Day 2 - The Welland Canal

Mark and the crew made it safely to Port Colbourne.  As did our parents Pat and Vern to see them off on day two. 

Mark S. and his daughter Kelly were only able to join Abracadabra for the first part of the journey home.  But luckily we have crew number two ready to go.  Stefano, one of Marks co-workers, and our 11 year old son Simon were just dying to get on board.  This is where I come in.  My job for the journey home was shuttling crew, and that was perfectly okay with me!

Port Colbourne is a 3 1/2 hour drive from home, and navigating the Welland canal is an entire day.  We had to get up crazy early in order to pick up Stefano in Oshawa then drive to Port Colbourne to meet Mark at the beginning of the canal.  Oh, and for those who haven't been to Port Colbourne, it's NOT the easiest town to negotiate.

Crewing Abracadabra through the canal is Capt. Mark (of course), Mark S., Kelly, Stefano, and Simon. 



 

I love this picture.  The sun is barely up.

 

Mark just chilling out waiting for us to arrive.  At this point I was probably in Port Colbourne lost, driving around just trying to find the boat. 



 

The Crew

Traffic

Mark at the helm

The bridge is really huge

Some of the lake boats going through the canal only had inches between them and the walls.  This is just one of the many they encountered.  

Mark has a cousin that works on the canal.  We were pretty lucky to have Andrew take time from his day to join the boat for a portion of the trip.  There own personal guide, how exciting! 

Charlie and I had an adventure of our own.  We drove into Niagara Falls and did the tourist thing for a couple of hours then drove back towards the canal.  Our timing was perfect.  We drove up to the lock just in time to see a mast coming towards us.  "Run", I yelled to Charlie.  We both started to sprint towards the viewing tower.  We managed to make it to the top just in time to wave and yell like crazy as they came towards us.  Robert, Andrew's father (whom was there to return him to his car) introduced himself.  I guess while making a spectacle of ourselves, we make it pretty obvious we were with that boat.  Robert and I had a nice chat, and I was able to thank Andrew personally.  Mark S. and Kelly jumped ship and were ready to return home to Toronto.  We're off again!

Once I had Mark S. and Kelly safely home, Charlie and I booked it to the theatre to see "Despicable Me" as promised.  Then drove 2 hours back to Lindsay.  Needless to say, Charlie was passed out the minute we were back in the van. 

Tomorrow brings the third and final day.  The boat and my boys will be home!

Homeward Bound - Crossing Lake Erie

Getting Abracadabra home presented many challenges.  leaving the car, getting the craddle home, crew etc...  And I couldn't cross the border with the children.  Not because they have criminal records, it was only a passport issue.  The list goes on....

Our good friend Mark and his daughter Kelly volunteered to help crew across Lake Erie and throught the Welland Canal.  And with the help of our parents, we were able to get them to the boat, and get our car home from Erie.  We are very blessed to have such good friends and family.

The boat went in the water and started without any major glitches.  By 12:00 noon, Mark and his awesome crew shoved off to cross the lake.  The main went up, and the jib went out, motor turned off and they were sailing.  Straight down wind, 65 miles across Lake Erie.  Mark still didn't have all the wiring fixed.  He did managed to install the new VHF, and had jury-rigged red and green bow lights. 

Our parents, Pat and Vern left Erie, Pennslyvania with both cars in preparation for day two, Port Colbourne and the Welland Canal.  The weather was starting to turn and they were very happy to get out of dodge.  Had they not been in separate vehicles, they would have stopped for sure to take pictures of the stove pipe shaped funnel cloud in the not so far distance.  It wasn't in the forcast, but it was witnessed by both.

Lucky for Mark and the crew, they were heading in the opposite direction.  But, as the sun went down, the wind picked up.  And up, and up, and up.  It only took Abracadabra 10 hours to cross the lake.  Straight as a pin downwind, surfing waves most of the time.

Pre-maiden voyage

It took a few weeks (and 158 e-mails) for the Grampian to sell.  Aeolian Asylum has great new owners to take care of her.  She will be missed.

Mark spent 3 very long weeks driving back and forth to Erie, Pennsylvania to work on the boat.  To save money we packed food and cooking implements and he just camped out in the boat.  Port quarter berth will have to suffice.  Oh stop, it wasn't that bad, he could SEE the marina! 

Marks list for trip One:

Take out the garbage (had to make him feel at home)

Take a complete inventory

Put on the sails, fold the rest

Fix the hole

Install new batteries

Apply anti-fouling. 

Fix the hole.  Yes I said, "fix the hole".  We were trying to keep that one under wraps! 

There was a wee hole in the hull, caused by pesky 1/2" drill bit.  The boat was on the hard for 5 years, I'd been sick of bailing too!  I did my best to insure it wasn't fixed with bubble gum and duct tape.  Voila, all better! 

You can't see in the picture, but Mark hasn't any shoes on.  Something happened that caused him to spill the paint, or step in it I'm not sure.  I can tell you he did a bang up job of anti-fouling his feet!

He found a boom tent under one of the settees.  Mark's always said he prefers a boom tent to a bimini.  This one looks like it's missing poles or something.  I'll put it on the list of sewing projects (near the bottom). 

Summer holidays were very quickly coming to an end.  We didn't have much time left and it couldn't be wasted on cosmetic improvements.  That stuff could come later.  It was important for Mark to only concentrate on jobs that were required to get the boat home.  Lucky for us the motor was put to bed properly (5 years previous).  There was nothing to do but replace the parts that should be replaced and cross our fingers.  But not only was a running motor key, so were lights and power.  We just purchased a new VHF radio, but still couldn't get any of the wiring to work.                                                         

It's just dirt

Yup, that's what he said, "It's just dirt, she'll clean up fine".   I debated it for a long time.   Am I stupid?  Or do I just love him?  The jury's still out!





The cabin top looking aft.  A mess of dirty lines.



  The filth here didn't scare me.  Only requirement - elbow grease. 

I should have taken a picture of the birds nest in the boom.

Other than the fact it was dirty, the galley didn't appear that bad.

The oven was spotless!



Though I should save the worst for last.  The salon was atrocious. 



By the end of that Tuesday afternoon the offer had been made and accepted.  Mark and I now owned two sailboats.  We bought her on the hard, we didn't know if the motor ran, or if it would float.  We knew it was the right size, included an amazing amount of hardware and sails, and was certainly the right price.  

Mark's a wood shop teacher,  and I sew marine upholstery.  Between the two of us, we have the skills and passion to put her back together (I tell myself everyday).  We're really putting our knowledge to the test with this baby! 

What the hell was I thinking?

This was the year I decided to learn to sail.  I made up my mind.  I was going to put the years of screaming, yelling and fighting away, and start fresh. 

Mark and I already owned a Grampian 26 (Aeolian Asylum).  Great little bullet-proof boat that we (more he) sailed out of The Port of Newcastle Marina on the north shores of Lake Ontario.  We joined the Newcastle Yacht Club, very quickly made friends, and I watched from shore.  They all laughed and smiled while they cruised and raced.  They couldn't all be crazy, there must be something to this, there must be something I'm missing.  I've got it..............

...."Honey, we need a bigger boat!"

And so starts the adventures of Mark, Christine and the Morgan 33T named Abracadabra.