We jumped through the Big Chute and made our way toward Midland, Ontario.
Our friends “On Missions” riding the Big Chute
The Big Chute before we loaded
New friends who were tied up at the Big Chute wall, as well, had already contacted the marina where we had intended to stay, letting us know there was no room in the inn, but they had found the Bay Port Marina had plenty of room. We made the call, got reservations, and enjoyed a sense of well being, knowing we had a home waiting Thursday night.
Another fabulous experience in the public relations business, the staff at Bay Port Yacht Center treated us better than family and that whatever we needed, they would accommodate. From the courtesy car and driver, to the cleanest bathrooms and plenty of them, to golf carts scattered throughout the marina to save the long walks from slip to office; all small touches made this experience such a positive one. Their rates were reasonable and they offered the free night, if you paid for two. Our plan was to stay just 2 nights, but unforeseen circumstances would change that.
Friday, we toured a Catholic Compound (official name I forget), the site of the first North American martyrs. The “black robes” as they were called, had tried to convert the Indians to Christianity. Their unsuccessful efforts resulted in their deaths, several years later. The compound was interesting, seeing the construction of the buildings, the trades of carpentry and blacksmithing, the grinding mill, the garden, and even the pigpen.
The village, rebuilt in the 1950’s, after burning.
This caught my eye, considering my career. Glad I missed this job.
So I asked my wife, “What do you mean I am pigheaded?”
The weekend in Midland was their annual celebration of the Battle of Georgian Bay. Tall ships and reenactment of the battle, on the street and in the bay, contributed to an exciting Friday night, in town and on the waterfront. I beamed with pride (like I did at Ft. McHenry in Baltimore), as the USA flag-bearing ships came into the harbor, firing their cannons and as the US Army marched down Main Street, firing at the “redcoats”. It was all I could to not yell at the top of my lungs, “USA-USA-USA”. Remembering that I was surrounded by several thousand Canadians, I maintained my composure and savored every moment. Talking with the many Canadians, who are some of the friendliest folks on the earth, I told them that I hoped they were as proud to be Canadians as I was an American. They probably aren’t, but that’s okay. I’m grateful they let me spend money in their country. And at 13% sales tax, I think they’re glad I am doing so.
Firing the cannons with even the whistle sound of the cannonball.
This USA boat came in quick, fired its cannons, and quickly sailed away.
One of the tall ships, after the battle.
Sunrise over the bay; taken from our slip at Bay Port Yachting Center.
A great couple days in Midland. We planned our route with our friends, the Collins, with intentions of anchoring out tomorrow night, as a place called The Frying Pan.
Apologies for the lack of posting recently. We’ve been in much more rural areas and our internet has been virtually nonexistent. I’ve written and saved a few thoughts. Here is a summary of the past few days’ highlights.
We turned the page to August waking up to a crispy morning at the Blue Hole anchorage. Today’s journey was 2 staged, with the first destination being Campbellford. We tied up just beyond Locks 11 & 12 and took a walk to the suspension bridge and the waterfall.
Homeowners take such pride in their properties along the Trent Severn.
Campbellford Ontario
How this double lock works.
From inside the lock, before filling.
Up close view of the wall of a lock. A true biology project.
The doors always leak some. Water is abour 14′ above us beyond the gate.
On top of the suspension bridge
The warning that seniors are in the area.
Photo of water under bridge. The blob on the left is my reflection like 50′ above.
Ranney Falls, upstream of the suspension bridge
The waterway below the bridge.
Soon, we were back on the boats and headed North (or West or south–the Trent-Severn winds like switchbacks up a mountainside). The staff of the Trent- Severn Waterway Park System is outstanding. They have great people skills. At each lock, they consistently take the time to engage boaters, offering local knowledge in assisting folks like us, who are enjoying the trip of a lifetime. We pushed on to Hastings, another little town along the way. We squeezed through the lock just as they were closing down for the day. But the cordiality of the staff and the job they do, never wavered, as their only interest, from our perspective, was getting us through to our next stop. The lockmaster brought out a handmade boat paddle, and asked us to sign and date it. It was a paddle signed by every Looper who had been through the lock system in 2019. He said he will be presenting it to Kim Russo, who is the executive director of the AGLCA (American Great Loop Cruisers Association). She has lead the organization so well, providing educational and promotional opportunities across the country for rookie boaters like us. What a thoughtful idea to express their appreciation to her.
