4 Day Cruise from Henderson Harbor, NY to Cayuga Lake, NY

[gregpalmr]

Cruising in a Trojan F-28 Sedan Bridge from Henderson Harbor, NY to Cayuga Lake, NY

I purchased a 1977 Trojan F-28 Sedan Bridge at the end of last season and my girlfriend and I
decided to relocate it from Henderson Harbor, NY to Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region.

I have owned small boats before, but never a twin engine 28 footer, so I drove up the week
before and hired the local dock master to show me how to safely operate the vessel. I gained
some confidence in the boats capabilities as well as my own capabilities. So, over the holiday weekend
we cruised over 100 miles through Eastern Lake Ontario, Oswego Canal, Erie Canal and the
Cayuga/Seneca Canal to our new home at Frontenac Harbor Marina in Union Springs, NY. Here is
my diary of our journey, one which we will never forget and will always look back on with fondness
and humor. We also hope that we have many more boating journeys to come.


Friday May 27th, 2016
-----------------------------

7:00 AM - We worked all morning getting the boat ready for the voyage. After lunch we
we ready to start our first leg of the journey. I was worried about running
out of fuel. The previous weekend we burned about 31 gallons of fuel with
several trips to Sackets Harbor at up to 3500 RPMs. The math showed we should
make it to Oswego from Henderson Harbor, but I still worried. I couldn't find
any fuel burn charts in the Trojan or Chrysler engine owner's manuals and I found
some references in posts on this forum, but I did find an old magazine article
from the 70's on the Trojan F-28 and they had a nice chart that showed speed
and fuel burn rates at various RPMs. I know this old boat wouldn't match a new
new boat with a clean hull, new engines and props, but at least it
was something to reference. So I printed it out and put it in front of me
at the helm right behind the compass.

1:30 PM - We departed Henderson Harbor, NY with 100 Gal of Fuel.

It took about 45 minutes to get around Henderson Bay and south to open water
cruising at 2000 RPM and around 10 MPH.

The water was very smooth, almost like glass which was a good thing, because
if it was not, this novice sailer would have turned back. We crossed Eastern
Lake Ontario, cruising at 2500 RPM and around 14.5 MPH. I was nervous on this
part because we were so far from either shore. I watched the engine gauges and
listened for any alerting changes in engine or boat noises, and at the same time
I watched for other boats (none around) and our course line. Once I had a course
to Oswego (180 on the compass), I tested myself to see if I could keep on course
using only the compass. It reminded me of my cross country flights in my Cessna
airplane where I would do the same thing. I would make sure I could follow my compass
and correct for winds, so if I lost my GPS, I could still get near my next waypoint or
my destination if I was on the final leg. And just like in my plane, I was always
thinking "what would I do if my engines quite right now". Life preservers, flairs,
floatation devices all within a few steps if we needed them. Plus I had the ship's marine
radio and a newly purchased hand-held marine radio nearby.

4:53 PM - We arrived at the Port of Oswego Marina and took on 44 gallons of fuel which
gave us an average of 12.5 GPH on this leg.

We rented a slip with power and water for $42.00 and had a great dinner at a
sports bar near the marina


Saturday May 28th, 2016
-------------------------------

7:40 AM - We entered the first lock on the Oswego Canal (Lock 8 ). This was our very first lock
experience and we weren't too sure of ourselves, but we grabbed the ropes OK.

While attempting to exit lock, starboard engine would not start, it
just clicked when I turned the key! Matt, the very helpful lock operator,
came over and, using the bow line, walked our boat out of the lock to the
cement wall just beyond it. He gave us the name of a few mechanics and we called one.
The mechanic showed up in an hour and said the ignition "black box"
was not sending any voltage to the starter. Hooking a jumper battery to the
starter enabled it to start right up. His proposed solution was to get a
battery cable and hook directly from the starter battery to the starter. Since
all the stores were closed, he had to drive back to his shop and get a couple
of battery cables. I asked if this would also happen to the port engine soon and
he said he didn't know, but I asked him to put a separate battery cable on the
port engine too (I later regretted that). He also adjusted the idle on the port
engine, saying it was idling faster than the starboard engine.

