Our previous post described the locking
process in the Champlain and Chambly canals (as well as other canal
systems). Between those two canals is glorious Lake Champlain.
The scenery is some of the most
beautiful that we have seen anywhere in the USA. The Adirondacks are on
the west side and the Green Mountains are to the east. The shorelines are
lush and hilly, with picturesque villages and cities in both Vermont and New
York.
Not only is Lake Champlain beautiful, it
is filled with history. It was crucial in our country’s defense during the
Revolutionary War. Benedict Arnold was instrumental in delaying the British
from squelching the revolution and allowing us time to build our
Oh yes, and the many ferries that go
across the lake. There are very few bridges, mostly on either end, so
ferries are a common sight. Some of them are cable ferries; as boaters,
we had to give them a wide berth to avoid getting hung up in their cables as
they crossed. When 3 ferries are going back and forth the timing of going
in between is tricky.
Lastly, Lake Champlain is dotted with
islands and bays, which are inviting spots to anchor. Too bad we didn't realize
that fact when we approached Burlington VT, just ahead of a storm that brought
several days of howling winds and waves.
Instead we docked right downtown and got
pounded severely for three nights. In hindsight, we should have sought
the shelter of a bay for at least two of the nights, to minimize the effects of
the wind. Malletts Bay, just north of Burlington, would have been a good
spot and is very popular with the locals.
Mike's cousins gave us a grand tour of
the surrounding countryside, including Smuggler's Notch and Ben and Jerry’s ice
cream factory. We had a great lunch at Stowe, the famous ski resort
town. The next day we went to church then had lunch at St. Albans and
dinner at the cousins. Having relatives like that is a great way to see
an area.
When we left the Burlington Marina, we
did anchor out in Malletts Bay after all. Anchoring seems magical, with
nothing around you but water and sky. It was very peaceful and
relaxing. We also anchored at Valcour Island, where the water was so
clear we could see the bottom.
Unfortunately we could see that our
anchor had not dug in very far, but it was caught on a rock. Fortunately
it was so calm that the boat barely moved all night and the anchor stayed
put. We had been advised to invest in a really good anchor, one that was
heavy and would roll over and re-dig itself if the wind shifted. So we
had confidence in our 35-pound Manson Supreme and we slept well.
A third place we stayed was Burton
Island State Park, which can only be reached by boat. We hiked to the
other end of the island with Millie, our dog, and once again enjoyed the peace
of being out in nature and surrounded by water. Millie even enjoyed going in
the water and cooling off.
Our next stop was the Chazy Yacht club
near Plattsburgh NY. We left our boat there for a month while we visited
Quebec City, attended the wedding of Mike's godson in Akron, sold Mike's house
in Owego NY, and attended the wedding of Kathy's daughter in
Philadelphia.
Now that we have no land home we are
what loopers call “all in”.
Once we returned from those activities,
we were ready to enter Canada and start boating in earnest.
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