In the deep dark corners of her mind, she pondered…..
…….chocolate or vanilla?
8-2
We left the city wall in Hastings about 8:30 am. After a few miles (with no locks), we reached Rice Lake. It was nice cruising the open waters with no wake and few boaters. We made our Northern turn into the canal once again and began our locking day immediately. We went through Locks 13-21 today, with 21 being the most spectacular. Located in Peterborough, Ontario, it’s unique to all the others thus far in that it is a side by side lift lock. See the photographs, including “how it’s built” picture. This lock construction started in 1896 and opened in 1904. It’s the tallest of its kind in the world, measuring over 60′ elevation change.
These kids, who run the locks, posed with the Collins and me.
Our approach, from the boat, to the lift lock.
Our view from the top of the lift lock.
We tied to the wall for the night. Just ahead of my boat (front) is a 60′ drop.
Amanda was “in control” of the lock.
Looking up at one of the pans that lifts boats.
How it works….
The cylinder, below each pan, is 7′ in diameter.
After locking through, we called it a day. The lockmaster allowed us to tie up at the wall above the lock for the night, and later told us we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted. We have decided these Canadians just like to listen to us talk, so they are extra cordial to us.
When morning gilds the skies, my heart awakening cries, “May Jesus Christ be praised.”
They don’t grow black squirrels in Georgia, or anywhere I’ve ever been.
8-3
Saturday morning, we, and our friends, the Collins, strolled into Peterborough, hit the farmers’ market, the bakeries, a restaurant, and the boat store. Amanda and I were on a first name basis with most every vendor before the morning was over. Me, because if I speak to anyone, the next word from whomever is always, “where are you from?”. Amanda, because she bought something from most every vendor. They loved her! To reinforce my observation that people up here are so friendly, I offer the following story: Walking from the boat, we had stopped at a corner looking at our map, trying to find the farmers’ market, when a voice from the front porch of a house yelled, “Are you lost?” As it was very obvious, we struck up a conversation about how to get to the market, talked about SEC football, our kids, and “Where are y’all from?” Inevitably, we tell our story of boating, which intrigues everyone, and they just want to know more and more. Before we left, the guy said, “When you’re finished at the market, call me and I’ll come pick you up and take you back to your boat.” We did, and he did. He not only picked us up, he also carried us to a bakery where Amanda had earlier put aside “a few more things” to pick up on our way back. After giving him a brief tour of the boat, we agreed to try to catch up again before we leave. Have I mentioned before how friendly people are?
Nicole won our hearts as the sweetest of all the lock staff.
Sunrise over our “home”
8-4
Sunday morning, we left our lockmaster friends at the lift dock and continued our journey North and Westward. We passed through a total of 10 locks, Numbers 22-31. The day was long. We traveled about 7 hours but the trip was almost 9, because 2 hours were spent getting in and out of locks. This is the time the first mate really earns her money. She has to prepare the fenders on the proper side, as each lock wants a different side from the previous, so it seems. Inevitably, boat traffic in the locks will require a last minute switch to the opposite side where you are rigged. There are always spectators at the locks, so when the switch is necessary, it means mama has to jump quickly and the captain has to rethink the landing against the wall inside. Sometimes, boats the size of ours are sardined side by side and, with fenders on, the boats are touching one another, almost rafted up, as we say. And if you are at the back of the lock, you have to squeeze the stern in, as well, to allow the door closings. None of the work is significantly demanding, but it is stressful. Amanda and I have wireless headsets, also known as, marriage savers. These permit communications on the approach and exit of the lock, because we cannot see each other. She grabs the cable or rope on the wall, to control the stern, then I jump from pilot house and loop the cable or rope to control the bow. This moment, my friends, has been the biggest test of our marriage since we embarked. You would have to be here to appreciate this test. Minor details such as forgetting to turn on the headset, or just not putting it on, often produces a new level of marriage encounter, that entertains those on the wall watching, and accidentally, listening.
