June 26-28                        Sackets Harbour, New York

As predicted, the rain was gone and the weather was sunny and warm.  Brian had other duties and could not help us for several hours.  David and I decided to do the job ourselves.  With Gorilla tape, we mended the tear in the canvas and began to put the top in place.  Not an easy job for it required standing on small ladders and climbing onto the console.  Being very careful not to fall, we were able to finish much of the work needed to secure the canvas.  Brian finally arrived and did the final tugging and zipping needed to finish the job.  Within a few minutes, we were ready to leave.

As David backed the boat out of the slip into the narrow channel, the crew of a sailboat docked behind us at the fuel dock watched as the massive hulk of The Bottom Line came closer and closer.  Unaware that David was watching his stern on the GPS camera, they began to yell at us to stop.  In plenty of time, David went forward and made the turn needed to leave the marina.  The guys in the sailboat sheepishly waved and wished us a good trip.

Lake Ontario was a beautiful expanse of calm blue water. One of the five Great Lakes, Lake Ontario is 53 miles wide and 193 miles long with an average depth of 283 feet (in some places, it is more than 800 feet deep).  It is governed jointly by Canada and the United States.  We set the boat on autopilot, David took a nap, and I watched the GPS and worked on my needlepoint.  We saw only two small sailboats as we headed toward Sackets Harbour, New York.

Sackets Harbour was a battleground during the War of 1812.  Once a thriving boat building community and a navy base during World War II, it is today a small, picturesque village with many historical homes and buildings.  Our marina, Navy Point Marine, was a few blocks from the small downtown area.  We were pleased to see our Canadian friends, Michael and Sylie Heap whom we had first met in Watertown, and invited them for drinks on our boat the next evening.  We walked to Main Street and visited several of the shops and perused the menus of the five or six restaurants.  Our galley was closed for the evening.  We would dine out.

          

 

We went to The Boathouse for a drink and appetizer.  Their spicy calamari with Thai sauce was outstanding.  In an authentic boathouse from the past century, the restaurant’s interior was sleek and modern.  We enjoyed sitting on their spacious deck overlooking the harbor (and our boat docked across the way).  Our waiter, an affable, handsome young man was a graduate of Texas A & M, a first grade teacher in Florida, and a waiter at Sackets Harbour during the summer. He was enthusiastic about the town and the area.

For dinner, we chose a charming, little place with outside dining in a garden-like setting.  Ferns, hostas, blooming plants, and tall trees with overhanging branches made Tin Pan Galley the most appealing place in town.  Reviews and recommendations were excellent.  We were seated immediately but within a few minutes, all the available tables were filled and the small bar area was packed with waiting diners.

To our delight, a musician with a bank of electronic equipment began to play the kind of music we enjoy.  He was adept in performing the arrangements of Lou Rawls, Bobby Darrin, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond, Jim Reeves, and others.  The weather, ambiance, and music were wonderful complements to the excellent food.  David had a delicious broiled sea bass and I enjoyed vegetable tortellini in a light Parmesan-cream sauce.  To prolong a delightful evening, we ordered cappuccino and a Brandy Alexander. 

Friday was a good day for postponed projects.  The hatch to the bridge from the aft deck leaked badly and the wooden bottom had become discolored.  David brought out his “Home Depot” of supplies and tools and began to work.  Not satisfied with a simple cosmetic fix, he decided to do major sanding, varnishing, and replacing the worn seal with a new one.  This was not a job to be completed soon.

Our supply of wine was depleted and since Sackets Harbour sells spirits only in restaurants, we ordered a case from a vendor in Watertown.  This was delivered promptly by a gracious young man who refused a tip!  With cheeses, olives, bruschetta, and fruit, we were ready to entertain.

 Michael Heap is a retired charter accountant (similar to a C.P.A. in the U.S.) and his wife is retired from a variety of teaching/training positions.  They live in Canada but often visit for long periods in England.  Michael is originally from Wales and retains a lovely accent.  They plan to buy a longboat, commonly used on canals and waterways in England, and live on it in that country for part of each year.  This year they will summer on their present sailboat in Sackets Harbour.

We were pleased to be joined by Tanya Binford, who had arrived in the marina a few hours earlier.  Tanya had been with us at Amsterdam and had amazed us by her expertise in solo handling her 25’ Ranger tug.  Tanya is a psychiatric nurse from Tucson who resolved several years ago to buy a boat and complete The Great Loop.  She is fulfilling a dream!  The locks on the Erie Canal had been a formidable challenge for her to accomplish alone.  After being battered and bruised on several of the earlier ones, she talked to the lockmasters and they gave her “an easy lift” with much less turbulence.  Tanya is determined to continue her journey and we are eager to follow it on her blog (tanyagreatloop.blogspot.com).   This evening proved again that people are the most interesting parts of our travels. 

Awakened again to a beautiful sunny day, we left the marina for a walk to the nearby site of a battleground during the War of 1812.  Today it is a lovely expanse of green lawn with tall trees overlooking the bay. Several stone monuments commemorate the historical events in the area. We continued with a leisurely walk through the charming downtown area.  A visit to a dilapidated, crowded, and dirty antique shop unexpectedly produced a great book on Joseph Duveen, a famous art dealer to Rockefeller, Morgan, Mellon, and wealthy individuals.  

The local art society was having a show and we were invited in by Ms. Summerville, a pretty little lady who was probably in her nineties and walking with a cane.  As we were studying the paintings on display (most of them were quite good and some were exceptional), she approached me and said, "I must ask you something since you are from Texas."  She said "I am a Republican but Texas Republicans seem to be crazy to elect some of the people now in office.  I sent money to that lady who is running for governor.  Some of my friends did, too.  Does she have a chance?"  I had to admit that Wendy Davis' chances of being elected are probably not too favorable at the present time but I, too, was a supporter and keeping the faith.

Outside the gallery, a local artist was working on a painting which we admired.  When he learned we were boating in the area, he advised us to go to Adams next week for the cheese festival.  He would be exhibiting a carving of a mouse made from a $400.00 block of cheese!  He proudly showed us a clay model.

As we returned to the boat, we noticed the white gazebo in a park overlooking the harbor was filled with a small crowd.  Ahead of us on the sidewalk, we saw four girls dressed alike followed by a bride and her escort.  As we came closer, we realized this was a most unusual wedding party.  The dresses were made of a shiny pink camouflage printed fabric.  The bride's white dress included a long train of this fabric.  The flower girl was dressed in similar fabric in blue.  The men in the party had suits of black and green camouflage denim fabric with red ties.  ALL members of the wedding party wore FLIP-FLOPS.  It was a Duck Dynasty wedding in New York!!!!!