Single-handed on Lake Champlain

The trial run was successful and I felt surprisingly comfortable and confident with the boat. The weather forecast predicted hot and very light winds for the weekend. We had the car and a boat so we decided that I would make series of smaller hops north and my dad would meet up with me with the car after each day.

After breakfast I cast off on Friday with clear skies and a slight SW breeze. I motored around the corner and into Willsboro Bay. I headed into the wind and raised the sails. I cut the motor and enjoyed the morning and mountain scenery. The wind was a bit flukey until I left the bay and then it remained steady at the SW 5 knots and the boat moved along surprisingly well at about 3 ½ - 4 knots. The wind picked up a bit before Plattsburgh and we flew along. There were only a few sailboats in the distance. It was such a peaceful feeling being out there alone. Just before the city marina, I dropped the sails and got out all the gear for docking. My dad was waving at me at the end of the dock and I took it real slow and proudly pulled up alongside. The marina was bustling with activity as the Canadian long weekend was beginning. Almost all the boats stored at the marina were from Montreal. It is only about an hour drive and Lake Champlain is a deep, no tides or current sailing destination with canals to the Hudson River, Lake Ontario or Lake Erie.

The next day my dad and I went out in the morning for a little sail around. It was super hot out and after about 20 minutes the wind died completely. We tested out the tiller pilot, which would make single-handing a whole lot easier. We motored until we found a bit of wind, then turned around and headed back to the marina where I dropped off my dad and continued north a few miles. I picked up a mooring ball in Deep Bay, off the Point Au Roche State Park. I didn’t quite feel comfortable anchoring yet. I spent a quiet afternoon and night by myself. My dad on the other hand was panicking a bit, as he was unable to find the boat. He drove up and down the road adjacent to the river looking for me. He of course assumed the worst. So when we met the next day at the Gaines marina, he was very relieved. It was a very, very hot Sunday afternoon as we took off the sails and the boom and made a stand for the mast. We were scheduled to get it stepped the next morning and have the boat hauled on to the trailer.