Thursday, June 28, 2012

NIGHT CROSSING - LAKE ONTARIO


Trip Day:
   109
Latitude:
  43°27.59 ' N 
Locks Today:
  7
Miles Today:
     21 
Longitude:
076°30.60' W
Locks Total:
38
Total Miles:
2,135
Location:
Oswego, NY

Yesterday the winds were very strong with gusts of 25-30 kts so we logged another weather day and stayed with the group at the Phoenix town docks.  Today was predicted to be lighter winds, but Rick, a Canadian who boats on Lake Ontario told us the big water would need a minimum of 12 hours to settle down after four days of high winds and 5-6 ft seas.  So we were forced to join the group of boaters at the Lock 1 Bar and Grill last night for dinner and got to watch teams play Bocce on the indoor court at the bar—not something one sees everyday. 

We pulled away from the dock and passed through Lock 1 of the Oswego Canal.  Within 15 minutes Ron discovered his sunglasses were not on board.  We called Rick and asked him to walk up to the pie shop, retrieve the prescription sunglasses and meet us at the dock wall.  We turned around and by the time we reached the dock wall Rick was in sight carrying Ron’s glasses.  (Just glad it was Ron and not me—just saying.  .  .)  We owe Rick a beer when we see him again.
 The Oswego Canal is winding with modest homes and docks and really quite lovely.  The seven locks today were all drops in elevation which is much easier than lifts.  The other boaters at Phoenix were describing some of the Canadian locks where boats will be packed in with perhaps four boats across the lock.  That means the boats against the walls will hold lines and the boats in the middle will raft to each other.  Rick and Deb were in such a lock when one of the outside boats let go of the line and a domino bumper boat scene played out.  Not sure we are interested in  being sandwiched between big trawlers as light as we are. 
We tied up at the lock wall after Lock 8 and walked into Oswego Marina to pick the Ray      Marine Canadian chip for Marc on KatMan2 who is waiting in Canada.   We have not done  justice to the town of Oswego which has a rich history and played a pivotal role in the War of 1812 as American Forces fought the British at Fort Ontario.  Interestingly, in the 19th Century, Oswego was known as where the sails meet the rails and was an important part of the Underground Railroad network.  Three railroads, Erie Canal traffic and Great Lake Schooners all met at Oswego with daily transits to    Canada giving hope for liberty to people escaping human bondage.
We need 8 hours to run the 50 miles across Lake Ontario, so we are leaving Oswego at 10:00 p.m. and should arrive in daylight to pass Amherst Island on the western tip and enter Bay of Quinte.  The plan is to pull into Prinyer Cove where we can clear customs at the Marina.  We have diligently been consuming our alcohol to reduce stock to the customs 1.5 liter limit. The Oswego Lighthouse will be our first landmark as we leave the American shore of Lake Ontario. 
 

For the next month we will not be blogging daily.  The International Verizon plan is very costly, except for phone text @ .20 cents to send and receive, so we will blog when we are at a marina with free wi-fi access.  Otherwise we will only use the hotspot for navigational research.  We will still write our log daily, then post multiple days at once.  So don’t be alarmed if we are out of touch for a few days.  We will text our kids daily, not that they would be worried about us with their busy schedules. 

The winds have changed to southerly and it is glass calm as far as we can see so we have started the engine and we are ready to set out across Lake Ontario to Canada.  Talk to you soon, eh.  

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

ONE MORE DAY IN PHOENIX


Trip Day:
   107
Latitude:
  43°13.67 ' N 
Locks Today:
  0
Miles Today:
       0 
Longitude:
076°17.94' W
Locks Total:
31
Total Miles:
2,114
Location:
Phoenix, NY

Winds of 20-25kts have held us captive again, but we made good use of the day.  Ron changed the engine oil and oil filter then donned his wetsuit to clean the slim off the hulls (be still my heart!).  Jean walked to the veggie stand again, vacuumed and mopped the interior, then caught up on this month’s slide show building.  Ron exchanged propane tanks with the help of this  friendly artist who drove him to the store.  Another walk along the riverfront brought us to the coffee shop for a slice of homemade blueberry pie topped with vanilla ice cream (be still Ron’s heart!). 
 
