Welcome to the Home Pageof Patrick and Mary Fowles
- Cosmic C Great Loop Leg 1
- Leg 1 Maps
- Leg 1 Photo Album
- 8/7/06 AS the sun sets, we're narly all packed, provisioned, and fueled for an early start tomorrow.
- 8/8/06 We're off. Only 6000 +/- miles to go!
- 8/8/06 Passing Boldt Castle on the St Lawrence River opposite Alexandria Bay, NY.
- 8/9/06 Our first lock (of 44) on the Trent-Severn Waterway
- 8/9/06 The locks are deep and narrow. We often had to raft with another boat, making conversations easy.
- 8/9/06 This double lock was really deep! See how far down the canal is beyond the lock gate.
- 8/9/06 Arriving in Campbellford, Ontario, to a lively bluegrass concert next to the town dock.
- 8/10/06 The marina at Peterborough, Ontario. We’re moored at the end on the right.
- 8/11/06 The world’s highest hydraulic lift lock at Peterborough, Ontario.
- 8/11/06 New friends in their rented houseboat, complete with a jaunty sun tent on the top.
- 8/11/06 Our first anchoring out. Boy, are we nervous, even though it’s flat calm. No bugs. Just us, and a few chirping birds.
- 8/12/06 The Buckhorn Lock Master really packed us in! We had 12” clearance on each side between two other boats.
- 8/12/06 Waiting at the blue line.
- 8/13/06 High and dry on the Big Chute railway lift, we descend to the water below.
- 8/13/06 Looking back as we near the bottom of the Big Chute.
- 8/14/06 At anchor in a small cove sheltering from the weather.
- 8/15/06 Still at anchor in the small cove. Mary works at the computer while Pat lies in the v-birth reading.
- 8/15/06 An unusually tame loon checks us out.
- 8/16/06 Typical of the narrow channels and wooded scenery of Georgian Bay.
- 8/16/06 Typical of the more rugged scenery of Georgian Bay.
- 8/16/06 Lots of wonderful lighthouses along the channel.
- 8/18/06 When in Killarney, one MUST buy fish and chips from Herbert's converted school bus.
- 8/18/06 Kagawong is not as pretty as it claims, but the Bridal Veil Falls are worth seeing.
- 8/18/06 At anchor with three sail boats and a couple of Marguaritas.
- 8/19/06 A gentle (8-mile) ride around scenic Mackinac Island.
- 8/19/06 Specially for Jules: we found Toad Hall!
- 8/19/06 Mackinac harbor from the Fort. Cosmic C is the last boat on the left.
- 8/19/06 Transportation on Mackinac Island.
- 8/19/06 The Grand Hotel carriage.
- 8/19/06 All dressed up to dine at the Grand Hotel.
- 8/20/06 A graceful span over the Straits of Mackinac.
- 8/20/06 Another Toad Hall, especially for Jules. The second in two days.
- 8/20/06 Moored in Charlevoix. The boat on the right belongs to JonBenet Ramsey’s father.
- 8/22/06 Historic Fishtown in Leland, MI. Excellent fish pate.
- 8/22/06 Murals brighten the main street of Ludington, MI.
- 8/23/06 Milwaukee Art Museum. The struts on the roof can open up into two wing-like sails.
- 8/23/06 The Calatrava masterpiece from the other side. A moment later, heavy rains fell, but we were inside.
- 8/23/06 Inside the Milwaukee Art Museum. Both the building and its collection are superb.
- 8/26/06 The Cloud Gate (“The Bean”) in Millennium Park reflects the panorama of Chicago and anyone who comes for a closer look.
- 8/26/06 Reflections on the underside of “The Bean” become quite complex.
- 8/26/06 Waterfall screens on each side of the Crown Fountain are animated by the faces of ordinary Chicagoans.
- 8/26/06 A shallow reflecting pool between the two waterfall fountains is great fun for kids on a muggy day.
- 8/27/06 The Columbia Yacht Club’s “Club House.”
- 8/27/06 Dinner in the Columbia Yacht Club’s Restaurant. Good food and a wonderful view.
- 8/29/06 Cruising through downtown Chicago.
- 8/29/06 We say goodbye to Chicago and head southwest for Peoria.
- 8/29/06 It takes 2 - 3 hours for a tugboat to fit all its barges into the lock and then put the tow together again afterwards.
- 8/29/06 Moored at the Seneca Yacht Club, enjoying our daily chat with Jules.
