Century Club: mike pitchford

These October weekends are to be savored. Not always are they so nice. Both boat show weekends end even next weekend look sunny cool and dry. We took advantage of this one to slip up the Severn and grab a mooring for a quick overnight with our oldest granddaughter.

Weekend club cruise to Solomons.  Crab feast on Saturday evening.

The end of the Hudson River/Lake Champlain cruise for Sue was at Liberty Landing, NJ. The "boys" my college roommates, had agreed to swap places with Sue as crew and join me for an extended cruise into Long Island Sound.

The first to join was Skip who drove from Virginia Beach to Liberty Landing. He gave his car to Sue and she drove home to Annapolis while Skip and I set out to clear Hell Gate and head into the Sound.

Our first stop was the great little eastern Long Island town of Greenport. From there we made our way to Newport. In Newport a second college roommate, Kevin joined us. Stops in Mystic and Milford Connecticut followed. Naturally, Ice Cream was an important component of each stop.

Both coming and going through NY harbor we made the required slow pass of Lady Liberty. It was a new experience for Kevin and Skip and it never gets old.

Watching offshore weather we had added a day in the Sound. With better weather offshore we left Sandy Hook bound for Cape May. It was still a little rough but manageable. The next day we departed Cape May early for Annapolis.

All in, Sue, the boys, and I have been traveling on the boat since July 7. We have covered 1500 miles up the Hudson, into Lake Champlain, within spitting distance of Canada, then back down the Hudson into Long Island Sound as far east as Newport and back home to Annapolis.

The stop in Annapolis was a virtual "touch and go". The boys packed their bags and drove home to Virginia Beach and Newport News. Sue jumped on the boat and we headed to St Michaels for the weekend. For me, it was 29 days straight on the boat.

Finally in Lake Champlain. Here is the report of our cruise leader, Alan Shearer:

On Sunday, July 14th, most of the group traversed the locks above Ft. Edward and entered Lake Champlain. Traveling up the lake to the Westport Marina. The winding, narrow approach to the main body of the lake provided a scenic entrance to the Vermont landscape, with hills turning into mountains as we moved north. Soon, the lake widened out, and we entered a serene body of water with hills, cliffs on either side, and mountain views in the distance. After arriving in Westport, in an interesting twist, we all had dinner at the Westport Yacht Club next door. While not a typical private club, their restaurant welcomed us on short notice and made for a relaxed evening with a memorable view of the lake from the deck. A peaceful evening became another stormy night. While not anywhere near as bad as Newburgh (which was historic), we got rocked again in Westport.

On to Burlington and the very best marina so far. Vermonters are well above average, pleasant, and polite. Burlington is a charming college town of about 45,000, with a very walkable shopping street a few blocks from the water. Some shopping was done, that’s all I will say.

Almost on cue, a heavy thunderstorm arrived just in time to walk to Spot on The Dock for happy hour and on to dinner. Nevertheless, most of our hardy crew trudged through the pelting rain to celebrate getting this far! All were pulling for Jim Kizziar to repair his engine problem in Westport, where he had to lay over to access to a mechanic. I can report that Jim got that done and joined us a day late in Burlington, single-handed, by the way

The next stop was Mallets Bay VT. A very large bay off the main part of Lake Champlain. An old rail line serves as a bike trail and breakwater across the original opening. A cut was made in that rail line and a small ferry carries bikers from one side to the other. Maybe 100 feet across. We all got through and into the bay, which was like glass compared to the main lake. The scenery in Mallets Bay is beautiful and serene. Due to a distinct lack of restaurants in the small town, a picnic was in order at the Bay Harbor Marina’s tented picnic spot featuring gas grills that actually work!

The following day, we went to Treadwell Bay Marina in Plattsburgh. We all made the short run and found a rustic marina with a very nice restaurant on the property. The highlight of this stop was an impromptu trip to Bob and Betsy Hubbell’s family camp on the western shore of Lake Champlain. Bob is a long-time friend of mine and a guest of Chip and Kathy Devine on the cruise. The Hubbells graciously held a happy hour for the cruise members on the porch of their 1913 “big house” at the 150-acre camp. The camp was purchased by Bob’s great-grandfather in 1912, and the family has enjoyed and cared for it since. Several buildings built between 1912 and 1954 are barely visible at any distance on the heavily wooded, protected site. Over the century, members of the family have built cabins and various outbuildings that serve as workshops, ice houses, and even outdoor showers. With a minor exception, the camp is still wholly owned by family members. As we walked near the big house to several of the beautifully preserved camp buildings, the history told a story of a family fully committed to maintaining the site, emphasizing environmental conservation and lake life. Bob, Betsy, and his family came and picked us up and took us back to the marina. Our Cruisers thank the Hubbells for their gracious hospitality.

Following an entertaining group dinner that almost overwhelmed Castaways restaurant at Treadwell, we ran to Basin Harbor Resort and Boat Club. An all-around resort marina on the Vermont shore of the lake was a look back into the seasonal, multi-purpose lakeside attractions that dotted lakes in the decades gone by. Basin Harbor is the most active stop since NYC, with kids swimming in a protected area, boats coming and going, paddlers, kayakers, pedal boats, several restaurants, a golf course, a pool, and even a grass airstrip. Sunday night featured the Vermont Picnic on the North Deck, moored in the water in a particularly scenic part of the lake. A casual buffet with friends and family, the picnic was a charming and fun way to end our visit to Basin Harbor.