Looking closely, you can see the cables spaced along the wall, designed for boaters to loop their lines through, securing the boat during the filling or emptying of the lock.
Adirondack chairs are “in” up here.
One of the prettier places along the Trent Severn
This pick up is mounted on pontoons. Didn’t see it in time to know if it is driveable.
A filling station on the canal.
The major change in the landscape has been wonderful. We are seeing all kinds of houses, from right out of Architectural Digest to manufactured housing bungalows. The feeling here is if you want to live on the water, regardless of income or taste, it can be done. Some take much pride in their property; others, well, not so much so.
The end of this day brought us to an anchorage called Gannon Narrows.
8-5
Seven more hours of fun and locks.
We made a stop in Bobcaygeon, a cute little town, with the cutest little shops. Our cute little girls were very good and kept the credit cards stowed. We did find a cute little hardware store, as well.
We went through 5 more locks and tied up on “the wall” downhill of Lock 36. We are nearest Kirkfield, Ontario. This lock is the same type as Lock 21, the lift lock, but it is only 42 feet high. Today was a civic holiday for Canadians, so we had a little more traffic on the water than normal, but we managed to miss all the boats. House boats seem to be the worst, as most of them are rentals and are not accustomed to the navigational rules of the road . Today’s milestone was reaching the halfway point on the Trent Severn waterway. That means more than just miles. Lock 36 is the first lock on this leg of the journey where we have begun our downward trek. The rest of locks, though fewer, will be lowering us until we reach the Georgian Bay. Based on my vast knowledge of the sciences, I think that will be MSL (Mean Sea Level). I know my school teacher readers will correct me if I am wrong.
This sign marks the entrance to what they call the ditch. Very narrow and very shallow, it is almost impossible for 2 boats the size of ours to pass. So, you have to announce your entrance on VHF and hope someone is listening and will respond. We did meet a couple boats along the 2 plus mile ride, but were able to squeeze by, since they were a good bit smaller.
Tight and shallow. All rock bottom and sides, make for a stressful ride.
By the way, this blog does provide a place for comment. If you have a thought or a question about
someplace we have been or are going, I would love to hear from you.
8-6
We left the Kirkfield lock later than normal this morning. Just a few miles down the ditch, 2 swing bridges had to be opened for our passage. The bridge operators get to work at 9 am.
The waterway here is almost all rock. Until now, “finding the bottom” has brought no consequences other than a little inconvenience. But finding the bottom of a rock bed can have a significant impact, pun intended. To add to the stress, grasses grow prolifically in the fresh waters. The grass confuses a depth finder, so even when the water depth is safe, alarms often sound announcing the imminent grounding…that doesn’t happen. It can be quite stressful and frustrating at the same time.
We finished the canal this morning around noon and tied temporarily to the wall to assess the weather forecast. We were about to enter Lake Simcoe, a huge body of water that gets pretty dicey in strong winds. With rain already on us, we checked the wind and sea forecast for the next 3 hours. Winds 10-15 and seas at 1 foot told us we were good to go in the 18 mile crossing. We arrived, without incident or excitement, at Orillia Port Marina about 3 pm.
This bridge is known as the hole in the wall, entering into Lake Mitchell.
With several days anchoring out or tying to the wall, it was good to get to safe harbor, power up the batteries, and refill our freshwater holding tank. Two loads of laundry, a quick boat wash, and eating leftovers brought this day to an early end for Amanda, and gave me a chance to get the blog caught up.
