Honey Queen Adventures

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?

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Oswego Canal, here we come!

With a short distance planned for the day, we left at 9:00 and headed North for the last day on the Hudson River.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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.

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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.

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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?

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We traveled to Newburgh, NY to the Front Street Marina, tied up and caught a Lyft to West Point.

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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.

Today was a big day in our complicated world of decision-making. As you have read, after our delay due to boat repairs, we had abandoned the idea of doing the Great Loop. The rule of thumb says you should be off the Great Lakes by Labor Day to ensure you don’t encounter rougher weather. And we felt we would be too rushed if we pushed the Loop idea. However, we have talked to so many people who are still doing the loop, and are in the proximity of where we are. Some are slightly ahead of us and some behind. After much deliberation, and the assurance of having friends nearby on the same route, we decided this morning to revert to Plan A, The Great Loop. A new sense of relief and excitement builds as we are looking forward again to the journey.

So we pulled out of Liberty Landing into the Hudson River and turned North.

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How quickly the landscape changed as we left the city. A short distance North revealed high banks on the Hudson, covered in forestation. No more high rises. The structures turned to an industrial look, reflecting the history and culture of the working class from that of the busy city life. The boat traffic all but disappeared, providing a wandering, relaxed navigation on the river. With plenty of deep water and a relatively calm current most of the day, we soaked up the rays from the flybridge and mellowed out till we found our anchorage at Stony Point.

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We arranged for a walking tour of the 911 Memorial for 9:30 am. We boarded the water taxi at 8:30 and had a short walk to St Paul’s Church, the starting point for the tour. If you ever make the trip to NYC, please tour the memorial. The day that changed all our lives won’t be forgotten. No question. But to relive here is a reminder that the freedom we enjoy, and the evil we endure is not to be taken lightly. I appreciated watching the people from every political view, every nationality, every belief (or lack thereof) system, walking together, and sharing the experience. The museum has done an excellent job of re-communicating the events of that day. What has happened to us since then? Why aren’t our government leaders standing on the steps of the National Capitol now and praying and calling on our God to lead us and protect us, like they did then? I fear that the only time we will do that will be in the aftermath of another ruthless evil attack on the greatest place in the world to work and live and raise a family.

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An hour and half walking tour and then 3 plus hours in the museum weighed heavily on us, physically and emotionally. This sobering tour is worth the time and effort.

After leaving the 911 Memorial, we hopped in a Lyft and went to DUMBO.

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Don’t ask what this stands for, but it means something. Not very good marketing if you ask me. We inhaled a pizza at Juliana’s, walked around another neighborhood, got Amanda a chocolate fix, and then caught a cab back to the other side to meet Haley, our daughter’s friend from high school, who lives in NYC. We caught up with her life and then she showed us how to buy a subway ticket and put us on the right train, so we could find “home” before morning. It’s tough being a senior citizen in the city.

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We made it back fine and even caught the water taxi before they closed down for the night. We packed in all we had energy for today and slept real well.

After a lazy Sunday morning start, we drove just over a mile to the Liberty Landing Marina, our home for the next couple nights. It’s on the Jersey side of the Harbor and though a nice marina, it’s terribly overpriced. We have since learned there are other places that are more reasonable in the area. But we splurged, because after all, we’re in New York City.

After getting all lines and power connected to the dock, we jumped on the water taxi and headed to the city. We wandered the streets looking like 2 people from the south, taking a few pictures and trying to make a game plan for tomorrow. We looked up Redeemer Church, a Tim Keller established church, and headed that way for their 5 pm service. Tim is a renowned teacher/pastor.. With 4 campuses, Tim Keller is obviously not the lead pastor for each campus. But we heard solid encouraging teaching from God’s Word and the music was awesome. The 6-piece band consisted of fiddle, guitar, upright bass, mandolin, and banjo. We sang contemporary and traditional songs. These guys were gifted musicians, and the arrangements were very nontraditional. I loved every beat of every song.

After the service, we walked just over 2 miles back to the water taxi station, in time to see the last taxi of the day pull out (without us on it). We caught an Uber across the river and crashed for the night.

Saturday morning, we toured Sandy Hook resort community with Ce Ce, our daughter-in-law’s mom’s step mom, who lives in Rumson, one of the Sandy Hook communities. She took us to the highest point on the East Coast, south of Maine. From here, you can see the skyline of New York City.

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Saturday afternoon, we were anxious to get out of the marina and equally excited about getting close to New York Harbor. The ride, about 18 miles across the huge channel, took us to the harbor. The worn out cliche, “country come to town” has never been more applicable. Here we were, trying to remember navigation signs, dodging mega yachts, cruise liners, barges, and ferries that run 30 knots, hoping I would not make a mistake. Interestingly, anything seems to go here. The ultimate in defensive driving, we saw jet skis circling cruise ships and barges like sand gnats at a Little League baseball game in Savannah. These people are crazy.

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As some of you may remember, when I introduced how this trip was conceived, a picture of the Statue of Liberty, taken from the boat by the author of the article inspired and terrified me at the same time. The idea of being in the middle of that harbor on MY boat, and having the opportunity to be in front of Lady Liberty, was overwhelming. This moment has certainly been the pinnacle of the trip thus far.

We anchored out tonight in front of the Liberty National Golf Club. I think some major tournament has been played here, but I could be wrong. A beautiful night, nice breeze, and a well protected anchorage provided safe .

Today was another pretty long day….for a slow boat, especially. Fifty four miles and almost 8 hours of cruise time. The ride from Barnegat Light, NJ to Sandy Hook was split, half “inside” on the intercoastal, and then outside, beginning at the Manasquan Inlet.

We passed under 3 road bridges, 1 railroad bridge, and through 1 very swift canal. We crossed the Toms River and enjoyed the pass through Bay Head, NJ. It was a beautiful setting with houses right on the intercoastal. The houses all were traditional beach homes and looked brand new because they were so well maintained. We learned later than many probably were brand new, because Hurricane Sandy hit this area 4-5 years ago and caused major damage to many of the homes.

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We traversed the intercoastal for approximately 4 hours before arriving at the Manasquan Inlet (which in this case for us was technically an outlet). I wish the pictures were videos so you could appreciate the wave height and action of an inlet. It’s like a roller coaster, except if something goes wrong, it’s my fault.

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The second half of our day was uneventful. No whale or porpoise sightings. Just a beautiful view of the Jersey coast as eased into Sandy Hook. The fishing must be great in the bay, as fishermen are everywhere, fishing for fluke, a fish that neither Amanda or I had ever heard of.

Our parking spot for the night was Atlantic Highlands Marina. By far, the worst customer service and lazy staff we have yet to encounter. We will not consider this an option if and when we pass this way again. The docks are fixed, so extra care must be taken when tying lines to the pilings and cleats. With an almost 5′ swing in the tide, our dock lines got way too tight before I realized what was going on. A little input from the marina hands would have been nice, but we were lucky to get them to tell us where our slip was located. Too bad because it could have been a nice experience.