Saturday 062015– in ASHTABULA, OH

Weather/Sea   cloudy, no wind, 65 to  75

Captain - John C. Kwak crew Chuck Livingston

DUTCHESS is now in ASHTABULA OHIO at the ASHTABULA YACHT CLUB.  Again a very nice club but no  reciprocity for yacht club members from outside of the Great Lakes. The rate is 1.50/’ so $66.00 per day and we stayed 2 days. To get here, we sailed downwind until the wind died and then motored for most of the 46 miles from PRESQUE ISLE HARBOR. The trip took 7 hrs. 42 minutes a long slog in choppy stern wave conditions.  We arrived on Friday the 19th and stayed today Saturday the 20^th and will leave tomorrow for CHAGRIN RIVER and the CHAGRIN LAGOON YACHT CLUB.

Today we finally got the new propane powered outboard on the dinghy, hooked to the 11LB propane tank, and after a few pulls it started, WOW. Chuck and I took it for about a 1 hour ride to try her out and all went fine. This motor is a 5HP LEHR outboard that I bought at Defender in the March sale. I went to propane because the fuel is always pure and cannot get contaminated. My other gasoline outboards were always a problem because by the time I used them the gas was old and full of water. This is due to the ethanol that is now 10% of our gas.

Today the AYC had a pot luck supper and we were invited to join. Chuck made a Chicken Cabbage  Balsamic Salad which was eaten with gusto. I brought the beer, simple but effective. We are doing a lot of bike riding for fun and groceries. I am happy I brought my full size bike it rides great, Chuck has a little fold bike which works very well but he looks like a circus act.

On 6/17 and 18 we were in ERIE PA at the COMMODORE PERRY YACHT CLUB this is in Presque Isle PA which is a large natural harbor with many clubs and marinas. This is where Commodore Perry built his fleet that he used in the battle of Lake Erie. They accepted the PYC reciprocity card and gave us one free day and charged 1.50/’ for the other. The way they put it, you pay for the first day and get the second free. So we stayed for 2 days. This is a beautiful facility with a swimming pool kept at 92 degrees. We had dinner at Restaurant next door. Chuck and I went shopping courtesy of a member who drove us to 2 stores and gave us a tour of ERIE PA. Therefore a very accommodating group of people as all the clubs are so far.   In the afternoon I took a long bike ride along the waterfront to see all the other marinas and boats of course.

That is all for now. John