Vicki
2012/05/15, Port Colborn

We left Buffalo and shortly thereafter were in Canadian waters. We registered in Canada, hoisted the Canadian flag, found an anchorage and had a great dinner. Thanks Jennifer for the great Thai buffalo dinner, and thanks to Karen and Mike for the champagne. Our first foreign port! We are in Port Colborne, at the southern end of the Welland Canal.

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Vicki
2012/05/13, on to Buffalo

Paul was ill so we had to leave a day later than planned, and when we did leave he rested most of the way and I had charge of the boat from North Tonawanda to Buffalo, about a three-hour trip. I think he has been working too hard and then got cold and wet at Niagara Falls. The trip to Buffalo was lovely, one canal lock and two raised bridges later we arrived at the Buffalo Yacht Club where we stayed two nights. More work on the boat, mostly getting things stored away and making the boat ship-shape. Tania, my daughter, joined us for a trip to Toronto.

The photo is equipment abandoned by some company, left along the river. Starting with abandoned ore docks in the Superior Harbor, the abandoned copper mining buildings in Houghton, MI, and don't even ask about Detroit, the path along the Great Lakes is strewn with buildings, loading docks and equipment abandoned by companies. I understand the hardship on workers, families and the communities, but honestly, why are companies allowed to leave a mess?

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Vicki
2012/05/11, North Tonawanda

Okay, now our trip is beginning to feel real. Today we returned the truck. We had the Budget rental truck for 26 days. It did so much for us. We used it to bring furniture and items to various children and schools, used it to bring our junk to the Minneapolis transfer stations, used it to bring all our boat supplies to North Tonawanda, used it to store the boat supplies while we were working on the boat to keep the mess to a minimum, used it for the hot date night, for grocery shopping, for the never-ending trips to West Marine, and used it to go to Niagara Falls. We never did have to sleep in it, but that was always a possibility. Donald, our Budget guy here in North Tonawanda was great! And now it is gone, our last link to the land. Tomorrow we cut our dock lines and head for Buffalo.

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Vicki
2012/05/10, Niagara Falls

Today was a day of vacation, we took off in the morning for Niagara Falls. We decided we could not be this close, for this long, and not see them. The trusty Budget rental truck got us there and we did the tourist thing. Hiked around, went down to the Cave of Winds and, of course, rode the Maid of the Mist. I don't like to use the word awesome much, but this was way awesome. Power of water, the roar, getting drenched when the wind shifted, it was all good. I told Paul that was the most fun I had so far on this trip. His response? That's the only fun we have had on this trip!

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Vicki
2012/05/09, Niagara River

We were on the hard so long, it was beginning to feel as if it was home and we would be stuck there - landlubbers! But today the marina launched our boat and we are floating - no leaks that we have found yet. We are gently rocking in the current and should sleep well tonight.

You can see in the series of pictures how they pick the boat up with the travel lift and bring her to the water. It is always very scary watching your boat up in the air, they are not made to fly. We have given our ladders away, no more climbing up and down all day long for us.

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Vicki
2012/05/08, the boat

The rain you had in Minneapolis has just made it to our boat. We seem to be in a bit of a low area and the water accumulates around the boat. I call it the Nokomis wetland. We used the wood from the tarp frame to build a boardwalk so we can get to the Budget rental truck without getting our feet soaking wet. I am thinking of asking Paul to take the tarp and make a covered walk-way. I think that would be really sweet.

Our plan right now is to go in the water on Wednesday, May 9th and head to Buffalo on Saturday, May 12th. Tania, my daughter, joins us May 15th and the next day we take off for Toronto. Our sailing friends on Azimut left Monday for Toronto. We hope to catch up with them somewhere on the way to St. Johns, Newfoundland.

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