Leaving our delightful anchorage around 8:30, our trip was broken into 2 parts today. We cruised about 5 miles to Trenton, Ontario, to the nicest marina yet. Built in 2015, the docks were immaculately maintained and spotless clean. The small ship store was very accommodating to my friend, Dale, who needed a new battery for his bow thruster. They didn’t have what he needed on the shelf, but 1 hour later, the proprietor of the store was back with it in his truck, finding it in town. The place was so nice, as were all the boaters in slips nearby, who dropped by to chat, find out where we were going, where we’ve been, etc. My deep philosophical observation of this boating community: everybody is looking for somebody new to talk to. With an abundance of time on hand, after most have had high impact careers interacting with people, boaters are always interested in new folks. Amanda and I laugh often that people are looking for some “new material”, as they have run out of fresh info with just the 2 of them on board.
Marina office and welcome center
The grounds are beautiful
With a new battery and a properly functioning thruster, we left Trent Port Marina and headed North/Northeast up the Trent River.
The beginning of the Trent River (actually the mouth that flows into the Bay of Quinte.
Lock 1-the Canadian flag flies proudly in the background as the USA invades.
Like the Erie and Oswego Canals, the river is loaded with locks, so progress is even slower than our normal blazing speed of 7.5 knots (about 8.6 mph). Today, we negotiated 7 locks. When passing through Lock 1, the Canadians hold your boat in the lock until you pay the lockmaster. We were truly “locked up” in Canada for about 20 minutes, but posted bail, also known as, lock fees, and they released us, since we seemed to be fairly legitimate visitors to their country.
The locks are narrower than those we’ve learned to negotiate previously, so another nervous moment creeps in as we pull into the tight quarters. After a couple of passages, they too, became routine for us. The most interesting difference I noticed with these locks is the gates are manually operated. As Amanda said, when they open the gates, it’s like watching the old movie Samson, grinding the mill stone.
This lady handles her gate with no problem
Gates slowly open
“Samson” walks in a tight circle until his gate is wide open.
The train once paralleled the river.
We passed through the last lock of the day, just before closing time and made it to our planned anchorage, a spot called the Blue Hole. There, we shared the space with our friends (On Misssions) and one other boat. Feeling a little like home, we were surrounded by marsh grass, biting flies, and mosquitoes. Not as overwhelming as the green heads of Atlantic City, we managed to avoid the worst of them, as once the sun set, it was too cool for them to bite. We sat on the back porch (aka cockpit on a boat), enjoyed the cool, the food, and the landscape, all gifts to us from our Creator.
Americans eating Mexican in Canada. Cultural overload.
What’s a day on the Loop without another sunset picture?
I wish I had a closer view of this beautiful farm.
My Honey Queen…on the bow of the Honey Queen
Tomorrow, we sleep in a little, as the locks don’t open here until 9 am. We’re 30 minutes away, so sleeping in is always icing on the cake of boating.
After spending the night between Locks 7 & 8 on the Oswego Canal, we set out at our standard time of 7:00 am. Just a 1/4 mile from the inlet into Lake Ontario, we were gifted fair winds and following seas. It started a little “dicey” with the seas on our beam, but after about an hour, the “great” lake settled down and we had a relatively calm 44 mile, due North, crossing into the bay that serves Kingston, Ontario.
I knew the Great Lakes were deep, but didn’t realize this deep. Ontario is charted at over 600 feet, but my depth finder got confused on anything over 500.
As we approached Kingston, we were overwhelmed by all the wind generators. I don’t think I exaggerate to say there were several hundred in our view. The winds coming off this lake, I’m sure can be pretty significant. We experienced winds around 10 knots. With temperatures in the mid-70’s, it was still a little cool to be on the flybridge. I will be glad to be back in the South when the temps these folks call cool arrive. It is hard to imagine how these people can handle the cold, so extreme and for such a long period of time. Meanwhile, these folks make a lot of electricity using the wind as the source.
About 4:15 we arrived in Kingston. Our marina for the night was Confederation Basin in downtown. The wind was pretty stiff as we came into the marina. With very poor communications from the dock hands about where I was supposed to dock the boat, I came as close as I have come yet to hitting another boat. I was very fortunate and frustrated at the same time, as I have been so careful. It would have been totally my fault, if something had happened. Thankfully, it didn’t. Lesson learned.