2:00 PM - After the maintenance delay, we proceeded to the nearby Locks 7 and 6 and eastward
on the Oswego canal.

3:00 PM - We entered Lock 5 in Minetto, NY.

We lost our mid-ship bumper/fender, and it started to float out of the lock ahead of us.
My first mate used our hook to pick it up as I slowly cruised past it.

After cruising at no-wake speeds for while because of other boats, the port engine
began to stall (the one the mechanic had adjusted). I stopped at the public dock
in Monetto and re-adjusted the carb to idle a little faster and continued on.

4:00 PM - We entered Lock 3, the first lock in Fulton, NY.

The lock operator said we may not be able to get a slip or tie up in Phoenix, NY,
so we decided to stay here for the night (and since we were a little frazzled from
our maintenance issues). The shower didn't have a light bulb, so we walked to
a drug store and bought light bulbs and then took showers and had a great seafood
dinner at "Tavern on the Locks" restaurant.

We decided to go through the nearby Lock 2 in Fulton so we could get fresh start
in the morning without waiting for the lock to open at 7am. However, the Lock 2 operator
said we would have no trouble getting a slip or tie up in Phoenix and that they had a
VFW 70th anniversary field day event with live entertainment. He also said we could
get there in time at 10 MPH. So we took his advice and began cruising towards Lock 1 in
Phoenix, NY.

At around 9:00 PM, I started worrying that we would not make it by dark and that the
lock operator meant we could get there in time before the lock closed at 10pm, and not by
dark. I had my first mate helping me keep in sight the red and green bouy channel markers
and then when I though we were there, I saw what I thought was the lock and turned
right towards it, only to find my GPS/Depth Gauge showing us entering shoal conditions. I
radioed the lock operator and asked him if he could see me, but he couldn't. Then I had my
first mate call out to some guys fishing on a small boat and they said we took a
wrong turn and to follow them back to the main channel towards the lock!

Now it is really dark and I am waiting for the lock operator to see if we are too tall
for the road bridge just before the lock. He said we were and had to wait for him to
raise the bridge. After he stopped the car traffic he raised the bridge, we proceeded
to the opened lock.


9:45 PM - We arrived at Lock 1 in Pheonix, NY.

After a long day we were very happy to tie up in Pheonix on their very nice town dock
and we stowed our stuff, locked the cabin door and walked a few blocks to the VFW
event. Unfortunately, while walking, my first mate twisted her ankle, but not too bad.


Sunday, May 29th, 2016
-----------------------------

9:00 AM - We departed Phoenix, NY for the Erie Canal and Baldwinsville, NY.

This leg of the canal is full of nice water side homes with lots of small boats, so
we spent most of the hours running at 5 MPH. The starboard side engine didn't seem to
mind, but the port engine would stall out after running at low power for a while.
The water temp gauge didn't show an over heating issue though. A few times I
couldn't get it restarted and thought I might try to dock at a homeowner's private
dock and ask for help or at least a place to rest. After a while, I learned how to
steer the boat with just the starboard engine, so I continued on one engine.

1:00 PM - When we finally arrived at Lock 24 in Baldwinsville, NY, The port engine wouldn't
start up, and I didn't want to try to enter the lock with limited steering ability,
so I decided to attempt to dock at the town dock just before the lock. Well, I was
hoping to come in shallow with one engine so my first mate could get one line secured,
but there we were two young boys swimming mid dock and one of them couldn't get out
of the water and back onto the dock. So I had to come in almost bow first to avoid
them and my first mate jumped over the bow railing to get onto the dock, forgetting
that she twisted her ankle the night before. She didn't scream, but her face showed
the pain and the was unable to walk now. The boy who couldn't get out of the
water had to use my swim latter to get out of the water, onto our boat, and then
onto the dock.

It was clear, that a foot brace was needed and our small first aid kit did not have
one, so I walked to a drug store (again) and purchased one for my first mate. It
seemed to help, so we turned our attentions to our port engine issue.

