The Erie Canal

Boston was behind us and now it was time to have Waterford behind us. July 14th; we were set to begin the first real segment of our great adventure.

Leaving the dock at a bright and early 7 a.m., we headed over to get "pumped out". The Erie Canal and the Hudson River are both "no discharge" zones so the "tank" has to be pumped out and not dumped out. By 9 a.m., we were ready to enter the first lock of the "Waterford Flight"; Lock 2 was the first of a flight of 5 locks that took us up 169' in less than 2 miles. The locks are quite old although some of them have been either rebuilt or refurbished. While in the lock, one holds on to two ropes, one forward and one aft, while water fills the chamber. The first one was a little scary but we quickly got the hang of it and managed the next 4 locks without any problem. For our ride up, we had two other boats with us.

The little boat you see above is an example of the many work boats on the canal. Some are a little larger but they are all involved in canal maintenance. Many of the workboats are over 50 years old and some as old as 100 years...and they're all still working!!

The canal itself is a wonder. Built and finished in 1812, it was the connection to NY Harbor for the interior of NY State. The actual canal is no longer used since technology enabled the "taming" of the Mohawk River which has become the Erie Canal. Slow cruising is not only the best way to enjoy the 160 mi but is actually necessary since the canal is narrow with many houses, docks and small boats along its length. The best part of the canal are the numerous places where one can tie up to for free. Some of the canal walls have electricity and maybe water but most do not provide any service other than to allow you a place to tie up for the nite and sleep...though not quietly. The railroad track runs along the canal banks for nearly the full length of the canal so regardless, one will hear trains the entire nite long. Fortunately for me, once I fell asleep, the only train I heard was in the early morning and I was ready to get up anyway.

Our first stop was at Lock 8. As previously reported, Steve took our alternator to Schenectady (not Syracuse) for repair which was about 4 miles north of Lock 8. We tied up and waited for the repair shop to deliver the part to our boat. Can you believe that?? Our cruise up to 8 was through some rolling hillsides with farms and cows the only appearances.

Another wonderful part of the canal system is the provision of a bike path the entire length of the canal-way. Some paved, some just dirt/gravel but there for your use. Joan and I spent nearly every morning walking for an hour enjoying the peace, spotting different critters, and tightening up our butts. For sure we'll miss that part of the canal even more than anything else.

Our cruising hours were short because there were just too many places to stop. Lock 12 was next. As we cruised up the canal to the lock, we passed by probably one of the biggest private residences I've ever seen. And what a spectacular view they have but unfortunately too far away for me to get a picture. Get this: five floors, 30,000 square feet, 15 fireplaces, 10 bathrooms, an indoor pool and a bar with two portholes that look underwater into the pool. Think you could live there? Wonder how many maids it takes to keep the place clean? not to mention the gardeners etc.!! Must admit, I was impressed.

After craning my neck around in 15 circles taking in all that surrounded us, we headed up to the Lock wall at #12. Again, a very rural setting but with plenty to look at. We had lunch under the trees then headed for our walk across the bridge/canal for a visit to Fort Hunter.

Just across the bridge, there was the sign noted in the above picture. I know there are plenty of repeat city names from state to state, but I think this is the first time I've seen a city carrying the name of a state...and Florida no less. We were more than amused. The Fort Hunter Museum carries lots of memorabilia from the days of canal building. And, it is close to the site of the original Erie Canal so one can really appreciate how things were in the "olden days". Back then (1812), they moved earth and rocks and sunk retaining walls etc all without much mechanical help. Just backbreaking human muscle. And also nearby is a shrine (Our Lady of Martyrs) commemorating 7 Jesuit priests who were killed by the Mohawks in 1646. It was more than a bit of a walk to see it so we just committed it to memory. The volunteer at the museum was full of information and facts so we managed quite a stay at the museum before we hoofed it back across the bridge to Happy Hour on the Turkey.

Weather is still cooperating but relatively cool...for me...Steve's lovin' it! However rain was in the forecast and upstate can sure use it!

Next stop: Canajoharie. For those of you interested, it means "pot that washes itself" referring to a gorge south of the city where the water "seeths continuously". This is another of the quaint villages along the canal. Last year, the floods of upstate NY were monumental flooding many of these canal-side towns with up to 20' of water. Here I was eager to stop at the Art Museum (part of the local library) housing Gramma Moses and Winslow Homer paintings but the museum/library was a catastrophe of the floods. Both closed for renovation and not to open until fall at the earliest. The BeechNut factory, the main employer here, was also closed: a real economic disaster for the region as it served as the main employer for the locals. One can tell there are problems as many of the storefronts are boarded up.

