June 28 - July 5th Day 35 - 42
Gananoque Ontario - Kingston Ontario

Start 7:00am
End 9:45am
Underway 2:45
Distance 18
Weather 62 partly Sunny wind 7KN NW
Locks 0
Total Locks 36
Total Miles on Trip 683
Avg Speed 6.5

I don't even know where to start this blog. First we left very early to get to Kingston by 9am, to pick up a rental car. July 5th, is Angel's dad's 90th birthday, and we went home for a surprise birthday party.

Well as normal with boating, nothing goes as planned. I will start by telling you one of my quotes "Everything on your boat is broken, you just don't know it yet!" While traveling to Kingston the port engine started smoking. It was a thick smoke and you could smell the fuel in it. We limped to Kingston and made it safely to the dock.

Unfortunately I was not able to look into the problem, We were heading back to New Jersey for Poppy's, surprise birthday party. The fun and games did not stop with motor problems; our next adventure was with US Customs.

At the customs booth I was asked the typical questions, why were we in Canada, how long were we there, did we have anything to declare, did we have any drugs, alcohol, plants, fruits, vegetables? I answered no to all of the questions. We were the lucky ones that were selected for secondary screening, the Border Patrol Agent directed us to pull over to the inspection bays, and go inside. As we were parking Angel told me that she had packed a tomato and cucumber in the cooler. Going inside the first thing I did was to let the agent know that we had them. After a stern lecture, and a quick inspection, they confiscated the tomato, let us keep the cucumber, and sent us on our way.

Traveling back to New Jersey we picked up the RV, and stayed in a campground in South Jersey. It was great to be back in the RV, and we are looking forward to spending more time in it this winter.

Poppy's party was a big success. Angel's daughter Jen did a great job putting the party together and Poppy was very happy to see everyone. It was well worth everything it took to make the party happen.

After traveling back to Canada and the boat it was time to start diagnosing the problem. After talking to a couple of friends that are mechanics and checking what I was capable of, it was time to call in a mechanic. At the recommendation of the marina, I called Don's Marine Service and was surprised when they said they would have a mechanic out that day.

What appeared to be a good start to fixing the problem, has turned into a nightmare. While the mechanic Kevin, seems to be very knowledgeable and capable, it does not look like he can or will fix the problem. His original diagnosis was two bad fuel injectors, and he has taken the top half of the motor apart to get to the injectors, only to tell me he does not have the tool needed to remove the injectors. It will take him a week to get the tool, but then he is going on vacation for two weeks. I have asked him to put the motor back together so I can get back to Brewery NY. The marina we stayed at there, has assured me they can fix the boat in a timely fashion. Hopefully by early next week we will be able to head back there.

Stay tuned for more updates!