- 8/30/06 A grocery shopping stop at a friendly little town on the Illinois River.
- 8/30/06 Dinner at Danny, Nicole, and Davis Peterson’s in Peoria. Many thanks for a great evening!
- 8/31/06 At anchor waiting for a lock to take us. We’ve spent quite some time doing this!
- 8/31/06 At 16 barges this seemed a big tow, but the record is now 20 barges being pushed by a single tugboat.
- 8/31/06 Camouflaged goose hunters and their decoys along the Illinois River.
- 8/31/06 Unable to go through the lock, we anchored in a small lake and started on the wine.
- 9/1/06 Our first view of the Mississippi.
- 9/3/06 We are shown around St Louis by our friends Susan Blaine and Bill Hayes.
- 9/3/06 Many thanks Susan and Bill for all your help and hospitality.
- 9/4/06 Fellow loopers Floyd and Della, and their home-made boat “Freddy Freddy.”
- 9/5/06 Sunset while at anchor behind Angelo Towhead Island near the Ohio/Mississippi junction.
- 9/7/06 Tows backing up at Paducah due to maintenance delays at Lock 52.
- 9/7/06 The Paducah sea wall is painted with panel after panel depicting the history of Paducah.
- 9/7/06 Paducah’s market of yore, as shown in the mural.
- 9/7/06 Paducah’s market building today, still the same.
- 9/7/06 A beautiful evening at anchor in Birdsong Creek.
- 9/8/06 Meeting the Mississippi Queen on Kentucky Lake.
- 9/8/06 The 24th Annual Horseshoe River Bend Festival in Clifton, TN.
- 9/9/06 The Cosmic C tucked into a corner at the Midway Marina in Fulton, MS until November.
- 9/10/06 Dennis Henderson fueling his 17-foot Boston Whaler; imagine cruising 20,000 miles in that open boat!
- 9/11/06 With Eileen and Sophal Thai on their Jefferson 37. Many thanks for your help and hospitality!
- 9/11/06 The National Cemetery at the Shiloh National Military Park.
- 9/11/06 The Tennessee Monument at Shiloh National Military Park.
- 9/11/06 When in Memphis, Beale Street beckons.
- 9/11/06 A great place for good food and funky blues!
- Leg 1 Movies
- Leg 1 Log
- Cosmic C Great Loop Leg 2
- Leg 2 Maps
- Leg 2 Photo Album
- We return to Midway Marina, where the Cosmic C has rested contentedly for the past two months.
- A small jetty at the Columbus Riverside Park allows us to sneak in to see this well-preserved town.
- Tennessee Williams was born in this house near the river in Columbus, MS.
- We enjoyed a walking tour of Columbus’s many antebellum homes.
- Farther down the Tenn-Tom, US Snag-boat Montgomery sits preserved at the Tom Bevill Visitor Center.
- The view from the pilot house of the US Montgomery.
- Cruising by the beautiful white cliffs of Epes, AL on the Tenn-Tom.
- Freddy Freddy, spic and span in its new paint job, heads for the water.
- Freddy Freddy’s crew is helped aboard.
- Freddy Freddy is back in the water at last and on the way to Louisiana and Texas.
- The home-built Walkürie with her unusual bow.
- The Cosmic C moored at the Grand Mariner Marina on the Dog River, Mobile, AL.
- Midway’s boats are all decorated for Christmas.
- One of the boats decorated for the Dog River’s annual boat parade.
- Lunch at lively LuLu's on the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway.
- Moored at Bob and Marie Austin’s private dock on the bayou.
- Bob and Marie Austin, our gracious and helpful hosts.
- Party time at the Austins, celebrating the end of hurricane season.
- Dining out with long-time friends Bob and Eneida Smith at McGuires, Pensacola.
- The "Grand Canyon" is a particularly scenic section of the ICW along the Gulf.