Several years ago, we met a couple from West Palm Beach cruising on a catamaran. Ken and Mary were "blue water sailors" having sailed to the islands and south to Trinidad. One of Mary's hobbies was taking pictures of any church she could find. So, I find myself taking pictures for her as we travel from town to town but only if I think they are interesting. The above church, in Canajoharie, was lovely not only in architecture but in the rolling, well-manicured and landscaped setting. Catholic, too!

Onward. Lock 17, at Little Falls, offers the highest lift on the waterway; 40.5'. This is my vantage point while "riding up"

And, here's Steve's. He's holding onto one of the nasty ropes keeping our boat in position while being locked up!

Next stop: Ilion NY.

It's here that Colorado Cat and Wild Turkey parted ways. When I told Steve that the manufacturing facility for Remington Arms was in Ilion, there was no question we were stopping...and staying. Meanwhile, Joan and Steve had no interest in touring the plant so they headed west and we've seen little of them since. We'll catch up somewhere along the way.

The Remington Arms plant and museum were located a short walk from the marina. The first day of our arrival, we spent at the dock as rain was threatening...and then arrived. The restaurant just on the dock served great barbeque pork sandwiches so we had our lunch and dinner there after we docked. Then, the next day, we headed for the 10 a.m. tour of the Remington plant and museum. Steve was happy as a lark! to be seeing the actual manufacturing plant. It is absolutely huge and in the same facility as when the plant began in 1816. Of course, over the years, it has been enlarged and now much of the work is done by machines. They employ about 700 people compared to over 2000 in years previous. The custom work is done in a special area of the plant which was pretty open for the tour. Much of the remainder of the plant was unavailable though the tour lasted an hour. Remington has one guy that does all the engraving on the custom guns. He's been with them for over 30 years and does it all by hand. The museum had an entire array of guns from the year they began manufacturing so that was pretty interesting to see the before and now of a shotgun.

We headed back to the boat for some R&R before heading out the next day. Our friends, Roger and Dixie Olsen, from Johnstown CO, called to find us. They were in Herkimer which was about 1.5 miles behind us so they cast off from that dock and headed up to Ilion. We spent the rest of the day with them and their Portugese Water Dog, Skipper. Sidney and Skipper became fast friends and wore each other out playing on the dock grounds.

It was June 21st and summer solstice at 2 p.m. Summer is officially upon us and sure enough, here came the rain! Planning on departing for our next stop in the morning. Don, the dockmaster, was such a great guy offering to give us another nite free if we stayed in Ilion but it was time to head to our next destination; Utica NY. So, along with Bubbles, the name of Roger and Dixie's boat, we left the dock around 10 for the few miles up to Utica.

Roger and I were taking pictures of each other's boats as we locked up together. Utica ended up being a wonderful stop just to get some shopping done and for me to get my nails done...especially my toes!! The town dock is situated just before a bridge that goes over to a major shopping area. Just before the bridge is the continuation of the Erie Canal Bike Path so we took Sidney for his long walks along the path. Utica is a large town, comparably, but with not much to invite us to stay, we left the next morning for the trip to Sylvan Beach, just on the east shore of Oneida Lake.

Colorado Cat and another of our cruising "new" acquaintances, Caribbean Dream, were already tied up at the wall when we arrived in Sylvan Beach and having beers on the lawn under a nice big oak tree. So, we tied up, took the lawn chairs, and joined them.

Sylvan Beach is locally known as the "Atlantic City" of New York. Honestly don't know why because there are no casinos. It is truly a beach town and caters extensively to the "biker" crowd. Being on the shore of Oneida Lake, 20 miles in diameter, it is hugely popular with upstate NY residents as a beach weekend town. As you can tell by the photo above, the kids know how to enjoy! Remember those days? These kids were trying to get their pontoon boat back to shore by swimming. Their engine had died. You could see one of the guys on the cell phone trying to get assistance. So funny! they got to the wall, started the engine, left, the engine died, they drifted for a while, and then the engine started again just as the two swimmers jumped off the boat to swim it back to shore...again!! Wonder how many cans of Bud it took to accomplish this feat??

We took a walk after dinner along the shoreline for about 4 miles: all beach houses while the main street through town is all beach shops and restaurants. We found an ice cream store and since it was still in the 80's at nearly 9 p.m., we indulged.

Quite the family, eh? There are tons of Canadian geese and Mallards along the canal route. Since this is early summer, we have seen huge numbers of them along with their ducklings and goslings. This family was pretty brave and swam right up to the boat...probably thinking they were going to get fed.

We left the next morning for Phoenix, just before Lock #1 on the Oswego River. First stop, however, was for fuel in Brewerton NY across Lake Oneida. Winter Harbor Marina is noted for its lowest fuel prices on the canal so they pump tons of diesel. For us, we hope it's enough to get through the majority of Canada where the fuel prices are astronomical.

