July 16, 2018
Kingston, ON to Cape Vincent (Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Hostel), NY
Day 11
Weather: Hot and humid
The hotel had a cooked breakfast so we waited around until 7 a.m. to eat, then hit the road at 7:30 a.m. The road into Kingston was pretty busy and we met a fellow commuter so together we took the lane.
After about 8 miles we were in downtown Kingston and decided to find a grocery store to stock up. After another visit to Metro, we then stopped at the old rail station on the waterfront, took some photos then headed to the ice hockey arena, home of the Kingston Frontenac's. And another obligatory photo stop for Cameron.
We caught the 9:30 a.m. ferry across the St Lawrence River to Marysville, Wolff Island in our quest to cross the international border today back into the USA.
In the distance we saw wind turbines and thought the worst but there turned out to be very little wind today.
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Once we arrived in Marysville we found a small park just out of town to stop and eat.
There are two lighthouses on Wolff Island but unfortunately both are inaccessible to view by land.
The Knapp Point Lighthouse which was deactivated in 2000 and became a private residence. The lighthouse is viewable from the St Lawrence waterway.
Wolfe Island (Québec Head) Lighthouse still remains active however the tower is missing it's lantern room. A modern beacon is in it's place. The property is privately owned where the current home is a replica of the Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse.
Before cycling across Wolff Island to catch the next ferry at Point Alexandria that would take us to New York, we headed 4 miles east to another ferry that would take us to Simcoe Island where we planned to see the Nine Mile Point Lighthouse.
The ferry to Simcoe was a small cable driven ferry with just enough room for two to three cars.
Once on the island the roads were gravel all the way to the lighthouse. Unfortunately the lighthouse is on Coast Guard property so we only got photos from the gate.
Nine Mile Point Lighthouse
In 1803, the Canadian Government authorized the construction of three lighthouses; one on Gibraltar Point, one on Mississauga Point at the mouth of the Niagara River, and one on Simcoe Island, near Kingston.
Mississauga Point was completed in 1804, Gibraltar Point in 1808, but it wasn’t until 1833 that the light at Simcoe Island was built.
The lighthouse constructed on Simcoe Island was named Nine Mile Point Lighthouse as it was approximately nine miles from Kingston. The forty feet tall circular tower was constructed of stone.
In 1837 a keeper’s house was added to the property and in 1873 a clockwork fog bell was added.
In 1894, a steam foghorn was added in place of the station’s fog bell.
A fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed in 1909.
The last keeper at Nine Mile Lighthouse retired in 1987 and the light, now automated remains active.
The fog signal was discontinued in 1991 and the two lighthouse keepers house from the 1950’s were sold.
A group of area residents have formed The Nine Mile Point Lighthouse Preservation Society to preserve the lighthouse.
After we got back into town, we ate again down by the waterfront, then Cameron discovered he had a flat.
Knowing there was nice shady spot up the road where we had previously had a bite to eat, he pushed his bike up to the park. After patching the tube we biked the 7 miles across Wolff Island arriving at Point Alexandria at 2 p.m. Here a ferry would take us across the St Lawrence River to the USA. The next sailing was at 2:45 p.m. so we set up our chairs in the shade to wait.
After they loaded all the cars (about 4 of them) we wheeled our bikes on and paid the $6 to ride across. The ferry wasn't as small as the Simcoe Island ferry but it is the smallest we have ridden on so far.
Once we arrived in Cape Vincent we had to clear USA customs. A couple of questions on where we had been and where we were going and we were admitted entry back in the US.
The agents seemed in awe of the distance we were covering.
Knowing we were going to the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse hostel which would have a refrigerator, we picked up groceries including chicken for dinner. We then cycled the remaining 4 miles to the hostel.
When we arrived we discovered that the hostel didn't open until 5 p.m. so I wrapped the chicken in as many clothes as I could to try and keep it cool and we hung out at the visitors center.
I picked up a lighthouse passport stamp and chatted with the volunteer for about an hour.
Once checked in, I put the chicken in the refrigerator but later after I cooked it it just didn't smell right so we ended up throwing it away. Better than a case of food poisoning.
We were the only people at the hostel tonight apart from the caretakers who were in the 2nd lighthouse keepers house.
Tibbetts Point Lighthouse
The first lighthouse at Tibbetts Point was a thirty-foot stone tower that was first exhibited in 1827.
By 1852, the Lighthouse Board, determined this inefficient light needed replacement.
The new brick tower stood forty-seven foot tall topped with a lantern room with a fourth-order Fresnel lens and was first activated on August 1st, 1854.
In 1880, a new two-story keeper’s house was built replacing the old deteriorating house. Two years later, the brick work for the tower was replaced above the parapet-wall and a new lantern room was added. This overall increased the height of the lighthouse to fifty-nine feet.
A fog signal was added in 1897. The steam-powered signal was required around 200 hours each year and consumed roughly nine tons of coal.
With the addition of the fog signal two keepers were required to run the station and they both lived in the 1880 house. It was not until 1907 that an additional house was built.
In 1927, an air diaphone fog signal, replaced the old steam whistle and on November 6, 1930, the light was electrified.
By the 1970’s the light had been automated but Coast Guard personal remained on the property until 1981.
The station became a youth hostel in 1984 with the Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Society undertaking restoration and maintenance.
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Later after dark I went outside to take some night shots of the light.
Later in the night a good storm came through with thunder, lightening and rain. I watched from my bunk as rain pelted on the old windows, the light from the lighthouse swept across the lake and the lightening lit up the sky.
The house we stayed in was built in 1880 so I figured many storms had passed through here in all those years so the house should stand another night.
Today's ride: 34 miles (55 km)
Total: 491 miles (790 km)
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