We met another couple who are returning to Canada who gave us good information on Georgian Bay and the North Channel, must-stop places to visit and recommendations for local restaurants.  The Bridge Brats took our food orders again and gave us a tour of the museum  housed in the original bridge house here at Lock 1 of Oswego Canal.  We are in good company with about six boats waiting for winds to subside before heading to Oswego to cross Lake Ontario. 

Monday, June 25, 2012

Another day in paradise / PHOENIX NY


Trip Day:
   106
Latitude:
  43°13.67 ' N 
Locks Today:
  0
Miles Today:
       0 
Longitude:
076°17.94' W
Locks Total:
31
Total Miles:
2,114
Location:
Phoenix, NY

Since high winds are predicted for the next three days we will be waiting to cross Lake Ontario and we can’t think of a better place to have to wait than Phoenix.  This town dock is so inviting and since it is free, including electric hookup, why not stay.  We sat out on the tables on the dock this morning and the Bridge Bratz Kids brought us coffee and the menu for the restaurant that is one block away.  The kids call the orders into the restaurant, then pick up and deliver to the docks.  Yesterday I thought the Bridge Bratz were teenagers, but most of them are 4th or 5th graders with a couple middle school aged.  The lady who managers the shop and museum interviews the kids, trains and supervises them all summer.  Zack explained to us today that this was his second year so he also gives tours of the museum.  The kids offer other service for boaters such as walking dogs and washing boats, all for tips.   What a great program for the kids and for the town. 

 We met Jim and Ann who are on a 42’ trawler from Merrit Island and members of the Gator Nation.  They have convinced us that we must return and do the western part of the Erie Canal.  They have spent over a year just in this area having stored their boat during the winter months.  After hearing them describe the number of towns that offer free docks, hold concerts and pot luck dinners along the canal, we may consider returning to this area, perhaps   charter a canal boat for a few weeks. 

 
We managed to do laundry, bike ride into town for groceries, visit Baseball Bob’s Ice Cream shop, watch this canal cruise boat pass through the lock, feed the ducklings, read and grab a nap.  A pretty successful day by our standards!
 

Sunday, June 24, 2012

PHOENIX - NEW YORK THAT IS!


Trip Day:
   105
Latitude:
  43°13.67 ' N 
Locks Today:
  3
Miles Today:
     38 
Longitude:
076°17.94' W
Locks Total:
31
Total Miles:
2,114
Location:
Phoenix, NY


After a good night’s sleep we got underway early with the temperature around 60 as we entered Lock 21 for a 24 foot drop.  This section of the canal is man-made but still beautiful with thick forest on both banks and very few homes.  We miss seeing Osprey nests on channel markers but there are many opportunities to see geese and ducks.  Most of the marinas ask people to refrain from feeding the birds, especially the geese which are capable of making a real mess on sidewalks and docks. 



As we approached Sylvan Beach after Lock 22, the entire  atmosphere changed.  This area was like a little Coney Island with a Ferris wheel and tilt-a-whirl, hot dogs and ice cream.  We saw more boats in five minutes than we had seen in 5 days and suddenly there were homes in view.  We found it interesting that the marina where we took on fuel was an enterprise belonging to the Oneida Indian Nation. 

We were also excited to see the famous tug Urger which was built in 1901 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  She was retired from   canal service in 1980 and now serves as a floating classroom.

When the waterway opened wide onto Oneida Lake it was like we had been released from the dark, dungeon-like walls of the locks and a magnificent view was revealed.  Oneida Lake is 21 miles long and 5 miles wide with depths of 20-30 feet and must be filled with fish because we passed a hundred boats trying their luck this morning.  The lake freezes solidly in the winter so ice fishing is popular, but in the summer the locals enjoy the beaches.  We crossed the length of Oneida Lake which feeds into Oneida River/Erie Canal. 

