Pelots Bay

What a view

11:45. A quiet departure from Deep Bay. 

We raised the sails and we will go to where the wind carries us. It will be towards the south!  

Weather is nice and it's nice to be tacking closed haul in light winds toward Pelots Bay. The conditions are ideal, 11 knots and regular. Bellum is happy! 

Surely the most beautiful day of the holidays, we all agree. 

17.35. Anchored in Pelots Bay 

I did some sanding on the companionway and starboard handrail teak.

Ritual grooming

Wednesday, August 1, 2018 

We spent the day anchored in Pelots Bay to get brewed. 

Too windy to sail.

We read and bathed. 

Allan deflates the kayak. 

The day passes quietly. 

Pelots Bay sunset

Plattsburgh Groceries then Deep Bay

The wind is brewing nicely this morning!   The wind is from the south between 11-12 knots and the waves have formed. 

It was a little hard to pull the anchor this time. Wind and waves pushed Bellum from left to right and back as we tried to use the motor to head up to the anchor.  Sometimes the anchor is on the port side and immediately after it is on the starboard side. Phew ... we are free. 


We motored to the Plattsburg City Marina from Plattsburg Boat Basin.  At first it was hard to distinguish 

We had an easy docking since the harbour was well protected from wind and waves.  We hung around the harbour to check in. Dockmaster was busy with a big Catamaran.  We took care of garbage.

The Lashway's Meat Market store is 3 kilometers away - easy walking distance but it was very disappointing. Mostly a deli and some expired meat at a discount.  

Fortunately, we did find everything we need at Yando's Big M Supermarket.  Very similar to Price Choppers.  We stopped for a Burger King.

We return to the boat with a Lyft car, it's like Uber. 

We departed Plattsburg by the motor, getting whipped by the waves that are now well developed. Around Cumberland Head point we deploy the genoa and cut the engine. 

Nice sailing north towards Deep Bay.  We check out Middle bay but Daniele really wanted to visit her old hangout at Deep Bay.

There are many boats at anchor in Deep Bay. We go around slowly and choose a location. Allan goes for a kayak ride and walks the Point Au Roche trails as Daniele stayed with Bellum. It was a nice walk.

It was fun watching power boats at moorings tie up their sterns so they can stay together.





18:00. Emptying the bilge under a 1/3 bottle motor. 

Meals, hamburgers! 

21:00. Many mosquitoes. 

Daniele found it difficult to talk to Ben, communication cuts all the time. 

Nobody came by to collect Daniele's mooring fee.

Sunday sailing and Plattsburgh beach

We left Valcour, headed out to the main lake wind dies.  We dropped the sails and head for Plattsburg. The wind picks up,  we put the sails back up and head back out, northbound, racing with another 33-foot sailboat.  We could keep up with her, but we just could not pass her.

After about 12 miles and four hours sailing, we turned back and headed for Plattsburgh Beach Anchored for the night with about 5 boats.

Emptying the sump under the engine. 1/2 Bottle 

77 degrees F 
Winds- South 3 knots

We watched boats come and leave but in the end, there were about 5 boats who stayed for the night.  The night was rock and roll without south protection.

Direction tomorrow Plattsburgh must do the grocery shopping.

Long day sail to Bluff Point South

Checks are done
Departure around 10:00 
Wind weak and variable.

We decide to go to Valcour Island at a speed between 2 and 2.5 knots. 

13:08 The rain is at the rendezvous. The genoa is wet and we move almost no. 


Then, more and more rain falls on Bellum. My captain still in a swimsuit is soaked to the bones and shudders. It's time to take out the appropriate clothes: leggings and anorak. 

Allan consults the weather radar, the even worse weather is heading straight for us. We slump, engine thoroughly we fled. 






We did not want to go back to Bluff Point North, just to have a change of venue.

15:30. We are now anchored in Bluff Point South and the weather is nice again. Another gorgeous evening with Daniele.

From Hunter Bay to Converse Bay

From Hunter Bay to Converse Bay 

The wind is miserly quiet, we leave our anchorage around 13:00 

En route, a nice breeze is felt, we put out all sails and we advance at a speed of 2.5-3 knots. 

As we enter Converse Bay from the north of Garden Island with Daniele at the helm, the wind became significant.

VHF - Notice to all boats - Impending storm. 

We approached a mooring field.  NOT GOOD, we have to start again. This place is too tight, we will anchor in the other part of Converse Bay.

We went south around Cedar Island and anchor near Garden Island.

The wind is blowing now like a madman. Quickly we have to get safe. 

The wind pushes us despite ourselves to the boat behind us and Bellum is difficult to maneuver and Daniele is at the helm.  We anchor among boats at anchor near Garden Island.