Kingston Skyline
In the harbor at Kingston
…the park downtown
Kayakers took this photo and sent it to me. This is what you get if you don’t throw a 4′ wake at other boaters. Riding with fenders out is considered tacky, unless you are going through locks all day. Notice the mast is down so we can clear 20′ bridges, as well. With mast up, we are 22′. Antennas are 32′ in the up position.
Tuesday morning, we continued Westward toward Trenton, Ontario. Our planned destination was Belleville and we made it by a little after 2 pm. Made good time for a slow boat, as there were no locks or anything to keep us from maintaining a constant 7.5 knots. We pulled off the side of the bay into an anchorage marked on our waterway guides.
The stress of managing a boat can be very taxing.
After a little downtime, we threw the dinghy into the water and cruised into Belleville for a walk and dinner at Paulo’s Italian Restaurant. I got a couple gallons of gasoline in a can because the dinghy tank was getting low. We got about a mile from the marina, on the way back, and….well, I decided this would be a good time to put gasoline in the tank.
A day filled mostly with clouds and occasional showers, while we were underway, turned out to be a gorgeous evening.
Belleville City Hall
Today we saw swans in the wild, for the first time.
This seagull kept hanging around our transom. But no, I did not share my Doritos.
The dinghy ride home…
…brings to the end….
…another wonderful day on The Great Loop
Tomorrow, we enter the Trent River and will go through our first Canadian locks.
Setting out from Brewerton, NY at 7:00 am, we were soon through our last Erie Canal lock, turning North on the Oswego River/Canal, with 7 more locks ahead.
The free city docks, like here, really help with the overall boat budget.
The ducks were so excited about our leaving their yard.
The Mohawk, Seneca, &Oswego Rivers converge.
The sign says Erie Canal LEFT (West) and Oswego RIGHT (North). The Erie Canal continues West to Niagara Falls, but our journey now turns North.
The Oswego has 7 locks, though numbered through No. 8. Apparently, somewhere in the planning, 8 locks were designed, mapped, and numbered; they were able to eliminate 1 lock, but kept the numbers as originally assigned.
Not all the scenery was beautiful.
Welcome to Minetto.
Ho hum. Just another pretty bridge, to me.
NYSCC Maintenance Facility
Phoenix (New York)
Early afternoon, we arrived in the town of Oswego. There were 3 locks very close together, with the last 2 in sight of one another, and our marina.
The bridge from the lock.
The lock, from the bridge. See my Facebook page for operation of Lock 8, the last one.
As I pulled into the fairway at the marina, the dockmaster (female–so maybe she’s the dockmistress?) pointed me to my slip. As my mentors have warned me: never pay attention to those watching you maneuver your boat. Focus on the wind direction, your speed and direction, and go slow. The bystanders will only distract you and cause you headaches. So far, I have avoided doing damage to anyone else’s property or my own. I want to keep that record in tact. As I began to back “stern-in” to the slip, I saw 5 folks on the finger piers of my slip. Ugh! But within 20 seconds, I realized 2 were marina hands and 3 more boaters had joined in to assist in getting our boat into the hole. BOATERS are great. Within 5 minutes we were settled in and instant friends with those on both sides of us. As previously stated, Southerners have nothing on the Northerners we have met. Nicest people ever.
Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, we enjoyed the Oswego Harborfest. This is obviously the biggest event of the year. Four different parks host food trucks, a carnival, live bands, and a huge fireworks show over Lake Ontario. We ate well, watched the fireworks from the bow of Honey Queen, ate well again, washed the boat, and we may have eaten well again.
This pic made me miss my grandkids even more. Wishing they were here.
Reminds me of the Liberty Mutual commercial.
I am hungry.
Sandy and Amanda in front of “the cutest little place”
Trust me, music was playing.
Trump flags are still everywhere.
Tug Syracuse
Born the same year as my dad. With the same horsepower!
Starting to see Canadian flags more and more.
