CSS Winter Cruise

In 2006 Trish and I initiated what is now called The Winter Cruise. Each year since members of the RCYC have gone on a car cruise in the winter. This year Trish and I ran the cruise to Buffalo New York. Buffalo is about 1.5 hours from the west end of Toronto. To this time you must add boarder time. My wife Trish, our daughter Kelly, and I crossed at the Peace Bridge around 7:00 P.M. on Thursday. There was literally no one in front of us so it took about 3 minutes with a very friendly American Boarder Guard.

We arrived on Thursday because we were going to Rochester New York Friday to see the new Irish Mist. I needed to take a picture from the stern facing forward for the Canadian Registration. We all also just wanted to see her again. Needless to say we are very excited and cannot wait to get her in the water. None of us have seen her wet.

 This is the picture we need to send to the government in order to register the boat in Canada. I am not at all sure what it will tell them but it along with several others will be sent as soon as The US Coast Guard send us The Deletion Letter on Blue Ribbon Paper. This requirement was change about a week and a half after we bought the boat and got a deletion letter without the blue ribbon.

On Friday night we returned in time to have dinner with my sisters and friends Carson and Pat Woods. By now there were several members around having traveled to Buffalo early. There was a country and western signer in town. This in itself was fine, but when the concert goers returned they were very noisy. While they did not disturb me many of our party did wake up. Every one got over it with a little complaining at breakfast.

Our first stop was the Frank Loyd Wright's (FLW) Fontana Boat House. There is a long story which you should look up but I am not going to go through here. The short version is FLW designed the Boat House for The University of Wisconsin rowing team in the 1920's, but it was never built. In and around 2002 a group of senior rowers in Buffalo decided to build it on the shores of The Niagara River next to there rowing facility.
It was completed in 2007 and is used as a rowing boat house today.

 The Frank Loyd Wright Fontana Boat House

First Floor Shell Storage

 Second Floor Meeting Room

From the Boat house we went to The Buffalo Yacht Club. It was founded in 1860 just eight years after us and is one of the oldest clubs in North America. The club was ready for our arrival and had lunch prepared. While it was overcast and cold outside our reception inside could not have been warmer. We could not stay too long for our day was full, but we did take a little tour after lunch and were on our way

Trish and Kelly Outside The Buffalo Yacht Club

 Inside Their Main floor Bar

As I just said Trish and I had organized a very full day. From the yacht club we were off to the Darwin Martin House. Once again there is a very long story which you should look up and if you are in Buffalo go and see the building for yourself. I will give you a very short version. Darwin Martin was a wealthy businessman in Buffalo around the turn of the last century. He decided he needed a big house and had FLW design and build him a 14,000 square foot Prairie Home. When FLW designed a home he insisted you fill it with FLW designed furniture. He also arrange the lighting which was always dim and i think he might have suggested menus and reading material as long as neither the menus or reading material was in view. The guards who accompanied us on our tour would not let us take any picture as long as there was a roof over our heads. This is the reason there are no inside pictures. The renewal of the house which had long periods of neglect since 1937 is costing over 50 million dollars.

The Darwin Martin House Buffalo New York

Following the tour some of us went directly to St. Louis Church the oldest Roman Catholic Church in The Buffalo Diocese for mass. The rest went to the hotel and prepared for the traditional CSS wine and cheese. since there are problems bringing liquor across the boarder it was a BYOB affair.  We had a draw for two books Trish and I had purchased. There were 29 names in the hat and the first one out was Trish. She graciously declined the prize and we drew again. The next winner was Doug Bullock and the third name out of the basket was my sister Margaret.

Margaret and Doug Receiving Their Prizes

The Group 

Once the picture was taken we were off again. This time for a 17 minute walk up Main Street to The Anchor Bar. This of course is were they invented the chicken wing. Before 1964 chickens did not have wings and to this day still are not very good fryers sorry that's a miss spelling I meant flyers. For obvious reasons they had originally tried to put the wings on the Buffalo, but it just would not work. The Buffalo did not get their wings, but the name stuck and the wings while actually chicken are known as Buffalo Wings.

