A Photo Trip Up Otter Creek

Vergennes Vermont

No LL

We love travelling up and down Otter Creek. I'll let the pictures below, taken yesterday, explain for themselves why.

Above, Purple Marten Lane

Eagle's Nest, occupied by Osprey

Best of the Best, Vergennes

Vergennes, Vermont

No LL

From time to time we enthuse about our alltime favorite anchorages. For example, LaTrappe Creek, Maryland, or Valcour Island, New York, or Isle La Haut, Maine. All things considered though, this place in Vergennes Vermont is the best of the best.

We're sitting near the base of beautiful waterfalls. At night we're lulled to sleep by the thunder of the falls. I can think of no other place we've ever visited while cruising quite like it.

At the top of the falls, and immediately behind us are historic buildings from revolutionary times. In fact, we're sitting right on the site of MacDonough's Boat Yard where warships for the War of 1812 were built.

Around us are parks and a big lagoon at the foot of the falls. Scholl kids come here one by one to fish and in groups to practice rowing replica boats. Around that are very steep hills that form a basin that shelters us from even the worst storm winds.

The city also kindly provides free docks, with water and electric. Within walking distance we find grocery and hardware stores and a laundromat -- all the things that a cruiser needs are here. Skipper Bob books would have no doubt rated this place the best of the best. We concur.

But that's not the end of the special features of Vermont's smallest City. I'm sitting now in the Bixby Library. It is named after William G Bixby who bequeathed a very substantial sum to build an exquisitely beautiful library. Its beauty rivals the best we saw in Washington DC last year.

There is an opera house which we've yet to visit.

Even getting here is a pleasure. Libby and I love the passage up or down Otter Creek. I'll blog more on that later.

Wow, what a great place.

Work Work Play Play

Vergennes, Vermont Public Library

No LL

The North wind came up yesterday. It started blowing 25-30 knots and the lake got really rough. Since we are not on any schedule, our policy is to go where the wind takes us. Therefore, instead of fighting the wind, we sailed South once again. Our reward was a super fast passage from North Burlington to Porter Bay, averaging almost 7 knots using just the jib. Thus, up to lunch time we played.

After lunch it was time to get to work. We are repainting and revarnishing almost all of Tarwathie's interior and above deck exterior this summer. That's really hard when one is living on the boat. Try to imagine reuhpolstering the seats in your car while driving with two people inside.

Yesterday we repainted the ceiling in the main salon. We could do that without moving too many things around and while occupying said room. One thing which made it much easier was the excellent quality paint. We had the super premium Valspar paing from Lowes. I must say, we never before saw paint that covered so easily and resisted dripping so well. I guess that even paint technology has avanced.

We also have a color that is an exact with the old paint. We got that via a laser scanner at the store. Cool.

Today Libby is repainting the V berth while I'm beginning on exterior varnish. We're taking advantage of a temporary respite from rain. We emptied the V berth and put all the stuff on deck. Until we put it all back, the boat looks like a junk yard.

Hardest to accomplish will be the interior cabin sole (floor). I want three coats of bowling alley varnish for that. To do that, I have to paint the varnish from forward to aft, ending by painting myself into a corner with the exit door at my back. Then we have to leave the boat long enough for it to dry. For that operation, being here in Vergennes where they have free docks is perfect.

Use of the dock will also be handy when we repaint the decks. We have to clear all objects from deck, including the dinghy, then mask, then paint. The painting has to end with an exit down inside the boat. Then wait 3 hours, then go back for a second coat.

We also need to repaint the exterior of the dinghy. Last month we put on a new surface of epoxy resin. That needs UV protection. I'm unsure of what kind of paint to use. The smallest can of the cheapest bottom paint West Marine has costs $45 per quart, but I only need about 1 cup. I'm not going to pay $45 for that.

The weather too is a factor. The forecast says Tuesday and Wednesday dry, but after that 5 consecutive days of rain. Ugh.

Solstice Errors

Under Sail
No LL

Humans share a collective myth or a self-delusion. We believe that once we learn to do something reliably and expertly, and practice it over and over, that we'll do it right every time. Wrong. We may do things correctly 99.99% of the time, but it is human to fail at common tasks from time to time. For example, you may sleep in beds your whole life but the chance of you falling out of bed is nonzero. My son John is a soldier. He handles weapons every day. He and his fellow soldiers follow protocols for handling weapons, loading and unloading them. The protocols are designed to prevent injury in the case of very infrequent but inevitable personal screw ups. Another example: When I learned to fly I was surprised at how imperfect the pilots, and the air traffic controllers are. The system is designed to allow mistakes yet still avoid accidents.

You can already guess where this blog is leading to. My readers love to hear stories of how we screw up. Yesterday, the summer solstice, was just such a day.

First, it was Libby's turn. For the first time ever, she stepped from the dock to the dinghy and lost it. The dinghy shot away and her feet went from under her. Libby's butt was heading for the water and the back of her head was heading for a nasty hit on the dock. Luckily, I was in the right place at the right time to catch her under the arms, so nothing bad happened. Since living on Tarwathie, I estimate that Libby must have gotten in to and out of the dinghy 3600 times. Never before has she come close to falling in. Yesterday was her day.

Only 30 minutes later it was my turn. We approached the night's anchorage. Libby went forward to drop the anchor and I stayed at the helm. As I backed the boat down, I heard a sudden loud snap noise, and then the engine stalled. OH NO! I forgot that we were towing the dinghy behind us. I backed down on the dinghy painter and caught it in the propeller. The last time I committed that mistake was 10-15 years ago, also on Lake Champlain. I can remember to take up the slack on the painter 1999 times in a row and then forget the next time.

Libby didn't have to pay a big price though. I saved her from a dunking and a whack on the head. I wasn't so lucky. I had to dive in the water with a knife in my teeth to cut the painter away from the propeller. It is early in the summer season and the water is very cold. Very cold indeed. I had to do it though even though I hate swimming in cold water. The line had 10 tightly wrapped turns around the shaft so it took a long time to get it off. Brrrrrrr.

The dinghy's painter is ruined. Cut in three places. I'm going to replace it this afternoon, but I'll follow a very sensible suggestion that Libby made just three days ago. She asked, "Why isn't the dinghy painter make with floating rope?"

Rock Hopper

Burlington, VT

No LL

Libby went gardening with Jenny. Gardening is one thing Libby really misses living on a boat. Jennifer, a certified master gardener, makes up for it. In the picture above, Jenny captured Libby's enthusiasm.