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gulfcoast john
Joined: 14 Dec 2012 Posts: 989 City/Region: PENSACOLA
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2010
C-Dory Model: 255 Tomcat
Vessel Name: Cat O' Mine
Photos: CAT O' MINE
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 9:24 pm Post subject: Triangle Canada Historic Canals Mini Loop |
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Greetings from the Historic Canals of New York and Canada mini-loop adventure! (Assuming 1,200 water miles and 160 locks is a mini-anything).
We put in at Pirates Cove Marina on the Erie Canal. Good ramp for a TC255 (those can be hard to very hard to find), $5/day for truck and trailer parking. Beautiful scenery, surprisingly un-developed shores. No tides, no wakes at night as the locks close at 5pm and 5 or 10MPH speed limits. Most Loopers (those poor souls who didn’t buy a trailer boat) are out of this section weeks ago.
Mostly straightforward navigation with the exception of Oswego Lock 1, where the new Garmin G3 ‘preferred route’ dashed line goes right over the dam and over the waterfall, rather than into the lock. I would not advise that as it would not end up being a good boating day. We say, ‘if total damages after deductibles are under $1,000 and no one is seriously injured or killed, then it was a good boating day!’
Today we had a unique experience in Oswego Lock 7. Before I could secure the boat to a cable at the stern or Eileen could grab the ‘rope’ at the bow, the lockmaster yelled ‘hey, would you like to ride down free floating’? (if it’s not on a boat, it’s OK to call a rope a rope, but if it’s on a boat and you call a rope a rope rather than a ‘line’ and it hears you, it will part just when you need it most. I like to try to throw in a little free nautical education whenever I can, even though mine might not be as technically accurate as Bob’s).
Eileen and I looked at each other and said, “SURE....what could POSSIBLY go wrong?” Are we the only C-Dory to ride a lock totally free-floating? If not, sing out, otherwise we WILL claim this new title.
At one lock on the Tennessee/Cumberland river adventure last year we had serious gouging of an engine cowling scraping up a rough lock wall despite 2 lines and 5 fenders in a lock. A single F150 cowling is $1,200 and the decals are another $300. Yamaha is very proud of these cowlings.
We are holding at Oswego, NY today for severe thunderstorm warnings and will cross Lake Ontario tomorrow. (More specifically, we INTEND to cross Lake Ontario tomorrow. They don’t call them the Great Lakes for nuttin, and we should all respect that).
Then we’ll head into the the 1000 Islands. The area was named that because there are 1800 islands, but an ancient Indian tribe had the foresight to buy the 1-800-Islands.com domain back in the 1700’s, so New York couldn’t use that one. (Is this too much nautical education in one post?). Bob might dicker about this history.
The new F250 diesel 4WD Lariat Moby Dick III is an awesome, smooth and (dare I say?) comfortable and luxurious towing machine for a TC255. Buy two if you can can find them on a big sale.
Will add pics when this laptop starts accepting an SD card from either camera, in the interim be patient and silently wish us safe travels on this adventure!
Cheers, and stop planning and just do it!
John _________________ John and Eileen Highsmith
2010 Tom Cat 255, Cat O' Mine
Yamaha F150, LXF150 |
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Esmi2
Joined: 26 Aug 2016 Posts: 54 City/Region: San Luis Obispo, CA
State or Province: CA
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:59 pm Post subject: |
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I get the feeling this is going to be a great trip report. _________________ Wannabe |
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thataway
Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 20812 City/Region: Pensacola
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2007
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: thataway
Photos: Thataway
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Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 11:21 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | Are we the only C-Dory to ride a lock totally free-floating? If not, sing out, otherwise we WILL claim this new title. |
I suspect that quite a number of C Dorys have gone down free floating. We did twice on the upper Mississippi River. I prefer it. Going up--that might be another story! _________________ Bob Austin
Thataway
Thataway (Ex Seaweed) 2007 25 C Dory May 2018 to Oct. 2021
Thisaway 2006 22' CDory November 2011 to May 2018
Caracal 18 140 Suzuki 2007 to present
Thataway TomCat 255 150 Suzukis June 2006 thru August 2011
C Pelican; 1992, 22 Cruiser, 2002 thru 2006
Frequent Sea; 2003 C D 25, 2007 thru 2009
KA6PKB
Home port: Pensacola FL |
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pat.jack
Joined: 01 Aug 2011 Posts: 99 City/Region: Rochester
State or Province: NY
C-Dory Year: 2003
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-renity
Photos: C-renity
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:27 am Post subject: |
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Hi John,
Well, you would have won your award as far as I was concerned! We always held our lock ropes (not lines) securely. Pretty cool the lockmaster made the offer. You will love the 1,000 Islands. Just watch for any rocks you might encounter. It is a beautiful place, and great boating. If you pick up your trip, and are in the Rochester area, let us know. We'd love to say Hi, and if you'd be interested in seeing a little of the 'land based' sights, we could help you with that.