The plan was to leave Sunday and start the 48 mile Northbound crossing of Lake Ontario, but the weather forecast called for a little wind and maybe rain, so we opted to stay close to Oswego for another day. We moved out of the marina and took advantage of the free city docks again, as we were gassed up, pumped out, watered up, and really ready to go. There was no need to waste that money when there’s plenty of good food to waste money on just ahead.
This mural is painted on a building on the canal. This life lesson applies to much more than lighthouses.
Lord willing, tomorrow morning, we enter the foreign waters of our friends in Canada.
I am combining these days, not because they were boring to us, but out of fear they may be boring to the reader, assuming there are those that are following our little adventure. With a fan base as small as ours, it’s pretty critical if we lose one or two. So to my mom and dad, who I know still read and look at pictures, this blog will be fewer words and more pictures.
The canal is so interesting, but unless you are experiencing it with your own eyes, the pictures can start looking a little redundant. Each lock has its own personality, it seems. The current, the lock master, the way you hold the boat in place are just some of the variables along the canal. Through today, July 25, we have traversed 22 locks, since we started the Erie.
The towns where we have stayed are: 1. Dunsbach Ferry– Blain’s Bay Marina; 2. Amsterdam–Riverlink Park Dock; 3. Canajoharie Riverfront; and tonight 4. Brewerton City Docks.
Blain’s Bay was pretty rough and it won’t make the cut if and when we are crazy enough to do this again. The Riverlink Park Dock in Amsterdam was great. The restaurant directly behind the docks was closed Mon-Tue, so we stayed close to home for the evening, but the location gave us great dockage and an opportunity for me to change the oil in the engine. To all my southern friends, the things we think about Northerners, generally, are not correct. I find that more often than not, they go out of their way to accommodate and communicate positively in the day-to-day of life. To my Northern friends who know me well, and love me anyway, I apologize for the gross generalization of people from a different part of the country. For example, the supply house for the oil and filters was 10 miles from the Riverlink Park Dock. I told the guy I planned to call an Uber and have them pick up and deliver me. Long story short, 30 minutes later, Hudson River Tractor Supply showed up at the dock with the delivery in their truck. I know that’s great customer service, but he did go the extra mile, understanding we had no transportation. We have found that most folks are fascinated by what we’re doing, so they just start talking and asking questions. Who doesn’t love boat people, right?
By far, the most beautiful bridge we’ve seen.
20′ is the minimum height on the canal.
The reflections often remind us of our farm.
Many of these bridges are no longer used.
Down in the valley, the valley so low…..
The dams, when they exist, are adjacent to the lock; pretty impressive.
After Riverlink, we drove 18 miles to the village of Canajoharie. They offer free dockage to transients on a first come first serve basis. Though there were some minor negatives to the environment, by 10 pm, all was quiet, and we slept great.
The Honey Queen in the background
Sunrise–foam on the calm water of the Erie
The next leg was to Utica. More locks, 35 miles, and a beautiful day on the water. We woke up this morning to 58 degrees, feeling like late October to us, but just another day to the locals. Like home, one day we’re looking for shade and light clothing, and the next looking for an extra blanket at bedtime.
Homemade oat pancake and bacon sandwich. Life is rough on the boat.
…along the way.
…the still of the morning.
the colors of the canal.
1. Unique lock on the canal
2. The only one where the gate drops
3. We clear the opening by 3 feet.
Amanda says it looks like a guillotine.
Waiting on the water to rise.
That’s me waving. Amanda is busy protecting our investment.
1st lock with several boats
…along the way
The lock gate, closed, is beyond the rail bridge
The restaurant, Aqua Vino, sits on the dock. We literally stepped off the boat, walked 30 feet and were seated at our table outside. A lovely dinner of shrimp scampi for Amanda and Veal Parmesan for me and we had our long walk back to the boat. Our calorie intake today certainly exceeded the burn. I enjoyed visiting with several Canadian boaters docked near us. I’m amazed that they can turn their mind’s switch from French to English and never miss a lick.
The Aqua Vino restaurant in the background on the dock; Honey Queen on the left and our friends, “On Missions” on the right. The Happy Journey has been happier with our new friends as a buddy boat.
