Lake
Champlain
August 1-5, 2012
Charter with Sara and Al Johnson
I stood there on the dock in horror as the “captain” of a
45’ Beneteau sailboat backed east toward the mooring field packed with
expensive boats. On the way, he was
scraping the stern of the docked boats in his path. The 20 knot wind from the south was pushing his
beam toward them and the docks. He was
out of control; clearly, out of control.
And, he was doing a lot of damage.
About a dozen of his friends were standing along the dock yelling at
him. They were all speaking French. This
would be a weekend they would always remember.
I was sure of that.
It was about 5 pm on August 4; a Saturday. We were in the Plattsburgh Boat Basin on Lake
Champlain about 20 north and west of Burlington, VT. We had successfully docked
Kokomo, our 37’ Beneteau Charter boat, in an 18 knot wind about an hour
earlier. Of course, Deb was at the helm. It was yet another outstanding job
from our wheelsman. Being docked for the
day was a comfort as the forecast was for worsening conditions. The south wind was forecast to build
overnight and into the next day, reaching 30 knots with higher gusts. The guide books warned that Lake Champlain
could have such moments, even in the middle of summer.
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is located on the border between New York
and Vermont. Her waters extend roughly 100 miles along a north/south plane and
then, via the Richelieu River in Canada, proceed north another 100 miles before
reaching the St Lawrence River.
Lake Champlain
But that’s only half the story. To her south, at Ticonderoga, you have a
waterway choice. You can take the 2 mile
portage west to Lake George (Lake George, itself on a north to south plane, is
roughly 30 miles long and a mile or so wide.)
or continue along the 20 mile Champlain Canal which was completed in
1823. Either way, you connect to the
Hudson River at Glenn Falls, NY. The
Hudson, of course, connects Lakes Champlain and George to New York harbor. All totaled, this inland waterway extends north
to south about 375 miles. For practical purposes, it makes New England an
island!
This waterway has been used by humans for thousands of
years. Until the advent of paved roads, it was after all, the easiest way to
travel north to south in that mountainous part of the world. Archeological digs confirm human activity in
the area 8,000 years ago. Semi-permanent
villages and agricultural cultivation have been confirmed from about the time
of Christ, long before any European “discoveries” were made in the area.
The lake gets its name from Samuel de Champlain who was,
reportedly, the first European to see the Lake. (Actually, he named the lake
after himself; a rare moment of modesty!) In the summer of 1609, the French
explorer traveled up the St Lawrence and then turned south up the Richelieu and
into the lake with a party of Native Americans; Algonquins and Hurons. They intended a skirmish with their regional enemies,
the Iroquois. The battle, which
reportedly took place near present-day Ticonderoga, ended swiftly when
Champlain and one of his men killed several Iroquois with their arquebuses. The Indians on both sides had never before
seen such destructive weapons. From that
day forward, the Iroquois would hate the French. Europeans, for their part, would use the
waterway for the next 200 years in their struggles to dominate the continent.
First came the
roughly 75 year armed struggle (1689-1763) between the French and British (The
French and Indian War). In the end, the
British, with help from the Iroquois, claimed Upper Canada from the French. Both sides had built forts in that long river
valley. Their existence almost guaranteed that Lake Champlain and her
connecting waters would play an important role in deciding that outcome.
Then, during the Revolutionary War, the British again
used the waterway from Canada in a failed attempt to isolate New England from
the rest of the Colonies. Perhaps the
most famous Revolutionary War battle involved Ethan Allen, Benedict Arnold and
Vermont’s Green Mountain Boys. In 1775,
they crossed the lake from Vermont and captured the British fort at Ticonderoga. This victory hardly ended things for either
side. The Battle of Valcour Island in
October 1776 was a defeat for Benedict Arnold’s fleet but sufficiently delayed
the British from attacking Ticonderoga until 1777. While the Brits were able to take the fort,
the delay had given the Colonial forces the time they needed for an eventual
victory just 60 miles south at Saratoga.
