River Trip Day 11Thursday, Dec. 11 Georgetown Marina

Thursday, Dec. 11:

We are hunkered down. A squall line associated with the approaching cold front is expected to bring sustained winds of 30-35 mph with possible gusts of 50 + mph. We are backed into the slip with our bow pointed toward Lake George and as I write this the storm is here! Suddenly all hell is breaking loose. Our tiny boat is tied securely with extra lines and covered with tarps to keep the rain off the leaky foredeck over the v-berth sleeping area.

At the slip to our south, a large (70 foot) yacht provides a windbreak, which is why I chose this berth last night. But closer inspection shows that the windward side of the yacht is not securely tied and the boat is resting hard on the shared dock between us. If the wind gets strong enough, the boat could crush the dock and us, pinning us against the next set of pilings. While unlikely (I hope) the result would be a loss of our tiny ship. There would be nothing we could do but get out quickly and hope for the best. As I write, I can hear the groan of fiberglass on the dock and hope that the newish-looking pilings can withstand that kind of weight. It is too late to move the boat now. Winds are gusting to 30 mph and my tiny outboard engine would be overwhelmed if I were to pull out into the open water and attempt to relocate.

10:32 A.M.: Looking out the window of our doghouse – built just for this trip - the waters that had been calm this a.m. are now a frothy mess of waves with no real direction, just a sea of confusion. Water is coming in the hatch and I must now stow the laptop to keep it dry and recheck the lines.

1:45 p.m.: The storm has passed and River Rat has escaped unscathed. What had been forecast to bring tremendous wind and possible tornadoes moved through quickly, bringing a hard rain and heavy winds that moved through the area in the space of about 30 minutes, leaving calm winds and cold air in its wake. Leaking hatches in the foredeck threatened to drench our sleeping quarters, but I was able to stow our bedding in waterproof boxes in time to avoid a night of discomfort. Despite the rain and cold air, our tiny electric heater has kept our cozy cabin warm and comfortable. With luck, we should be able to cross Lake George in the morning with a following breeze of about 15 miles per hour. Depending on weather conditions, we will either shoot directly across the lake and continue south or make a short side trip to Silver Glenn, which we had to bi-pass on the way north. I have travelled to the spring by car, but want very much to visit it by boat. The entrance is shallow and tricky, but with an early start we will have plenty of time to navigate it and still be south of the lake before dark.

We are a little behind schedule and I have begun to worry about upcoming appointments and commitments. This is no way to cruise! I highly recommend that anyone planning such a voyage allow at least 50 percent more time than they think they will need. While we have been blessed to have two weeks for this journey, three would have been better and four ideal. With such time, we could have done much more exploring and spent shorter days traveling.
The skies have cleared and the sun is shining through our windows. The v-berth is dry again and despite a strong wind that will likely blow against what had been prevailing conditions, I am looking forward to crossing Lake George in the morning.