While our alternator was being fixed we worked on cleaning up the boat and wandering around Sodus Point for a few days. On Friday the alternator was back and Bill and Bret (the very nice young and knowledgeable service guy from Katlynn Marine) re-installed it and got everything up and running and the hydraulics re-adjusted so both the Kubota and the Cummins now charge the main battery bank just as they were meant to.

Friday we spent watching the weather and getting things ready to go. Our plan was to head across Lake Ontario to Kingston on Saturday. I, however, woke up Saturday with a head-ache and feeling a little rocky and that is definitely NOT the way to start out so we decided to stay in Sodas Point Saturday night. As we learned later that was a fortuitous decision because there were large storms out on the lake that day with Kingston getting very bad weather as well.

Sunday, July 18, however, looked good and we started out after a pump-out and well wishes from many of the local Sodus Point sailors. The seas were running about 2-4' and the wind was 18K out of the W so we had a fine sail at 6-7 knots for awhile. Then the wind slackened some and we knew we needed to motor sail in order to get to Kingston before dark. We cranked up the Cummins and were going merrily along until it just plain stopped. Oh, fun! Bill was feeling a little queasy so I went down below to see what was going on and discovered that we had forgotten to turn on the pump system to the day tank. (We can pull diesel from any of the 5 tanks and it is then fed through the filters and into the day tank which then feeds the engines). So we had just plain run the system dry of fuel.

LESSON LEARNED: Sylvia leave the pump system on - it doesn't draw much even when it pumps and the little LED lights probably have more hours in them then we do.

I turned on the system and the indicator lights showed the day tank was now full although the low and danger lights were also lit. Strange! Anyway, I then proceeded to get out the wrenches and bleed, or at least tried to bleed, the air out of the system and get diesel back in the lines. I worked on it for over 2 hours and just couldn't get any diesel to flow out of the bleed point by the fuel filter on the engine. The only thing I got for all of my effort was blisters on the pads of my thumbs from the little lever on the fuel pump. Bummer!

At this point we noticed that our power level in the house batteries was getting low so we decided to run the Kubota to charge them up. Well, it ran for a couple of minutes and IT stopped. Bill discovered that there was water in it's fuel filter. Can you believe all of this is happening? We weren't sure we did and we were right there.

It was late afternoon by now so we called to see about getting a tow into Kingston. They had no one available and referred us to the Canadian Coast Guard. Our call to them resulted in them requesting we call again when we got closer since we were in no danger and we were sailing along at 5+ knots. A perfectly reasonable approach from all or our perspectives. At the time we called we were still out on Lake Ontario south of Amherst Island. We sailed along but it was getting later and later and we were concerned about the approaching darkness.

I called again and they put out a request for assistance for us from any nearby mariners. There wasn't any one around, however. So we decided to head toward Amherst Bay in the southeast section of Amherst Island to see if we could get our anchor set under sail and then we would just remain there for the night.

But as we were sailing that way we looked over our starboard aft quarter and here was a lovely Canadian Coast Guard Zodiac with three of Canada's finest coming up on us. After some discussion we all decided that we should just continue sailing toward the cut at the end of Amherst Island so we could get into the channel among the islands and off the main lake. At this point the wind had returned and we were sailing a fine 7.5 knots - faster than they could tow us. The Coast Guard just moved off a ways and headed with us in the same direction. This worked for a while but then the wind died and they came aboard and attached a bridle to our bow and towed us along at 6.5 knots for four and a half hours, no less. We were all lucky and the thunderstorms didn't develop then and the seas were calm in the channel and it was a lovely night although we couldn't enjoy it as much as it deserved after our now long and "adventuresome" day. They towed us into the Portsmouth Olympic Yacht Harbor which is just a few miles west of Confederation Yacht Basin in Kingston. We were on their gas dock tied up and the lights off in our stateroom at 0108 Monday morning. The rain clouds had spit on us a little the last 20 minutes of towing and as we tied up but luckily they didn't open up until 0130. As I told the Coast guard fellows when we got tied up "at least it didn't rain". Their response was "We said it could be worse. It could be raining." Luckily, Portsmouth harbor was where they were staying until mid-week and a previous call on the radio regarding a missing 36' sail boat had been canceled and our Canadian saviors didn't have to go back out.

Oops, forgot to mention the flying Sylvia when the boat was rolling. I bounced off the edge of the bunk and now have a right butt cheek that is a colorful thing to behold! Better my buttocks than my head.

Monday morning as I was checking in with the gas attendant a fireman was there putting fuel in the fireboat. He heard me mention the engine problem and asked if we needed a mechanic. "Yup, know of one?" "My cousin Paul. " I called Paul and told him Kevin said he was a really, really good mechanic and after Paul stopped laughing at my introduction we made arrangements for one of Paul's mechanics to come out to the boat that afternoon. Bob arrived and he and Bill proceeded to get things going again. The reason I couldn't bleed that air out of the system and replace it with fuel is that the day tank was, in fact, empty. It was showing full because the plug-in solenoid had been partially bounced out of its receptacle as we were pounding along.