Regards, and safe travels,
Jack Howell (formerly C-renity). _________________ 2003 C-Dory 22' Cruiser-sold 3/2019 |
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Pat Anderson
Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Posts: 8553 City/Region: Birch Bay, WA
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Daydream
Photos: Daydream and Crabby Lou
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:46 pm Post subject: |
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Patty here. We free floated a couple of locks on our Great Loop adventure and it was okay when we were the only boat in the lock. But we free floated with 4 other trawlers on one lock being deconstructed (and therefore the walls couldn't be used) and it was hard. We were the last boat and those trawlers just kept backing up and backing up.... _________________
DAYDREAM - CD25 Cruiser
CRABBY LOU - CD16 Angler (sold 2020)
Pat & Patty Anderson, C-Brat #62!
http://daydreamsloop.blogspot.com
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hardee
Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 12632 City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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Nice report John, and thanks for the nautical education. Sounds like you are having a great adventure. Those Yami's are great and it's good to be proud of them -- at least the factory will agree on that. Enjoy and keep use up from there. 160 locks, you might have a C-Dory record there.
Stay safe.
Harvey
SleepyC
_________________ Though in our sleep we are not conscious of our activity or surroundings, we should not, in our wakefulness, be unconscious of our sleep. |
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colbysmith
Joined: 02 Oct 2011 Posts: 4550 City/Region: Madison
State or Province: WI
C-Dory Year: 2009
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: C-Traveler
Photos: C-Traveler and Midnight-Flyer
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Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2019 10:50 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: | Eileen and I looked at each other and said, “SURE....what could POSSIBLY go wrong?” Are we the only C-Dory to ride a lock totally free-floating? If not, sing out, otherwise we WILL claim this new title. |
Been there, done that, several times, on the Mississippi River in a few of their locks. Once or twice by our self, once or twice with several other boats in the lock doing the same thing. Going up or down. Locks are pretty big. Even with a couple other fishing boats in with us, we had plenty of space between us and colliding was never a concern. Colby |
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hank clow
Joined: 13 Aug 2011 Posts: 93 City/Region: L'Anse
State or Province: MI
C-Dory Year: 2003
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Meri Aura
Photos: Meri Aura
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 8:15 am Post subject: |
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When we did the mini-loop we traveled from east to west starting at Oneida Lake on the Erie Canal. As you travel from Ottawa to Montreal be sure and take the Lachine Canal into Montreal. Overhead clearance is 8 feet and the distance is about 15 miles of no wake cruising through five locks. It will be a wonderful introduction to that amazing city that will lead you to old town and a very nice and convenient marina.
Happy memories of a great trip go with you.