- 17 A play boat at Apalachacola, FL
- 19 Two old salts in Apalachacola, FL
- 20 Entrance to Apalachacola Municipal marina
- 27 The entrance to Steinhatchee, FL
- 23 Charlie rules at the River Haven marina, Steinhatchee, FL
- 24 Charlie watches Mary work
- 25 Two mermaids in Steinhatchee
- 26 A Steinhatchee scavenger
- 31 Steinhatchee views
- 33 Christmas in the Park in Steinhatchee, FL
- 32 The Christmas Express
- 34 Steinhatchee's kids visit Santa & Mrs. Claus
- 35 Way down upon the Suwannee River
- 37 We enter Cedar Key
- 40 New Cedar Key
- 38 Some whimsy outside the Cedar Key Art Collective
- 43 She doesn't look so big on the fork lift
- 44 Justin services the motor
- 47 Moored at the Tarpon Spring City marina
- 51 The Starlite Express on a luncheon cruise
- 52 We rarely need to ask the bridges to open
- 53 Tucked in at the St petersburg Yacht Club
- 66 The historic Asolo Theater
- 68 The world's largest model circus
- 67 The world's largest model circus
- 59 Ca d'Zan
- 62 Ca d'Zan
- 55 The Ringling Museum of Art
- 56 The Ringling Museum of Art
- 71 Mary and Nancy outside the St Pete Yacht Club
- 72 The Sunshine Skyway bridge
- 75 Hiking back to the boat in Venice, FL
- 77 Moored in the Boca Grande Yacht Basin
- 79 Moored at Capt. Len Susman's dock in Cape Coreal, FL
- 80 The Thomas Edison homes in Ft Myers, FL
- 83 A statue of Edison inside the world's third largest banyan tree
- 88 With Capt. Len Susman before we left.
- Leg 2 Movies
- Leg 2 Log
- Cosmic C Great Loop Leg 3
- Leg 3 Maps
- Leg 3 Photo Album
- The Cosmic C stayed moored at Captain Len Susman’s dock in Cape Coral, FL, for two months while we returned home.
- We are tremendously indebted to Len for taking care of our boat and many other favors.
- Moored at the dock of family friend Bart Smith on charming Sanibel Island.
- At Lighthouse Point on Sanibel Island. Here the beach is clean and beautiful, while further down the island ...
- ... the red algae piles up on the sands, making the swimming unpleasant (and the smelling isn’t too great, either).
- On the cell phone with our daughter Courtney discussing wedding plans.
- An intriguing old cemetery next to one of the island’s bike paths.
- Well-designed bike paths make cycling around Sanibel a real pleasure (if, for Mary, a bit wobbly at first).
- Lunch at the Lazy Flamingo. Its key lime pie is first rate!
- Bart Smith and Lee Tauck, the epitome of delightful hospitality. Thanks for making our stay on Sanibel so memorable.
- Moored at LaBelle on the Caloosahatchee River while we explore the capital of swamp cabbage.
- A new locking experience: no sluices, just open the up-stream gates and let the water rush in!
- Smoke from a “controlled burn” of lake grasses only a couple of miles away darkens the sky.
- Our mooring companions leave the Moore Haven dock in the morning mist.
- The fires still rage the next day, when we learn that the “controlled burn” was, in fact, a large wildfire.
- An English canal narrowboat docked at Roland Martins Marina in Clewiston.
- 60 feet long, under 7 feet wide, and beautifully painted.
- Answers to frequently asked questions about the narrowboat.
- Our morning coffee is pleasantly interrupted after a night at anchor.
- Some of the whimsical artworks in Stuart, Florida.
- A dozen J. Seward Johnson sculptures grace the revitalized Stuart downtown.
- He’s always at work, but the wall never gets any bigger.
- So real it made us drowsy just to look at him.
- A delightful little museum of Stuart history in the old feed store.
- Moored at the Lighthouse Point Marina, just north of Fort Lauderdale, FL.
- With our friends Mike and Marilyn Formicola, past owners of Blind Bay Marina, where the Cosmic C lives on the St Lawrence river.
- Mary checks out unique wind chimes at the art and crafts show in Boca Raton.
- The Boca Raton Art Museum featured an interesting but sad exhibit on the life of Marilyn Monroe.
- Tom and Jodi Hall, our friends from the St Lawrence, outside their home in Lighthouse Point, FL.
- We sipped champagne and watched the lunar eclipse with Tom and Jodi.....
- ...at the oceanfront condo of Chuck and Heather Collver (Tom’s niece). Many thanks Chuck and Heather.
- Tom relaxes in the salon of their 65-ft motor yacht Precious Lady...
- ...while Jodi works the galley. Thanks, Halls, for your grand hospitality.
- Some of the lovely homes...
- ... on Florida’s Intracoastal Waterway...
- ...and a particularly delightful bridge.
- One of the many Goliaths along the ICW. Our little David has a much easier time cruising under bridges.
