Family Cruising on Lake Champlain

July 1st to July 5th 

By Tab Hauser

 

For the first time in many years we did not have a summer trip planned out months in advance. The reason for this is because I usually came up with an idea, ran it by Maureen and then went through a lot of research before making reservations. I have learned a good trip is in the details. When the kids were younger we always planned on  doing things that would make them and us happy. This year the kids said they wanted to go surfing but after checking locations for surfing we found what they recommended would either be in the rainy season or have flat water.  With no surfing out and the kids leaving this years trip in my hands I contacted Blue Heron Boats in Whitehall NY and found out one of their boats was available. http://www.blueheronboats.com   Also, because they were not booked the previous week  they would let us have the boat Friday and return it when we were finished rather than the normal Saturday to Saturday requirement.   For details on the boat please see “The Boat” section below.

 

 

  Blue Heron’s Mallard

 

 

With only a week to prepare I plotted a few different courses on the chart but kept everything open as to where and when we would stop. Being on a 34 foot boat in the 6th largest lake in North America with changes of winds, weather patterns and teenagers requires one to keep a less than rigid schedule.   Originally we planned to keep the cruising to about 2 or 3 hours per day so the kids would not be bored. We decided to also cruise part of the morning while they did their teenagers did their late sleeping.

 

On June 30th we headed up to Whitehall, N.Y.  On the way up we stopped at Saratoga Springs for a mid afternoon lunch and stroll around town.  With the weather being nice we picked an outdoor table at a place called Lillian’s on the east side of Main Street in the middle of town.  Lunch was a good assortment of wraps and salads.  Being we were in Saratoga Springs I ordered  a bottle of what I thought was the local bubbly spring water.  Saratoga Springs was once called America’s first resort because of the springs that constantly bubbled cool natural carbonation water.  People also came here to escape the summer heat and enjoy the clean air. Many bath houses were built around this town so people can enjoy the “medicinal effects” of the soothing water.  If you drive through Saratoga Springs State Park you can see some of these bath houses.  The other big thing in this pretty town is the horse racing.  People here take seeing the ponies  pretty seriously.  Anyway, getting back to the my bottled water.  Our waitress brought me a small but pretty blue bottle of what said Saratoga Springs Water. I opened it and found it to be very refreshing with what seemed to be small crisp bubbles.  It did not have a much different taste than the club soda my wife ordered though.  One thing to note is that the sparkling spring water put in the bottle states in small print that the carbonation is added and that the water can come from either local or Vermont spring water.  So much for drinking the local stuff. After lunch the kids decided that a stroll through town was not for them so they went to Borders Books while we checked out a few stores on main street. This included a place that sold new and  used CD’s and Movies as well as the local gourmet store for some bread.   . 

 

If time allows on a visit to Saratoga Springs there are a few things one can do. This can include a visit to the state park not just because of the bath houses but also for the car museum, golf course  and other things to do with  in the park borders. You can find the state park at http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/info.asp?parkID=124 Also, if you are history buff, there is a 10 mile loop you can drive though in the Saratoga National Park. (http://www.nps.gov/sara/)  This park had one of the key battles won against the British during the revolutionary war. In fact the parks service lists it as one of the top 15 decisive battles in world history. Ironically it was General Benedict Arnold who led and won the battle. It is said that because of the British Army surrender here, France was impressed enough to then ally itself with the colonies giving additional well needed aid to the war.

 

Friday evening we arrived at the quiet town of Whitehall New York located at the base of Lake Champlain.  Here when you drive up to the canal area you will find old water front buildings in various states of disrepair as well as signs stating how Whitehall was the birthplace of the U.S. Navy. General Arnold had some of his ships built here to meet up with the British on Lake Champlain.  While he lost the navy battle and burned his boats to avoid them from being captured he did slow the British advance enough for them not to not advance for the winter.

 

After crossing the bridge just south of the Canal 12 we  checked into the family suite at the Finch and Chubb and made dinner reservations at their restaurant for later than evening.  Maureen and I  had stayed here 5 years early and found the place comfortable.  We liked the family suite even better and found it perfect for us. Both kids and adults had their own rooms and we shared a small living room where we watched TV together. (something we do not do much at home)

 

The next day, (July 1st) we woke up to an overcast day and headed for the Tops Supermarket at 8:30 to provision up our boat.  From there it was back to the Finch and Chubb where we were met by Dave and Martha Warner who helped us get aboard and give a run down on the boats operations and care.  Dave was helpful in giving us some tips on the trip and advised us if possible to either put in at Chipman Point Marina only 2 ½ hours away or push another 3 hours to Westport.  My plan was to see Fort Ticonderoga by  anchoring the boat and taking the dinghy to the beach nearby.  He said it would be more efficient to see the fort via car another time but going by boat would not be a problem either as long as we anchored south of it.

