Saturday, August 11th to Sunday August 12th - Deep Bay, NY to Shelburne, VT
No reason to get moving Saturday morning, so we didn't! I was awake fairly early, and since it was such a gorgeous morning I got up and took my book on deck. The anchorage was flat calm, and it was warm out already, so it was just perfect sitting on deck, watching the anchorage come alive and reading.
After breakfast, we went ashore for a bike ride around the Point au Roche Park that borders Deep Bay. At least, the ride was initially around the walking paths of the park, but then got extended down to the marina where we ate last night, then further north up the New York shore, about 5 miles. It's pretty country - flat, and covered with summer homes of all sizes and varieties. Today seemed to be some sort of an organized garage sale day, for every third house or so had a garage sale going, and there were lots of people out and about stopping at each sale.
It's a gorgeous, blue sunny day, but not anywhere near as hot or muggy as it's been for the past few days. What a way to end the trip! We were back from our bike ride by 11:00, then dropped the mooring and headed out of the bay, on our way over to North Hero. We thought we spend this last day and night in Lake Champlain's "inland sea", a part of the lake we don't get to very often. We wanted to stop at North Hero because we knew there was a good grocery there (Hero's Welcome), and needed milk, coffee and bread to get through today and tomorrow. We had to wait 15 minutes for the draw bridge to rise (it only opens on the hour and half hour), then were in North Hero a half hour later.
We walked briefly around town, then did our shopping at the store. Off again, to a bay further south in the inland sea. This little bay we're now anchored in has no name, but seems like quite a nice little area. There are some summer homes ringing the shore, but at least half the shoreline is vacant/wild. It should be a quiet place to spend our last evening aboard. Mike went swimming, and cleaned the scum from our waterline, the only remnant from out trip. We didn't get a "canal smile" - thanks to the good polishing job of Mike and Glen two and a half weeks ago.
Engine hours, at anchor in the "inland sea" on Lake Champlain,
Saturday night:
Port: 1405.99
Starboard: 1398.48
Our last evening on the boat, and a lazy one at that. Marie and I had planned the food well - we were just running out of everything; nicely done! Dinner was on deck, our usual eating place, then Marie, Mike and I sat around playing a card game while Glen read and worked on his computer.
On Sunday morning, Glen, Mike and I were up at 5:30 am when Mike noticed the wind had changed and we were in only 5 feet of water and much closer to shore than comfortable. We powered up the engines and motored around to Ladd Bay, a bit north of where we had anchored for the night. Once anchored, we all went back to bed, and slept until 8:30. It was the latest we'd slept the entire trip.
We were underway by 10:30, motoring toward home. We only had to wait about 10 minutes for the Grand Isle bridge to open, then out in the broad lake. The wind had really picked up from the south, blowing about 15 knots. We pounded into it for a while before we could duck behind Stave and Providence Islands and follow the protected east shore back to Shelburne Bay.
By the time we tied up at the fuel dock at Shelburne Shipyard Marie and I had everything packed and ready to get off the boat. While Mike fueled and pumped-out, Glen, Marie and I unloaded all the trip's luggage and supplies off the boat (where did all that dirty laundry come from?). At 2:30 pm we were tied up in our own slip, the boat was neat and tidy and by 3:00 we were on our way home.
It was a very anti-climatic way to the end the trip, and very sad to realize it was done and we had to go back to work in the morning.
Engine Hours, at Shelburne Shipyard, end of trip:
Port: 1410.10
Starboard, 1403.43
Total trip times on the engines:
Port: 92.00 hours
Starboard: 92.83 hours
