Antares Cruising East

Saturday, September 7, 2013
It was calm this morning; a rowing class went by, 8 rowers with one who calls out the strokes and in another boat, the instructor. At first we thought there was an altercation, but the instructor actually was very enthusiastic about these rowers being able to do a passable job. Later, a couple in kayaks paddled along, then the boat that took the buoy markers out to the lake for the regatta. The Spirit of Buffalo had a load of sight-seers. All this before 11:00 am …such a busy harbor.

The rain blew on in from the north, so off to the Naval and Military Museum we went. What else are you going to do on a rainy day? Up the ramp, across the canal, and there it is. On the way, the vendors were selling their wares, but already some were closing up, just too much rain and not enough customers. All in all, it poured on us today.

Included in the museum are two very big navy vessels and one submarine. You follow the yellow line throughout the self-guided tour, going up and down lots of metal stairs, going in and out onto the decks. You can’t be claustrophobic and work here! It continued to rain all day, predicted to clear out tomorrow morning. We will move across the channel then, to First Buffalo Marina, and prepare Antares for the Erie Canal.

As we settled in for the night, I thought I heard water running. Yes, it was raining outside, so perhaps the sound came from the run-off from the park. I looked dockside and saw nothing to indicate the source of the water sound. John turned off the TV, and we listened again. He thought I was confusing sounds… Adamantly, I said, “There is water running, start the bilge pump!” My heart was pounding, my nerves were shaken. After I heard the pump sucking air off the bottom, I knew flooding the boat was not the danger. If the sound was any indication, then the floor boards should be floating by now. I decided to go outside where I might hear the water from a different point. And did I ever!! Right next to us on the channel side, a huge, HUGE freighter was heading toward the General Mills factory just up the river. It was so BIG, that the water rushing off its bow and the sound of the propellers echoed through to our boat. What a shock! What a relief!

Sunday, September 8, 2013
At 7:00 am, I heard water running… No, not a dream, but not dread either. Immediately, I checked out over the water. Bingo! Another freighter was going up the channel to the other side of General Mills near to where we were moving. It slowed to a snail’s pace, but that was because it was stopping. We motored over there shortly after, to our assigned spot, made coffee, and walked around the marina. First Buffalo Marina is in the process of updating, with new floating docks and electric meters that were not hooked up yet. Our shore power is only 50 feet, not long enough to reach the old meters at the top of the hill. It seems everyone here has two or three extension cords. So for us, between the sun on our solar panels, and the Honda generator fired up to use the stove, we have managed to have full battery power, a hot dinner, and hot water for clean-up.

And clean-up was needed today. All day was devoted to getting the deck cleared. From 10:45 am until 5:00 pm, (except 10 minutes for lunch) John worked nonstop getting this task completed. He removed the sails, sail covers, lines and sheets, booms, dodger, dodger and Bimini frames… And finding storage space when I had trouble finding storage space a week ago… Then he had to align and set up the cradles that will bear the weight of the masts and stays. We hope that only an hour to do that, and then we will be on our way to North Tonawanda, the beginning of the Erie Canal.