20 day cruise

[powerboater56]

Just got back from a 20-day cruise from Lake St. Clair north of Detroit to Jamestown, RI. I was bringing home a 2005 Albin 35 CB I bought in Harrison Township, MI.

The cruise was awesome. We went down the Detroit River to Lake Erie, then along the south coast of Lake Erie to Buffalo. That took a week or so -- Lake Erie was pretty rough for a couple of days, and the cruising was kind of bland. Erie, PA was a good stop, and Mentor, OH was OK, but Vermilion and West Harbor were so-so. Detroit YC on the Detroit River was a great place to stop.

Buffalo at the East end of Lake Erie was a terrific stop. We also spent a night in nearby Tonawanda having minor mechanical issues resolved.

We loved the Erie Canal. The western end especially is almost forgotten -- we spent days cruising miles of scenic, quiet canal sections where we wouldn't pass more than one or two other cruising boats all day. The towns love cruising people and places like Medina, Ilion, Fairport and others have attractive canal front areas with electric power and showers/bathrooms. Sylbvan Beach was a funky, fun little resort town, and the waterfront part in Amsterdam is lovely although the town is grim.

The locks are OK but lose their charm after the first few. We had a couple of rough sessions when there was a high wind pushing the boat around, but made it through without more than a few tense moments and no damage.

The Hudson River is a super place to cruise. Few shallow places to worry about, very unspoiled, there are good places like Kingston, Troy, Haverstraw to stop, and parts of the Hudson around West Point are incredibly spectacular.

The 35 CB proved to be a fantastic cruising boat for two people. The huge master cabin forward had enough stowage space for all clothes and gear, and the galley was usable and efficient. Lounging space is a tad tight, but we never felt cabin fever even after several weeks. The lighting and electrical systems are well-thought out, although we never ran the generator -- we plugged in to shore power every night. As far as deck space I think the 35 CB design introduced in 2005 with big storage spaces in the transom is a major improvement over the 32+2 -- I stored endless dock lines, spare parts, a spare anchor etc. with no problem.

We were delighted by the performance of the 35CB. OTTER has a 440 Yanmar and we cruised effortlessly at 18-19knots at about 2550-2650 rpm. At times I throttled back and cruised at 25000 rpm - 16-17 knots. Much of the Erie Canal is limited to 10 knots. We hit some fairly rough weather on Lake Erie and the Albin ride was reasonably soft at 14-15 knots. OTTER is not particularly agile in tight spaces with the deep keel, but I'm learning gradually how to maneuver around marinas and docks. Overall we were very pleased with the boat, and we had almost no mechanical or electrical problems the whole way.

A great cruise. I'd do it again tomorrow.

John Schieffelin
OTTER -- 35 CB

[jcollins]

I am sooo jealous over the boat AND the cruise. Sounds as if everything was pretty much without incident.

[Pitou]

It sounds like you had a successful and memorable deilivery. 20 days aboard is a great way to get to know a new boat. Beautiful !

[zinbaad]

WOW! That Sounds like such a beautiful cruise and what better way to get familiar with your Albin . I can only dream about such an adventure. If I only had the time. Good luck with her.

PS Did you wave to me as you passed through Hellsgate & the Whitestone Bridge??

[powerboater56]

I couldn't wave to anyone at Hellsgate and Whitestone Bridge -- it was pounding rain and major tide rips were keeping me busy. I love the removable vinyl enclosure on the bridge except in rain -- the front panels are scratched from being rolled up frequently for four years and I can't see much through them when it rains.

John S.
OTTER