When we passed this place on the way to the store, my warped mind was out of control with many captions. But after regaining my senses, I decided it would become the theme of our trip of a lifetime. But you must admit, this motel name does make your mind wander. By the way, it was next door to a clinic.
Rising again at 7 am, we pulled off the wall at Aqua Vino’s and began the home stretch of the Erie Canal. More locks and more beautiful water made for an interesting 43.4 mile day. About half of the trip was spent negotiating the canal. The other half was crossing Lake Oneida. Almost 25 miles long, East to West, we enjoyed setting the autopilot, sitting back, and letting the boat do most of the work. Long straight stretches, typically enjoyed when “outside” in the ocean are rare when doing the canal. We know we will have more of these days as we approach the Great Lakes.
We made a quick side trip to Rome….New York, that is.
These little tug boats almost looked like toys.
I love these kinds of shots.
A bridge over a dam.
We are amazed how many different bridge designs we have seen.
Arriving at 2:30, we tied to the city dock in Brewerton, NY, one of many free docks offered to transients. This was an especially nice respite, in that we didn’t have a train driving through the bedroom window every 15 minutes the whole time. My bride prepared a gourmet meal, we watched Jeopardy and Andy Griffith, and I got caught up on the blog. What a productive day!
Sunset in Brewerton.
Just a little something Honey through together.
1000’s of ducks and geese. They really do go North for the summer!
With a short distance planned for the day, we left at 9:00 and headed North for the last day on the Hudson River.
We passed though Albany, New York’s state capital.
We arrived in the little town of Waterford, NY. Located at the East end of the Erie Canal, they are the kick off town. Especially popular because they offer free dockage for boaters, the proprietor of the visitor’s center met us at the dock, helped us with our lines, and promoted the little town as best he could. Tourists like us are the bread and butter of this little community. After a brief discussion with our buddy boat friends, we took a short walk to stretch our legs, opted to skip the 2 restaurants and bar in town, and were back on the boat 30 minutes later.
Locks can be a little intimidating because of their massiveness, close quarters, boats almost bumping yours, and the huge volume of water that comes into a confined space in a very short amount of time. The next few hours gave us our crash course on how to “lock through” the Erie Canal.
The first lock is known as the Federal Lock. It is the only one operated by the Corps of Engineers and located in Troy, NY. After Waterford, the first leg of the Erie Canal (operated by the NY Canal System) consists of 5 more locks, virtually back to back. They call them the flight, like a flight of stairs, because you gain a total elevation of 154 feet in a distance of 1.5 miles.
Holding on for dear life, praying the gates don’t give way.
Approaching the Federal Lock
We quickly got familiar with the process. Some locks have cables recessed into the concrete walls where you can loop your line and ride the water up or down. Some have ropes that dangle from the top to the bottom, and you and your first mate hang on to those nearest your bow and stern and ride it out. The maneuvering into place without scraping the walls is a challenge. Managing lines while the current sort of takes control of the boat is the next. We got a little more comfortable through each lock, but still focusing on safety and protecting the boat on each entrance and exit. The lock masters are all friendly and cordial, always focused on their jobs, but offering any input to our many questions as we progressed through the learning experience.
By the last lock, we had pretty much run out of gas (personal), though we still had plenty of diesel. We found a little dive of a marina, Blain’s Bay Marina, which had the essentials but none of the extras. Barely enough water to get my boat in (we draft 4′-9″ and the bottom was 5′-0″), we tied up, and called it a day.
The Honey Queen in the distance.
Lots of lily pads and grass grows in the fresh water.
Our new friends, Dale and Sandy, were behind us in Kingston, NY. We connected with them, allowed them to nearly catch up with us this morning, going North on the Hudson, and we agreed to meet at Shady Harbor Marina in New Baltimore, NY.
Our day was pretty uneventful, with temps in the low 90’s, and a light breeze. The journey was only 15.4 miles and 2 1/2 hours (yes, I’m retired and this is the new pace, thank you very much).