That victory persuaded the French to enter the war on the side of the
Americans. And that was it…
When war again
broke out between the U.S. and the British in 1812, the Lake and her environs
again played a major role. Early in the
war, it was the British who prevailed as the Americans attempted to invade and
capture Montreal via the Richelieu and the St Lawrence (via Lake Ontario) at
Chateauguay (1813) and Locolle Mills (1814). But on September 11, 1814, with troops at both
Plattsburgh and Burlington, America’s Commodore Macdonough executed one of the world’s
most successful naval battles. With his
fleet tucked behind Cumberland Head (due east of Plattsburgh), Macdonough
engaged a superior British fleet and won the day.
Lake Champlain need not be remembered for her role in war,
however. She is much too beautiful for
that as a legacy. Besides, after things
settled down, and the canals were built, she became the proving ground for
vessels that supported commercial development, water transport and recreation.
The Charter
Lake Champlain had long been on our “bucket list.” We had sailed our boat on all five of the
Great Lakes but we’d never even seen this inland beauty. The charter company we used, Navtours, was
headquartered in Montreal but that didn’t really register until researching
possible float plans. Montreal is by far
the largest metropolitan center in the area of Lake Champlain and less than 50
miles by car. Where do you suppose most
of the recreational boaters on the lake come from? Dah….
The charter base was on the New York side of the lake, at
historic Plattsburgh. We arrived via the
Burlington, VT airport (about 1 hour by car & ferry). The ferry traversed the lake from South Hero
Island to Cumberland Head, perhaps 2 miles.
From there, Plattsburgh Boat Basin was just 15-20 minutes. Our charter
was scheduled to begin at noon on Wednesday August 1. That didn’t happen. Upon arrival we learned that our boat, Kokomo,
was out on a charter and not due back until 3 pm. It would be ready to board by 5 pm, we were
told. (In fact, things started out even
worse. All winter long, I had relied
upon the Charter website and letterhead to conclude that the base was in Moody
Bay, some 5-7 miles north of Plattsburgh.
My entire trip itinerary was based on the assumption we would leave from
and return to Moody Bay. Wrong!)
We’ve Chartered sailboats before so we knew the
drill. At least, we thought we did. The
Charter crew gave us a reasonably detailed walk-through on Kokomo but, after
that, we were on our own. There was no
“charter briefing,” no sharing of local knowledge. Apparently, on a lake this size none was
thought necessary. In particular, the
crew was mostly unwilling to offer cruising or dockage suggestions, even when
asked. The hours spent with cruise and chart books the previous winter would
now pay dividends!
Kokomo was a 2012 37’ Beneteau. She was a very good sailing boat and in
reasonably good condition for a charter boat.
The living accommodations were quite good for four adults. But, we quickly concluded that she wasn’t an
Island Packet. We’ve gotten so spoiled…
The weather was hot, in the low 90’s, and mostly sunny. The
forecast was for much of the same. After
a nice lunch at the marina bar and grill (The Naked Turtle, no less), we headed
out to find groceries and liquid refreshment for the cruise. Along the way, we purchased a couple of
inexpensive fans since Kokomo had none aboard.
By 7:30 pm we were back on board. We got comfortable with
the boat and her gear, rearranged the float plan, had a few drinks and turned
in.
We left the Plattsburgh Boat Basin at 10 am under full
sail. We headed east along Cumberland
Head and then turned north. As we did, I
couldn’t help but think about how significant this headland was in the War of
1812. As noted earlier, this was the
place Commodore Macdonough made his stand.
I could easily envision the British fleet heading south with a northeast
breeze behind them coming through the narrows formed by the Cumberland Head and
South Hero Island (the ferry route). Then,
to their surprise, discovering the American fleet anchored behind the Head
protecting the Plattsburgh harbor. In
order to engage the Americans the British fleet had to turn into the wind and
then head west northwest along the south shore of the Cumberland Head which now
was blanketing their wind. After a two hour and twenty minute bloody battle,
Her Majesty’s guns fell silent.
