This is me after 1-week of not shaving.
Ruth and I usually take a 2-week Lake Ontario cruise every year. This year we were blessed with no rain, and that meant no wind also. We also had our share of boat problems.
Here I am growling because I broke a part on the filter.
The first problem was having the motor die as we were pulling up to Brockport Yacht Club. My first guess at troubleshooting was right on target: The fuel filter was clogged. Trying to fix it, I caused the second problem by breaking off the plastic bleeder screw on the filter case. We sailed back to the creek entrance, and towed the rest of the way by the BYC Committee boat. Larry met us there and helped with the tools and part I needed to finish the repair.
Off to Canada for a great sailing vacation. The trip over from Brockport had 20 knot winds and seas 3 to 5 feet on our rear quarter. We ended up motor-sailing once again. Getting through customs and entering the Murray Canal was a blessing because it got us off the rough lake. We motored through to the CFB Trenton Yacht Club for the night.
The next morning we left for the Bay of Quinte Yacht Club for 2-nights. I spent the day washing the boat and walking the dog through the large park nearby. We also had a chance to watch a group of men sail their small radio-controlled sailboats, racing them right next to where we were docked.
After listening to the weather report, we decided that the winds were not going to help us along our journey, so we decided to back-track through the canal and head west to Cobourg. Once there, the westerly winds would help us cross back to Rochester. Cobourg is a nice place to visit with good facilities and the town nearby is an easy walk. We had lunch at a favorite restaurant and bought food at a store about 1/2 mile away. We watched the Dragon Boaters practicing out in the basin, and welcomed some fellow GYC members the second day.
After fueling up at Cobourg, we started off only to have our second problem. No water from the engine exhaust. This is a common problem for us in Canada with the weeds that proliferate there. My first thing to try was the water filter, but it was clean. What else could it be? I hoped it wasn't the water pump. Close inspection showed that the belt to the water pump was slipping. Tightening it up did the trick. Off we were to motor sail back to Brockport. The weather forecast predicted more hot and windless days.
Ruth having a little talk with Ernie.
We stayed at Brockport one night, and motored back to Rochester. What we hoped would be a good sailing vacation turned ot to be a motoring vacation. Oh well, there is always next year.
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