- Joining local children in the roots of a magnificent banyan tree near the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, FL.
- Whitehall, the winter home of Henry Flagler, now the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach.
- Whitehall’s inner courtyard.
- Henry Flagler’s personal rail car in a newly constructed wing of the museum.
- Sunset over the Palm Harbor Marina in West Palm Beach.
- More homes....
- ...on the Intracoastal Waterway in Florida.
- Moored at the Ft. Pierce City Marina, where we are again the tiddler among the titans.
- Although we’re not anglers, Fort Pierce welcomed us anyway.
- Murals on the exterior walls of the historic Arcade Building in Ft. Pierce...
- ...are colorful and whimsical, ...
- ... as are ...
- ... the murals inside.
- Some of the other murals in Ft. Pierce.
- The beautiful but almost empty Vero Beach.
- The Vero Beach Museum of Art’s delightful display of kinetic sculpture by George Rickey.
- The rocket garden at the Kennedy Space Center.
- The space shuttle Atlantis back in the vehicle assembly building to repair hail damage after a freak storm.
- The launch pad waiting for Atlantis to return.
- Mary discussing NASA’s policies on establishing space stations on the moon with our tour guide.
- The business end of the first stage of a Saturn moon rocket...
- ... and the lunar landing vehicle it was designed to put on the moon.
- Friends from the St Lawrence River, Carl Woughter and Anne Nichols. We moored at their....
- ... neighbor’s dock while visiting them and the Kennedy Space Center.
- A bald eagle checks us out as we cruise by.
- Moored at the Halifax River Yacht Club in Daytona Beach.
- The Daytona Beach waterfront ...
- ... is very attractive and well maintained ...
- ... but overrun with bikers during Bike Week.
- Acres of gleaming chrome, cycles of all shapes and sizes...
- ... and some other fun vehicles too.
- The winning car from the 2007 Daytona 500, complete with dents, scrapes, and confetti remnants.
- Dale Earnhart, NASCAR’s winningest driver, is commemorated at the track where he died.
- A little detail can turn an otherwise ordinary bridge into a delightful structure.
- Don Chester, a new friend from the Halifax River Yacht Club, waves as we pass his home on the ICW.
- A beautiful street of live oaks in St. Augustine, FL
- We needed to go to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm to see a croc this close.
- The opulent Ponce de Leon Hotel is now Flagler College.
- The entrance court ....
- ... and lobby of Flagler College.
- Just a simple college cafeteria.
- The Presbyterian Memorial Church where Henry Flagler and some of his family are entombed.
- St. Augustine’s Castillo de San Marcos, standing guard since 1695.
- The main street of charming Fernandina Beach.
- Two old salts again, East Coast Florida style.
- Notice the mounted machine guns. We did not want to mess with these guys!
- Mary hikes the river walk on Cumberland Island.
- The majestic approach to Dungeness, the Carnegie’s estate ...
- ... on Cumberland Island, now a ruin where the wild horses roam.
- Dungeness then ...
- ... and now.
- The Coast Guard ordered us to move over to let this nuclear submarine pass by.
- The Jekyll Island Club is now a hotel ...
- ... where one can still play croquet ...
- ... and eat in the Grand Dining Room.
- Yet another long conversation with our daughter Courtney to plan her August wedding.
- Sunrise (and no-see-um-rise) on the Moon River, south of Savannah, GA.
- They rowed by us yelling “Where’s the DEET, give me the DEET.”
- Our neighbors at the River Street Marketplace Dock in Savannah, GA.
- The beautiful squares, ...
- ... houses, ...
- ... and parks of Savannah.
- Preparing for the huge St. Patrick’s Day parade in Savannah.
- Savannah’s famous waving lady statue.
- Moored at Thunderbolt Marine, where we thought the Cosmic C would stay until June.
- Views ...
- ... along Bay Street ...
- ... in Beaufort, SC.
- Two of the many gaily decorated ...
- ... mermaids to be found around Beaufort.
- Leg 3 Movies
- Leg 3 Log
- Cosmic C Great Loop Leg 4
- Leg 4 Maps
- Leg 4 Photo Album
- A mule-drawn carriage is a fine way to see Charleston, especially with a great guide.
- A charming old haberdashery sign; all but the arms and umbrella (and the pretty lady) are hats.
- This corner building has been a tavern or liquor store since the eighteenth century.
- Some of the beautiful ....
- ... Charleston mansions ...
