Thomas Jessup

Crossing  from Presqu’ile

Crossing  from Presqu’ile Ontario to Rochester NY Harbor Sept. 13^th,2002

This was a special crossing.  We have sailed across Lake Ontario at least twice a year and sometimes more for 26 years.  This one was the one to remember.

As I write this the morning after, the room feels as if it is still moving with the rhythm of the lake.  Lake Ontario, forms part of the border between Canada and the United States. Although the smallest of the Great Lakes at 193 miles in length , a breadth of 53 miles, and maximum depth of 802 feet, this is a significant body of water.  This year’s vacation cruise got shoved back into September because of a series of conflicts and disasters and parts failures on the boat.  We turned the schedule over to the Lord asking Him to provide for the best.

We left Rochester Thursday Sept. 5th knowing that we had to be back no later than Sunday the 14^th.  We had beautiful summer weather.  It was much warmer than normal for most of the week.  Our first crossing from Fair Haven NY to Wapoos on the north shore of  the lake was a nice sail in west winds that never got over 10 kts.  We anchored and laid over behind Wapoos Island  and kept cool by swimming every couple of hours, it was that hot.

We made our way back through the protected waters of the Bay of Quinte a series of  lake like bodies of water north of the almost island of  Prince Edward County.
http://www.quinte.on.ca/sites/map.htm is a site that shows the map of the area.  Presqu’ile Bay is to the south of Brighton on the map and is reached by traveling west through the Murray Canal, part of the Trent Severn canal system.  This bay is a jump off point for cruisers heading across to the south shore or west to Toronto. Wednesday the 11^th we holed up in Bellville because of gale force north winds.

Thursday we got to Presqu'ile and waited out 30 kts. overnight southwest winds.  Winds were forecast to veer to west 10 to 20 kts. by Friday Morning.  Saturday was forecast to have building winds from the South and Sunday was worse with a powerful cold front coming in from the west.  Friday was our window.

We changed to our working jib and reefed the main while still at the dock.  A couple heading for Toronto radioed us from the out in the lake that the wind was west with seas 6 ft. with occasional white caps.  That seemed OK since the weather forecast was for the west winds to diminish and back to southwest.

It was 10:30 AM.  When we got onto the lake and unfurled the jib we saw that we needed the reefed main as well to power through the southwest swells left over from the night before.  Maranatha, our Pearson 30 sloop was sailing very comfortably heeling about 20 degrees on a beam reach in westerly's that were close to 10 kts.  It looked like it would be a fast passage of the 47 nautical miles south to Rochester.

Around noon we were noticing more westerly swells being added to the southwest making the seas confused.  They were steepening up and I became the helm person of choice.  The west wind had built to 15 to 20 kts.  I was now concentrating on keeping the boat mounting the fronts of these seas as they came sweeping towards us.  We were both tied into the boat by tethers attached to harnesses in our inflatable life vests.  About the time one of the waves rolled us and put the winches in the water we decided to put the cabin slides in to prevent the cabin from filling if we did get a serious knockdown.

This was a bright blue sky day.  The seas were dangerous but beautiful with the sun glinting like silver off each of the wind whipped facets on their surfaces.  I now had to concentrate fully on each approaching wave.  I found that if I looked away even to check the compass course, a wave would catch us and either start to roll us or the boat would drop off the back of the wave with a bang and a lurch.  Linda and I had been praying separately and had sung our hymn, “Fear not for I have Redeemed Thee” from Isaiah 43:2 &3.  I had been asking Jesus to calm the waters as He had for the apostles on the Sea of Galilee.

I got an answer to prayer.  God, as he so often does, doesn’t change the circumstances but changes our thinking about them.  I realized that I had a choice.  I could entertain fear or I could reject fear and live life one wave at a time.  I told Linda about how these waves, which by now were looking more like something out of a white water rafting video than waves on a lake, were the Lord’s creation.  We are His created creatures.  We are here experiencing His water world in a very privileged way.  We can be present to each wave as it comes.  Experience it for what it is, and not fear it.  Then we can experience the next one, being part of it.  And we can do this for as long as it takes and not dwell on how-much-longer-must-I-endure.

Conditions got worse.  We were at mid lake by now.  We had picked up a third wave train, northerlies left over from the gale of two days ago.  The westerly swells were huge by now.  We were experiencing the full 100 nautical mile fetch from the west end of Lake Ontario.  I would see off to windward three of these monsters running as a unit out ahead of us.  Their tops were breaking into white water as they came on.  When we met them I would angle Maranatha diagonally up the steep face keeping up boat speed.  We would crest the monster.  Then stare down into the abyss, the trough between the first and second wave.  It looked like a ski hill.  Down we’d go, trying to keep up boat speed to get over number two.  How high was that thing?  Not a chance that I could look away to compare it to the mast height.  Over number two.  Now the abyss again.  Keep the speed up, mount number three.  At the top we get pushed forward by a northerly swell right on top of the monster.  I saw waves breaking into foam from two directions creating a frothy vee.  But I was in the God given zone.  Grace to overcome adversity, sufficient for each wave, then onto the next. I had the peace that passes understanding.

Well one more thing was added to the mix.  Lake freighters.  Ahead as we rode out of the troughs I saw a freighter.  She  was one or two miles away but which way is she heading?  How do I pass behind her?  The cabin is sealed I can’t even radio her to ask.  Linda is taking bearings in the wild water ride created by the three converging wave trains.  Every few minutes a wave on a wave will smack the topsides and come aboard soaking us with the warm water.  I’m really thankful this is fresh water and not salt hitting me in the face and eyes.  Linda thinks she’s westbound.  We are getting closer and the bearing is not changing. That means a collision course.  Finally the freighter is moving across our bow.  It’s eastbound.  I can pass behind easily with out having to tack away.  Less than 15 minutes later there is another freighter, closer this time and more up wind.  I’m seeing her port side, can I go ahead of her?  I don’t want to try but we are moving fast enough to make it close.  I have to slow the boat down, but not too much, can’t let the boat stall going up the face of these monster waves or we’ll get thrown back on our rudder.  That could do some real damage.  Between the biggest waves I pinch upwind to luff the sails and slow us down.  Slowly we see more of her port side and she passes ahead and I can fall off and get the boat speed up again.  We are half way across to Rochester.

Conditions don’t get worse.  W e are moving, rising and falling with each wave one at a time.  An hour later conditions are less severe.  We are starting to feel the lee effect of the south shore cutting down the southwest swells.  We are getting more of the northerly swell but much less of the southwesterly.  We are surfing towards the south shore on some of these northerly swells, which are right on top of the westerly's.  By now we are seeing some of the larger buildings  of  Rochester as we rise to the top of the waves.  The largest waves are running a measly 6 to 8 feet.  10 miles out of Rochester the seas are much calmer.  We shake out the reef in the main because the wind has dropped and boat speed is below 5 kts.  Within 5 nmi.  of  the shore the wind dies then backs to southwest and builds for a magnificent sail, close hauled on starboard tack, right to the breakwater of the Genesee River.

It’s 19:00 hours, the sun is setting and we’re home.  We have had a daylong experience living moment by moment sustained by grace, in God’s wonderful water world. Praise the Lord.