After fueling, we headed to Lock #21, the second "down" lock on the canal, then on to the confluence of the Oswego, Seneca and Mohawk Rivers; Three Rivers. We hooked a right-hand turn and picked up the Oswego River and into Phoenix for the night. Colorado Cat had joined us at Sylvan Beach and would be with us up to Oswego.

Phoenix was an interesting stop. The town is at Lock #1 on the Oswego River. There is a beautiful park just at the dock walls run and maintained by the city. Picnic tables, umbrella's, gazebo's etc along with flowers so one of the nicest places along the canal. The best part was the "Bridge House Brats". These kids all volunteer hours of their time each day to welcome cruisers who tie up to the wall, run errands for us, get us lunch from local restaurants if desired, free lemonade, wash boats...you name it, they do it. Kids, girls and boys, ages 9-15. And, they are on the dock at 7 a.m.!! Go figure!!

Lock 1 on the Oswego River heading into Oswego NY which is our jumping off point across Lake Ontario into Canada. 6 more locks to go and they are all downhill!!!!!!!!!!! Tonite, we're tying up to the lock wall above lock 8 until Friday when we will leave for Kingston Ontario. Well, actually Bath Ontario which is slightly west of Kingston. Unfortunately for us, we will hit Canada just in time to help them celebrate Canada Days on July 1. We're a bit ahead of schedule so we couldn't find a marina in Kingston to sit at through the holiday! Never mind, we'll be in a littler town and will have to do Kingston next year!

For now, I'd better close this section of our adventure and get ready to head to the local Farmer's Market here in Oswego. After managing to find a hair salon to trim my tresses and hide the grey, I feel as though I can show my face in public again!

Hope you enjoyed this little synopsis of our travels through the Erie Canal. Our next update will be as I can since we'll be in Canada with sporadic access to the Internet. Meanwhile, have a great summer. Be safe.

Waterford NY

Waterford NY Visitor's Center

June 5th we left Troy NY in our wake to ascend our first lock up to the confluence of the Mohawk and Hudson Rivers. Troy was just an overnight stay with pizza for dinner at a local haunt. Joe, the dockmaster, was wonderful lending us his truck for the short trip as it was raining.

For those of you historian buffs, Troy was the home of the inventors of the Ferris Wheel and the famous "detachable" collar. The Emma Willard School, first women's college in the U.S., is also located in Troy. Who knew?????

"Locking" is old hat to us after spending so much time on the Tennessee and Tom-Bigby Waterways. This lock was similar to those "back home". Nothing sensational...just raised us up about 10-15' where we joined the non-tidal waters of the Hudson and lower Champlain canal. A short way further and we made a port (left) turn into Waterford and the beginning of the Erie Canal.

We were totally lucky to find a spot to tie to the wall as many "loopers" were already here. Our first night, we were tied up to the very end of the wall, behind that last boat. No electrical hook-ups or water! Regardless, we were glad to be here and anywhere would have worked.

Waterford is the second stop on this trip that is predictable. Everyone stops here regardless of where you're going or coming from. The waterfront has been designated one of the seven "waterfront centers" in the Erie Canal Recreation Plan. We so enjoyed our stay for any number of reasons. After one night without services, two boats pulled out to continue their journeys so we pulled right into their spots closer to the Welcome Center which meant we had electricity and water and floating docks. For a cruiser, these are all we ask for but, as you will note in my next post, they are infrequently available along the length of the Erie Canal. And, since we were to be gone, we HAD to have electricity or we wouldn't be going anywhere. And, secondly, the first two nites were free with subsequent nit es at just $10.00/nite with no limitations on length of stay.

Just a note on Waterford: oldest incorporated village in the U.S. It is an old city similar to many other industrialized cities of the 1800's. Now, as with most of the river towns, villages and cities, it is fighting to keep itself alive. There are canal tours aboard a replica of the old canal boats...the local school kids were getting tours the day of and after our arrival. Remember how antsy we got when it was near the end of school? Canal cruises surely must settle some of the kid's anticipation that summer was about to begin! The Welcome Center is staffed daily with locals who volunteer their time to assure the visiting boaters leave with a good impression. It worked! One of the burly older guys is a Washington lobbyist...we didn't ask any questions.

Back to Waterford. After we settled the boat, it was time for her bath and well deserved. She was soooooooo dirty! Gotta get some wax on her soon, also. On the 8th, after doing some shopping, we rented a car and headed to Boston to see our kids and grandson. His birthday was June 10th so our arrival at Waterford, while not planned, was timely. Boston was only about 200 mi from Waterford and the drive was wonderful. We arrived Friday nite just in time for Steve to have clam bellies...a tradition in the NE. After spending last summer with the kids, we were really looking forward to some of their local delicacies.

Becky had planned a gathering of friends to celebrate Bunky's (real name: Dan) first birthday. Fun was had by all...including Bunky although he didn't know what was going on.

NOTE: for those of you not family, the following will probably not be of interest as it is "kids" related.