 
When we locked through Lock 23, we officially departed the Erie Canal which continues West to Lake Erie.  We turned north toward Lake Ontario, stopping in Phoenix which offers a free town dock with electricity.  We met a couple from Merrit Island who told us this is the home of the Bridge House Brats which is a group of teenagers who work for tips to assist visiting boaters.  They will pick up food orders and deliver to a boat or these tables along the docks.  We will check this out for breakfast!
 



Saturday, June 23, 2012

APEX OF THE ERIE CANAL


Trip Day:
   104
Latitude:
  43°12.52 ' N 
Locks Today:
  3
Miles Today:
     43 
Longitude:
075°36.90' W
Locks Total:
28
Total Miles:
2,076
Location:
New London, NY

A mile walk into town this morning allowed us to stock up on veggies at the Farmers Market .  This rather unique building was built in 1915 as a Masonic Lodge and is now rented out for weddings and events.  

Realizing Little Falls was an interesting town with a well preserved historic downtown, we continued to explore then had breakfast at a little diner on Main Street before returning to the boat. 

Expecting heavier weekend boat traffic, we were disappointed to find ourselves alone on the canal and locked through solo again.  To enhance our travel we listened to an audio book which was a gift from Ron and Dee, which was an interesting way to enjoy our surroundings and listen to a plot unfold. 





The rain brought about some unusual changes in our day.  A light mist developed into a heavy rain which turned solid in the form of hail.  Ron was so excited!  Jean was so excited to handle lines in the lock in the rain. Our view in the rain is less than optimum since windshield wipers is not  standard equipment on the Gemini.



When the rain stopped, the clouds gave way to sunshine which literally danced on top of the water.  What a difference an hour made!













We have reached the apex of the Erie Canal, having raised 47 feet in elevation in three locks today bringing us to 420 ft above sea level.  Tomorrow we begin our decent. 

Late in the day we got a glimpse of history as we passed this lock which was part of the original canal.   It now lays abandoned, but still a testament to the engineering marvel of its time over 180 years ago. 









We tied up to the approach wall of Lock 21 for the night along with a tug and canal barge.  It is very quiet and peaceful so we have high hopes for a pleasant evening.  

Friday, June 22, 2012

LITTLE FALLS, NY


Trip Day:
   103
Latitude:
  43°02.09 ' N 
Locks Today:
 5
Miles Today:
     32 
Longitude:
074°51.93' W
Locks Total:
25
Total Miles:
2,033
Location:
Little Falls, NY


As we had breakfast this morning we discussed the amazing fact that we have travelled over 2,000 miles on our boat.  Going home, seeing friends, spending time with our family, living our old life for a week has reinforced that after several years of planning, we are actually doing this trip! 

 With temperatures in the eighties today and a nice breeze we got an early start and hit lock 13 at 8:00 a.m.  By 10:00 we had reached the town of Canajoharie and tied up at the town dock to go ashore and check out the Arkell Museum and American Art Gallery.  Arkell was the founder of Beech-Nut and the early marketing campaigns for Beech-Nut products mentioned Canajoharie by name and the marketing artwork was based on paintings of the Mohawk Valley. 

 


Arkell was an avid art collector and wanted to bring European art to the common people.  In the early 1900s he commissioned  replicas of famous paintings including a full-scale replica of Rembrandt’s Night Watch which hangs in this gallery.  The original art collection included oil portraits of George and Martha Washington by Gilbert Stuart in 1820.
The gallery is most proud of it’s Winslow Homer (1836-1910) collection including Watching the Breakers: A High Sea, 1896

Watercolor and pastels were media used by artist as drafts for oil paintings. Winslow Homer was among the first Americans to sell watercolor paintings and his work was admired by the American  Impressionists.  Shown is The Pumpkin Patch from 1878.   

 The museum and gallery were well worth the stop and the lovely grounds completed the experience.  Settled in 1730 the Village of  Canajoharie has a remarkably  inviting historic downtown with well preserved buildings and welcoming residents.

 








Our final lock of the day, lock 17, was the Macdaddy lock of the Erie Canal.  This lock has the highest lift of all locks at 40.5 feet and is the only lock built with a guillotine gate.   As we rounded the bend approaching the lock, we hesitated with concern at the frothing water discharging from the lock. 














