Now
on the waterways of Lake Champlain this Saturday morning in early June, we
traversed the waters to Chipman Point Marina on the Vermont shore of the Lake
by mid-afternoon. Clay expressed desire to visit Fort Ticonderoga as we docked,
so marina owner Pat made her courtesy car available to us for the journey. In a
very dirty Scion (but heck, we were thrilled to have wheels for the journey),
we passed through the countryside where the rolling hills were dotted with huge
cattle farms and the air was pungent with their smell; we reached Larrabee’s
Point, Shoreham, VT, where the Fort Ticonderoga Ferry docked. Car and all ($16
per car roundtrip), we crossed via cable ferry on a platform loaded with
motorcyclists and their cycles. Fort Ticonderoga was a short distance uphill
from the ferry dock on the NY shore. Our late arrival at 4 p.m. was guaranteed
to give us little bang for our buck (we were sure to miss the demonstrations,
the pageantry, etc), but at least we were able to see the Fort and experience a
bit portion of the history of our forefathers.
‘Fort
Ticonderoga is an independent non-profit educational organization whose mission
is to ensure that present and future generations learn from the struggles,
sacrifices, and victories that shaped the nations of North America and changed
the world. Fort Ticonderoga is a wonderful educational facility. Families,
history enthusiasts, groups and educators all have unique opportunities to
immerse themselves in Fort Ti’s rich history, beautiful landscape and engaging
hands-on living history programs. Two wars, five battles and one fort where
America made history is the fame of Fort Ticonderoga…where visitors can immerse
themselves in nearly 2000 acres of exquisite landscape and experience the story
of how the blood spilled to create an empire in the French & Indian War
resulted in the struggle for liberty and America’s independence a generation
later. Daily activities and interdisciplinary programs highlight a soldier’s
life and historic trades. Historic interpreters, with cannon roar and
theatrical pageantry, bring to life the 18th century struggle for
America. Life-long learners have opportunity to explore Fort Ticonderoga’s
landscape and learn more about its strategic significance in war and peace.’
Our
disappointment was great in not being able to spend a full day here at the
Fort; Clay likes the history while I like the pageantry. Following the 5 p.m.
closing, we retraced our route to return to Chipman Point which, in itself, is
rich in history. ‘The tract of land known as Chipman Point was purchased by
Joseph Sholes in 1805; the deep water allowed easy dockage for sailing vessels
to unload their cargoes close to shore and transport their goods inland. By
1810, Walter Chipman had constructed a four-story brick and stone structure to
handle freight traffic. The simple structure was designed and built to retail
and warehouse goods, with the architecture reflecting its function. Mr. Chipman
became the first postmaster in town, hence the name Chipman Point, and traces
of the post office can still be seen in the corner of the old brick store. The
interior of the warehouse has been modified over time to meet a variety of
needs, but has actually changed very little from what it would have looked like
in the beginning of the 19th century.’
The
marina was established in 1946 to cater to yachts and cruisers. Owner Pat was a
delightful and accommodating lady with a welcoming personality and plenty of
energy (though I imagine maneuvering the up-and-down-hill slope and traversing
four sets of narrow, steep interior staircase steps multiple times daily make
her very tired by day’s end!) The four-story structure was both charming and
fascinating; a climb to the second story was necessary for us to use the
bathrooms/showers and laundry facilities so Clay and I can attest to the
steepness and narrowness of the staircase! The interior of the bottom floor
served as both the marina office and gathering place for boaters who drank
coffee and ate muffins by day and licked ice cream cones as the sun set, all
accompanied by boating chatter and a great deal of jovial camaraderie.
Upon
our return from the Fort, I insisted on a shower which gave me my necessary
second wind for dinner prep while Clay dock hopped. I tucked in early whereas
Mr. Sociable headed back to the office for a scoop or two of ice cream and a
bit more conversation. All in all, we found Chipman Point to be a good
transient stop along the Lake Champlain route toward Burlington. For us, it was
a necessary stop, one of two intermediate points Clay had plotted between
Whitehall and Burlington.
