Canterbury Sails by Chasseur: Detour to Ashtabula

July 30-31, 2012 Monday-Tuesday

Departed from Cleveland, Ohio at 0850 hrs. heading to Geneva on the Lake with an ETA of 1700 hr. We were looking forward to this stop because it is a State Park and a new facility. Terry called ahead to check channel depth and we were assured we could get in but to stay on the east side of the channel as we enter. It looked pretty shallow by water color and Terry approached the channel cautiously at about a third of a kt., thankfully. "Chasseur's" keel found the bottom and had NO desire to try another approach. Terry backed off the sand and went with our alternate (deep water) port. We backed out of the channel, and put to sea again to press on ahead with wind direction and waves on the nose. We continued east on Lake Erie to a very deep industrial port called Ashtabula (another 10nm). This harbor is an industrial port city, and not recreational in character (refreshing). We had to go under a 100 foot clearance conveyor belt. The bridge we had to have opened for us was further up the river. It was a bascule bridge (french for drawbridge). It has a giant weight on one end that raises the other end of the bridge, just enough to pass through on one side. We tied up to the wall of the Ashtabula Yacht Club.
The Yacht club was very clean and well cared for. Everyone at the club were very friendly and helpful. The caretaker, Brad, loaned us his van to go grocery shopping and for a long overdue haircut for Suzanne. Ashtabula has made an effort to develop a restaurant and shopping district with a nautical flair, and beautiful hanging flowers everywhere.
We met a couple from Canada, Dick and Ruth Foster, who did the trip to the Bahamas on their 33 ft Erickson. They quit their jobs and took off for 10 months. They had some great advise.

"There are destinations, beyond destinations, and so the confirmed sailor goes on tacking forever." Richard Bode