The Plaque Outside The Anchor Bar

 Saturday Morning Outside The Anchor Bar

 The Group Just Getting Seated

Sunday morning I did something I had meant to do for a few years. Trish Kelly and I drove up to Lockport New York and looked at The Erie Canal. It was a bit of a let down. I knew there would be no boats, but there was no water. I sure hope they meant it to be empty. We decided to go home and crossed at the Lewiston/Queenston Bridge and once again had quick trip and a very friendly boarder guard.

One of The Five Erie Canal Locks at Lockport New York

Commodore Edward M. Hodder Dinner

February 16, 2013 Edward M. Hodder Dinner

Last night we held the Hodder Dinner eight of the ten boats were present. This year we have three new members. Each new member may and generally is more then one person, I will explain.

The Edward M. Hodder Cruising Award is given to Members of The Royal Canadian Yacht Club who have completed the requirements of the Hodder. In two cases it has been awarded to a single handed sailor, but most recipients are married couples with or without children. Of the ten recipients two are power boats and the rest are sail boats.

The requirements are you spend at least one night at 41 ports or anchorages around Lake Ontario and The St. Lawrence River. It is named for Dr. Edward  Hodder who was a racer, cruiser and Commodore of our club for 19 of its first 26 years. In 1857 Dr. Hodder wrote a cruising guide for Lake Ontario and dedicated it to the members of our club in the hope they would get off the dock and cruise around the lake.

I created the rule book which each member fills out as they cruise, in 2004. The idea came from a discussion I had in 2003 with a good friend Peter Edwards. It has been enthusiastically accepted by the cruising members of the club and is starting to spread. Good friends Ted and Sue Baker of The Kingston (Ontario) Yacht Club have copied the idea and have created The Frontenac Award for their club.

When Peter Edwards and I first thought of the Award we had no idea it would be as successful as it has become. We were asking Members of The Royal Canadian Yacht Club to stay over night in 40 or more ports, harbours, islands or friends docks and mooring balls. Since we had no idea that The Award would go anywhere originally it was run by me and financed by both The RCYC and private donations. Now that we have 21 awardees all decisions are made by those who have The Hodder.

I think that it would work in many other locations. If you would like to learn more or wish to ask me any question please get in touch.

Second Trip to the Spa

Last week Trish, my sisters, Mary, Margaret, Joan and I went out to Bruckmann's to see the progress to Pipe Dream. The picture below shows the deck with a white coat of primer. The final colour will be sand with white accents. This picture also shows the new hard window frame. My sisters were very pleased with the work. They have been promised the boat will be on the island by sailpast which is May 18th this year.

The next picture shows the interior progression. The new counter is down and the varnishing has begun.


The final picture is of the head. No head yet but you can see the new sink.

Pat Your Boat Day

This past Sunday was Pat Your Boat Day at The Royal Canadian Yacht Club. The day started about twenty to twenty-five years ago with a few members agreeing to meet one Sunday on the island and have lunch.
The RCYC has two club houses. The city club is at Bloor and St. George. This is were we play squash. Our boats are kept on the islands about three miles south of Downtown Toronto. Since our launches are not running we take the city ferry and walk the 1.5 miles or 2 kilometers to the club. Te following pictures are of the ferry ride and the hockey game on the lagoons we see along the way.

Some of the 80 to 100 participants

This is a picture of our island club house from the bay

Two pictures of the hockey game

Bella and Lexie

This past fall while Trish, Kelly and I where away in Denver Katie went out and bought two Yorkshire Terriers. One for her and one for Trish. They are finally big enough to show up in a picture. I thought I would show the two of them to you so when I talked about Bella Trish's dog and Lexie Katie's you would know what I was talking about.