This section of the Erie, which departs from the Mohawk River, has a section of homes that literally cantilever over the canal bank. 

Tied up to the Little Falls docks for the night, we plan to walk to the farmer’s market before getting underway in the morning.
 Google Map us by clicking on Location: Little Fall, NY in the footer below.






Thursday, June 21, 2012

WE'RE BA-A-A-C-K!

Trip Day:
   102
Latitude:
  42°57.02 ' N 
Locks Today:
  5
Miles Today:
     33 
Longitude:
074°22.34' W
Locks Total:
20
Total Miles:
2,001
Location:
Fonda, NY



This was a day of adjustment - after Madagascar III with five grandkids, swim meet, gymnastic practice, playing in the pool, party with friends ,dinner with the whole family - 5 knots seemed s-l-o-o-w!  It may take a couple of days to adjust to life in the slow lane again.

Unfortunately the weather prediction of 98 was right on today. That is HOT - no matter how you slice or dice it - today was HOT! The Mohawk River is beautiful, but surprisingly unpopulated and very little boat traffic. We locked through solo in all five locks today, seeing three boats traveling eastward, but not a single vessel westward bound.

We motored past Scotia, Glenville, Roderdam, Amsterdam, Florida, and Mohawk, NY today.



  We are staying the night at a free dock in the village of Fonda, which had a population of 795 in the 2010 census and is the county seat.  This court house was built in 1834 when Fonda became the county seat.
 

Normally I would expound on the quaintness of the buildings which date back to the 1800s, but my cheerleader self has heat stroke. 

Fonda is just a small, old town that is not fairing well in this or any other economy.

Two of the lock tenders talked at length about the severe flooding caused by Hurricane Irene

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Flying Home - Off Line One Week!

Blog will be offline for one week - we are flying home for a grankid fix!   We miss these guys - can you blame us?

Be back soon - Love, Jean and Ron

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

On the Erie!


Trip Day:
   101
Latitude:
  42°51.06 ' N 
Locks Today:
 6
Miles Today:
     21 
Longitude:
073°53.19' W
Locks Total:
15
Total Miles:
1,968
Location:
Schenectady, NY

Erie Canal here we come!  New Yorkers seem very proud of the historic canal which opened up trade between the Hudson, the Mississippi, the St Lawrence and the Great Lakes when it was built in 1825.  Of course the canal has been renovated through the years, re-routed, locks widened and many of the old mule trails have become hiking trails. Locks 2-6 are collectively known as the Waterford Flight.  This group of locks lift or lower vessels the greatest height in the shortest distance of any canal in the world. 


  The rise is 169 feet in elevation in less than two miles.  Locking through was quick and easy since there were just two boats instead of a full lock.  The only unpleasant part is that the holding lines are green with slime as are the lock walls so our white fenders are now green and slimy.  Note to self , need cotton gloves that can be thrown away after the trip.




This section of the Erie runs on the     Mohawk River which is wide and heavily treed on both banks. 











This home is not  representative of the typical neighborhoods along the river.

We heard horror stories in Waterford and now in Schenectady about the damage and flooding caused by Hurricane Irene.  The water rose to the top of door jams and the mud left behind was 6 inches thick.  Here at the Schenectady Yacht Club, where we are staying, all the floating docks are new and they are still recovering from the flooding. 
 
We miss seeing Osprey, but we are enjoying the ducks and geese which are plentiful. 
















TUESDAY - JUNE 12, 2012  /  WATERFORD, NY

We were underway early to run with the current today.  We followed KatMan2 up river, which was an odd view with the mast down.  Throughout the day we saw several sailboats headed toward the Erie Canal. It is like an obstacle course on our deck with the boom, mainsail and multiple lines to step over to maneuver from one side to the other to handle lines or the anchor. 




The scenery changed as we neared Albany.
The clouds began to look threatening for several miles then the rain began just as we approached the town docks at Waterford.  We just squeezed in between two trawlers in a row of about 50 boats.  Ron bought our locking  pass for the Erie Canal and we walked around town for awhile until the rain got heavy. 

 

















We hosted dinner for Betty and Mark and their friends Al and Kim. A good time was had by all !