The Erie Canal

Tues-Sat, June 27-July 8

As soon as we made that left turn into the eastern end of the Erie Canal we pulled into the city of Waterford public dock. It is a fantastic free dock (donations appreciated)!!! You can only stay for 2 days and the charge for electriciy is $10. There are a couple restaurants and a small grocery store within walking distance.

On Thursday fellow boaters Time Out, The Journey and Magic arrived and after a short wait we all pulled in the lock to travel west to Schnectady Yacht Club. 

Up early on Friday we traveled to St. Johnsville during a big rain storm. We caught a ride to a local restaurant (okay it was more of a bar) for some awesome burgers and beer! The sun came out so we walked back to the boat.

We traveled on Saturday with more rain and mist and the scenery was beautiful.

 This part of the Erie Canal is higher than the neighboring city of Little Falls, NY.

 
We only traveled about 20 miles but the rain was moving into the area and the City of Ilion had room on their wall for all of us. Ilion is the home of Remington Firearms and Typewriter Manufacturing! They were closed for their annual vacation during our visit in Ilion.

And it was a lot of rain. On Sunday the level on the canal rose about 3 feet!  They closed the locks because of the swift current and debris. We also heard on the news that 3 people drowned near the lock just east of Ilion. 

On Monday they lowered the water level to search for bodies. And then they lowered it even more. We were almost sitting in the mud. By evening the water level was normal.

On Tuesday all the other boaters left early to be at the lock when it opened at 7 a.m. We were waiting for filters from NAPA to be delivered. By 8:30 a.m. all the boaters were back and tied up to the wall. Too much debris will keep the locks closed another day. 

Wednesday we saw a repair barge heading west.

Thursday morning we get a call that the locks will open at noon. As nice as Ilion is, we are all glad to be moving!! By 5:30 we dock at Ess-Kay Marina in Brewerton, NY. 

Verona Beach Lighthouse, Lake Oneida NY

Only one more lock and we turn north into the Oswego Canal. The weather forecast to cross Lake Ontario does not look good until Monday. It will only take one day of travel to get to the southern edge of Lake Ontario at the city of Oswego, so we stay another day at Ess-Kay. They have a courtesy car so time to visit Walmart, Target, TJ Maxx, and Home Depot.

The cruise up the Oswego Canal was relaxing and only took about 6 hours. 

Tomorrow we cross Lake Ontario into Canada!!

The Hudson

Friday - Tuesday, June 23 - 27, 2017

Some sights going up the Hudson River.

Ellis Island

New York Skyline and a Ferry

Little Red Lighthouse and the Big Gray Bridge (George Washington Bridge)

West Point Academy

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse

Roundout Creek Lighthouse

Saugerties Lighthouse

 This passing boat did not slow down and rocked the ship out of us!

 Hudson-Athens Lighthouse

 Large cargo ships are way up the Hudson

Newburgh

Poughkeepsie

Albany

Take a left to the Erie Canal

New Day - New York

Friday, June 23

Arrived late last night, leave early today! Not the best way to travel, but we are going to New York harbor! And it is Friday! Does the harbor get as crazy as other people on Friday? We are not taking chances. Get up before sunrise and get in the harbor before all the ferries and commercial boats make us a nervous wreck traveling.

The sky was hazy this early, but sunrise was showing the beginnings of a great day. 

And then we spot the lady....

Up close--what a sight!

Our fellow boaters on The Journey and Time Out took pictures.

And we tried selfies.....

The sun was out, ferries and water taxis were starting to speed across the harbor. We think the big boats were anchored, but we started up the Hudson River.

The Hudson River is very wide and the farther away from the city, the more beautiful the scenery.

Sitting on the Dock at Cape May

Sat-Mon, June 17 to 19
Cape May, NJ

Somebody had a great day fishing

The weather window to get out of Cape May was slow to arrive. So slow that Jean of Time Out wrote new words to a classic song--"Sittin' on the dock at Cape May". Several boats waited 5 days so they could travel up the coast out in the ocean to Atlantic City. So we went sight seeing.

Cape May Lighthouse

WWII Bunker on the Beach

On Tuesday we decided to travel the New Jersey ICW. It is shallow, but traveling at mid-tide rising it should be deep enough (well almost). We found the shallow spots in 2 different places, but it is soft mud. Wait about 10 minutes and back off and try to stay in the channel. We need a forward looking depth finder!!!

Drawbridge on the NJ ICW

This is shallow!!

Atlantic City Casinos

Several other boats - Time Out, The Journey, and Captains Choice - ran out in the ocean the next day and anchored in Atlantic City. We passed them on our way north! Wednesday afternoon we could see the dark clouds but they appeared to be passing south. Then the clouds moved closer and closer. We pulled out of the channel at Surf City and quickly let down the anchor. We sat in the boat and watched the winds and rain. Sometime through that storm we lost a large fender, but no damage.

Here comes the storm!

Sunset after the storm

We stayed anchored for the night, very little rain or wind. Up early the next morning to take advantage of the rising tide and get to the northern end of the NJICW at Manasquan. 

Sunrise over New Jersey

Traveling was easy until we got to Point Pleasant Canal. Wow, what a fast current through this 60' wide canal! Everyone including a tow boat towing a vessel was going fast! We were bouncing all over! 

Point Pleasant Canal (a true washing machine!!)

The New Jersey ICW ends at Manasquan, so we had no choice but to travel in the ocean. Just another mile and we were out in the Atlantic Ocean. It was a beautiful day for a ride in the ocean. Nice easy swales to glide over. 

Avon-By-The-Sea Beach NJ

We made it to Great Kills Marina in lower New York City bay by 5 pm.

Favorable Tides

Tuesday-Saturday, June 13-17

We has a great visit at home, but it felt good to be back on the boat! Lots of sunshine and no rain. Tuesday afternoon the mechanic found and fixed the leaky fitting on the upper drive station. 

Sunset at Holiday Point Marina MD

We left Holiday Point Marina in Maryland at 6 am Wenesday to take advantage of a push from the rising tide up the Chesapeake Bay. The bay was lumpy, but mainly from the wind.

Gravel barge on the Chesapeake Bay

Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse

Sailboat on the Bay

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Sandy Point Shoal Lighthouse

We finally get to the upper bay and it narrows down like a river and the water smoothed out. Easy travel through the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal to the Delaware City Marina. 

Turkey Point Lighthouse

Bethel Bridge Signal Light

Bridges over the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal

We made it in time to hear owner Tim's advice on transiting down the Delaware Bay. Looks good for a Thursday trip. In Tim's briefing he told everyone to check their boat gears before untying lines. The C&D Canal has a swift current. We were up at 4:15 am and ready to go at 5 am. BUT we have no gears!!! We are his second boat this year with gear problems. He says historically he has 3 boats a year to have gear problems. He has a mechanic that gets us fixed within 2 hours after he arrived at 7, but the significant pull of the outgoing tide from Delaware Bay has passed. We will try again tomorrow.

Delaware City Marina

This is the 3rd time we have been at the same marina as Mark and Karen on Captain's Choice. We went out to dinner with them both nights and had a great time.

Mark Karen Terri Kelly

Friday was a decent cruise down the Delaware Bay. Some bumps and lumps, but the tide was in our favor! 

Miah Maull Lighthouse

We caught up to Time Out and The Journey in Canyon Club Marina at Cape May. The great part was Jim and Cindy on The Journey cooked dinner for all of us, lucious shrimp and scallops!!!

On Saturday, Captains Choice arrived for burgers and docktails! Eating and sharing travel stories!

Terri Kelly Jean Dan Jim Cindy Mark Karen