While trying to start the port engine again, I realized that when I turned the ignition
key for port engine, it actually made the starboard engine start!! I was dumbfounded,
but I thought maybe it was those two battery cables that the mechanic installed in Oswego.
So, I removed them both and put it into the configuration that existed before he touched
them. No luck, both engines solenoids just clicked, clicked, clicked, with no starter
getting any power. So, I put the two battery cables back on and though maybe I could use
a screw driver on the port engine's solenoid "S" post to start it, just like I did
as a kid with my '72 Chevy Vega. That did work! Now I was able to start both
engines. But I knew I couldn't keep starting the engine with a screw driver each time
the port engine stalled, so I decided to stay here for the rest of the day and try to
get a mechanic in the morning. The town had a better dock with water and electric on
the other side of the lock, so I started both engines, called the lock operator
and asked to enter the lock.

As we sat under a shade tree, we were thinking how we could maybe get our car from our
our original launch point in Henderson Harbor, NY. I called some rental car companies,
but they were all closed. I then tried the U-Haul dealer, thinking we could rent a truck
and use it for the day. I found one that had a truck, but he was located a few miles
outside of town. As I was talking to the U-Haul guy, Bob, a volunteer at the town
visitor center booth, just a few feet from our boat, asked us if we needed any info before
he closed up for the day. We told him our issue and he volunteered to give me a ride to the
U-Haul dealer which was on the way to his home! After he dropped me off, he gave me his
phone number and said to call him if we needed anything else. What a great guy!

I got the U-Haul and my first mate and I drove to Henderson to get our car. On the way,
she made me stop twice to get some large snapping turtles off the road so they wouldn't
get killed (she is famous for helping animals in need, even small birds). Wow, those
snappers can really swing their necks around to bite you! But I avoided any bites.

While driving, I remembered back in my Chevy Vega days, that there was a way to hook a
switch up to the solenoid and battery to start the engine remotely, but I couldn't
how it was done. I stopped at an Autozone parts place thinking the guys inside could
help me with the idea. Unfortunately, the guys said that you would need a really long
battery cable and they didn't sell them. So I went back to our U-Haul van and told my
first mate that it wouldn't work. She said something like "why do you need a long
battery cable?" and it made me realize, yea, I don't need a long battery cable, just a
two 10 gauge wires for the 12 positive battery connection and a momentary switch! So
I headed back in and discussed it more with the guys and came out with a spool of 10 gauge
wire, some (non-marine grade) crimp on terminals and a switch. I told my first mate that
I would try it in the morning just to get us to our destination where I can have a marine
mechanic properly diagnose the ignition problems.

Monday, May 30th, 2016
-----------------------------

The next morning, I opened the engine room hatches (I love that the F-28 has the hatches
outside of the salon), and began my experiment. After a while I said I was done and ready
to test it. My remote switch which I set on the lower helm worked and I was confident that
we could complete our final leg to Cayuga Lake (which was another 37 miles). We fueled up
at Coopers Marina and took on 40.5 gallons of fuel.

11:10 AM - We left Lock 24 and Baldwinsville and headed west on the Erie Canal, cruising at 1000 RPM
or 5 MPH when boats were around and at 1900 RPMS and 8.8 MPH when there were no boats.

At 1:25 PM, the port engine stalled and I continued on with the starboard engine at 2100
RPM and 7.5 MPH, knowing that I could restart the port engine later with my home made
starter switch. At 2:00 PM, I restarted the port engine and ran both at 2100 RPM and
10.5 MPH. Both engines sound really good at 2100 RPM.

2:45 PM - We saw the sign to turn south towards the Cayuga/Seneca Canal, and took the turn.

3:25 PM - We arrived at Lock 1 on the Cayuga/Seneca Canal, just north of Cayuga Lake. Because of
our maintenance issues, our two day canal pass expired so I radioed the operator that
I would have to buy another pass. He said "OK" and I would have to come ashore to buy
it. After we tied our lines to the cables on the lock, I went ashore and did the
paperwork for the pass and paid my 15 dollars. He walked back to the operators shack
and I stopped to take a picture of my first mate on the boat and I guess I took too
long, because he began to open the lock doors which double as the walk way to get to
other side of the lock, where our boat was! Jokingly, I yelled to the people watching
from the fence line, that I could jump across it (I knew I couldn't). The operator
saw that I was not as fast as he hoped I would be and closed the doors again for me
to cross.