A special treat was having Pat's brother and sister-in-law there also. Mike and Erin were to be there until Tuesday when we were leaving. Anyway, the best part of the birthday party was watching Bunky enjoying all his new toys...especially his rocking chair and car".

Becky, Pat and Bunky

Bunky finally warmed up to Sidney after just a few days. The morning we were to leave, he decided it was time to pet the dog. Sidney isn't too interested in little people but he has experience with Emily so he just sat and let Bunky poke and pet him. Joan, their nanny, was duly impressed that he was so forward as to even pet the dog.

Here is Bunky in one of his favorite gifts, his chair. He just settled back and acted as though he was a lifelong couch potatoe! We had a good laugh at his posturing while in the chair. Thanks to Uncle Pete and Aunt Monica.

His second favorite gift was a push car from his nanny, Joan, and her fiance, Mark. Funny how kids instinctively know what the thing to do is...he jumped in and began turning the wheel! The next morning, while grammie was babysitting, he finally learned to get in by himself. After being pushed incessantly for an hour, he figured he'd get out and push it himself. At this point, he is walking with "assistance" so the car served to supplant grammie's finger.

Grampa shaved his moustache off just before we left Waterford in anticipation of just this moment! Precious, eh? As a side note, I didn't even notice that Steve had shaved until we were nearly to Boston. But, he's growing it back again...I think he is even more handsome with it!! Perhaps it's because I've known him for over 20 years and he's always had a mustache. 20 years???????

Daddy is the consummate "dad". I don't think I've ever seen a dad so in love with his son...not that they all aren't but Pat just dotes on his son...and you can tell!

Isn't he the handsome man? Grammie misses him a bunch already. Knowing that we won't see him again until Christmas is hard. He is now walking under his own power...no fingers!! And, he is cracking through a bunch of new teeth. His first was his upper front and he is really a teething monster. Monday was his one year appt with the doc and the doc said he had 5-6 more just ready to break through.

Tuesday morning was departure time. Steve and I drove over to the Strawberry Patch and had brunch. Becky had taken me there last summer and I had to have a "redo". Their food is wonderful. Then, a stop so Steve could get a haircut then back to Waterford.

Wednesday was get ready to leave. Changed the engine oil, did laundry, washed down the boat and ran to the grocery store. The rental car had to be back by 11 so the Steves left early and drove to Syracuse to drop off our broken alternator at a repair store. We'll pick it up as we drive by! in the boat.

Thursday, June 14th (Flag Day and my mother's b-day), we'll depart for the start of our Erie Canal cruise.

New York City to Kingston NY

Leaving the urban Manhattan skyline on the stern of the boat, we started north up the Hudson River. So much history; so many scenic wonders.
The Hudson River is tidal all the way to Albany, the capital of NY state. Just above Manhattan, about 25 miles north of the city, the river narrows into the Hudson Highlands; "conventional size" as one writer has put it. Conventional in size it may be but it has a current comparable to the Mississippi which we've yet to travel. Good practice, I bet! Because we had timed our exit from the city without any precision, we were fighting the current for a good 10 miles but then it turned and we were being pushed. Our first stop ended up being Piermont NY, on the west side of the river. Piermont was chosen because of Xavier's, purported to be the best restaurant in the Hudson Valley. The owners also have a restaurant named The Freelance Cafe and Wine Bar right next door. Interestingly, we didn't go to either but ended up having lunch at the sidewalk cafe since the weather was to die for and the menu was capturing.
Piermont is one of our favorite stops so far. It has become an upscale area and restaurant center (Xavier's) and is not far from the hustle and bustle of NYC. In fact, it is just below the Tappan Zee Bridge which connects Tarrytown on the east to Nyack on the west. Mornings brought the anticipated traffic jam as locals, or "city people", headed into Manhattan for work.
The bad thing about this area, and the Hudson for the first 50 miles, is a lack of safe anchorages and/or marina's. We anchored off shore of Piermont about a mile and suffered the consequences when weather traveled down the Hudson. About 4 p.m., especially this time of year, a storm will travel across the valley only to disappear just as quickly. However, in the meantime, the wind howls and your boat gets beat up. The second nite of this sent us scurrying to safer waters just north of the Tappen Zee Bridge at upper Nyack. There we could scoot in close to shore and be protected by a small curve in the shoreline. Weather also helped us decide that we really couldn't go back into Manhattan, train or no train. Also, we had hoped to call our friend Ken Dolan's brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and Melissa, for a visit. They live near the Croton-on-Hudson just north of Tarrytown on the east side.
So, after a relatively good nite's sleep, we headed again up river. Our next destination was to be Bear Mountain State Park.