 

At 10:45 we were off the dock and headed up Lake Champlain.  At this part of the lake and for the next 2 ½ hours our trip north looked more like we were cruising a river rather than a lake because it is so narrow.  The kids seated themselves on the bow for about 15 minutes then after a late breakfast, took their books below, opened the hatch in their cabin and read a few minutes before falling a sleep.

 Narrow southern section of lake

 

 

 Maureen and I were above steering and navigating this twisty section only seeing two other boaters for the next 2 hours.  At 1:10PM we spotted Fort Ticonderoga and slowed down to look at its buildings, walls and cannons pointed over the water.  With Melissa’s binoculars were able to see what looked like “red coats” on the wall near one of the cannons.  We decided not to stop and see the fort based on two reasons. One was that the Melissa and Daniel were sound a sleep and also that there was an Coast Guard advisory at 11:15 stating that winds can come from the south at 20 knots (a knot is about 1.1 miles) with the potential of thunderstorms on the lake making seas 1 to 2 feet.

 

 Fort Ticonderoga

 

With the advisory in effect we kept looking to the south behind us and kept a close eye on the chart in relationship to where were incase we had to make a change in plans and head to one of the marinas or safe bays for shelter.  We decided our plan was to haul up to Westport.  At 1:40 Daniel surfaced pretty tired and hungry looking. After he had a brief look around from the bridge as we called it, he went down to make a sandwich. Melissa emerged about 45 minutes later to do the same.  We explained to the kids that based on weather and plans for the next few days we were going push it to Westport. They seemed fine with that, hung out with us a little bit and went below.  With a 5 to 10 knot wind to our back we were traveling with the waves making it a comfortable but slow ride. Blue Heron’s two boats only cruise at about 7 knots.   At 4:20 we spotted Westport and were in our slip for the night at 4:45. At 5:15PM after a long day we decided on happy hour of root beer and wine on the lounge chair on the dock and chatted briefly with the other boaters next to us.

 

   Root Beer In The Galley

 

 

Westport,  NY

 

 

Westport is a small town. There is not much in the way of shopping or activities here for boaters.  The two places we considered having dinner at were at the marina or the Westport Hotel about a mile away.  We finally decided on the Westport Hotel because they would pick us up and drop us off. This was important because we made reservations to see the local summer show next door at the Depot Theater.  Dinner at the Westport Hotel was very good and we  put this on the recommended list. The cost with an inexpensive bottle of Italian wine was $98 with tip for all four of us.  The theater next door was a bit different. The outside of the building is the original train station but the inside was converted into a theater with the stage on the north side of the building and the seats on the south side of it. The place had narrow rows with no more than perhaps 10 seats across. While there is no air conditioning, the high ceilings with large quiet fans and 4 foot panels on the wall removed let plenty of air in making it comfortable.  The stage at the Depot Theater is less than 30 feet from the active tracks of Amtrak and freight trains. We had a train pass by 10 minutes before show time in which the building rumbled from the noise and vibration as the train passed by.  The locals advised us  that when a train roars by during a performance the actors freeze on the stage and do not move or say anything until the train finally passes.   Tonight’s show was called “Engaged” and was written by Gilbert as in Gilbert and Sullivan but this was not a musical. This show was a British comedy about a man who gets engaged a few times.  While I usually like local summer stock when we travel, this one seemed rather slow to Daniel and I so we left at intermission and walked back to the marina. Melissa and Maureen stayed and got a ride after the show from the Westport Hotel.  That first day we covered much.   We had a cruise, dinner and show just like people on the large ships.  The only thing different with us was that we had no midnight buffet and if we did we would have to do out dishes.

 

On July 2nd  we awoke to forecast of a northerly winds and a partly sunny skies.  We left our slip at 10:30 and crossed the lake in 1 foot seas to see a place called Basin Harbor.  Basin Harbor is a resort on the lake with all the things one would need at a nice hotel. This includes bike rentals, gym, tennis, heated pool, formal and informal dining as well as a trampoline in the bay to jump up and splash in the water. We cruised by the narrow entrance to the bay but decided not to stop after kids said they wanted move on due the weather being too cool to swim. The kids decided that they wanted to find to fish and relax. With that in mind we decided to find a safe place to drop anchor out of the winds that were picking up to about 10 knots.  From Basin Harbor we cruised back to the New York side but could not find a  bay that protected us from the wind that was shallow enough to take 50 feet our anchor chain. After cruising the steep walls of the N.Y. side we headed back to the Vermont side, bought some bait at a marina and dropped anchor in an area east of Cedar Island near the weeds in 12 feet of water.  There, floating in calm waters we spotted 4 large carp that had not the slightest interest in our fresh worms.  For the rest of the afternoon we read, the kids played games, paddled in the dinghy,  relaxed and we enjoyed our first afternoon of just floating away from the rest of the world.