The storm is over. Wind, wind and not a drop of water. 

That this bay is very pretty! We had a view of the ferries bring guests to Garden Island.

The night will be very calm and we will sleep a restful sleep. 

Converse Bay

Kingsland Bay to Westport / Hunter Bay

Added a little motor oil (47 engine hours since departure). 

I repaired the bilge pump. Grease and debris hindered the auto switch operations. 

South winds - very weak.

Bird watching

We are getting short of food! We are heading to Westport motor. I wanted to check out Essex, but Daniele was not into the unknown so we went back to Westport where the village grocery store is within walking distance of the marina which is more than convenient. In addition, the products are fresh and the meat very good. 



As we leave the bay, an armada of steamships also leaves Kingsland going south with us.  We prompt them to blow their steam horns and they comply.  Very nice. 

To stay at the Westport service dock, it's $ 5 / hour and there are always a couple of dock boys to help dock the boat. 

The grocery store was done, we head to Partridge Bay. 

The closer you get, the more you realize that the space is limited because two motor boats have taken possession of the places and have deployed all their toys: mega floating station, kayaks, sea-doo, dinghy motor ... in short it will be noisy! We change our mind and we go back to Hunter Bay, which is next door and much quieter and keep the girlfriend happy.

Then, I (Daniele) have the chance to observe with the glasses of approach an Osprey, an osprey. Perched on the highest branch of a dead tree he devoured the prey he held between his claws. Allan did some photos. 

Meal - New York cut steak, salad, and potatoes. 

Very hot and sweet evening. A dad with his little boy of 3-4 years can ride in a canoe almost without disturbing the surface of the water. 

Rain during the night. 

Kingsland Bay

We will remain anchored in the bay today, day off for Allan who still suffering from back pains from lifting the dinghy.

12:00 

There's a lot of action! Three Trollers put their shoulders in front of us! A little too close for my taste ... Two motorboats are anchored a little further, a superb sailboat makes its entry followed by two other smaller ones and another leaves its anchorage under sail and pulls edges in the bay. It will not be very long to fight against this wind, barely half an hour and then return to its anchorage.

Now it is the turn of a cute tourist boat to come strutting by showing a large fireplace that spits a trickle of gray smoke. 

Allan went to check if we could attach to the dock on the beach, unfortunately, it is forbidden. 

Swimming, writing and reading. Transfer photos on the computer.

In the middle of the bay, at the height of our sailboat, two young people play in an inflatable station held a line to the boat of their parents. They are having a great time diving and splashing each other. I watch them and have fun with their games. I enter the boat a few minutes and get out. The children are no longer there. I look ahead but do not see the mega-station and I look to the lake. In a few minutes, they drifted to the entrance to the bay. I hiss and point 
at the children to warn the boaters right in front of us.

A woman answers me: "It's not mine, but the people who are in front of us". Another sailor, also on alert, rushes with his dinghy and recovers the young adrift taking them back to the fold. The parents did not notice anything. 

But thanks to the good Samaritan, successful rescue! 

18.00 

Pork chops, Brussels sprouts, and rice. 

Home theater evening! The Changeling

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

7:00 We leave early for Vergennes before it is too late. Sail Flow predicts that the wind will be strong and that there will be peaks up to 31 knots beginning around 11:00. 

To go to Vergennes you have to take a small meandering river called Otter Creek, the access is through Field's bay which is, it seems, deep enough for the sailboats. 

Entering Fields Bay towards Otter Creek, we slow to a creep. It looks like Bellum is walking on tiptoe so we are cautious. 

But she still had a mad desire to soak Bellum's toes in the mud. We are stuck for the third time! 

NOT GOOD says the captain. This time, there is no one to give us a hand.

Then slowly, cautiously we turn back as we leave the room of a child that has just fallen asleep. We breathe again! Daniele's nerves are too distressed to try again.

Change of plans, we are now heading to Basin Harbor, we will get a mooring and we will visit the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. 

10:00 In our inflatable kayak, we go to what looks like the LCMM dock. Once on land, we meet the owner of the dock, oops it was a private dock, tells us where the museum is and allows us to leave our kayak there. 

A long and very interesting visit, there are several buildings to explore. Have a nice lunch at the Red Mill restaurant. We finish going around the site around 3:45 pm. The standard visit for the museum is two days but we saw everything in one day.

Ice Boat

Walking to Red Mill Restaurant

Blacksmith

Checks of use 
Engine block: 3 1/2 bottles
Transmission oil ok: 315.4 hours Tighten the packing. 

A boat come by and gives us a piece of paper for registering at Basin Harbor Marina.

6:00 pm Not wanting to maneuver to Basin Harbor by big boat or Kayak, we head back to familiar Kingsland Bay 

Good night!