Bluff Point North, Valcour Island in Lake Champlain

August 1 - 4: Valcour Island is a must stop for any boater transiting Lake Champlain, and the ONLY way to see the island is by boat, YOUR vessel.  It is completely unspoiled; no residents, no ferries, no tours and no bridges to this island.  We were here "on the hook" for 4 days ... scheduled for 3 days, but weather forced us to stay another day ... geez, what a dilemma!   Photos best express the experience.

SANTORINI at anchor ... solitude and nature at its best!

Found a Mermaid cleaning sand from her fins!

Bluff Point Light, also known as the Valcour Island Lighthouse, in service from its construction in 1874 until 1930 and one of the last lighthouses on Lake Champlain

There is a lot of Revolutionary War history in the area.  Valcour Island featured prominently in a naval battle between the superior British Navy sailing south into Champlain from Canada and the fledgling American navy commanded by Brigadier General Benedict Arnold.

Arnold, knowing he could not attack the superior force, decided to let the British attack him and deployed his fleet in the narrow, rocky channel between Valcour Island and the western shore of Lake Champlain. The narrowness of the channel would force the British to attack singly and would not allow them to bring as many guns to bear as on the open water.

Sailing southward down Lake Champlain on the morning of October 11, 1776, the British skirted the eastern shore of Valcour Island, unaware that the American fleet lay on the other side. Shortly before 11:00 a.m., British lookouts spotted the American fleet, and turned to attack.  Arnold’s force took a beating and once darkness fell, retreated.

As dawn broke on the morning of October 12, the British were shocked to discover that Arnold and what was left of the American fleet had escaped.  They pursued the Americans and expected to catch up with them at Crown Point on October 20 only to find Arnold had burned the fort and further retreated to Fort Ticonderoga.  It was snowing and with weather conditions quickly deteriorating, the British had no other choice but to retreat back into Canada to winter quarters. 

Valcour Island resulted in a tactical victory for the British; in the long run however, the battle proved to be a strategic victory for the Americans. Although he lost 80 men, 120 captured, and the destruction of his fleet, Arnold had accomplished the objective of disrupting the British invasion from Canada. By causing the British to postpone their plans until the spring, Arnold had bought the Americans time to gather strength and resources that would be critical at the Battle of Saratoga, the turning point in the War of Independence.