17 Days on the Erie Canal

Scene on the Erie Canal:

Bridges at intersection of Erie Canal and Genesee River -- and a dredger clearing the crossing

A provisioning trip in Brewerton, NY

We saw lots of old ads on buildings -- this one was in really good shape

A little too close for comfort

Our "crew" resting between locks

We saw lots of these rental canal boats -- looks like a fun way to spend a week

Murals along the Canal

We finally found Sal in Fairpoirt

A view from the top of the Lockport Stair Step lock

The last bridge on the Canal -- thank goodness!

Today, July 2, 2014 at 1:42 PM we tied FREEDOM to the wall in Tonawanda New York and completed our 341 mile, 35 lock and who knows how many bridges journey across the Erie Canal.  We never imagined the sense of accomplishment we would feel. It was more adventuresome, more physically demanding and more fun than we might have predicted.

Certain memories stand out:

• the wonderful people we have met from Loopers to LockMasters to Locals in the many towns we visited.
• the Locks and the Lines and the Lifts and the Falls. From the 40' lift near Little Falls to the stair step locks of Lockport we hung on and never ceased to be amazed
• the volunteers, the overflowing flowerpots and the American flags that welcomed us in most towns and cities
• the ever changing landscape from the wide Mohawk River valley to our peaceful early morning trip across Oneida Lake to the tree lined "Clinton's Ditch" as the final third of the Canal is known
• fisher-people everywhere and the friendly waves from children and adults who lined the banks of the canal to watch us pass

Now it is time to celebrate the Fourth with family in Buffalo, re-attach the radar arch, re-provision and get ready for the Great Lakes!

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