Bear Mountain Bridge

We passed by Peekskill, a former industrial town and birthplace of the Crayola crayons. Now it's a budding art center. We were now in the Hudson Highlands with tall shorelines since the river cuts through the Appalachian range of mountains which border both sides of the river. Bear Mountain is along this stretch of river and the bridge noted above is part of the Appalachian Trail. When we arrived, we deemed the anchorage questionable, at best, so we pointed our bow upstream and continued on.

West Point Military Academy

Past Bear Mountain, we passed Garrison, 6 miles north. According to one report, the town hasn't changed much since the 1890's which is why, no doubt, Hello Dolly was filmed there and not in Yonkers.

Our next site was West Point, about 3 miles further north on the west shore. Another bit of history I just learned is that during the Revolutionary War, cannon were mounted on the hills surrounding West Point to prevent British ships from coming upstream. It is here that Benedict Arnold was subverted by the British. The fort here was so formidable that the British convinced Arnold to hand it over. The plan failed, the British were defeated, the fort was never again threatened.

West Point stretches more than a mile along the shore and is a formidable site. We cruised slowly on by since we couldn't stop...another 9/11 tragedy. There is a small marina where we could have stopped and had a tour of the facility but no more. Pretty imposing even cruising by. Pictures do not tell the story and my camera isn't good enough to capture all the beauty.
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There are small towns about every 20 miles along the shore. In fact, most of the populace of NY lives either in the city, next to the Hudson or along the Erie Canal. We passed by several on our way to Kingston including Cold Spring, home of the Foundry Museum which made the first iron ship in the U.S., Hyde Park, home of the Culinary Institute of America, the Vanderbilt Mansion and the Franklin Roosevelt Homestead, Poughkeepsie,and Pollepel Island, famous for Bannerman's Castle (and castle it is!). Bannerman was an arms dealer who bought up all the leftover munitions from the Civil War and sold them to whomever would pay the price. He built this huge edifice to raise his family and store the munitions since Manhattan would not allow him to store them in the city. The castle is now in ruins as a series of fires and explosions have destroyed it. Behind Pollepel Island is one of the few natural anchorages before Kingston where one can feel relatively safe since one is protected from the prevailing west and north winds.
The hillsides became less imposing just about at Poughkeepsie because the Appalachian range are behind us. They were still hilly but not cliff-like.
North of Hyde Park, we entered a widened part of the Hudson River and were surprised to see a lighthouse in the seeming middle of the river. But, we knew there was good reason. The river is quite shallow here and the lighthouse was the sentry to the deeper ship channel east of it. Just north of this area was the entrance to Kingston.

This lighthouse marked the entrance to Rondout Creek and Kingston NY. We traveled 4 miles up the creek to our anchorage just before the bridge.

We stayed the weekend enjoying this beautiful view off the stern of our boat. Ahead of us, there were many more boats anchored in the area as it is as far as boats can go on the creek. The weekend was definitely party time for the locals.

Kingston is a favorite stopping place for cruisers I think mainly because it is one of the first real stops after leaving Manhattan. People just stop here to REST! But, the town is very hospitable to its visitors also and word travels fast among the cruising community.

The history of the area is one of brick manufacturing and remnants of factories and side businesses remain. While not economically the best reflection of a thriving town, Kingston has managed to revitalize its shoreline and is inviting to boaters. They have free concerts on the weekend, have great restaurants (we wouldn't know except we heard they were great!!), and a good maritime museum which everyone has to see. And, for Sidney, past the bridge on the land side, there were squirrels to chase! What else could we ask for?

June 4th...getting close to Bunky's birthday. Time to move on. We left Kingston at 7 a.m. and headed to Troy NY, just before Federal Lock #1 and the end of our travels on the Hudson River. Our trip this day was accompanied by rain, sometimes heavy, but lite winds.

We passed Catskill, 111 miles above Manhattan (mileage starts at the Battery). We didn't stop but this is where the first fiberglass sailboat to complete a circumnavigation was built. There are still many boatyards in the area. You know the slogan "Uncle Sam wants you"? Well, the real Uncle Sam was from Catskill and in fact, President Martin Van Buren was married in the parlor of "Uncle Sam's" house. Samuel Wilson sold beef barrels to the military during the War of 1812 and the barrels were stamped with U.S. hence he became Uncle Sam!!

Hudson, Athens and New Baltimore were soon on our stern. Next big town...Albany NY...the capital. About the only thing to cause a bit of interest in Albany, as tourists go, is Rockefeller Center known locally as the "Egg" because of its shape. Inside are many pieces of Rockefeller's modern art collection which, if I were an art buff, I would have loved to see BUT, unfortunately, I am an uneducated citizen when it comes to art. If I like it, it's good otherwise....

One of our neighbors, Thomas Colino, has a brother living in Albany who, coincidentally, owns a boat. But, with Bunky's birthday nearing, we didn't stop but for an overnite in Troy before heading to Waterford. Troy marks 150 miles from the Battery. One more piece of history before I bore you to death: Troy is where Henry Hudson stopped his northward exploration of the river in 1609 finally realizing, we think, that the river was not a shortcut to the Pacific!!

