Westward

The locks reopened Tuesday the 17th and we were off. After waiting for 4 days, all of us along the Waterford wall were ready to climb the Waterford Flight.  The first group of boats left the dock before 8. We watched as they all took their places inside the lock and soon noticed the last boat in backing up, hesitating and then switching sides.  Turns out one of the crew members, an elderly gentleman, had fallen overboard. Fortunately he got back on board, and the lock doors closed.

Loopers starting the Waterford Flight

We joined the second, smaller group of boats and kept with them all day. As I mentioned in my last post, The Waterford Flight Locks 2-6) is a series of 5 locks that lift or lower vessels 169 feet in just 2 miles. That is the greatest height in the shortest distance of any canal in the world. Each lift was 33'-35'. We tied to the wall either by wrapping a line around a pole and cleating it back to the boat, or by grabbing a line that hung from the top of the wall. The line around the pole was easier and a lot less slimy! It was a fun and physical day.

Freedom entering a lock

It's a long way up!

The gates opening

Up against the wall

Ham supervising our entry into a lock

The dams alongside the locks are powerful and have provided power for local cities and towns since the early days of the Erie Canal

The weather turned windy on Wednesday and passage through the locks was much more difficult. We were pushed about by swirling waters outside the locks and one inside a wind tunnel effect took place, The lock masters advised us of the best places to tie up in  order to avoid and turbulence. Fortunately there were only two locks to maneuver before reaching the Riverlink Park in Amsterdam. The dock was full of Loopers: Summerland, Waterview, Midas Touch, Attitude Changer, Talisman and Annabelle. Soon after tying up the Capn's sister Robin and cousin Cynthia arrived for lunch. We had a great visit catching up on family news. Faithful readers will recall our reunion with Uncle Harry's Jarvis Newman Freedom on Charleston. Cynthia is Harry's daughter and was happy to see the "newest" Freedom. Later in the afternoon we walked into town but never did find the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame!
It was a beautiful June evening and the Looper's  gathered for dinner at the Riverlink Cafe overlooking the Mohawk River, exchanging life stories, boating stories, and Boat Cards.

Sadly we don't have any pictures of the cousins lunch or the Looper dinner :(

The Mohawk River is the Erie Canal and the Erie Canal is the Mohawk River between Waterford and Lock 19.  At times it is deep in a valley surrounded by rolling hills and lush landscapes. At other times, it rides along a ridge at treetop level. Trains rumble day and night on tracks both north and south of the waterway. Homes peek from behind the tree lined shores, geese are plentiful and the fish must be too from the numbers fishing at the locks, the shore, and small boats.  All those words you learn in poetry class apply here, as they did along the Hudson: sylvan, verdant, misted morn, dusky eve, etc. We have been struck by the simple beauty of it all.

I have also been struck by the fact that although I grew up in the Empire State I never knew there was a Mohawk River -- I always thought of it as a Native American Tribe and a much maligned airline (Slow-Hawk we called it). Shame on me.

Thursday found us traveling in company with Bob and Vickie from Waterview and Mike and Marion on Midas Touch. We fell into a routine of Waterview (the fastest boat) in the lead, followed by Midas Touch and then us. The first two boats tied to the starboard side lock walls and we took the port side. It worked out well as we traveled through locks 11-16. Unfortunately some transmission concerns came up as we locked up at #16. Our kind and gracious traveling companions made sure we were safely tied up just outside the lock before they carried on along the canal. Further proof that Canadians and Southerners are just plain nice!  The lock master Scott Bruce could not have been more accommodating as we spent the next day and half sorting things out. He arranged for a delivery of potable water and even rode over to the local auto parts store to pick up our oil.

Just after our lines were secured, Scott told us we were at one of the best spots along the canal -- "It's like a resort!"  We looked around: no pool, no tiki bar, no structures other than the lock masters house -- even the road was gone (washed out by last year's flooding.) All we saw were trees, grass, the canal and a few fisherman. He was right -- it was peaceful and relaxing and proved to be one of our favorite stops so far. It was fun to watch the east and west bound boats go through the locks -- everything from large tugs to small run abouts, and lots of Loopers. A few familiar faces passed by allowing us to catch up on their plans as they locked up or  motored slowly by. Even Ham loved it. He was able to run off leash up and down the nearby walking path, and investigate all sorts of new smells.

By Saturday afternoon we were ready to head for Little Falls -- about 20 miles and 2 locks ahead, including the tallest lock on the canal:  Lock 17. Instead of a gate, a guillotine door raises above the water for boats entering or leaving the east side of the lock.

The guillotine nears -- yikes!

Inside Lock 17

The door goes down, up and down

Water over the ledge

 It is a bit scary to pass underneath --and quite wet. We were alone in the lock and it seemed to be taking much longer than normal for us to start our rise after the door closed. After a few minutes the lock master radioed us that he was having trouble with the door. There we were in a 40'+ hole, wondering what came next. The guillotine raised up a bit and lowered with an echoing shudder. About 5 minutes later we began to move and breathed a sigh of relief.

Right now we are settled in at the Little Falls Canal Harbor, enjoying a quiet Sunday, doing some boat chores and hoping to find a spot to watch the Word Cup game later today.

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

New York, New York

(More pictures to follow -- just wanted to get this posted...stay tuned,,,,)

After a good night's rest following our overnight passage up the Jersey coast, we were ready to take on New York Harbor.  It was a bit cold and bleak as we headed north, but that did not matter when the Manhattan skyline beckoned and Lady Liberty came into view.

Meanwhile, the ship, pleasure and ferry traffic was intense. Here is what our GPS screen looked like:

All the blue and red triangles are boats

The sightseeing ferries seemed to be packed with schoolkids heading to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, and their enthusiastic voices could be heard over the din of boat engines and helicopters,  The Cap'n responded to their waves with a blast of Freedom's horn -- and we were thanked with a cheer and even more waving. (I'd like to think they told that story when they got home)

After making our own pass by the statue, we headed into our anchorage behind Liberty Island.  It was a spectacular site: the Lady's gleaming torch held aloft against the night sky and the new World Trade Center towering, and twinkling, across the river. Best anchorage ever.

Thursday morning we headed up river a bit to the Liberty Landing Marina in Jersey City for a two night stay. Ham was relieved (pun intended) to get to shore.The rest of the day was filled with chores (interior and exterior boat cleaning, laundry), but I must admit I spent a good deal of time just looking at the view of lower Manhattan.

On Friday morning we hopped on the ferry to Ellis Island.  Sharing the ride was the Governor's Foot Guard of Hartford CT. Established in 1771, it is the longest continuing military guard in the country. In 1780 the Guard accompanied Gen Washington to his meeting in Hartford with French General Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau to discuss strategy and coordination between the Continental and French armies. They were headed to the Statue of Liberty for the ceremonies marking the 70th Anniversary of D-Day. Also on board were a group of French students all set to participate in the festivities.  Standing guard in the harbor was a stealth French War Ship. It was an exciting day to be in New York.

To be honest, we had hoped to visit the 9/11 Museum that morning, but the tickets were sold out. Second choice to start, Ellis Island proved to be the perfect choice. The exhibit "The Peopling of America" told the why's and the where's of the immigrant migration across the US. We will be following many of the same routes those brave people followed and stopping in many of the towns and cities and they peopled. The exhibit offered us a new way to look at our journey.

We ended the day with a fun on board party Our guests were my cousin Nancy, our friends Dave and Jenny, and our daughter Monica and her entourage of sorority sisters. It was night full of photo-ops and laughs.

More photos of  NYC:

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