Pat Clow
Meri Aura |
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Bluechablis
Joined: 17 Aug 2012 Posts: 171 City/Region: Redondo Beach
State or Province: CA
C-Dory Year: 2001
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Far C'r
Photos: Far C'r
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 9:04 am Post subject: |
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Congratulations on your new adventure! Will be putting it on my map for future reference
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ibGoQ1NjlyXJDW5TSh3WtYa9SLnvkk5d&usp=sharing
How's the heat! _________________ Floyd & Eiko
Far C'r - 2001 Cdory 22
Bluechablis - 1992 NorSea 27
Quarter Note - 1972 Cris Craft Sloop
Palantir - 1971 31 Mariner Ketch (Far Seer in Elvish)
Aphrodite - 42 Ft Schooner Jay Benford Design |
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ken35216
Joined: 12 Mar 2013 Posts: 569 City/Region: Destin, Florida
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2017
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Lady Onyx
Photos: ken35216
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 9:54 am Post subject: |
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Yep. This is going to be good. _________________ 2007 25 Cruiser 150 Suzuki (2013-2016)
2017 25 Cruiser 200 Yamaha (2017-present) |
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ken35216
Joined: 12 Mar 2013 Posts: 569 City/Region: Destin, Florida
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2017
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Lady Onyx
Photos: ken35216
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 10:05 am Post subject: |
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hank clow wrote: | When we did the mini-loop we traveled from east to west starting at Oneida Lake on the Erie Canal. As you travel from Ottawa to Montreal be sure and take the Lachine Canal into Montreal. Overhead clearance is 8 feet and the distance is about 15 miles of no wake cruising through five locks. It will be a wonderful introduction to that amazing city that will lead you to old town and a very nice and convenient marina.
Happy memories of a great trip go with you.
Pat Clow
Meri Aura |
Damn. I'm 8'6" with the radar arch. |
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hardee
Joined: 30 Oct 2006 Posts: 12632 City/Region: Sequim
State or Province: WA
C-Dory Year: 2005
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Sleepy-C
Photos: SleepyC
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 12:04 pm Post subject: |
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ken35216 wrote: | hank clow wrote: | When we did the mini-loop we traveled from east to west starting at Oneida Lake on the Erie Canal. As you travel from Ottawa to Montreal be sure and take the Lachine Canal into Montreal. Overhead clearance is 8 feet and the distance is about 15 miles of no wake cruising through five locks. It will be a wonderful introduction to that amazing city that will lead you to old town and a very nice and convenient marina.
Happy memories of a great trip go with you.
Pat Clow
Meri Aura |
Damn. I'm 8'6" with the radar arch. |
No problem. You just take on more, FOOD, WATER, FUEL, SPARE PARTS AND MORE FRIENDS
Harvey
SleepyC
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ken35216
Joined: 12 Mar 2013 Posts: 569 City/Region: Destin, Florida
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2017
C-Dory Model: 25 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Lady Onyx
Photos: ken35216
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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hardee wrote: |
No problem. You just take on more, FOOD, WATER, FUEL, SPARE PARTS AND MORE FRIENDS
Harvey
SleepyC
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I like how you think! |
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gulfcoast john
Joined: 14 Dec 2012 Posts: 989 City/Region: PENSACOLA
State or Province: FL
C-Dory Year: 2010
C-Dory Model: 255 Tomcat
Vessel Name: Cat O' Mine
Photos: CAT O' MINE
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Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 9:11 pm Post subject: canada canals |
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Hi friends, thanks for the comments!
The Coleman RV AC seized up the week before we left.
The adventure continues, except in the wrong direction.
After Pirates Cove Marina owner Paul helped us launch, we got through the 8 Oswega locks over 24 miles in 2 days at 600-1200 RPM displacement speed with a severe thunderstorm warning delay where we ducked into the Fulton town docks. Per Waterway Guide, room for a 42 foot boat. See pics starting on page 11 of album…that is laughable.
Next night was at Oswego Marina, right off Lake Ontario. In the early morning I met a captain 2 docks down also headed to Clayton in a 30 ft cruiser and we agreed to buddy boat together at 26 MPH. My port F150 purred to life as usual, but the stbd bellowed smoke out the upper exhaust port below the cowling. I’ve never seen even a puff of smoke from these engines in 6 years. No alarms, no odd noises, both had 60PSI oil pressure per my Lowrance N2K hack, oil level OK. My new buddy knows a lot more about engines than I do and we tried all the prolonged neutral high RPM, idle, stopping, starting, swearing, added oil. Still more smoke than my 1980 120HP 2 stroke Evinrude had ever manufactured when out of tune and in a bad mood (and it was a one-mood machine).
There were no Yamaha mechanics around, but a group of 4 yard guys listened to my story and had no reason for a 4 stroke to smoke (except ‘maybe stress?’). They all recommended world famous Ess Kay Yard (near Pirates Cove) engine mechanics, “Large or small, we do it all.”