 

 Fishing and Exploring The Bay

 

 We weighed anchor at 4:15 and crossed the lake to get into the Essex Marina by 4:45 where I backed the Mallard in using its bow thrusters in one shot.  At 5PM the kids had no interest in seeing the town so Maureen and I walked up the short hill to see what Main Street had to offer.  In town we checked out a few antique shops as well as the local Hershey’s Ice Cream parlor.  This town has some pretty buildings and houses lining its main street including the old Essex Inn which was closed for a private function.   After a glass of wine for the adults and root beer for the kids we strolled over to dinner at the Rudder Club connected to Marina. The Rudder Club has potential but we would recommend not eating there during busy weekends as they can not handle the crowds. Both kitchen and bar was  backed up while where there.  Maureen also had to return her dish as it was horrible.  The kids and I ordered dinner salads that were pretty good. The waitress also gave us a couple of locally made slices of excellent apple pie for the problems in food and service.  If we come back here again I would eat at the Essex Inn.  That eveingin Maureen read some bad short ghost stories and then we watched “The Big Sleep” with Bogey and Becall.  (It should be noted that there is another summer theater in Essex one can check out.  We passed on going to the show as it was a musical about parenting and no one was into it.)

 

July 3rd:

The next morning being an early riser I strolled up to Main Street at 7:30 to see what the “Moose on the Loose Café” had to offer.  There 3 elderly ladies were making muffins, cakes and sandwiches as well as selling coffee and tea.  I ordered the peach, blue berry, granola topped muffin and took it outside to enjoy while watching Essex wake up on this beautiful day.  Do not miss these ladies for breakfast if you are in the area. 

 

At 9:30 with the kids still asleep we left our dock crossing the lake to make our way to Shelbourne Bay.  Today we planned to spend another lazy afternoon having lunch, playing on the dinghy, fishing and relaxing. With a southerly breeze and light seas we headed across the lake to the Vermont side and made a 180 degree turn due south at the tip of the peninsula and headed about 2 miles to end of the bay. Maureen and I took the dinghy and explored a couple of bends in the narrow river at the end running of the bay On the return we ran out of gas a couple of hundred yards short of the boat. Note: Two adults running at nearly full throttle with a 4HP engine with only an internal gas tank runs out of gas quickly. Take spare gas can next time.    On our return I refilled the motor and left the gas can in the dinghy.  Afterwards I took the kids fishing in the weeds where we caught nothing.  From there the kids took the dinghy and motored around.  Note: Kids weighing a lot less use a lot less gas.

 Zooming Around With The Motor

 

 

At 3PM we made our way to our  final destination of the day. This was the Ferry Dock Marina in Burlington.  Originally we had hoped to stay at the Community Boat House Marina but that was booked up.  The reason we had picked Burlington on this night was because of the fireworks over water front.  After making three attempts to back the boat into  a very tight slip we tied down and walked into town.  If you go to Burlington stay at the Community Boat House. The location of the Ferry Dock Marina is right on top of the ferry queue and exit lines. It can also be noisy here in the morning as trucks service the restaurant at the end of the ferry lot.


Burlington is the largest city on the lake. It is had modern, young and easy to walk around.  The downtown area is centered on Church Street that runs north and south. Church Street is closed to traffic for 4 blocks as a pedestrian mall.  There are lots of shops and many places to eat there.  The street is also decorated with a few sculptures as well a  fountain that the kids can play in at the north end of it.  After looking at a few places to eat we picked Sweetwater’s and had a table outside.  The food and service here were good.  Three of is stayed with simple fare of their burgers and Kobe beef burgers. The other meal was a pasta and chicken dish that was also good.  Desert was saved for Ben & Jerry’s just a few blocks away. If you are into outdoor stores there is a good one on the same block as Ben and Jerry’s.   After indulging on some of the finest ice cream one can have we headed back for the boat and hung out on the deck watching the crowds increase before the fireworks to began.  The fireworks show was amazing. It lasted around 40 minutes and had some of the largest rocket bursts I have ever seen.  We would recommend anyone stopping here this time of the year when in the area.