Private Home at
Cumberland Head
Once north of the Cumberland Head we sailed northeast
approximately 5 nm to the entrance of the “Gut.”This narrow entrance to the
“Inland Sea” was created by partially destroying an abandoned railroad fill
between North Hero and South Hero (Grand Isle). The Inland Sea is created by the east coast of
South Hero and Vermont’s west coast.
It’s a large body of water, about 22 miles long and 5 miles wide. The
Inland Sea is only accessible from the rest of the lake via the Gut. The waters
south and east of South Hero are too shallow for boaters to enter, or leave,
Mallets Bay. The original plan had been
to spend a night on Burton Island (a state park and marina) in the Inland Sea
but with the unanticipated change in the location of the charter base, that was
not to be. We tacked and headed back
northwest another 5 nm to the entrance of Deep Bay. Deep Bay itself is long and
narrow, like a fjord. It’s a favorite overnight anchorage in Tredwell Bay. It was now about 1 pm and we were getting
hungry. We tacked again and headed 5 nm
southwest to the entrance channel for Tredwell Bay Marina, our destination for
the night.
Tredwell Bay Marina was an enjoyable stop, despite the
warm weather and light breeze. Once
docked, and with tummy’s full, we headed up the bank to the Marina pool. The water and the exercise felt good on that
warm August day. The Marina property
sports a first rate and busy restaurant. A great meal drinks in the cockpit and
spirited conversation ended a wonderful day afloat.
Tredwell Bay
Marina
Friday
Unfortunately, a “low water” warning by the charter
company precluded the planned trip to Mallets Bay, about 15 miles
southeast. Mallets Bay, which is just
north of Burlington on the Vermont shore, is reportedly the recreational boater’s haven on Lake Champlain. The narrow entrance, similar to that at The Gut,
has been created by the removal of a portion of an abandoned railroad
causeway. We hated to miss Mallets Bay
but weren’t about to test fate by ignoring the warning we’d been given. The busy summer weekend prevented us from
getting an overnight dock in Burlington, about 20 miles southeast of Tredwell
Bay. So, we agreed to day sail and spend
the night in Plattsburgh.
With a light south
breeze we left Tredwell Bay Marina about 10:30 am and headed east back to the narrows
at Cumberland Head. We turned south and
slowly, even agonizingly, tacked back into the largest open water of Lake
Champlain.
One of the joys of sailing is to watch “new” sailors get
the hang of things at the helm. On this
day, our good friend, Sara, took the helm.
It took only a brief time for her to understand the physics. Even in the light wind and with all the
tacking, she kept the sails full and pulling hard. Well, okay, under the conditions, at least
they were pulling most of the time! Good
job, Sara!
Sara & Al
Johnson
The coast along Cumberland Head just north of Plattsburgh
proved to be a wonderful lunch and swimming spot. We anchored in about 10 feet of water southeast
of the State Park beach and enjoyed much of the afternoon.
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We packed it in about 4 pm and headed back the roughly
3nm to Plattsburgh Boat Basin. The slip was complements of our charter company.
A harbor tour with Kokomo’s inflatable
and beers seemed like the right thing to do.
After all, there were still boats to be seen and beer to be
enjoyed. An enjoyable dinner at the Naked Turtle was
followed by drinks in the cockpit and a full moon.
Saturday
The weather forecast had turned ugly. What started out as a promising weekend,
weather wise, was being replaced by the likelihood of building south winds and
the chance of rain and thunderstorms on Sunday.
Early Saturday, despite a sun-filled morning with mostly calm winds, the
crew gathered to discuss the evolving forecast.
None of us liked the prospect of sailing back to Plattsburgh on Sunday
morning (departure day) and then dealing with a charter boat check-in and a 30
knot south wind! So, once again we
adjusted our plan. The slip reservation at
Snug Harbor Marina (on the New York mainland due west of Valcour Island) was
cancelled. We’d day sail around Valcour
Island, anchor off the island for lunch and then head back early evening for a
pump-out and fuel before things got wild.