4:30 PM - We finally arrived at our slip at Frontenac Harbor Marina where our slip mates quickly
got off their boats to help tie our bow and stern lines. We introduced ourselves, talked
about our journey (some of them made similar journeys previously), stowed some things, and
headed for the showers! We talked with them more later, sat on our comfy deck chairs and
watched the sun set. It was a beautiful end to the journey.

But, we still had to get our car from Baldwinsville, where we left it earlier that day. I
called several taxi services but they said they couldn't go that far. I even tried the
U-Haul trick, but none were near by. Finally my first mate called her Mom and her Son
and they agreed to drive several hours the next morning and help us retrieve our car.

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016
-------------------------------

7:00 AM - We both slept well and though our tasks were done for now, but my first mate commented
on how she didn't hear the bulge pump go on at all last night. So I pulled out the
bulge pump switch and nothing happened. I then lifted up the carpet and the hatch to
the bulge pump to see that the water level was indeed above the float and the pump was
not working. I pulled the fuse panel and saw that the fuse had blown. I replaced the
5 amp fuse with a spare that was on board and it immediately blew again. Oh no! I can't
leave the boat for a few weeks without a bilge pump. I did some trouble shooting and
thought that it may be the pump that is shorting out, so I walked to the marina store
and bought a new pump. Hooking it up and replacing the fuse showed that is was
not the pump, because this new one didn't start either.

I did some more tests and found that no power was coming from the bilge pump wires
from the electrical panel. Trojan has wires that go to the float and are supposed to
always have power, and some wires that provide switched power to the pump when the
bilge pump switch is pulled. There must be a short somewhere between the electrical
panel and the bilge area. Since we were leaving shortly, I decided to use the remainder
of my 10 gauge wire from Autozone to hook the bilge pump and float directly to the house
battery. I even found an inline fuse holder for the 5 amp fuse). It worked fine and I
double checked the float by manually raising it until it clicked.

Thinking about it now, I wonder if it is related to being on shore power? I didn't do
a test without shore power. I know the other electrical devices were working, because
I tested them (like the water pump). Not sure, will have to go back and work on it
some more.

It was a long four days and the experience really tested our boating skills and our
resolve. We both feel that it was an experience that we will always remember with
fondness and humor. Now, I have to get a mechanic to help with the ignition issues
and the port engine stalling issue. I am hoping I can fix the bilge pump electrical
issue myself.

[LSP]

Greg ..... sounds like the trip of a life time. Happy to hear you all made it safe and sound with minimal issues. Thanks for sharing

[rickalan35]

Greg, I really enjoyed reading your trip log.
Leaving Henderson Harbor and staring down that big lake while piloting a recently purchased boat, can present a pretty daunting feeling. I'm glad you had good weather for that leg.
Too bad you didn't have more time available before striking off on your trip, to log a few more "shake down runs" in and around Henderson Harbor. Those ignition issues you experienced might have occurred then and saved you some "get it fixed during the trip" headaches.
Hope you really enjoy yourself on the new boat.

Cheers

Rick

[zedtwentyate]

Great trip log! I wonder if your boat will be sitting in the slip that my recently purchased 10 meter was in...

I picked up my boat a few weeks ago and made the trip from Cayuga Lake to Oneida lake. There's something exciting about having to fix your vessel when on the canal. There are limited locations to support your repair and you have to become very resourceful. It sounds like you certainly are!

One work of caution. The work that the marina does seems to be somewhat questionable. I've been fixing everything they did on this old boat of mine. Prime example: New fresh water pump leaked due to 3 hoses being connected together and only a couple had actual hose clamps in place. The main line coming off the fresh tank also was just pushed on to the threaded connector. No clamp, no threaded fitting, just pressed on and leaking.

Hopefully you continue to do your own repairs, because I bet your quality control is significantly higher!

You're in Trojan Country over there! The largest dealer in the world (self proclaimed) used to have a marina on that lake and on Oneida. I saw three trojans when i left. 1 10 meter express, one of those carver trojans 35s and another one that was over 40'.

Tell Nick I said hi...he might run away at the mention of my name

[1967 seavoyager]

You could've stopped at J&S Marine (E-287) & gotten repaired & spent the night too. jsmarinejim.com