5,813 miles
Day 451
Fresh water!! No tides!! No salt covering the outside of True North!!
The Erie Canal has given us all these gifts. We said goodbye to the dolphins outside of New York Harbor (sniff-sniff) but have said hello to deer and geese and mallards and even an eagle. These combine to reassure us that we are getting closer to home. In fact, by car, we could be in Ludington in 10 and 1/2 hours. By boat, we are still 20-25 days away.
"Home of my heart, I sing of thee!
Michigan, My Michigan,
Thy lake-bound shores I long to see. . ."
(Winifred Lee Brent - 1862)
Thy lake-bound shores I long to see. . ."
(Winifred Lee Brent - 1862)
"A song to thee, fair State of mine,
Michigan, my Michigan.
But greater song than this is thine, Michigan, my Michigan. The thunder of the inland sea,
The whisper of the towering tree, United in one grand symphony
Michigan, my Michigan."
(Douglas Malloch - 1902)
We left Mohawk Harbor Marina in Schenectady, NY on Sunday morning. With an 80% chance of thunderstorms forecasted, we only went 18 miles and 3 locks (8,9 and 10) to tie up in front of Riverlink Park in Amsterdam, NY. The thought was to get at least a little farther along. The other boats on the dock all had the same weather report. The storm never came.
In 7 hours on Monday we traveled 42 miles and locked up 7 times (11,12,13,14,15,16,17) to reach Little Falls, NY.
Kirk Douglas was born in Amsterdam, NY and on our way to Little Falls we passed Fonda, NY. Although Henry Fonda was not born there, it is where his family roots are from. Our own little Hollywood Star tour. Little Falls is the home of Salada Tea and we received a free box upon checking in at the harbor dock.
I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed, so it has taken me a little while to figure out why every lock has a nice picnic area. The locks close at 5 pm, so boaters often have to tie up overnight to the wall in front of the lock as it is impossible to go any further. It is usually a grassy area with picnic tables and sometimes a charcoal grill. There is no way to get anywhere in a hurry on the Erie!
We welcome little diversions with the slow going. In a lock, a fellow boater hollered, "Where are you headed?" He surely meant our destination for that day, but I replied, "Michigan". He said, "You probably aren't going to make it there today!" We all laughed.
Then, as we were approaching Lock 17, we noticed a boat coming up behind us. Then over the radio came, "Mike, Mike, Mike, is that you?" It was Joe Hamilton, whom we had spent January-March of 2017 beside at Marathon Marina, and December of 2017 beside at Legacy Marina in Ft. Myers. We had a great radio chat. He is delivering a boat for a customer from Connecticut to Green Bay, Wisconsin. The boating community really is a small world.
About seven miles outside Little Falls the Erie Canal leaves the Mohawk River and becomes a true canal running alongside the narrow winding river. The other side of the Canal parallels Interstate 90. And judging from the trains that constantly go by, the rail industry is alive and well.
Tuesday brought us 50 miles and 5 locks (18,19,20,21 and 22) to Sylvan Beach, NY. After lock 20, we reached our highest point on the Erie - 420 ft. Which means we have locked up that many feet since entering the Hudson at New York City. We went down in Locks 21 and 22. Sylvan Beach is at the edge of Lake Oneida. Being from a tourist town, I recognize one when I see it, and that is Sylvan Beach. Although much larger (20 miles across), Lake Oneida reminded me of Hamlin Lake back home.
Under gray, rainy skies we crossed Lake Oneida on Wednesday morning to continue on the Erie Canal. We are currently at Winter Harbor Marina in Brewerton, NY. The last few days we have been traveling at only 8 mph due to a missing screw on one of our engine mounts. This was pointed out to us after an oil change back at Shady Harbor on the Hudson. We also noticed a slight rise in the transmission pressure, which may be due to the engine mount, or maybe not. (I say "we" - ha! The guys noticed it!) We are having the service department here at Winter Harbor take a look.
Seventy-five percent of the other Loopers we have met are on trawlers who always travel at 7-8 mph or maybe 10-12. Instead of having True North zip across Lake Oneida at her normal 22-24 mph cruising speed, we stuck with the 8. I feel like a real Looper! :)
Unique and Random Photo of the Day:
But greater song than this is thine, Michigan, my Michigan. The thunder of the inland sea,
The whisper of the towering tree, United in one grand symphony
Michigan, my Michigan."