- ... on Meeting Street ...
- ... including the home of our Thousand Islands friend Dick Wright.
- The Cosmic C is finally ready for the water again.
- Waiting patiently for a new engine thermostat at the Isle of Pines Marina.
- Kevin installs a new thermostat.
- Georgetown, the center of early rice plantations, is a fine old town with graceful buildings ...
- ... and wide, tree-lined streets.
- A lovely evening at anchor on Cow House Creek enjoying the usual margaritas.
- A portrait of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington who, with her husband Archer, ...
- ... bought three old plantations and created Brookgreen Gardens.
- The world-renowned Brookgreen Sculpture Garden displays over 1200 works ...
- ... spanning American sculpture from the early 1800s ...
- ... to the present.
- A very recent addition to the collection.
- Look carefully to see Southport Marina’s pet alligator.
- Some houses along the Carolina stretch of the ICW rival Florida’s finest.
- Docked in Beaufort, NC.
- A morning row in Beaufort.
- The party on the Oriental, NC town dock started small ...
- ... but soon grew larger.
- Still early, but we were the last to leave charming Oriental.
- An interesting intersection on Elizabeth City’s Main Street: a palatial Southern mansion on one corner, ...
- ... the neo-Classical court house across the street, ...
- ... a less grand but charming house on the third corner (but a parking lot on the fourth).
- Other houses on Elizabeth City’s Main Street ...
- ... in an eclectic ...
- ... mix of styles.
- Dawn at the Groupers Restaurant dock in Elizabeth City.
- The replica of the Wright brother’s historic 1903 flyer.
- The Wilbur and Orville Wright Memorial.
- Despite all the new condominiums, the Outer Banks’ beaches are superb.
- The replica of the Elizabeth II, which brought settlers to the “Lost Colony” on Roanoke Island.
- Museum of the Albemarle across the road - a great building with nothing much to exhibit yet.
- Duck weed carpeted the surface of the Great Dismal Swamp canal.
- A fun little Mexican cantina provided a cooling drink while we waited for the lock to open.
- The Deep Creek Lock keeper demonstrates his virtuosity with the conch.
- Like Beaufort, SC, Norfolk, VA features statues of mermaids around town.
- The sharp of eye might be able to see the Cosmic C moored in the distance.
- Another whimsical statue next to the marina in Norfolk.
- We visit the USS Wisconsin, an Iowa series battleship, ...
- ... and find that even pacifists find this huge war machine intriguing.
- The ferry to Portsmouth - all of 50¢ for us old codgers.
- The Freemason Abbey restaurant, where we enjoyed a fine lunch in a restored historic church.
- Docked on Tangier Island in the Chesapeake Bay.
- Tangier Island has many little cemeteries ...
- ... right in people’s front gardens.
- Other front gardens overflow with cutsie statuary and cheery knicknacks. What an odd little place.
- A scene typical of the Tangier Island waterfront.
- Sundown at anchor just outside Branson Cove, Coles Point, VA.
- We pass Arlington, VA maneuvering through a swarm of sailboats.
- With friends Saadia and Tehsin Ghafar after a very nice dinner at Central.
- One of several real house boats at the Capitol Marina in Washington, DC.
- How often do you think this boat with its thatched roof goes anywhere?
- A nostalgic tour boat on the Potomac.
- The calm before a predicted storm -- at anchor in a Smith Creek cove near the mouth of the Potomac.
- It’s the next morning, and still calm; tropical storm Gabrielle never arrived.
- A pleasant B&B in the pleasant town of Oxford, MD.
- Oxford’s Main Street is still unspoiled.
- The Robert Morris Inn in Oxford, MD.
- Lunch at Schooners in Oxford.
- Annapolis celebrates Alex Haley and “Roots” in several delightful sculptures around town.
- We enjoyed going aboard the Pride of Baltimore II.
- The Annapolis waterfront over the bowsprit of the Pride of Baltimore II.
- Artist Greg Harlin’s John Paul Jones’ Ranger on a wall of the US Naval Academy.
- The restored figurehead of the USS Delaware III in the US Naval Academy Visitor’s Center.
- The Navel Academy’s chapel, where a choral group was rehearsing “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.”
- We cross paths again with Chanticleer, once owned by the late Frances Langford.
- Drew Cobb takes us for a ride in Another Perspective, his Formula 37 PC.
- Back at Mears Marina with our niece Ellen Wimsatt and Drew, on his spacious boat.
