Locked Out

Lock 2 (but officially the first lock) of the Erie Canal, Waterford, NY

We spent the past week inching our way up the Hudson, with some time off for sightseeing and Erie Canal prep work.

A damp Monday found is touring the FDR Home, Museum and Library in Hyde Park, and the neighboring Vanderbilt Mansion, while docked in Rondout Creek.  Tuesday morning we headed up river a bit to New Baltimore, NY where, on the recommendation of the Jeffery Siegel from ActiveCaptain, we made arrangements to have our radar arch lowered at the Shady Harbor Marina.

Even with our antennas down, Freedom has an "air draft" of 21 feet -- not even close to fitting under the 15.5' bridge just before Buffalo. So, Wednesday afternoon the crew at Shady Harbor tipped our arch back, unhooked the multitude of wires running through the arch and removed it from its hinge. It now lies across the aft portion of our flying bridge, right on the dinghy cradle.

With Canvas and Radar Arch Up

The Hinge

Lowering the Arch

Low and ready to go

 We had already lowered the dinghy and will tow it though the canal.  It takes a little dexterity move around the flying bridge, but we still have access to the steering station and the sitting area (sort of).  The worst part is we have lost satellite TV. I know I complain a lot about Direct TV, but I kinda miss it. Meanwhile, Verizon wins big -- I expect we'll be racking up big time data charges as we catch up on our Netflix series.

Other than a few hours of sun on Tuesday afternoon, it rained from Sunday night until Saturday morning Right now we are tied up just outside Lock 2 of the Erie Canal in Waterford, NY, along with other Loopers we have seen here and there for the past week. We decided to lay low on Friday and wait for better weather on Saturday. As it turned out, the weather was better, but the canal conditions had taken a turn for the worse. Large amounts of debris litter the waterway from lock 7(Schenectady) through Lock 20 (Syracuse), and so the canal is closed until further notice. (At press time word came down the dock that the canal will reopen on Tuesday at 8AM - and that "docktails" will commence at 6PM today)

We are making the best of this delay -- walking about the town, chatting with locals and Loopers, and today the weekly Farmer's Market is just across the dock.

Scum in the water after heavy rains and high water levels. We think the dinghy was hit by a wave of the stuff on Friday night. What a mess!

Broad Street, Waterford, NY The oldest continuously incorporated village in New York, Also home to the first American woman to win an Olympic event and the first woman in the world to win 3 Olympic Gold Medals in swimming:
Ethelda Bleibtrey,

Gate Pulleys along the old Champlain Canal

The Old Champlain Canal

The Cap'n and Ham above the Erie Canal Lock 2 side locks

Sunday morning Farmer's Market

Once the locks reopen we will proceed through the Waterford Flight: a series of 5 locks that will lift us the greatest height in the shortest distance of any canal lock system in the world -- 169 feet in less than 2 miles. It will take about 2 hours altogether. from there we will continue along the Mohawk River towards Schenectady, four miles past Lock 7. We'll be ready

Heading Up the Hudson

Enough talk, this time I am just posting pictures -- okay with a few comments.

The trip up the Hudson was great -- blue skies and sunshine for the trip past Manhattan on the right and Jersey on the left. Clouds and rain followed, but we got a good feel for what Henry Hudson experienced as he steered the Half Moon up river in search of a route to the Orient (other than the disappointment he felt when they realized the river ended and they had to turn around)

The Cap'n in charge!

Our favorite daughter named Monica (l) and her beautiful (r) friend Courtney.
And a bow full of fenders....

Three lovely ladies

Jersey City Waterfront

Crazy Kayakers

Love that building -- each cascading floor has a terrace. Sweet!

Jersey on the left, NY on the right

The Concorde, a cruise ship and the stealth French War ship I referenced in my last post.
There is always a lot going on in NY!

The city gives way to high cliffs and rock slides

New Tappan Zee bridge construction. Somehow we managed to miss the 139 unmarked
submerged objects

Sunset at Half Moon Bay Marina. 

Nuclear Power Plant. We sold our Jarvis Newman lobster hull just 2 months before 9/11. The new owner volunteered it to patrol these waters in defense of our country. Made us proud -- then and now.

West Point

The other side of the roof says Beat Navy

Loop Leg 2

On Monday June 2 at 6:55AM the Cap'n threw the stern line into the cockpit, hopped aboard and we were off on leg two of our Great Loop adventure. The Chesapeake Bay was calm and quiet as we headed north towards the C&D canal where we picked up our friend and reliable crew member Al. He is known for his "James Bond" arrivals and this was no different.  The Cap'n brought Freedom alongside the dock and within seconds Al, his overnight bag and three spherical fenders were on board -- no lines needed.

The seas remained calm as we rode along the canal and into the Delaware Bay. The wind and waves picked up a bit as we approached the ocean, and to my disappointment, continued to build throughout the afternoon.  I have learned my offshore limitations over the years so I remained in the saloon,  anti-sea sickness patch set firmly behind my ear, while Al and the Cap'n steered from the Pilot House.

Day turned to night as Freedom paralleled the beach and we enjoyed watching the bright lights, Ferris Wheels, roller coasters, boardwalks, hotels and casinos that dot the Jersey Shore.  I fell asleep by 9 in anticipation of  middle of the night watch duty, but the call never came. Instead, Al and the Cap'n took turns on watch and navigation duties while Ham and I slumbered in the saloon (ie, the boat living room).

27 hours after leaving Worton Creek, MD we arrived at Atlantic Highlands Municipal Harbor NJ. Ham and I ran up the dock (totally rebuilt after Sandy) to find a tree; Al gathered his things and called for a cab to take him to a southbound train; and the Cap'n started to fill the fuel and water tanks.

We won't be taking another overnight trip until we reach the Gulf of Mexico in November. For that I am thankful. Even though I did not stand watch, such trips are tiring and tend to mess up your body clock. From now on it will be short day trips, many of them punctuated by locks.

Next stop: Jersey City and a ringside view of the New York skyline

Atlantic Highlands, NJ anchorage
June 4, 2014