If a typical week on the loop isn’t exciting enough, this past week was extra exciting. From a country-wide heat wave to a new dinghy, then ending the week crossing Lake Ontario, we were kept on our toes each day. 

My dad and step-mom arrived Monday afternoon in the middle of the hottest day yet of the year. We can’t emphasize enough how great of troopers they were for enduring the nearly 100-degree afternoon with no air conditioning on board. Come Tuesday morning it had cooled slightly and with plans to move the boat, the air flow was a much needed respite. 

After topping off our fuel tanks with diesel at Ess-Kay Yards (an AGLCA sponsor), our goals for the day were to complete our final lock on the Erie Canal, then branch off north to begin the Oswego Canal. For loopers looking to cruise into Canada, the Oswego Canal takes you north to Lake Ontario, whereas completing the entire Erie Canal would take you to Lake Erie. It was neat to have my parents on board for the final Erie Canal lock considering the special 200th anniversary this year. 

With a helpful current and extra hands in the locks, we made the decision to go all the way to Oswego, New York, through all but one of the Oswego Canal locks. Oswego is the last stop before crossing Lake Ontario into Canada, so we spent a couple days resting waiting for a solid weather window while also doing some last bits of provisioning. 

One thing we knew would elevate our Canada experience was a new dinghy. With plans to anchor as much as possible in all the beautifully remote locations Canada has to offer, it was important to have a reliable dinghy. Our 2003 Caribe that came with our boat was on its last leg, requiring an air refill just about every time we used it. Luckily Dustin with Bourbon City Yacht Tenders (another AGLCA sponsor) had one in stock and was generous enough to drive it from Louisville, Kentucky to Oswego for us. Seeing him pull up with the shiny new Highfield was thrilling just knowing all the adventures we’ll soon be navigating with it. We can’t recommend Bourbon City Yacht Tenders enough for anyone looking to purchase a new dinghy, whether that be for the Great Loop or not. 

After four full days in Oswego, Sunday was looking to be our best bet for crossing Lake Ontario. However, once we pushed off the dock at 5:30am, we quickly realized the wind was a little stronger than we originally anticipated. We had only been in the lake for a mere 10 minutes when we made the difficult decision to turn around back to Oswego. Unsure if the wind would calm down, we tied back up to the lock wall, enjoyed breakfast with our buddy boat, Slacker, and reconvened four hours later. At 11:00am the National Data Buoy Center confirmed that the waves had died down to one-footers with a much more favorable time period, so we felt comfortable giving it another try. 

Although not our most comfortable large water crossing, it was doable and completely worth it once we saw the Canadian border in the distance. Checking into the country was easy and now we’re ready for whatever the next two months bring. We’ve had our sights set on Canada since departing Stuart, Florida, in February so this really feels like an amazing accomplishment. Cheers to what’s to come!