Tomorrow, early, we leave for Waterford.

Atlantic City NJ to New York Harbor

Colorado Cat going under Verrazzano Bridge

Leaving AC behind us, we headed to Beach Haven on Long Beach Island NJ, 14 mi north of AC, for fuel. We had had a very relaxing and enjoyable stay in AC but it was time to move on! Steve had replaced the alternator, holiday traffic had dissipated and the weather gods had given us a good day to travel "outside" up to NY Harbor. It was May 30th and we were all eagerly anticipating our trip to the NY harbor as it would mark the real beginning of our Great Loop Adventure. Steve and I had traveled to NY and up the East River to CT in years past but we had never stayed in NY harbor nor ventured north on the Hudson River so this was to be all new for us.

It had been a very long day as we had left AC at 6 a.m. and didn't arrive at our anchorage until 6:30 p.m. Thankfully, there was still plenty of daylight left.

Going through the harbor area was quite an adventure in itself as there are ocean-going ships, ferries going at mach 1 from all which ways, tows moving barges loaded with who knows what and plenty of other boats and ships plying the harbor waters all making the waters choppy and uncomfortable.

After dodging so many I quit counting, we found the entrance to the Liberty Landing anchorage but finding the actual anchorage was another story. We idled into the channel avoiding ferries moving people from the Liberty Landing Park while trying to figure out where we were to anchor. After several attempts to figure out the directions from the guide books, a sailboat called us via VHF and gave us a heads-up as to how to proceed. Thankfully as the channel is quite deceiving heading right towards a breakwater and then a sharp left and another sharp right before you see the anchorage. For someone who hasn't been there before, it does take a guide to get in. But, once there, it was lovely. A nice park to walk Sidney, a small dock to leave the dinghy while walking him, and plenty of quiet after the madness of the harbor.

The "Steve's" returning to boat after walking Sidney

The first order of business was walking the dog. As soon as the dinghy is down, Sid is right there on the swim platform waiting to board. He has been on board for so many years now that he knows the drill! And, nothing can get done until he has done his "job". Poor thing, he waits for so long and does it so patiently...which one of us could go 12 hours before heading to the bathroom?

Then, of course, it is toddy time. This tradition dates back to our first days of boat ownership...as soon as we drop anchor and take care of the dog, we pour our drinks and thank our God for allowing us to arrive safely at our next destination and to pray for safe arrival at our next.

Our plans were to visit our dock mates from Miami in Manhattan but we had to get across the river first. There was a ferry station about a mile walk from the anchorage so we called Sophie and George to arrange lunch. Unfortunately, George was otherwise engaged for lunch and we didn't want to leave the boat and get back after dark if we went in for dinner so we declined with thoughts of stopping in Tarrytown, up north, and taking the train back into Manhattan.

The "Steve's" and Joan Liberty Landing State Park

We'd heard, via our neighbors anchored with us, that there was a great diner just a block up the street from the dock landing. Since our other plans were cancelled, we headed up to the diner for lunch and were not disappointed. A NJ diner with the best waitress anyone could ask for!! At lunch, we decided that since our dinner plans didn't work out and we weren't planning on going into Manhattan for anything else, we may as well head north to our first Great Loop stop. Back to the boat, up anchor, and off we went! Weather was great, daylight lasted well into the evening, and we were biting at the bit to get started. So....

Lady Liberty in NY Harbor

With Lady Liberty in full regalia, we passed through all of NY Harbor from the Battery, past all that is the west side of Manhattan including the 79th St. Marina very near where Becky used to live. It was busy again with all manner of ships, ferries and boats moving up and down the Hudson River; some crisscrossing, some not knowing what they were doing! By the time we reached the upper edges of Manhattan and crossed under the George Washington Bridge, the busyness had evaporated and we had the river nearly to ourselves. Even better, the weather was wonderful with one of our first 90 degree days. Wind was lite out of the south: couldn't have been more perfect!

We were on our way!!

Cape May NJ to Atlantic City NJ

May 24th found us up early to catch the high tide out of Sunset Lake into the ICW for our trip up to Atlantic City...not far, just about 40 miles. In years past, we've gone "outside" and run the coastline up to AC but this year, after much discussion, we decided to take the ICW because, after all, it couldn't be as bad as everyone was talking about...especially if you'd traveled the Georgia and NC ICW! Famous last words!!!

