LITTLE FALLS, NY – Captain Scott Smelker, a 22-year Navy veteran, and his wife, Skipper Sera Smelker, arrived at Little Falls Harbor on Friday, mooring their sailboat as part of an extraordinary voyage through North America’s waterways.
The couple, originally from Kalamazoo, Michigan, shared a captivating tale of adventure, maritime history, and a bold decision to leave their land-based life behind for the open water.
The Smelkers’ journey began after closing their family-run metal cutting, machining, and powder coating business in Michigan following the COVID-19 pandemic. “We decided one day after COVID that we wanted to do something while we were young,” Scott said. “I half-heartedly joked, ‘I want to go sailing,’ and we took it very seriously.”
With no prior experience sailing small craft, Scott drew on his Navy service, which included time on small assault craft at Assault Craft Unit Two in Little Creek, Virginia, and a stint working on high-speed cigarette boats with Fountain and Mercury Marine. Sera, his steadfast partner, embraced the challenge, and together they prepared by taking sailing lessons and watching instructional videos.
Their adventure started in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where they purchased their boat, a vessel already seasoned by voyages along the Mexican coast. “Everybody kept saying, ‘Welcome back,’” Scott recalled, laughing. “I was like, ‘I’ve never been here in my life,’ but the boat had.”
They spent four to five months in Puerto Vallarta, overseeing repairs to the boat’s standing rigging. “It was beautiful,” Sera added. “Real tough job, but someone had to do it.”
From there, they sailed to Acapulco, making stops along the way before Scott navigated the boat through Central America, the Panama Canal, and up the Caribbean side to Key West, Florida, where Sera rejoined him. Their route took them to the Bahamas, where they spent four months exploring the Exumas, before continuing up the U.S. East Coast to Cape Canaveral and Wilmington, North Carolina.
In Wilmington, they wintered, completing boat upgrades like a new enclosure. Eager to explore smaller waterways, they removed the mast and traveled the Intracoastal Waterway to the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, then down the Delaware River, echoing George Washington’s historic crossing.
The couple’s coastal journey included vibrant stops at Cape May and Atlantic City, New Jersey. However, Scott noted a lesson learned: “We made the mistake of going the Intracoastal from Cape May to Atlantic City on the Fourth of July. There’s a lot of boat traffic on that very shallow waterway. That was a little sketchy. We won’t do that again.”
A highlight was anchoring behind the Statue of Liberty, a bucket-list moment for Scott, who had seen the New York skyline with the World Trade Centers during his Navy days pre-9/11. “The skyline of New York is amazing, the lights,” he said. “Seeing it as it changed was something special.”
Their voyage up the Hudson River brought them past West Point, which Scott described as “a fortress from the water, truly amazing,” and into the Catskill Mountains.
Eventually, they reached the Erie Canal via the federal lock in Waterford, New York, leading them to Little Falls. The stop was deliberate, as Scott explained: “When we were looking through the different stops, this one comes up on the canalway as a must-see.”
The Smelkers are drawn to the Erie Canal’s rich history and its impact on New York’s development. “We really look for maritime history that talks about the canal and what impact it had on each town as it was being developed,” Scott said. “Each town has its own thing.”
From Kingston’s bluestone trade to Fort Plain’s carpet and axle industries, they’ve been captivated by the canal’s legacy, especially poignant this year, marking its 200th anniversary. “It’s incredible that a waterway developed all these little towns,” Sera reflected.
Looking ahead, the Smelkers plan to sail to Grand Haven, Michigan, to store their boat and spend a year exploring the Great Lakes, with stops like Mackinac City, Drummond Island, and Niagara Falls on their list. “Niagara Falls is a big one,” Sera said enthusiastically.
Their boat, a veteran of Caribbean and Mexican waters, will finally see the Great Lakes, a region close to their Michigan roots.
As they settled into Little Falls, the Smelkers expressed excitement about exploring the town’s historic charm and its place in the canal’s story. “This one stood out as a historic canal town,” Scott said. “We’re looking forward to learning more about what made Little Falls special and how the canal shaped it.”
Their visit, filled with anticipation and curiosity, underscores their passion for uncovering the maritime heritage of each stop, making Little Falls a cherished chapter in their ongoing adventure.
