My vacation to Buffalo, NY, Thanks Crazy Dave

[John Baumgartner]

Short form of the storyMy new wife of 10 months and I pulled our 1999 Hunter 260 up to Buffalo, NY (my family home) from High Point NC with my specially built 69 Chevy C-10. The driving took 10 hours, each way. We spent 14 days sailing Lake Erie and the Niagara River, day-sailing out of the NFTA Small Boat Harbor at Buffalo NY. The cost of the slip rental was (what I thought as modest) $200. Anita and I slept on board every night.  Longer form of the storyLast December, I was in the market for a larger sailboat, bigger than my San Juan 21, on which, my girlfriend (we got married last September) and I spent 14 days last July sailing the NC coast and ICW. I found (on the internet) what I was looking for, a Hunter 260 at American Marine and Sail Supply here in NC, I met Anthony on Lake Kerr for what turned out to be a very cold first sail on a Hunter 260. After the sail I followed Anthony back to the shop and saw what turned out to be my next Baums Rush. I picked up the boat a couple of weeks later and brought it to its new home. The very first sail on my "new" boat was on Lake Tillery, to get out to the main part of the lake, you have to go under bridge that is miss-labeled as 50 ft clearance. I hit the bridge 18 inches below the top of the mast breaking it in two. There was extensive damage to the hull to deck joint. I took my poor baby (boat not wife) back to AMSS to Crazy Dave. Dave did an outstanding job on a very difficult repair, I also asked Dave to set up the boat for a cruising spinnaker, which he did. After getting the boat back from Crazy Dave we only had one weekend to get Baums Rush ready for our annual summer sailing trip, so I asked my fellow engineers to lend a hand. I had 9 engineers at my house for a one day marathon, we added three below deck florescent lighting fixtures, 20 amp Statpower smart battery charger, St4000 Autohelm, Battery monitor, TV antenna and power connections, solid state refrigerator and 3 below deck DC outlets, removed the standard stove, installed a 2 burner stove. NOT BAD for one days work! OK, I’ll answer your question now; yes everything worked just great!We left on our vacation, July 5 and arrived in Buffalo at 10:30 that night staying on board in a parking lot. Launched the boat at the NFTA Small Boat Harbor. That first morning on the lake, we spent getting everything organized and claibratting the autopilot. During our vacation we sailed to Erie, PA, and down the Niagara River to the northern tip of Grand Island (about as far as you can go, without taking a big fall), encountered wind from dead calm to 25 Kts. Top speed reached was 6.9 Kts (GPS). We entertained and day sailed a multitude of relatives and new friends in general had a great time. Latter I will post some pictures of “My Summer Vacation”. We regretfully packed up on the 19 of July for the ten-hour drive home.

 

[Jim Seamans]

John, What kind of stove did you install?

My wife would like a two burner.JimS/V Java

 

[Robert Zolczer]

All right, Let's hear all the details

Did you stop by Ted's at the foot of Porter Ave near the Peace Bridge Entrance?You better have stopped at Jafco Marine's restaurant for the Welsh Rarebit.How about the Chinese restaurant buffets in Fort Erie.Seriously, did you have any problems with current in the Niagara River? I worked on the Peace Bridge during the summer in my college days (early 60's)and remember some really stiff currents.

 

[John C. Baumgartner]

some answers

stove is Origo 4000CB defender # 400396Took wife to get a Beef on Wick at a friends bar and Teds for Hot DogsBypassed the rapids by going on Black Rock CanalI'll try again to post pictures "my Vacation"

 

[mark seatvet]

same vacation...without the boat.

we must have passed you in Buffalo 'cause we were on our way to vacation (?) in Rochester....New York. As we passed all the water in Buffalo, Maary commented that we should have brought the boat...and she was right...we shoudda brought the boat.