New Horizons

 We have sailed Lake Champlain for several years. A lot of our time was spent around Northwest Harbor in Westport. To be sure, there are beautiful anchorages and mountain views but it’s wonderful to have a change of scenery, which is what our new little red speedboat provides. And we don’t have to spend three nights on the sailboat to get there. (Spoken like one who has crossed over to the dark side, with a two stroke engine no less).

We’ve been to Lake Placid, where we had a trial run, the northern part of Lake George, Basin Harbor, Button Bay, Valcour Island and island camping in Lower Saranac Lake. 

Boating season in the Adirondacks is quickly coming to an end. We went kayak camping the past few days and the thermometer dipped into the 30’s at night. Luckily we were comfy mummified in our sleeping bags. The weather was still nice enough to be on the water during the day and we even took a brief swim.

Although the lean to was great, I do not sleep in lean tos. I have visions of mice running through my hair while I snooze. Zip me in a tent anytime.

We shared the lake with three loons who called to each other throughout the day and night. A perfect Adirondack accompaniment. At home we hear coyotes and they are not all that different.

We managed to kayak through an unlikely passage. The map clearly showed water around an island. It forgot to mention cattails and lilypads. We had at least ten inches of water at anytime, which is all we draw in kayaks. Some areas were so close, paddling was impossible and we had to resort to poling.

The scenery was spectacular, company was outstanding, camp food was passable and a good time was had by both.

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First you buy a little boat

A takeoff from the title of one of my favorite books, “First you row a little boat”. Well this is my sequence. We sold our sailboat and my plan was to buy a little runabout we could tow from lake to lake in the Adirondacks.

I found a 15 foot 1966 aluminum Starcraft in Lake Placid. The captain and I took it for a spin, the 1971 Mercury motor ran fine, and I bought it.

Then I needed a little truck to tow it. In some ways, we have crossed over to the dark side and a fuel efficient truck would soften the landing. I found a 1997 Ford Ranger, 300 miles away, but the price was right and it had a current inspection.

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Since my son lives nearby, I asked him to buy it for me. He saw it, confirmed it ran well, but was a little incredulous it was the truck of my dreams. In fact, he got pulled over within the first ten minutes of driving it.

I took mass transit to the truck, got it registered and took it for its maiden voyage- six hours north to the Adirondacks.

My son and daughter-in-law tracked my trip and I arrived home uneventfully.

Now the captain is off trying to haul the boat home while I visit my daughter in DC. Hopefully the next photo will have them ( boat and trailer, not boat and captain) tethered together in my driveway. 

They both need work but are simple enough it might be fun?