- We’re moored right across from Another Perspective at Mears Marina in Annapolis, MD.
- A stunning sunset at our farewell dinner at the Charter House in Annapolis.
- They sure pack the boats in at the Annapolis US Powerboat Show.
- Another Perspective leaves her mooring at Mears Marina in Annaoplis.
- The Fell’s Point section of Baltimore.
- If you eat Bertha’s mussels, you get a bumper sticker.
- Moored next to Another Perspective in the Inner Harbor East Marina.
- A golden tribute to the strength and passion of Baltimore’s Polish- American community. American Polinia mistreated prisoners of war.
- At breakfast, a great view of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.
- Leg 4 Movies
- Leg 4 Log
- Cosmic C Great Loop Leg 5
- Leg 5 Maps
- Leg 5 Photo Album
- Moored at the Bert Jabin Yacht Yard in Annapolis, MD waiting tohave a new cockpit floor installed.
- The last leg begins! After cruising across the Chesapeake Bay, we join the 4th annual C-Dory gathering at Lankford Bay Marina.
- We had a happy weekend meeting new C Brat friends ...
- ... and listening to the lively entertainment provided by Tom (banjo, vocals), Fred (spoons), and Mikey (bass).
- Anchoring out once again, this time in a beautiful sunset on Sunset Lake, NJ.
- Busy wind turbines next to the ICW in New Jersey.
- A schooner from the South Street Seaport sails out under the Verrazano Narrows Bridge as we cruise in.
- Manhattan and the Staten Island Ferry. Because of the frenzied ferry activity, New York harbor was the roughest part of Leg 5.
- A Hudson River sloop gracefully sails upriver against the Hoboken waterfront backdrop.
- Our 4-year old granddaughter, Julesy, finally sees the real “Little Red Lighthouse and Great Gray Bridge” up close and personal.
- Passing historic West Point, built in 1778 on a strategic bluff overlooking a particularly scenic stretch of the Hudson River.
- Francis Bannerman purchased Pollepel Island near Newburgh, NY in 1900 from the Taft family ...
- ... and built the castle as a residence and armory to store munitions. Amazing ruins!
- Moored at the Municipal Dock in Kingston, NY.
- Jules had a great time on board ...
- ... but liked the vee birth best, especially when Mama read her a story.
- We all enjoyed Kingston ...
- ... even if some of us are forced to wear a lifey.
- The Spirit of Hudson on a slow day.
- We lucked out again and took the last spot at the Waterford Free Dock. It pays to be small!
- One of Richard Powell’s English Canal boat reproductions. A perfect way to to cruise the Erie Canal if you don’t have your own boat.
- Our next door neighbor at Waterford.
- After a long time on unlocked water, we’re back in the lock business as we enter the Erie Canal.
- The overhead gate of Lock 17 at Little Falls, NY closes behind us.
- Moored at the little Little Falls town dock while we have breakfast, walk around town, and do a little shopping.
- The history of the Erie Canal at Little Falls makes interesting reading.
- And these are the falls, which now seem incapable of powering the many mills and factories that used to thrive in this area.
- Pausing on our walk through Main Street, Little falls, NY.
- This our third passage through the Erie Canal, and it’s the first time we saw commercial traffic in the canal, ...
- ... perhaps a sign of the economic times and the rebirth of canal haulage in the East.
- A trio of classic Dodge Chargers next to the riverside restaurant at Brewerton, NY, where we had a good meal and docked for the night.
- Our nemesis approaches. A generator going to Duluth is given absolute preference at Lock 23.
- Despite being at the lock 45 minutes ahead of the barge, we all had to just hang around and wait for it to arrive.
- The motor yacht Trilogy waits with us for the generator barge to lock through. We followed the barge all the way to Oswego.
- Trilogy’s explosive bow thruster kept both of us tightly against our respective walls.
- We are in the final stretch, heading home on the St. Lawrence.The last time we passed Boldt Castle was at the beginning of our odyssey in August 2006.
- Moored once again at our dock on Pine Tree Island. After 5948 miles, our Great Loop adventure has ended.
- Our dock may be covered with goose droppings, but the sunset is gorgeous. One out of two ain’t bad!
- Leg 5 Log
- The Rideaux Loop
- Rideaux Loop Maps
- Rideaux Loop Photo Album
- We pass a "Pirate Ship" on the way to Brockville.
- Moored for the night in Brockville, ON harbor. We officially enter Canada.
