We had a long run from Buffalo Yacht Club to Erie Yacht Club. It’s about 72 miles; there were a couple of squalls that came through. By the time we got off of the lake we were both tired. Erie Yacht Club is situated at the end of Presque Isle Bay. This old Club established in 1895 full of traditions welcomes power and sailboats alike. They have an excellent sailing school and they enjoy a very good relationship with Port Dover Yacht Club.
We tied up at the fuel dock for fuel and requested an overnight dock. Brian and Chris stayed here on the trip south. We had a rather interesting experience here. When I registered with the dockhand and mentioned that we were from the Windsor Yacht Club and that we had reciprocal privileges. His response was “Oh, the Windsor Yacht Club. Unfortunately, I have the charge you $2.00 a foot for overnight dockage.” That is what the EYC reciprocal is with WYC. EYC has the same reciprocity arrangement as the member visiting from another Club. So the first night is always free and if the other Club charges $.90 per foot that is what EYC charges the visitor. If the visiting boater has no Club affiliation with any Club at all, the overnight charge is $1.50 per foot per night.
Sign in Dockmaster’s office at EYC.
There was no mistake, the dockhand called the Dockmaster and confirmed that WYC‘s overnight dockage is $2.00 per foot. We were tired and did not want to move elsewhere, we paid the $2.00 per foot. So much for WYC being the “Friendliest Little Club on the Great Lakes” we don’t have a very good reputation around here. Actually, we were very embarrassed by the situation.
We went for a walk to the Clubhouse. Erie Yacht Club is another example of a Club drenched in tradition and old school. It also has the usual amenities including a Laundromat and members make their vehicles available for a short 2 block drive to pick up anything you may need from the store.
Jack and Sue having dinner on AFEICA at Grand River Yacht Club Fairport, OH.
Tuesday was going to be another long day. We wanted to make it to Fairport, OH on the Grand River. When Brian was staying on Spa Creek in Annapolis for the month of October last fall he met some very lovely people, Jack and Sue. At the time they were moored near AFEICA on their Catamaran, Passage that they were taking back down to Florida. The catamaran has been stored in Florida. Here in the Great Lakes they have a Hunter 375, Journey. Jack is Past Commodore of Grand River Yacht Club and they made arrangements for us to have dockage there at the Club.
It turned out to be a very miserable ride but we endured it and made it the 60 some miles to Fairport. It was great to spend a couple of days with Jack and Sue. We also got to meet a few other people from GRYC, namely Pat and George. On Tuesday night we walked to a great little restaurant called Brennan’s Fish House http://www.brennansfishhouse.com/ where we enjoyed a great dinner. Wednesday night is race night at GRYC too; the boats did not race due to inclement weather. At 1800 Jack and Sue came aboard for cocktails. We talked them into staying for a pasta dinner with us. Earlier in the day, Jack mentioned that the next day was his birthday. I had even baked him a cake. It was a lovely evening and we got along just great. I think that we could have talked and talked but tomorrow was another long day. Destination Scudder, Pelee Island.
Jack and Sue helped us to cast off early Thursday morning. The wind was blowing. We met fishing boats coming back into the harbour that had tried to go out and could not. We wondered what kind of a ride we would have.
Crossing Lake Erie from Fairport to Scudder
AFEICA back in Canadian waters, Scudder Pelee Island, ON
Well, as it turned out, after travelling a few thousand miles, to the Bahamas and back up the ICW and the Erie Canal, Lake Erie did me in, about 1 hour out into the lake I went below to do something and my stomach did a flip flop. I was down for pretty much the whole day. I did not feed the fish but I was of no use to Brian. I went below and slept and finally after noon I was able to get into the cockpit and hunker down and sleep some more. The way the wind was blowing we thought that we would have to approach Scudder from the south passage, the long way around. The angle changed and we were able to take the Pelee Island Passage. We docked at Scudder just around 1600.
We cleared Canadian Customs and it was a very easy phone call. CBP in the United States really need to get all of their officers and jurisdictions on the same page. They really can’t continue to run the borders on how each individual officer interprets the law. But you are at their mercy and you jump through the hoops. As visitors/cruisers on a boat we had to call CBP each time we moved the boat, but anyone can cross the border in a RV and never be heard from again. What is up with that?
AFEICA 