 

  

 

Magnificent Fire Works Show July 3rd, Burlington Harbor

 

The next morning I was up and hiked past Church Street to a store called City Market. This is an small upscale supermarket similar to the idea of Wholefoods.  Much of their produce, meats and dairies offered are organic.  After loading up with 2 bags of groceries I stopped at Bruegger’s on Church Street for fresh bagels and made my way down to the boat where the family was starting to stir.

Today being July 4th,  I felt something patriotic about being on this lake.  The first naval battle of the 13 colonies took place just north of here and a key battle during the 1812 war was also fought here again when the British tried to invade from the north.   

 

We were under way at 10:30 to a nearly 1 foot chop, clear skies and winds of almost 10 knots were coming from the south  After passing the Burlington breakwater Melissa took the helm for about 25 minutes with Daniel sitting next to her.  She really has avoided it but I asked to take the wheel while I checked a few things on the chart. With Daniel at her side she steered with her feet and headed towards the 4 Brothers Islands near the center of the lake.   She decided she had enough steering when we got close to one of the barren island and Maureen took over for a while until she got sleepy.  When we entered northern most point at Willsboro Bay I took over and turned nearly 180 degrees south and hugging the western shore by no more than 50 feet.  Here you can take your boat very close to the cliffs and rock slides with out fear of being grounded.  In fact, you can  touch the walls if you wanted to because it is so steep and deep.  On the western shore we passed three train trestles 100 feet or so above the river. One had a pretty water falls that had some people exploring it.  We continued until we reached the southeast bottom of the bay and dropped anchor at 1:15 a few hundred yards from the N.Y. State boat ramp in 12 feet of water.  While we had reservations at the Willsboro Marina a few minutes cruise away,  we decided to cancel the slip when the anchor seemed to hold in the 5 knot wind with the occasional gust up to 10 knots. The national weather forecast out of Burlington said we would be in for southerly winds 5 to 10 knots all night.  This was good for us as we were protected from the winds by land 250 yards north of us. Had the winds changed directions we could have moved the boat about 100 yards closer to the northern shore where the ramp was.  The navigation books said that one can not really appreciate a Lake Champlain storm unless they are in Willsboro Bay because when the high winds whip up they circle around the bay due to is cliffs on one side. We were happy to have water as calm as glass around us for the night.

 

Today we relaxed again.  We started the afternoon off by fishing after lunch.  No one really liked the Black Forest ham we bought so Daniel decided to see how it would make as bait.  After 20 minutes of trying ham for bait they gave up.  Daniel took out the dinghy with the engine and zoomed around a bit while Melissa read.  The kids read, played board games and magic cards until dinner.  Maureen read and napped off and on. I caught up on a couple of magazines, took the dinghy to the ramp to check out the area and came back.  Late in the afternoon both kids took out the dinghy and motored out a ways away from us ducking from the camera as they came in.  While they had a few bouts about “this trip being boring” before we left, they did seem to enjoy the boat and what it offered. Most important to us parents were Melissa and Daniel doing things together because of her leaving to college this fall.

 

  Sunset in Willsboro Bay Where We Anchored Overnight

 

 

Dinner tonight was tacos made from beef  of “organically fed” cows.  Afterwards Daniel and I took the dinghy out an fished with no luck.  That night we all played Texas hold-em and at 11PM I joined the kids and watched part of a classic surfer movie called Endless Summer.

 

On July 5th  with overcast skies and the kids sleeping we weighed anchor 9:30 to make our way up to Valcor Island.  Before leaving Willsboro Bay we decided to take another peak at the train trestle with the water falls.  This time there are no boats and we came upon it a few minutes before a freight train passed by overhead.

  West Side Willsboro Bay

 

 

 From there with 1 foot seas pushing from our back we cruised nearly 2 hours to Sloop Cove on Valcor Island’s east side.  We also called up Dave from Blue Heron and to  if he will take the boat this evening so we can possibly make our way to Quebec City.  He agreed and we advise him we would take care of his slip fee, dinner and a gratuity for his help.  Maureen and I had plans to head to Quebec City tonight where we would have some good French food and a comfortable bed but the kids rebelled loudly about going to “another stupid place” so this idea is squashed after a long argument.  What was a good idea of a nice hotel, good French food (that they both enjoy) was shot done by a temperamental teenager.  

 

With Dave picking us up around 5PM at Snug Harbor Marina and us arriving at 12:45 at Valcor Island we figured a nice stroll was in order at this 1000 acre state park.  The kids did not want to take a hike around the island so we left them on board via dinghy and strolled about.  Do not miss walking around this very pretty island.