- The "Pirate Ship" lives in Brockville.
- Her husband gave us a lot of advice on the Rideaux. She spoke no English.
- In Lock Beauharnois the couple on L'Express offered to show us the channel around Ile Perot but then sped away.
- Up early for breakfast at Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
- About to enter the Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue lock.
- Rafted at the Carillon Lock where the floating docks was out being repaired.
- We approach theFairmont Le Chateax Montebello, one of the largest log buildings in the world.
- This building required over 10,000 logs.
- The dining room at Le Chateaux Montebello.
- The lobby in Le Chateaux Montebello.
- Another part of the lobby in Le Chateaux Montebello.
- Moored at the Lac Leamy Casino dock.
- The The famous Ottawa 8-lock ladder up to the Rideaux Canal.
- On the way up the ladder.
- Looking back down the lock ladder.
- The "Women are Persons" monument in Ottawa commemorating the five Alberta women who fought to have Canadian women recognized constitutionally as "persons" who were eligible to be named to the Senate.
- The "Women are Persons" monument close-up.
- The Canadian Houses of Parliament in Ottawa.
- A civics class is held in the Canadian House of Commons.
- The Canadian House of Lords.
- A view from the tower of the Hoses of the parliament building ...
- … showing the Cosmic C moored at the Ottawa city wall.
- Outside the National Art Museum in Ottawa.
- Evening at the Ottawa City Wall.
- The Rideaux Canal cuts through the heart of Ottawa, with the Canadian Parliament building as a superb backdrop.
- We leave Ottawa and head down the Rideaux.
- A pleasant stop for lunch on the Rideaux.
- We are welcomed to Merrickville, QC.
- Whimsy in Merrickville.
- Merrickville treats us to a beautiful sunset.
- Keeping in touch in Merrickville.
- We saw a lot of foam on the Rideaux.
- The old locks at Smith Falls ...
- … are becoming a water garden.
- An interesting mural in Smith Falls.
- A relaxing evening at the park on Colonel By Island.
- All the locks here are basically worked by hand.
- On the way to Jones Falls.
- While waiting while other boats ascend the 4-lock ladder at Jones Falls …
- … we visit the dam, built with vertical rather than horizontal blocks of stone and, at 60', the third highest dam in the world when completed in 1831.
- After cruising through beautiful lakes and narrows ...
- … we anchor in a small cove off Cranberry Lake. Margaritas of course!
- Kingston, ON is one of our favorite towns on the Canadian side of the St. Lawrence.
- The river front is beautifully maintained and a fun place to visit.
- The pump house at Boldt Castle on our way home.
- Back on Pine Tree Island, the St. Lawrence gives us another fantastic sunset!
- Rideaux Loop Log
- Pine Tree Island, NY to Brockville, ON
- Brockville, ON to Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC
- Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue to the Lac Leamy Casino, QC.
- Lac Leamy Casino, QC to Ottawa, ON.
- Ottawa to Merrickville, ON.
- Merrickville to Colonel Bi Island, ON.
- Colonel By Island to Cranberry Lake, ON.
- Cranberry Lake, ON to Pine Tree Island, NY.
- The Western Erie Canal
- Western Erie Cruise Maps
- Western Erie Cruise Photo Album
- Locking through on the Oswego canal.
- Evening at the Phoenix, NY town dock.
- We visit Seneca Falls, NY.
- The Clyde town dock is small and located a long way out of town.
- The hardware store in downtown Lyons, NY has a superb metal ceiling ...
- … as does the Dobbins Drug Store across the street.
- We love these old stores and hope that they can survive.
- Lyons has several murals like this one.
- As one approaches Newark, NY from the east, one is surprised and delighted ...
- … by the murals on the bridge. More on these later.
- We saw quite a few of these rental canal boats on the Erie. They're a great way to experience the canal.
- Palmyra Free Town Marina
- … and a lovely Main Street typical of many of the old western New York towns.
- Pittsford Town Dock 2
- … that has a Birkenstock store and several nice restaurants.
- Approaching the Gennesee River.
- The Gennesee River in Rochester still contains some of the debris from the last big flood.
- The Spencerport Lift Bridge, one of fifteen on the western Erie Canal.
- The canal maintenance vessels are colorful and themselves well maintained.
- Deep In the lower of the two Lockport locks.
- The "new" locks at Lockport, NY ...
- … and the remains of the old locks beside them.
