Cruising to Canada

We left Cape Vincent and headed across the main channel of the Saint Lawrence River to Point Alexander in Canada. We docked at the ferry terminal dock and went therough customs very quickly. (Perhaps because it was almost time for the ferry to dock where we were!) From there we cut through a channel behind Wolf Island and headed for the Admiralty Islands. Admiralty Islands are numerous small and large islands that occupy the Middle Channel just south of Gananoque. There are a lot of places listed that have dockage that are National Parks but there was absolutely no space to pull in for the night so we continued on to Kingston. It was a beautiful ride, bright sunshine but very little wind.



Kingston was settled in 1784 by loyalists from New York and has been a growing and vibrant city ever since. When the Rideau Canal was finished in 1832 it further increased the improtance of this community. It is a city rich in history offering the cruiser many sights to visit and places to shop, but since we have spent the last two days doing that, we have decided to just enjoy the quiet of the boat.



We are in the Kingston Confederation Basin Marina at the mouth of the Cataraqui River. It is very large and has a protected basin which might be important because there are thunder storms forcast for later tonight.



Much to our surprise, there were two other Monk 36 boats coming into the marina at the same time we were!!



Thought all of you might enjoy this little quote that was on the "River Rat" Cheese advertisement which we picked up when we visited the River Rat Cheese Store in Clayton, NY:

What is - Who Is- A "River Rat"?

"So, this - is - a - river? ventured the lad.
"The River" corrected the River Rat. "It's the mighty St. Lawrence and all of its islands."
"And you really live by the river? What a jolly life!"
"By it and with it and on it an in it," said the River Rat. "It's brother and sister to me, friends and food and drink. It's my world and I don't want any other. What it hasn't got is not worth having and what it doesn't know is not worth knowing."
A "River Rat" can cleat his boat before he knows how to tie his shoe. River Rat is the essence of the North Country - the spirit of our region.

For now, we are River Rats! It is a "jolly life" indeed!!

The Saint Lawrence is sooooooo beautiful. The water is crystal clear and the color is breathtaking. We have learned that it is actually 99.9% pure and you can actually drink it!










As this was being written, John came rushing into the saloon urging Gail to hurry topside. "Pathfinder", a training wooden brigantine came cruising in. They tried to dock here but found there wasn't enough room for her. She is beautiful and we counted seventeen kids on board having a ball. Gail yelled out, "you're beautiful" to which they responded, "thank you"! What a great sight! We don't know minute to minute what surprises are in store for us!