It was every bit as bad as we'd heard. We wanted to go "inside" this time because there are some neat little towns along the way and the ICW passes right through them. Amusement parks, lovely homes, etc. but, unfortunately, we needed to keep our eye directly on the waterway. The Inland Waterway funding for dredging the canal and keeping it deep enough for boats has not kept up with Mother Nature and relentless shoaling resulting in VERY skinny channels in many areas but specifically here in New Jersey. At anything but high tide, you're bound to run your boat aground if you aren't extremely careful. We were lucky although there were areas where we were polishing our wheels (props were spinning through mud/sand) and sucking dirt/sand into our water intakes. Our traveling companions were not so lucky...they did run aground. Fortunately, it was a soft grounding and they were able to get back into the waterway after a bit of pushing and shoving with their dinghy. All that was lost was a bit of dignity.

Wind Farm outside Atlantic City

Thus, very little sightseeing. However, the closer we got to Atlantic City itself, the straighter the channel became and the water deepened so we did catch a few things....one, there is a lot of expensive real estate on the waterway and two, wind generators just outside of AC. Becky, I took this picture for you...reminiscent of the wind generator farm on the southwestern CO plains, remember? As you can see, we did enjoy a good weather day...somewhat windy but sunny.

King Neptune at Gardner's Basin, Atlantic City

Those 40 miles to AC took us a little over 7 hours! If we had gone outside, we would have made the same trip in about 3 hours. But, we made it safely so all was well. It had been Steve's day at the helm and while chugging up the ICW, he noticed that the alternator on the port engine was "acting up" so that was our first order of business after we tied up to our assigned dock space at Gardner's Basin Marina.

Gardner's Basin is a city supported marina used primarily for tour boats and small fishing boats. However, they have what are known as T-heads (the end of a finger of docks) enough for two larger boats of our size so they could accommodate both our boat and Colorado Cat. Trish, the dock master, has been there for a number of years and we've stayed with her before so it was like old home week. Gardner's Basin is also the home of the AC Aquarium, several restaurants, craft booths and an ice cream store.

After settling down, Steve went into the engine room and checked the alternator and sure enough, it was not working properly. A quick phone call to our trusty engine mechanic in Wilmington NC assured delivery of a new one Tuesday after Memorial Day. Our travel angels were with us once again because if we hadn't arrived in AC a day earlier than planned, our mechanic would have been gone and we would have been delayed even further.

As to the Memorial Day weekend in Sin City Jr (Las Vegas is Sr.), unbelievably, we spent most of the time doing boat chores and sightseeing. Steve and Joan had not been ito AC so they were looking forward to exploring the area.

Atlantic City as seen from Gardner's Basin

Another nice service provided by the city is the "jitney". The jitney is like a trolley bus that runs all over Atlantic City. Cost: $1.00/ride and you can go anywhere. Since Gardner's Basin is remote from all the action, the jitney made it easy for us to go anywhere in the city we wanted. And, go we did! However, though we were in AC through the Memorial Day weekend, we only spent about 4 hours in the casinos "donating" to the casino owners. Fun though!!

Another wonderful part of Atlantic City is the Boardwalk. Only a short walk from the marina to the beginning of the boardwalk. Made a great walking path for our morning walks. Joan and I are committed to our 4 mile daily walks but we like to do interesting walks making the boardwalk perfect! I'm sure you all remember the song about Atlantic City "Under the Boardwalk"! Sure was a fun walk as well because it was a busy weekend with lots of action and color to watch while walking. Full of cafes, junk shops, casinos, people and hotels along with the infamous amusement park, there was something to take in every minute we were walking. Better than an I-pod to keep your mind off your exercise program

On Friday, our "manatee friends", Homie and Carol Hasselbach joined us. They live in Cranbury NJ and have a boat at Long Beach Island just about 20 mi from AC. Needless to say, we had a great time visiting with them. Wish they could have stayed longer but they had a busy holiday weekend and then their daughter, Jennifer, along with husband Bob and granddaughter Jillian were arriving the following week so they had to leave after a few short hours.

And then it was Tuesday. After a little miscommunication with UPS, our alternator arrived from NC. Steve replaced it in not a very long time and we were ready to begin our trek north to the New York Harbor...our staging point for the trip up the Hudson River.

And that story will be our next installment...and then we'll be nearly caught up!

Chesapeake Bay to Cape May NJ

Colorado Cat sailing up the Chesapeake

Since our destination is the Erie Canal, and we had spent previous summers on the Chesapeake Bay, we left Salt Pond Marina on May 21st planning to cruise everyday until we reached Atlantic City before Memorial Day weekend. Our first day was a bit uncomfortable as the weather gods were not happy that morning...I think they woke up on the wrong side of the bed!! However, by one, the winds had died down and the waves were something less than the 3-4's we had experienced all morning long. Trust me when I say that we were elated when we caught our turn off the Chesapeake to go into the Solomon's, our first stop on our way to AC. It was about a 90 mile trip for the day.

