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Downeast CircleLoop Leg 2 The Erie Canal |
Last Updated 10/24/05
| From | 0 | Total Days | Running Days | Nautical Miles | Engine Hours | Avg Speed |
| 7/6/04 | 7/11/04 | 5 | 5 | 162 | 28 | 5.7k |
Leg 2 - The Erie Canal
It’s
hard to decide where any parts of our trip really start and stop, but the
passage through the Erie Canal is a clearly defined segment. It quite surprised
us all across. On Tuesday, July 6, we arrived early in Waterford and enjoyed its
free dock overnight at the NY Canal Center. This is one of several across the
state that is there to be friendly to boaters, and they are. We did a lot of
walking and visited the ‘famous’ Price Choppers supermarket. Their "new low
prices until July 4 did us little good on July 6.
Wednesday morning we began the first of what would be 10 locks that day. The first five are one after another, raising us a total of 169 feet - the greatest flight of locks in the world. At first intimidating, but soon we became comfortable and verged on competent approaching, tying off, and riding the rise.
All along the route we found tie-ups for the night at local municipal facilities - Amsterdam, Little Falls, and finally Oswego. Each was park-like with a clearly welcoming message for boaters. Little Falls was particularly nice - an old town reinventing itself. We even worked out one morning at their 93 year old YMCA's original building.
Sylvan Beach was more like Ocean City, MD downsized. Fine dining ranged from all-you-can-eat buffets to fast food. We made a meal out of appetizers and some nice wheat beer. Whatever, it was the beginning of descent from the heights (420'asl) of Lock 22. Crossing Lake Oneida we stopped at Winter Haven Marina on Saturday the 10th and fueled up at $1.39/gal. It was the cheapest since North Carolina ($1.14). In NJ it was $1.46.
Saturday evening found us in Oswego on the shores of Lake Ontario. A very pleasant town we could have explored more, had we more time. But we didn't and closed down this part of our saga, preparing to cross Lake Ontario on the morrow to Kingston, Ont. Stay tuned!
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