 Parents Turn On Dinghy at Valcor

 

 Valcor made its place in in revolutionary history by having General Arnold put a squad of ships around it to slow down the advancing British. October of 1776 Benedict Arnold is defeated in the at Battle of Valcor Island. While losing this battle he does succeed in giving the colonist valuable time by delaying the English march down the Hudson. The English being delayed decide to wait out the winter until the following year to regain Fort Ticonderoga. The English, in the following year, will meet defeat at Saratoga.   He did a great job here considering he was out gunned and had less experienced troops.  At Valcor Island he lost his ship to the British.  He  then retreated south  only to abandon and burn two more ships further down the lake. 

 

At 3PM just as we were finished with the boat clean up a thunderstorm advisory went into a effect.  We weighed anchor and headed out of the Sloop Cove only to turn back a few hundreds yards from the entrance when the only thing we saw was rain ruining visibility as well as thunder and lightening all about us.  We dropped anchor again with the sailboat in the harbor snickering at us for trying to make it out.  After dropping the anchor we checked it and dropped it again.  Here we were secure for the storm where visibility was 1/3 mile or less between 3:10 and 4PM. The kids decided said “they wanted to face the elements” and with no lightening for a short time donned their raingear and stood on the bow in the pouring rain running until the next thunder clap had them scurry inside quickly.  At 4PM visibility improved to about a mile on our side of the island so I called Snug Harbor Marina on the western shore of Lake Champlain directly on the other side of the island to see what conditions were like.  With the threat of another storm coming later on and word from Snug Harbor that visibility was nearly 2 miles we weighed anchor and headed out in calm seas making our best speed of 7.5 knots.  20 minutes later we in our slip, protected from any further storm.

 

At 5PM we were met by Dave Warner and his son Doug and unloaded the Mallard At 5:30 we decided the closest place for dinner on the way home was was Lake George. From there it was down the N.Y. State Thruway making it back to Long Island at 1:15AM.

 

All in all this was a good trip.  Lake Champlain offers beautiful scenery and plenty of marinas between New York, Vermont and Canada.  The navigation books also point you to many safe harbors and bays for say and night anchorage.  Had we stayed a few more days I would have considered heading up into Canada as well as explored the north eastern part of the lake.  Also, if I did this trip with out the kids I would have cruised more.  I enjoy being out on the water and just cruising.

 

The Boat

 

 

Blue Heron boats are very clean and very comfortable.  The price for a charter is more than what you would pay for a houseboat but with Blue Heron boats you get more.

Our teenagers were comfortable with the front cabin that had a V berth.  They like the fact they had their own air conditioning settings as well as forward head and shower just off their door.  The next area of the boat was the galley and dining table. The galley had a 4 foot high fridge that held everything we need for the week, a workable stove, microwave and a dining table.  Connected by a couple of steps up was our living area.  This had a couch and small TV with attached video machine. From the living or lounge area was a door to aft cabin with queen bed.  The aft cabin had its own head and AC controls.  The “bridge” as we called it was just a few steps up from the lounge. This had a large wheel, gauges, throttle, bow thruster control, compass and controls for a large spot light.  There was plenty of room behind the windshield to keep your charts, books and GPS unit if you bring it.  There was also a 8” bell you can ring for what ever reason.  The behind the double seat at the wheel was a table and seating for 3 more people.  The entire area was covered by a canopy to protect you from sun and rain.  When it rained we zippered and snapped in a plastic windshield that connected to the top canopy.   One nice feature about the boat was the dinghy and engine that comes standard.  Five years ago this was a paid option.  The dinghy takes up no room as it snap locks in place and then pulls up sideways very easy. Connected to the stern was a 4HP motor that one unhooks and brings down to the dinghy.  Extra lines, water hose and 2 electrical cables for use at the marinas were held in a hatch that was flush with the floor and easy to get to. 


While Blue Heron boats are not fast they are comfortable and extremely efficient in fuel. Both the engine and separate generator are diesel.  The tank holds 280 gallons and which is more than enough for an average weeks cruiser.  The water tanks hold 200 gallons and if you are not used to conserving should be topped at every marina.  One great feature on this boat is the bow thruster.  This single screw boat could not be maneuvered any easier in tight marinas with out the thruster. It takes only a few times  to get used to using it. 


To charter with Blue Heron you need to give them a resume on any kind of boating experience you have.  You do not need to be an old salt or have extensive background small yachts to charter.  If you have rented boats in the past I would call Dave Warner and talk to him.  He may recommend a route down the canals rather than open water based on your experience.  Also, if you are little short on boating experience you should also call ahead.  Dave may work with you on the boat before going underway to make sure you are comfortable with it.