Sunny Days: Preparing to Move North

We continue to get things ready to move and the boat and the itinerary for the next couple of weeks are starting to come together. All the mechanical parts of the boat are in working order—the engines, generators, heads, stove-all started fine. Fitz had to put a new impeller in the generator but otherwise not any trouble. Today we have fairly heavy storms and have no big surprises on the leakage front. I spent the last couple of days provisioning and getting the necessary documents (canal pass, user decals, etc- all necessary to go into Canada by water).

Last night we had our season first “Docktails” with friends Karen and Craig Rahn (from Rahn de Vous) and Bill and Barbara (from High Spirits). We got lots of great advice from the highly experienced High Spirits crew. A concern was clearing customs with just enough liquor to get you at least part of the way through Canada. Apparently liquor is very expensive in Canada and customs will only let you take so much—alcoholics would have some issues. But they just want to make sure you aren’t taking enough to resell (smuggle) and we should be OK. Other questions plants, firearms, animals, etc. -- we will be fine.

Sunny Days and Rahn de Vous are going to cruise together to Lake Ontario, on to Clayton, NY and go to Boldt Castle then Singer Castle (Fitz thinks seen one castle seen ‘em all—I’m not so sure)—at that point the Rahn de Vous will go on up the St. Lawrence to the Rideau Canal and Quebec. We will turn back, head for Trenton and the Trent Severn Canal and northward. Between anchoring out and going into Clayton we will probably be in the US for another week and then head for Canada, Customs and parts unfamiliar. They say we will only want to use our phones in the US except for emergencies. Use of the Internet in Canada will be at marinas that have their own WI-FI.