LESSON LEARNED: Make sure the day tank solenoid can't become unseated.

We decided that the water in the Kubota fuel line was from a previous problem and had been sitting in a low spot in the line waiting for a chance to make our day. Running the system dry of fuel is one way of getting the last of the water out of the lines although it isn't the recommended way.

So Monday afternoon we finally arrived at our original destination - Confederation Basin in Kingston - home of last year's rocky encounter. We did miss the rocks this time - didn't even get near that entrance, in fact.

We were, to say the least, beat and so I fixed a light supper. Bill started to do the dishes and the hot water heater shut-off and wouldn't restart. Great. Well, that was enough for us so we went to bed. As Scarlett said "We'll think about that tomorrow".

Tuesday, July 20th dawned and it was time to think about that water heater. We did all of the normal checks and Bill discovered that the flow sensor was not spinning and so was not sensing. Ah, automatic safety shut off occurred due to no apparent water flow. We called Gary at Precision Temp who we had spoken with previously and he was just as helpful this time as last time. We took the cover off the flow sensor and removed the little impellor and its little Teflon axle and, ooh, there was gook in the case keeping it from spinning. Okay, cleaned out the case. Now all we have to do is put it back together and we are good. Two and a half hours later we weren't sure we could get it back together. The axle and the impellor had to be replaced just right and then the cover put on and rotated a quarter of a turn to lock. This doesn't sound so bad EXCEPT the sensor is mounted at an angle behind some wires. Not the best access. We stopped for lunch and then started again. I jammed both of my hands in again and pushed it just right and it clicked so I yelled at Bill to come turn it quickly. Now everything worked.

But we decided that we needed to clean out the filter on the pressure water pump where some of the gook might have come from. Design flaw raises it's head. The valve that switches between our water tanks only switch between the tanks; it wouldn't shut off the water flow to pump. Hmmm, taking off the cap and getting to the filter means a fresh water geyser. We switched to the least full tank turned on the galley faucet and emptied that tank. After cleaning out the filter we decided that we really didn't want to have to go through all of this again so it was time to head to the hardware store and get a shutoff valve and install it just before the pump. That done we now had hot water again and a way to clean out the filter on the pressure pump regularly. That was all day Tuesday.

Wednesday was time for me to do laundry and Bill to put a hold down on the day tank solenoid so it can't some unplugged on it's own. He was happily congratulating himself on his good job when he looked down and saw a small amount of refrigerant oil in the bottom of the compartment. (Are you laughing yet? Bill wasn't then but we can now.) We spent the evening going over charts and other sailors blogs to plan our trip to Montreal.

Thursday morning, we called Bob who worked on our engines and he referred us to a refrigeration service. They couldn't get to us until Friday morning so we were free to enjoy Thursday which was great because I could then celebrate my birthday on the day. I made calls to marinas along the way to Montreal and got reservations for us. We may do some anchoring along the way but it will probably be minimal. The river is down 1 ½ feet this year and with our 7'2" draft that is problematic. It would be nice not to have to pay the marina fees but going aground would be worse. During the rest of the day we did some small boat gear and grocery shopping, had lunch at an English pub, took the trolley tour of Kingston, and then had one of the best ever pizzas for supper. It was the most easy-going, relaxed day we had had in a week. At one point I told Bill that I would never have imagined years ago in that small Nebraska town that I would celebrate my 65th birthday in Kingston, Ontario with a boat as my only home and cruising as my future. Life and what it becomes is really amazing.

Although day was relaxing that can't be said for the captain of the converted navy tug boat from the east coast who went aground. Guess where! It was his turn. It took him 2 hours to get off by dumping fresh water and moving weight. He then got a big power boat to come storming by to make a big wake which floated him off. We got together and compared notes but he was luckier than we. There was no damage to his very heavy steel hull.

Small world time - Richard and Jill in Finally, a big motor yacht in the next slip are from Jekyll Island, Georgia. Until our stay in NC last winter and a driving trip with my brother Bruce we had never heard of nor been to Jekyll Island. Now here we were in Kingston, Ontario right next to folks from there. They are on their way west to Lake Michigan and then down the rivers to the Gulf of Mexico and around FL then home while we are heading east and south to get to the same area. If we are lucky we will meet up again.

Today, Friday, it is very gray and cloudy and rainy. Andy from the refrigeration service came out around 10 and discovered that the leak was from a connection that the manufacturer had made. Boy, was that a relief to the captain. A tightening of the connection was all that it took to solve that problem. A little oil clean up and all is well.

By the way, in the midst of all of this we have enjoyed Kingston and we highly recommend it not only for cruisers but as a lovely vacation spot for anyone. As Andy who is originally from Toronto described it, it has big cities offerings in a small city environment.

Tomorrow we will be on the move again with expectations of being in Montreal either Monday or Tuesday. Gee, I wonder what will happen next!