Paying Forward-ers

After hugs and handshakes, Matt (MV "Long Way Home," Penny and David (MV "Southern Cross"), Jade and Woody (MV "Escapade"), Jan and Don ("Time to Breathe"), and Tom (marina owner) bid us farewell as Velsignet left the Winter Harbor Marina dock.  Waving from the flybridge, Brenda reflected on how different this past week might have looked like had it not been for the kindness of fine folks like these people. While Mike worked in Seattle, Brenda stayed with Velsignet working through the activity (and frustrations) of boat work, boat projects and provisioning for the next cruising leg.

"Are you back on your boat?" Angela asked (MV "Pura Vita III").  As Brenda explained Velsignet's

This is Angela and Chris. 
They just started on the Loop about 3 weeks ago with their
teenage son, Sabastian.

status (No AC+hot temps and humidity=Unoccupied), Chris (Angela's husband) entered the conversation with "Would you like for me to take a look at her?"  At 8 pm in the evening in a boat (Velsignet) that had been closed up for 2 days in almost 90-degree temps (and 90% humidity), Chris (dripping with sweat) maneuvered himself down into the tight bilge so his outstretched arms could awkwardly disconnect, fill with water, and reconnect the hoses located farthest from him.  His patience and expertise worked; the AC pump primed into working condition which allowed Brenda to get back into her "home" again.

Earlier in the week (while Mike was in Seattle for business), Brenda had Velsignet hauled out to have the hull's bottom cleaned, examined and painted.  Once the work order was submitted, she was told she'd need to be off the boat for overnight.  Upon hearing this, Penny (MV "Southern Cross") immediately offered up a room for the duration--"We'll have a girls night!" (Husband Dave was also away for business).  Due to boat work delays, the one night's stay turned into two and almost three (AC not working).  Each day, despite the many visits by nearby family members (Penny grew up near here) and marine work also being done on her boat, Penny offered Brenda a place to stay until Velsignet was back at dock.

Today we begin "The Great Lakes" portion of the Loop.  We will leave the Erie Canal for the Oswego Canal and we expect to cross Lake Ontario tomorrow.  From Oswego, we will spend the next couple of days in The Thousand Islands, which is located east of Kingston, Ontario.

There's a saying that goes something like this: "One of the most difficult things to give away is kindness...it usually comes back to you."  As we continue on our Looping way, we think of the many who have been so generously kind to us.  May the kindness they have given be returned to them many times over.

This is Velsignet with new bottom paint and an upgraded bow thruster being returned to the water.  It's exciting and nerve-wracking during a haul-out.  It's not often one sees the entire boat.  Will the slings hold?  Will an examination discover something majorly wrong with the hull?   It is a relief when she gets back in the water.

Mike had a 3.5 hour layover in Minneapolis on his way back to Syracuse on Friday.
Jordan, Astri and Killian picked him up at the airport for dinner!

With the heat and humidity and not having a boaters' lounge at the marina, it was difficult for us to get together.
Solution:  We sent out word (via a walkabaout the marina and text messages) to join us at the walkable local "Wild Horse Bar and Grill" yesterday.  More than 20 boaters joined us!  This is Gary (Danee), George and Patty.

Most in the group didn't know each other, so there was lots of boat card exchanges.
This is Carol (Ken) and Jade (Woody).

The light wasn't good for this photo.  This shows Danee (Gary), Jan and Don, and others whose names escape me.

This is Brenda and Gino (from  Thunderbay!) with Mike.  When we shook hands, Brenda P told Brenda F that this was the first time she'd run into another Brenda!!

Meet Woody (husband to Jade) and Carol (wife to Steve).

This is Sue, Bob, Steve (Carol), Jenn and Matt.  Jenn and Matt's loop began at New York City. 
They are looping with their son, Felix.

We celebrated the guys' return and our girls' week at a local Italian restaurant with Penny and David.

We went through 23 locks on the Erie and will go through 8 locks on the Oswego Canal.  This is lock 3 with a very low, intimidating fixed bridge.  For most of the locks in the New York Canal System, we enter each lock and as we hug one of the walls, grab onto a weighted line to keep us in position.

This is lock 3 after the water's been released from the chamber (notice the waterline--especially visible on the left side of photo).  With the water lowered, we easily moved under the bridge!