Tom and I will be there to celebrate!
Today was the final leg of a long journey that saw the R/V David Folger entering Lake Champlain at Whitehall, NY and traveling north to Point Bay Marina in Charlotte, Vermont. It was also a very special moment because the vessel’s namesake, Dave Folger, was on board.
The Folger heading north on Lake Champlain
Dave Folger aboard the R/V David Folger
A highlight of today’s journey was stopping for a while outside of the Fort Ticonderoga delta, where Dave talked about his work with Middlebury students and their research that stopped the International Paper Company’s practice of polluting Lake Champlain.
The R/V David Folger at Whitehall
It was a beautiful day, with blue skies and flags flying.
Finally, the Folger turned into Town Farm Bay and docked.
Home at last.
Eco-disinfectant wash
The R/V David Folger stayed at the Schuylerville Boat Basin last night. Coming up through the Champlain canals has been interesting but a challenge, because water levels in the canal are lower than usual. Another major issue is that of invasive species within the Hudson River and the canal system. Middlebury College takes pride in being a good steward of the environment and had the Folger’s hull finished with a paint that deters hitch-hiking plant and animal species. Zebra mussels beware! Yesterday the Folger had quite an encounter with the aquatic invasive water chestnut, and the crew had to take extra time and extreme care in removing this plant material from the hull, hydrofoil, and propellers of the vessel. Today the Folger stopped in Fort Edwards and had an eco-disinfectant wash-down to mitigate the chance of bringing in a new invasive species threatening Lake Champlain: the spiny water flea. Currently there are no mandatory cleaning requirements for the spiny water flea; however, we consulted with Senator Leahy’s office, the Vermont State Commissioner of Fish and Wildlife, and a state water toxicologist to develop a cleaning protocol, which included pressure washing the entire boat structure and disinfecting all bilges, lines, and mats. After a three-hour cleaning, the vessel is once again moving up the canal to Whitehall, NY: the birthplace of the US Navy and the southern limit of Lake Champlain. Tomorrow a long-anticipated event takes place: the Folger will finally arrive in Lake Champlain and will be home at last.
After reaching Tarrytown last night, Tom and Bill had a smooth transition. Tom got back to Vermont by midnight. The crew now consists of Bill Lowell, Chris Goodrich, and Captain Richard Furbush. Today the R/V David Folger has made her way up the Hudson River and has started entering the lock system that will bring her to Lake Champlain. They passed West Point and also many historic bridges and lighthouses. They got as far north as Lock 4 today. Tomorrow they hope to reach Whitehall, NY. Watch the SPOT-GPS to see them traveling along. 
The Hudson-Athens Lighthouse.
West Point
Again weather is playing havoc with us getting the R/V David Folger up to New York City and to the Hudson River, as thunderstorms and intense rains are battering Cape May this morning. Originally the crew planned to be in port today, but they have since decided to try to push northward. So watch the SPOT-GPS (http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=02V91mYmVsJtckJrQC7usqhLa3ch6ROWV). Because Tom has to teach next Monday, he will leave the vessel today. Bill Lowell will join the crew and is currently driving to Tarrytown, New York, where he will replace Tom. Tom will drive back up to Vermont tonight or tomorrow. We are still hoping that the Folger will make it to Lake Champlain by this weekend, but as they say… who knows! The crew made good time today and is now traveling up the Hudson River. Only about 200 miles still to go. Yahoo! Check out the video of the sea swells near Atlantic City. As always, Lady Liberty and the Freedom Tower were awe-inspiring.
Freedom Tower
The R/V David Folger left Summit North Marina this morning and is traveling down the Delaware Bay. The crew hopes to reach Cape May by noon and then assess the seas before traveling up the eastern New Jersey coastline. Besides Navy vessels in the Chesapeake region, they also have encountered some pretty large cargo vessels. 
Due to the remnants of Hurricane Issac, they had rough seas and only traveled 53 nm. They stopped at South Jersey Marina for the evening.
Today’s track
The R/V David Folger left Tidewater Marina this morning and is traveling up the Chesapeake Bay. The northward movement is going faster than yesterday, and we are getting closer and closer to Vermont. Being so close to Norfolk, the crew got to see some pretty large ships and a submarine. After traveling 189 nm today they stopped at the Summit North Marina near Bear, Delaware.
Navy Submarine in the Chesapeake Bay
Aircraft carrier near Norfolk
Tom, Chris, and Richard
The R/V David Folger left the Columbia, NC region this morning, and the SPOT GPS shows them moving past Kitty Hawk. Work continues to get all the equipment functioning and the software up and running for our Fall courses. The sights and the people the crew have met at the marinas they’ve visited have been great. In fact, they have met up with the same boaters a couple of times as they have moved north. The crew traveled 75 nm today and ended up at Portsmouth, VA at the Tidewater Yacht Marina for the evening. This section of the ICW has numerous bridges that need to be raised.They waited over 30 minutes for one bridge to be opened and then went through a lock that raised them 6″. 
I saw the R/V David Folger off this morning from Beaufort, NC and then headed back to the airport in Raleigh Durham to fly back to VT.
R/V Folger leaving Beaufort, NC
We now have a new way to track the Folger — if the AIS doesn’t pick the vessel up, try the SPOT GPS. Go to:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=02V91mYmVsJtckJrQC7usqhLa3ch6ROWV
The Folger traveled 110 nm (nautical miles) today and ended up near Columbia, NC at the Alligator River Marina. The SPOT GPS worked well for tracking the Folger.
SPOT GPS
Humor on the high seas!
I (Pat) was traveling to get to the R/V David Folger; thus, this blog is a day late.The Folger finally left Harbourgate Marina, SC and the seas were calm, so the Folger made good time and arrived at Beaufort Marina in Beaufort, NC around 5:30 pm. I traveled with Laura Lee and Simon Manley-Meek to Beaufort to drop off supplies, meet up with the guys, and tour the Folger. This is the first time I have gotten on board the Folger, and I was really amazed at this vessel. Since I had only seen it at various stages of being built, it was great to finally get on board. Though there are still things to be done on it, I can’t wait to see it in Lake Champlain and teach my Marine Geology and First Year Seminar on it. Come back later to the blog after I get back to Vermont (on Sunday), when I can upload pictures.