(Douglas Malloch - 1902)
We left Mohawk Harbor Marina in Schenectady, NY on Sunday morning. With an 80% chance of thunderstorms forecasted, we only went 18 miles and 3 locks (8,9 and 10) to tie up in front of Riverlink Park in Amsterdam, NY. The thought was to get at least a little farther along. The other boats on the dock all had the same weather report. The storm never came.
At Riverlink, we were docked in front of a restaurant that was the site of a graduation open house.
I took this picture from the flybridge, so you can see with the black line and our electrical cord over the side that we were sitting way below this wall. We had to use the ladder built in the wall to get off the boat.
Mike wearing a bib because I didn't trust him eating ribs in his new shirt. Notice the glass says "Saranac". It is a brewery here in NY, but another reminder of home as Mike and Greg lived in Saranac, MI when they were young!
In 7 hours on Monday we traveled 42 miles and locked up 7 times (11,12,13,14,15,16,17) to reach Little Falls, NY.
Kirk Douglas was born in Amsterdam, NY and on our way to Little Falls we passed Fonda, NY. Although Henry Fonda was not born there, it is where his family roots are from. Our own little Hollywood Star tour. Little Falls is the home of Salada Tea and we received a free box upon checking in at the harbor dock.
Pretty Little Falls Harbor
A common sight - grilling on the back of the boat
These are guard gates on the Erie Canal. They can be lowered to control flooding. This is the 4th one we went under, just before Little Falls.
While in Little Falls, I walked into town and got a close up look at the guard gate we had just gone under.
We welcome little diversions with the slow going. In a lock, a fellow boater hollered, "Where are you headed?" He surely meant our destination for that day, but I replied, "Michigan". He said, "You probably aren't going to make it there today!" We all laughed.
Then, as we were approaching Lock 17, we noticed a boat coming up behind us. Then over the radio came, "Mike, Mike, Mike, is that you?" It was Joe Hamilton, whom we had spent January-March of 2017 beside at Marathon Marina, and December of 2017 beside at Legacy Marina in Ft. Myers. We had a great radio chat. He is delivering a boat for a customer from Connecticut to Green Bay, Wisconsin. The boating community really is a small world.
Joe Hamilton passed us before Lock 17. Right before I took this picture, he had radioed and said his generator was out and did we have a 12volt plug for a phone or iPad. Greg did and Mike went on the bow with the cord wrapped around our boat hook while Greg inched True North up to the back of Joe's boat. A successful transfer was made. I was so intrigued with watching the process I forgot to take a picture. It would have been a good one!
Notice the door in the two pictures above. Lock 17 is only one of 2 locks in North America where the entrance gate is lifted above the water rather than entrance doors that swing open. I was able to snap a picture of the door lowering behind us. Lock 17 was also our highest lift on the Erie - 40 ft.
Mike holding on to the rope attached to the lock wall. I'm supposed to be holding on to the rope at the back of the boat, but this locking stuff gets in the way of my "roving reporter", "intrepid photographer" duties!
We had to wait for the fog to lift enough to see the channel markers (buoys).
Jim Dawson shared a saying about boating with us -
You are either watching the show, or you are the show.
This is usually in reference to docking struggles, of which we haven't been that kind of show.
But we have been "the show" to people who line the locks just to watch the process on a sunny day, as you can see from the photos above and below.
Lake Oneida from Sylvan Beach
Under gray, rainy skies we crossed Lake Oneida on Wednesday morning to continue on the Erie Canal. We are currently at Winter Harbor Marina in Brewerton, NY. The last few days we have been traveling at only 8 mph due to a missing screw on one of our engine mounts. This was pointed out to us after an oil change back at Shady Harbor on the Hudson. We also noticed a slight rise in the transmission pressure, which may be due to the engine mount, or maybe not. (I say "we" - ha! The guys noticed it!) We are having the service department here at Winter Harbor take a look.
Seventy-five percent of the other Loopers we have met are on trawlers who always travel at 7-8 mph or maybe 10-12. Instead of having True North zip across Lake Oneida at her normal 22-24 mph cruising speed, we stuck with the 8. I feel like a real Looper! :)
Unique and Random Photo of the Day:
Our view coming out of Lock 17
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