We anchored out for the nite in a protected cove along with several other boats. While anchoring, we received a call from friends we had met last summer in Columbus MS. Gayle and Marcie were in a marina just behind us and had seen us come in. After dropping the dinghy, Steve and Steve motored over to say "hi" before taking Sidney for a walk. Because we were all exhausted from the long hard day, we hit the sack early for some well deserved sleep. I know Steve was looking at the inside of his eyelids before his head even hit the pillows!

Lighthouse marking our departure from the Delaware Bay to Cape May NJ

Rising early has become routine. Before we were barely awake, our traveling companions were ready to hit the road. Next stop...Chesapeake City, MD. It is about 90 mi from the Solomon's and thankfully, the waters were flat and the sky was clear (a sign our "cruising angels" had interceded with the weather gods for us). Cruising up the Chesapeake, we passed several places we had been in previous years. A very loud noise caught our attention cruising by Annapolis, home of the Naval Academy...seems the jets we were watching were the Blue Angels. Even though only two of the jets were in the air, it was a sight to behold. They were the featured attraction for the Memorial Day celebration in Annapolis and were practicing their maneuvers. Fortunately Steve was at the helm and I could keep my eye on the jets. They are truly a spectacular sight.

Bridge marking entrance to Chesapeake City MD

Chesapeake City is a small, quaint, old town on the C&D Canal. The canal allows transit between the Chesapeake Bay on its north end and the Delaware Bay. Used by commercial and recreational boats, the canal was dug to allow large transport ships access to Baltimore from the ocean without having to navigate all the way up the Chesapeake Bay. The canal is also used by the navy and other commercial carriers. Fortunately, we have never transited the canal when there has been a huge ship to deal with. While there is plenty of room, it is somewhat intimidating to have this behemoth seemingly coming straight at you!

Anyway, we again anchored in a small protected cove just to the right after passing under the bridge. In times past, we have stayed for a few days because there are numerous shops in town complemented by a wonderful home-made ice cream store. However, we were on a mission and it was up again early the next day to make our way to Cape May NJ. We left bright and early to finish transiting the C&D Canal east to Delaware Bay then down to Cape May NJ.

Nuclear Power Plant on Delaware Bay

This plant is about 1/2 the distance from the C&D Canal to where we turned east to pick up the canal into Cape May. As with many "important" installations these days, there is a security barrier extending about 500 yards out from the plant through which we dared not go. But, it is always amazing to see these plants with their billowing smokestacks knowing that if more were built, we could rely less on oil for some of our energy needs...another day for that discussion! The Delaware Bay can kick up her heels from time to time as it has a wide mouth emptying directly into the Atlantic Ocean. With winds from the east to southwest quadrant, it can be a very unpleasant ride. Coming down, we had good winds and the tide was running out so we fairly surfed our way down the bay. The comfortable ride changed however as we headed east at the lighthouse to connect up with the Cape May canal (this little canal was dug to allow safe passage for recreational boats between the Atlantic and Delaware Bay without having to encounter difficult weather and sea conditions around the tip of New Jersey). But, we made it safely and cruised slowly through the canal soaking up all the surrounding activity. The Coast Guard has a major training facility here from which our son, Peter, graduated back in the mid-90's. Our intent was to anchor out for the night just north of Cape May up the ICW. After checking out our first spot and deeming it not acceptable, we headed on up a bit further to Sunset Lake. While a bit dicey getting into, it proved to be a wonderful spot to spend the nite before we started heading north towards AC..

Sunrise on Sunset Lake, NY

And what a spectacular spot it was. We dropped anchor, got the dinghy down, took Sidney to shore and were able to take a long walk on the beach looking out at the Atlantic Ocean. Another spectacular sight. I think I must have been a fish in a previous life because I just love the ocean. It was calm this nite thus very calming for me. If we weren't so tired and the dog hungry for his dinner, I could have sat there and watched the sun go down, but..... After all was said and done, we dropped into bed for a well deserved nite of slumber. The morning brought a beautiful sunrise which was savored on the back deck with my cup of decaf coffee. By the time the sun was well up, it was time to weigh anchor and head north up the ICW to Atlantic City NJ, our intended stop for the Memorial Day weekend.

In our next edition, we'll share our trip from Cape May to Atlantic City then to the NY Harbor and on up to Waterford NY. And thank you for sharing with us.

Update June 14th

Salt Pond Marina, Hampton VA

Since our last posting, we have traveled nearly 600 miles. Tonite, we are in the Erie Canal sitting above Lock 8. We traveled 23 miles and 7 locks from Waterford NY, the entrance to the canal. There is a lot to be shared from this past month and I promise I'll get to it soon. But, tonite, I'm tired and ready for bed. Now that we have a data card for the computer, we can connect to the Internet from almost anywhere we are...in the USA. So, as we travel, if the sights aren't too interesting, I'll be updating you on our adventure both days past and those to come!

See you soon.