”, a local tourist boat made to look like a pirate vessel equipped with water cannons.  We were able to fend them off with our super soakers though.

With the new day, we headed to the state park across the anchorage bay to see what there was to do in the area.  The park ranger informed us about the annual Presque Isle ( the name for the park) Waterworks days going on this weekend.  It was a short dingy ride across the big bay to festivities.  The festival area was made up mostly of arts and crafts fair tents, fair food and real horse back rides.  After taking in the sites and absorbing all the free smells we could stand, we head home for lunch.  Then off to the big city for a look.  We dingy’d to the day dock and headed to the Maritime Museum to get a tour of the Niagara… much to our dismay, it was out sailing for the day and no tours till Monday.  So we headed up the hill to town.  The main drag had a few restaurants and beverage establishments.  It went on for longer than we were willing to walk in the humidity.  Not too many ‘shopping’ opportunities, mostly office / business type buildings.  Back at the harbor, we made a stop at the chandlery,  it appeared as though the building had been around for a while but would not last much longer… the floors were heaved up and cracked, slanted a least a foot throughout at varying intervals.  A quick purchase and we were out.   

Tonight Jan treated us to a traditional German dinner, Hamberg Schnitzel including a pilsner direct from Germany.  Music; german sea shanties and dessert; Milka (German chocolate).  It was super!

Dunkirk, New York 

July 27

Winds were predicted to be light on the nose.  We motored for a couple hours then the winds picked up.  Head sail out.  10 knots, Mail sail out.  It was a lovely ride.  Heeling 10 - 15 degrees (leaning) we went along at 6 1/2 knots for the remainder of the trip, 4 1/2 hours.  The sun warmed us and tans are improving.  Our route the last few days has been more or less a straight line and nothing much to dodge except a few fishing boats.  We could see the power plant at Dunkirk long before arrival.  It towers over the city.  It was formerly owned by Niagara Mohawk but the ice storm of ’98 sent them into bankruptcy and is now National Grid.  We were told by a local that the plant is being converted to natural gas.  Although there is still activity about, the plant is relatively quite.  We called on the phone several times to ask for a slip at the highly recommended Dunkirk Yacht Club to no avail.  Guess we’ll have to go it alone.  The chart depths read 2 - 4 feet in the marina but we have been assured we can squeak through.  Rounding the breakaway we spot several individuals standing on the end of the face dock ready to catch our lines.  Thus the reason no one answered the phones. The members have a landing built in the middle of the pier for socializing.   It provides a great view of incoming traffic as well as sunsets (with the power plant as a back drop).  The marina is living up to it’s ‘friendliest marina on Lake Erie’ reputation.   
The entire marina facility is built OVER the water.  A pier extending from shore to the Yacht Club and further on to the boat slips. It makes for an interesting  bathroom experience.  The floor boards not quite meeting up, the water reflecting below your toes through the cracks.  I think if they ever dredged under the ‘club’  they might find a few treasures.  The commodore gave us the skinny on the place then we took much needed showers and headed to the Light House for a tour.  After a bit of a detour (wrong turn) we found it.  Unfortunately it had closed hours before and we had to console ourselves with a look through the rungs of the  gate instead.  We seem to been a dry spell with tourist excursions the last couple days…

It was late and we were tired and hot, so we had dinner at Demitries, the Greek / American restaurant just down from the marina.   

Back at the Yacht Club, we joined John and his wife (Yacht Club members) for a beverage on the balcony.  Later Jim met a former line man from the Niagara Mohawk utility and they spent the evening comparing stories, both having worked the ice storm mentioned earlier.    

Anxious to move on, we cast off the lines just after 8am and headed to Buffalo, NY.  Motoring.  We have already been in contact with one of the reliable boat yards there to help step the mast (remove the mast from the boat) and build a cradle to support it on the deck for the 2 -3 weeks we will spend transiting the Erie Canal.  On further investigation, we learn that parts of the canal are currently closed due to water levels from flooding.  Something we have heard happens periodically.  The Welland Canal is completely closed while maintenance is being performed.  Duration unknown but we do not plan to use that route anyway.