We saw the bald eagles again. This is the only time I wish for a high quality camera with a powerful zoom. The eagles don’t come close enough to pose for good pictures. But I am thrilled EVERY time we see one.
Friday’s eagle siting. It’s not a buzzard, I promise.
Shady Harbor Marina welcomed us with open arms. Most of their high season is now past as most Loopers are now in the Great Lakes. They are glad to have the business, with a nice ship store, friendly staff, a delicious restaurant, and perfect temperature salt water swimming pool. The pool is a great classroom to learn much about the Erie Canal and locking from the local marina residents.
All good things to say about here. Hard working owners take pride in their place and genuinely care about the clientele that pass through. And stay 2 nights and the 3rd is free.
Because of the hospitality AND the heat wave that came across this part of the country, we decided to stick around another day (Saturday). After reviewing our charts, I realized we had reached the part of our journey where our mast had to be dropped. Our air draft (height of the mast) is 22 feet. We will be crossing under bridges that are lower all through the canal. So, with assistance from my friend Dale, Amanda and I learned how to break down the mast on the Honey Queen. As simple as it should have been, it took more than 2 hours to get it down and secured for the ride. We put it back up, thinking it really didn’t need to be down until Monday. But during the Saturday night trip plan, I discovered bridges on our Sunday leg that were less than 22 feet. So, Sunday morning, we dropped it again. Thirty minutes and we were in business. We will leave it down for a week or more, until we hit Lake Ontario, which is now in the foreseeable future.
Our last little adventure here at Shady Marina was our dinghy outing, looking for eagles. With Dale and Sandy, we flew down the Hudson and turned into a creek that is home for a few eagle nests. As previously mentioned, we got several glimpses of them, but none were close enough to appreciate their beauty and grace. They sit in their trees looking for fish (I hear their eye sight is 7x that of a human eye. Oh, for the day I see one of these flying carnivores swoop down and pull lunch out of the drink.
As we go North, the water is less brackish, and reminds me of the South.
Our dinghy and trawler partners, Dale and Sandy.
This rugged specimen of an outdoorsman, on the search for the eagle sighting in his powerful vessel.
White speck, right of center: eagle.
Selfies always were our strong suite.
Good days here. Tomorrow, we head to the Erie Canal. Somebody pinch me.
Left Newburgh this morning a little after 8 am and traveled to Catskill Creek. We anchored out here. We were probably 200 yards from the shore of the Hudson where railroad tracks parallel the river. Amtrak trains run all day and into the night, so we saw/heard a good many during the course of the afternoon, after our 6 hour journey. But we had a nice breeze, a cool evening, and a good hold with the anchor. Sleep is sweet.
Pardon my redundancy, I just love pictures of bridges
Passing under a bridge (instead of over like most) is fun to me.
Kingston-Rhinecliffe Bridge at sunset.
The barge traffic keeps us humble. The pilots are always courteous to us pleasure boaters.
My honey bees back in Georgia sure do love the Sourwood this time of year.
We left our beautiful anchorage this morning around 11:00, as our leg today was only 17 miles. The natural highlight was spotting the bald eagle. Only the 2nd one we have seen since we left Georgia. The picture isn’t great, but it’s the thought that counts, right?
The Bear Mountain Bridge
There’s a bald eagle somewhere.
A bridge and an eagle in the same pic. As good as it gets.
No worries about hitting bottom today. Just watch for logs that will remove your prop for you.
We traveled to Newburgh, NY to the Front Street Marina, tied up and caught a Lyft to West Point.
West Point from the water.
It gets its name from being the most western point at the turn in the river.
The Plain, as it is known here.
The campus overview.
Over 22,000 pipes on this organ.
Boat view of the bay.
The same bay from West Point.
Memorial of unity of the North and the South. All cannons turned away from one another.
I loved seeing West Point. Not just the buildings and hearing the history, but more, what it stands for. Duty, honor, country. Duty, what you do; honor, how it’s done; country, who it’s for. I will neither lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those that do. Leadership of character. We benefit from this moral code. O, to count it as that thing to be grasped. This was, indeed, a good day.