The engine tech called back that was he wasn’t comfortable with such a ‘Small’ engine, that it would have to be on the trailer, and that they couldn’t even look at it for a least a week from Wednesday, if then. He may have meant the last Wed in Sept.
“ Well then, who would you recommend?”
“Take it to Paul, at Pirates Cove Marina. If you hit all the locks lucky you can be there in 8 hours.”
Instead we got a Uber for $50 (one of the cheapest deals in this sad tale) back to our rig in 45 minutes, and talked to Paul who agreed to take a look at it with the caveat that not being a Yamaha dealer he didn’t have the computer or special tools etc if needed. We agreed not to run the stressed engine (looks like a Marlboro Man type engine to me) over 3000 rpm and low as possible.
We trailered the rig back 45 min to Oswego Wrights Landing marina, which has an adequate ramp (water is now 4 feet above chart datum). Walked over to our marina, idled the boat over and loaded the beast with moderate difficulty in a stiff broadside breeze (but now we were glad we were not on the Lake). By this time, no smoke at idle, but moderate smoke above 1500 RPM. We had to re-configure everything for trailering again, as speed limits are 55 MPH plus a 15 MPH wind. This took a couple of hours and along the way I twisted my left knee on the Armstrong ladder somehow in typical Old Fart fashion.
Then we trailered back to our original launch point at Pirates Cove, dropped the trailer and I hobbled around some and booked 2 nights at the local Hampton Inn. Last night I did a net search on Yamaha F150 4 stroke engines smoking and came across multiple entries dating back to 2004 and a Yamaha tech bulletin on The Hull Truth fishing and boating forum (which is based, of all places, in Pensacola). If the engine is trimmed to ‘negative’ trim and shut down, then the horizontal pistons are downhill to possible seepage of oil past the seals and into the combustion chamber if started up in neg trim the next day. And prolonged idle can lead to carbon fouling, even if always adding Yamaha Ring-Free like I do and ethanol free gas always and everywhere like we do.
One ex-Yamaha dealer ‘posted ‘ if the engine is peeing and there are no alarms you should run it hard and not worry, it is bullet-proof. You guys all worry too much.” I really liked that post.
I never thought about it, but I do trim all the way ‘down’ for idle forward which is not zero, but actually a bit ‘negative’ trim.
After an uncomfortable night, I woke up at 4am with a swollen left knee. This is known as ‘water on the knee’ or a knee ‘effusion’ if you are billing for it (I like to throw in a little free medical education when I can unless I can bill for it, but retired now so I can’t).
Long story short, asked and got permission to go to a civilian Urgent Care eval and Xray, where the radiologist interpreted a moderate ‘effusion’ (he’s billing your guvment) and advised a MRI and Orthopedic evaluation (he’s got malpractice insurance to pay for).
At 3:30 PM today (after turning the boat in at 4PM yesterday) Paul’s wife called that our boat is ready, and all they found was oil in the combustion chamber, and the oil level was too high (my bad, but I carry 4 qts and spares on expeditions).
Tomorrow we plan on launching the boat again at Pirate’s Cove with Paul’s help and holding in place until it’s clear that either my knee is improving or not while awaiting referral permission for the Ortho consult and MRI.
New pics in the album starting on page 11, but the upload is slow and painful at hotel wifi speeds.
Including one of us next to a USA tractor-trailer rig at a rest stop. When I tell some of you that our rig is ‘about as long’ as a tractor-trailer rig, I can actually HEAR you roll your eyes. A picture is worth 1000 (or even 1800) words.
1800Islands.com or bust!
Safe Boating!
John |
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Hunkydory
Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 2657 City/Region: Cokeville, Wyoming
State or Province: WY
C-Dory Year: 2000
C-Dory Model: 22 Cruiser
Vessel Name: Hunkydory
Photos: Hunkydory-Jay-and-Jolee
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 12:08 pm Post subject: |
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John, I’ve been enjoying your telling of current adventure. You’re living the old saying “the difference between an adventure & ordeal is attitude”. I sure hope the knee & motor improves enough to carry on & looking forward to continuing post.
Jay _________________ Jay and Jolee 2000 22 CD cruiser Hunkydory
I will not waste my days in trying to prolong them------Jack London
https://share.delorme.com/JuliusByers |
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