The main was raised in a light south breeze as we sailed
(motored, really) southeast from Plattsburg and past Crab Island toward the
northeast side of Valcour, just 5 miles away.
The water was busy with boats that warm, sunny Saturday in August.
Valcour Island is about 2 miles long (north to south) and
1 mile wide. She is everything the cruise books say she is. The Island has five wonderful anchorages, at
least one for every wind direction. On
shore there are hiking trails but no cars or bikes. There’s also a lighthouse on the island’s
south west corner that is open to the public on Sunday’s during the summer.
At the southeast
end of the island we turned west and raised the jib. We sailed nicely on a beam reach along the
southern shore of the island. The scenery
was terrific. As we reached the
southwest corner of the island, the lighthouse on Bluff Point became visible. The wind was now behind us and beginning to
build. It was about noon.
Lighthouse on
Bluff Point, Valcour Island
We anchored in about 15 feet of water for lunch and a leisurely
afternoon in the bay at Bluff Point North. This bay is well protected from
southerly winds. Still, we could feel
the boat being pushed back as we dropped anchor and let out 65 feet of chain
rode. Were they wrong about the wind
building overnight, I wondered?
The anchorage was teeming with boats, both power and
sail. Many seemed to be settling in for
an overnight stay. Despite the fact that
this anchorage was protected from southerly winds, I was sure that it wasn’t going
to be a restful night for them.
I sat in the cockpit reading and daydreamed about
Benedict Arnold’s “Battle of Valcour.” The
upstart American’s had taken Ticonderoga in the spring of 1775. They proceeded to build a lake-bound navy
consisting of 15 large vessels and a number of smaller craft. Benedict Arnold
was in command. The British fleet arrived from the Richelieu into the larger
portion of the lake in the fall of 1776.
Arnold had his fleet anchored where we were, between Valcour Island and
the New York mainland, hoping to surprise the Brits as they passed the island
on their way to Ticonderoga. The
surprise didn’t work. As the battle
raged, Arnold’s fleet took a pounding.
He decided to withdraw south to the protection of Ticonderoga during the
night. He escaped Valcour but the Brits
followed and, in a bay just 10 miles north of Crown Point, he grounded and set
ablaze what was left of his fleet. His
men made it back to Ticonderoga on foot, hotly pursued by the British. Thus
ended the Battle of Valcour!
About 4 pm, we hauled anchor in the now-crowded anchorage
and headed back to Plattsburgh along Valcour’s west coast. We watched the charts carefully avoiding the
same hazards that kept naval vessels from using this passage during the
Revolution and the War of 1812. The wind was now blowing 12-15 knots from the
south. Deb was at the helm. We flew back to Plattsburgh, averaging about
7knots for the roughly one hour sail!
What a way to end a sailing charter, I thought.
Our Helms(wo)man!
But now, back at the Plattsburgh Boat Basin, we had to
accomplish a docking on the north side of an east to west oriented fuel
dock. There have been many occasions
over the past 25 years of sailing that I’ve been thankful we started with Deb
at the helm. This was one of them! It’s one thing to give directions (as I often
do), it’s quite another to actually execute the maneuver without doing damage
to either the vessel or a careless dockhand!
It took us two tries but with lots of encouragement from the crew and
some help from the dockhand but Deb got it done. And, when secure, we were pointed east toward
the open lake to boot!
Pump-out and fueling complete, Deb started the engine and
let the wind, which was now blowing 15-18 knots, push us away from the
dock. Her next challenge was a bow-in, port
tie into a slip that was about four boats deep into an east to west oriented
dock. The turn would not be easy. It
would be mostly into the wind, thank goodness, but it was clear the wind would
push us into the dock, potentially damaging the boat. And, there was a boat in the starboard tie
slip along side. Of course, there was…
A “once around” to come straight into the fairway, a
sharp turn into the wind and, with some help from Al and a dockhand, we were safely
docked. Forget about the attractive
young woman in a bikini that nearly went for a swim alongside while trying to
help. Just forget about her, Al.
