We left Kingsland Bay on with a beautiful sunny sky and light winds, so we decided to explore the New York side of the Lake. The Vermont side has most of the well protected bays for anchoring and lots of state parks to enjoy, but the New York Adirondacks provide the most dramatic views.
Here are some of the mountains and small coves we explored.
The first cove was Barn Rock Bay. It was a bit to small for our boat. Would have to tie off with a stern anchor to the shore.
Next was Partridge Bay even smaller.
We then traveled a bit further south to the small town of Westport, New York to anchor. Past spectacular Mountain View’s.
We will take on the small town of Westport this afternoon. Westport has its beginnings in 1875 as a port for iron, lumber, bricks, wool and hay. In the 1890’s steamships stopped daily to bring freight and passengers to Westport. The lake shore also hosted saw and grain mills, a potash ashery and a tannery. None of the mill structures remain, but remnants of the forges have been incorporated into newer structures. The town now depends on tourism and its marine industry. The once vibrant town took a hit during Covid and is still trying to rebuild. There were some beautiful old homes from the later 1800’s and early 1900’s.
A special treat was a visit to Bessboro gift shop and Mary, the clerk, who presented us with her bounty of tomatoes from her garden and upon hearing we needed to find a hardware store, she called a local store, confirmed they had what we needed and then loaned us her car to get there. Thank you again Mary.
Videos Bill took while we were traveling.
Drone shots we took of our anchorage.
September 1. Day 137. On to Crown Point. 8.2. Nm. Total 2548
We left Westport on a beautiful sunny day and 60 degrees. Bill and I are in our sweatshirts and windbreakers and the wind is a bit nippy!
On our way we cruised past Arnold Bay, where Benedict Arnold scuttled his fleet on October, 1776. Benedict Arnold’s mission was to build a fleet of substantial size and to stall the British fleet for as long as possible. He accomplished this by using 3 stolen sloops and building many maneuverable rowing vessels, then taking his fleet to hide behind Valcour Island to await the British fleet that was coming south. Greatly outnumbered in ships and men, Benedict Arnold used to element of surprise to his advantage and engaged the British in battle. As night fell the American fleet, knowing it would be defeated slipped away in the fog. The next days the British chased after the American Fleet down Lake Champlain. Benedict Arnold then scuttled the fleet in Arnold Bay allowing the sailors to escape.
We continued our trip south passing Cole Bay, the ever present Adirondack Mountains and the small town of Port Henry. Going under the Champlain bridge at Crown Point we traveled another two miles to anchor. As you can see the lake narrows again at Crown Point.
After we got settled, we took off in the dinghy to explore the remnants of two forts, one French and one British on the northern end of Crown Point.
Fort St. Federic was a French fort built in 1734 to secure the region from British colonization. The fort was built of limestone with 18 inch thick walls, a four story watchtower and housed 62 guns. The French used the fort for raids on the British settlements. The British then began expeditions to capture the fort. The fort was later destroyed by the French when in 1759, British invasion was evident. Today all that is left is the foundation blocks, a well and some earthworks. It is easy to see why the French chose this site for a fort as it is perched on a stone cliff and has a commanding view of Lake Champlain to the north.
The British took possession of the fort but did not rebuild it. They built another fort 200 yards further inland and higher up the cliff called His Majesty’s Fort of Crown Point. The fort covered 7 acres and was the largest British fortification in North America. The fort was a limestone and wooden structure with 20 inch thick walls surrounded by a dry moat. Inside were two limestone buildings housing the soldiers and officers and an armory, a well and supply depot. In 1773 a fire destroyed the log portion of the fort and the British did not attempt to rebuild. In 1775, the American Revolutionaries took control of the fort, but the British regained control of the fort in 1777 and held the fort til the end of the Revolutionary War.
Today the earthworks, moat and limestone walls and chimneys of the soldier quarters remain. It was interesting to walk through the grounds and imagine what it was like to live in the fort so long ago.
Bill took some drone shots of the anchorage. We did not have much of a sunset, but the stars were magnificent!
