Published: June 03, 2008 01:58 pm      

SAILING: Sunset best on Lake Ontario cruise

Dream time on Lake Ontario

SAILS IN THE SUNSET: Join intrepid adventurer Ed Adamczyk on an elegant sail aboard a big wooden schooner from Olcott.



By Ed Adamczyk

niagaraliving@gnnewspaper.com

There is a certain charm and thrill to riding a big boat under full sail.

For those who don’t know that yet, Liberty Excursions in Olcott Beach has a fine old schooner for hire to prove it, providing a memorable voyage on Lake Ontario that includes a dramatic look at sunset on the lake.

Lake Ontario can have an ominous look to it — and a boat ride this time of the year can be a chilling experience. My wife Carrie and I, confirmed lovers of dry land and dry martinis, were adequately intrepid to sample the joys of sailing last week. The experience will long stay in our thoughts.

There was nothing scary about it. The lake quickly feels like an old friend when you’re sailing it aboard the 1936-vintage wooden sailboat of Nicholas and Amanda Alexander. They and their 51-foot schooner Liberty provide a memorable two-hour getaway that somehow feels like no other local adventure, a long and lazy ride on the water to watch the sun set on the lake.

Seven times each weekend, and each evening during the week, the Liberty sets sail with passengers aboard. Even for those of us who prefer their world indoors and air-conditioned, it’s an intensely satisfying and exciting break from modern ideas of recreation.

This is what it is: On the western end of Olcott Beach in northern Niagara County, where the durable little harbor town features the sort of sloping streets and narrow sidewalks on which Popeye and Olive Oyl would feel comfortable, the 72-year-old gaff-rigged schooner (that means two masts, with four sails) sits in its berth. You’re welcomed aboard by Captain Nick and Captain Amanda, seated in the stern of the boat (which seats six), and then you’re off, with a 50-horsepower diesel engine pumping as the craft is threaded through the harbor and onto the lake.

By the time it dawns on you that you can see downtown Toronto from here, the engine is stopped, the sails get hoisted and we’re doing elegant figure-eights on Lake Ontario. The sails are tacked to catch the wind, the sheer grace of the adventure makes you forget any trepidation, and you quickly understand why people have enjoyed this for thousands of years.

In the distance, the sun is going down. When it dramatically touches the far horizon, it’s time to return to port. Whether it feels like a trip into history or a strange out-of-body experience, these few hours on the sea have an unforgettable quality to them.

This is what it’s not: It is not a let’s-get-wet, pull-the-ropes exercise in participatory amateur seamanship. The visitor is encouraged to behave like a passenger on this adventure, with Mr. and Mrs. Alexander (and on this voyage, teenage daughter Jessica) doing all the work, all the hoisting, all the navigating. There is nothing frantic or unplanned in any of their actions, and the excursion is as relaxing as a spa treatment. You recall this, days later, as something of a dream.

Yes, on this evening it was a little cold on the water, but even we knew to expect that. The approach of summer will make the water clearer and the temperature warmer. We absolute beginners did not notice much wind, but the massive white sails clearly found enough to get us around the lake.

All along, you ask questions and hear stories. Both the proprietors of Liberty Excursions have extensive experience on the water, and respect their craft’s heritage.

“We have a complete history of the boat,” Amanda said, “including letters from owners handing it down to the next owners.”

Regarding the extensive off-season maintenance and rebuilding, Nick thinks in terms of a boat that will sail forever. “We’re caretakers. We work on it so it’ll be left for the next bunch.”

Built in New Jersey of white oak, the long and narrow Liberty has sailed the Atlantic, in South America and in Canada, before arriving on Lake Ontario.

These are experts, funny people who know what they’re doing and clearly love doing it. Although the untrained eye sees plenty of wood and rope and an old compass made of brass and wood, the sailors also rely on on-board radar and global positioning equipment.

They also have the requisite long list of licenses and certifications, and a long catalog of anecdotes and information about sailing, history, boat-building, woodworking and the Herculean task of restoring a beauty such as this one. Apparently, life on the high seas includes a lot of work and a lot of laughs.

As they grow their excursion business, Amanda also has high hopes for the Olcott Beach community.

“It’s coming along,” she said. “In the summer, it’s packed with visitors and car shows, and a Pirate’s Festival. Once they get finished installing the new docks, we’ll have a good setup here.”

It’s an attractive arrangement for the Alexanders, for their boat, for the seafaring town and for the passengers. Wedding parties have come aboard for the trip, as have tourists from all over the world. Boating enthusiasts will welcome this old-school return to a simpler and more elegant way to traverse open water. For those of us more comfortable in buildings with elevators in them, it’s an invitation to live an experience no amusement park could ever offer.

Arrangements for a cruise aboard the Liberty can be made by calling 433-0410. A special Singles Sail for the over 50 crowd is being held Aug. 23, through the Dale Association of Lockport. Call 433-1886 for more information on that event.

Ed Adamczyk is a freelance writer from the landlocked village of Kenmore, whose nautical expertise is confined to the bathtub.



OTHER EXCURSIONS

Those looking for more regional water-based adventures can also consider:

Grand Lady Cruises of Grand Island

Grand Lady Cruises of Grand Island is introducing a new Eco Tour of the upper Niagara River for its 10 anniversary this year. The two-hour live narration cruise will highlight the natural wonders and animals that live in the river area and cover topics including geological history, human impact to the river and native and invasive species. The Lady has had underwater cameras installed with monitors on both sides of the deck. Eco Tours are scheduled on a group basis at $22 per person. For full schedule of the Grand Lady’s other summer cruises including corporate, social dinner and lunch cruises, visit grandlady.com or call (888) 824-5239.

Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises

There is much more than cruising available at Lockport canalside, which also has banquet and catering facilities for weddings and private parties, a banquet hall themed as a canalside village, picnic area and waterside museum.

The company has cruised the Erie Canal for more than two decades and is a favorite of local schools. Summer cruises are open to the public through mid-October, and private cruises can be arranged for groups of 30 or more. Cruise arrangements can also be made with banquets or box lunches. For more information, visit LockportLocks.com or call 433-6155.