Awakening
to a steady downpour Sunday morning, we busied ourselves with housekeeping
chores and awaited a break in the weather so as to enable travel. That break
came around noon when Captain called it a ‘go,’ and go we did. At our customary
pace of 7 mph or so, we were cruising leisurely along under overcast skies with
occasional spritzing until a securite broadcast alerted us to predicted winds
of 20-30 mph and 2-3’ waves on the Lake. Captain Clay chose to speed up more
than double our usual pace although there was nothing in our visuals to
indicate the need. We docked at Point Bay just as the winds hit full force. And
it was full force winds soon accompanied by intermittent downpour under which
Clay and two dockhands conducted a fueling and pump out. I suggested we just
dock at this location for the night, but both dockhands vehemently denied that
‘privilege,’ indicating the position would be kind to neither boat nor crew. I suggested
to God that He allow a break in the weather to enable our move…and He did! Clay
had no trouble gliding the boat into an overnight slip at which time I chose to
jump ship for a short walk in the rain. Heck, I was already wet, and I needed
some space!
We
were greeted upon awakening Monday morning with sun and wind, but we had no
trouble navigating a mid-morning departure toward Burlington. Beautiful
mountains (Adirondacks on our port and Green Mountains, starboard) created a
picturesque cruise as we cut through the waters to arrive for a late lunch and
an afternoon of browsing and exploring along Church Street. I opted to duck in
a Bath and Body Works for some liquid hand soap as I’ve depleted our supply
with hand-washing after each lock. And, the lure of inexpensive wallflower
bulbs had me restocking those as well; any scent trumps the potential scent of
head and holding tank!
Early
eve we welcomed aboard Loopers John and Kathy Moore (Serenity), each of
us with mutual friends Mark and Becky Mather (Myra Beel). In a quick
attempt to pretty-up the fly bridge prior to their arrival, I wiped down the
table to find an almost invisible thick coating of pollen which turned my white
cloth yellow. Now, dressed in white pants for the occasion (yes, Susan, I’m
trying to spiff up my cruising attire a bit), I realized the bench seats (in
fact, everything) was also coated with said layer of pollen. You have never
seen me move so fast to clean as best I could, spurred on by the sound of
voices on the dock as our guests arrived.
Clay
had contacted Burlington’s port captain Kent Woods who made available to us his
van for re-provisioning on Tuesday. Our travels took us to Trader Joes to
restock our wine, then to Wal-Mart (a mistake because travel time was great
with little benefit), then back to the Trader Joes’ location to adjacent
Hannafords (to buy everything—mainly produce—we thought the Wal-Mart would have
but didn’t). Logistics of travel as we dodged rain showers this day took us
well beyond lunch hour, so Clay and I were famished when we returned to the
marina. But the van had to be returned and the groceries stowed, so lunch was
even later. We vowed to be a bit more strategic in our future planning! To
boot, Clay took a tumble on the rain-slick dock ramp which landed him sprawled
awkwardly at the base of the incline and a big six-roll Bounty afloat in the
water alongside. Note: He’s nursing a swollen knee and sore back (we don’t
handle those falls as easily at our age); Bounty was rescued without injury!
Last
port before Canada, Rouses Point, NY, was our Wednesday destination. With large
beam waves and stiff headwinds, we covered the distance in roughly 4.5 hours to
arrive under cold, windy, overcast conditions. Gaines Marina owner Joe came
aboard to assist Clay in docking which gives you an idea of the intricacies
involved. No worries, we were snugged into position with room to
spare…but not much. Joe offered his truck for our use for dinner and
recommended Angelo’s Pizza and Pasta, walkable under better circumstances. We
dined on Mediterranean pizza (me) and shrimp pasta (Clay) and took home enough
for at least one if not two more meals. Quality was good and quantity,
abundant.
As
we endure more of the same nasty weather conditions this now Thursday morning,
I’m heading soon to the town laundromat (sure wish it were closer!) while Clay
focuses on ridding the boat interior of pollen and dust. So, with those tasks
now defined, I will sign, seal and send this update in hopes that you are
enjoying our adventure with us.
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