- The Lockport town dock is pretty small.
- Near the end of the canal at Tonawanda, NY.
- The interior of the Buffalo Savings Bank is quite spectacular!
- Quite a place in which to do one's banking!
- The Buffalo City Hall has its share of art deco decoration.
- The weather did not stop the Buffalo Yacht Club student sailing team from practicing, but there were several flips.
- "Graphiti" along the Black Rock canal in Buffalo ...
- … records the winning exploits of the local rowing club.
- A stop for lunch at Medina, NY.
- Murals in Medina, NY.
- Moored at the Brockport, NY town dock.
- A stop for lunch and a walk in Fairport, NY.
- Back in Newark, NY we stopped for the night and to more closely examine the murals.
- The Newark murals depict ...
- … some of the history of the Erie Canal.
- Another detail from the large mural under the bridge.
- Be careful not to walk straight ahead!
- We meet our good friends Larry and Jean Fuller for dinner in Baldwinsville, NY.
- Holed up in Oswego, NY waiting for Lake Ontario to calm down a bit.
- We take the opportunity to visit Fort Ontario overlooking Oswego Harbor.
- Crossing Lake Ontario
- Western Erie Canal Cruise Log
- Pine Tree Island to Phoenix, NY.
- Phoenix to Clyde, NY.
- Clyde to Pittsford, NY.
- Pittsford to Holley, NY.
- Holley to Tonawanda, NY.
- Tonawanda to the Buffalo Yacht Club, NY.
- The Buffalo Yacht Club to Brockport, NY.
- Brockport to Newark, NY.
- Newark to Baldwinsville, NY.
- Baldwinsville to Oswego, NY.
- Oswego to Pine Tree Island, NY.
- Northeast Cruise
- Northeast Cruise Maps
- Northeast Cruise Photo Album
- Bedtime at Cutter Marine. Mary's first night on the Cosmic C.
- This is not our photo and it wasn't as rough as this. It just felt that way!
- New York City at last!
- Approaching North Cove Marina at the south end of Manhattan.
- The North Cove Marina has no facilities (use the Mall, please!).
- A big one enters the North Cove Marina ...
- … and docks ...
- … with ease!
- A beautiful morning at the North Cove Marina.
- The Hudson River sloop Clearwater passing West Point Military Academy.
- Moored at the Catskill Marina just off the Hudson River.
- We arrive at the Albany, NY city dock.
- We toured the Capital Building ...
- … and the City Hall.
- Another beautiful evening, this time at the Mechanicville town dock.
- The Champlain Canal locks are generally in great shape and the lock keepers are friendly and helpful.
- After the storm at the Chipman Point Marina.
- We reach Lake Champlain.
- Forced to stop early at St Jean sur Richlieu, we enjoyed the town.
- The locks on the Chambly Canal are manually operated.
- A floating dock in the St. Ours lock on the Richelieu River.
- Tucked in finally at the Marina Saurel, Sorel-Tracy, QE.
- It's way too hot and humid to dance, but we do anyway.
- No room at Montreal's Old Port so Marina Port de Plaissance is it.
- Moored at Montreal's Old Port and enjoying this wonderful city.
- Waiting to enter Lock 1 of the Lachine Canal.
- Trying to learn how to "flip" the rope onto the cleat.
- We wait for the Canadian Progress at the Beauharnois Lock.
- We share the Waddington town dock with several thousand mosquitoes.
- Again we wait for commercial traffic, this time at the Iroquois Lock.
- Northeast Cruise Log
- Cutter Marine, Middle River,MD.
- Cutter Marine to All Seasons Marina, Marmora, NJ.
- All Seasons Marina, Marmora, NJ to North Cove Marina, New York, NY.
- North Cove Marina, New York, NY.
- North Cove Marina, New York, NY to the Catskill Marina, Catskill, NY.
- Catskill Marina, Catskill, NY to Mechanicville, NY.
- Mechanicville, NY to the Chipman Point Marina, VT.
- Chipman Point Marina, VT to St. Jean sur Richlieu, QE.
- St. Jean sur Richlieu to Marina Saurel, Sorel-Tracy, QE.
- Marina Saurel to Marina Port de Plaisance, Longeuil, QE.
- Marine Port de Plaisance to the Old Port Marina, Montreal, QE.
- Old Port Marina, Montreal, QE to Waddington, NY.
- Waddington to Pine Tree Island, NY.
- Site Map