Docking beers were dispensed for all while the wind
howled. We watched in amazement as other
boaters were coming back into the harbor for the night, both docking and
catching mooring balls. A north to south
oriented 50 foot sailboat secured on the end of our dock began to bob
uncontrollably. I’d never seen anything
like that. I was sure the boat would
either break loose from the dock or become severely damaged. I called the marina staff and asked them to
investigate as the boat was unoccupied.
That was only the beginning.
I saw the 45 foot Beneteau round the east end of our dock
apparently heading for a slip across but west of our position. He was going very fast, I thought. He had fenders and lines out. His wife, I
assumed, was on the bow. She looked
nervous. He made his turn with the wind
at his stern pushing him into the vacant slip. He intended a port tie. Yes, I thought, the wind will blow him in and
away from the dock. And do so
aggressively. It did.
I worried about
all the people who had gathered to help.
I’ve seen this before. I was sure
someone was going to get hurt.
They got a bow
line attached but no one was dealing with either a spring or a stern line. Predictably, the stern of the boat was pushed
east, to the starboard. Now, it was too far to simply toss a stern line. I ran
to help, as did Al. Unbelievably, the captain
left the helm with the boat still in forward gear and the bow line
attached. Why he did so, I will never
know. They were all speaking, actually
yelling, in French. I have no idea what
was being said.
I was on the adjacent dock finger with another guy trying
to keep the Beneteau’s stern from literally jumping the dock (these are not
Great Lakes docks, my friends). We were
standing on the partially submerged dock finger in about 6 inches of water and
pushing with all our might. I suggested
to the guy next to me that the captain might try putting the boat in
reverse. With the bow attached, I
reasoned, doing so should help to swing the stern to port and toward the dock.
At least, that might be enough to take it off the dock finger. He yelled
something to the captain.
And then, it happened.
Someone let loose of the bow line! The captain, back at the helm, had apparently
decided that he was going to back out and try again.
Initially, the boat backed nicely into the wind. Then, after clearing the dock finger, the
captain shut her down. Why he did that is a mystery. The wind pushed the stern
north and the boat was now beam-on the end of the dock fingers and being pushed
into the docked boats. Without
hesitating, or apparently thinking, the captain then put the boat back into
reverse and forced his way backward hitting every boat along the way. Needless to say, much damage was done.
When the captain finally worked his way to the end of the
dock and free, the wind pushed his bow north.
With the boat once again oriented to a fairway, he sped out of site;
like a scalded dog. I wasn’t sure we’d
ever see him again.
But, we did.
About 10 minutes later, he was back. This time he was coming at a slower
speed. His friends and several marina
dockhands were ready for him this time.
Bow and stern lines were thrown and cleated. It was finally over!
The rest of the evening was quite calm by
comparison. We had dinner in the
cockpit, drank as much of our “leftover” booze as we could and relived the
experience. With the wind at 30 knots (I
checked) and boats still trying to get secure for the night, we finally went to
bed at 10:30 pm.
What a day it had been.
Sunday
Sunday morning was nasty.
It was blowing 28 knots at 8 am and cloudy. Boats were returning from their overnights. It
was hard to believe. But then, they had
schedules to keep. Bathroom stories
suggested that some uncomfortable and dangerous experiences will be lasting
memories of that boating “vacation” on Lake Champlain. In the end, it’s not the lake’s fault. It’s one thing to get caught when the weather
changes dramatically from the forecast.
It’s quite another to ignore forecasts that put boats and boaters in
peril.
We unloaded the boat, leaving lots of beer for the
Navtours staff. Check-out was 11 am.
The ferry was operating, even in these conditions. Waves on the lake through the Cumberland
narrows were 6 feet or more. We arrived
safely on the Vermont side. It started
to rain. We said good bye to our sailing
buddies, the Johnson’s, about 30 minutes later at the Burlington airport.
Lake Champlain could come off the “bucket list.”
Plattsburgh Boat
Basin
,
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