We've completed the Erie Canal today. We stopped in Brewerton, Lyons, Pittsford, and Medina overnight the past 4 days. Here are some pictures along the way. We're going to stay in the vacinity to get our mast stepped. Ann is going to fly back to Milwaukee to work 2 days. Karl leaves Aug.2nd for Denver and school. |
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We'll resume our advance west on Lake Erie Aug 3rd or so.
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It was a rainy day today but very comfortable with our rain gear on. We traveled through the canal proper today. This had the look of northern Wisconsin (pine trees). 4 cranes flew over us up and down one part of the canal. We're staying overnight at a dock on the east coast of Oneida Lake. We will cross the lake tomorrow and get the engine oil changed. After we docked, there was a terrific thunderstorm that went on for hours. We were glad we were safe at shore.
We're getting better at locking. The lock drill is this: Make sure the boat fenders are under the fender boards when entering the lock. Slowly enter the lock with Ann on the bow, Karl on the stern and Jim helming. Grab lines hanging down the lock walls (with gloves as they are wet and slimy) with boat hook, hang on and fend off the wall and other boats. As the boat rises you see the flowers, tourists watching you and dams. Each lock has pots of flowers.
Not much traffic on the canal, lots of small towns and rural areas pass by. We generally lock through with 2 boats or less.
Part of the Mohawk River is part of the canal system. It has the look of the Wisconsin River/Kickapoo River in Southwestern Wisconsin. Limestone cliffs with lots of trees and foliage.
Today we went through 9 locks. 3 Cranes flew over us and landed on a cement wall about 20 feet away. One took off and flew to the top of a tall tree. What a sight, a large thin bird on top of a tall tree. I didn't know cranes did that. Arrived in Amsterdam late afternoon for a 2 day stay. We docked by the town square. Free concerts both evenings (show tunes, jazz on Friday and Celtic music with dancers on Saturday).
Yesterday evening, Ann had a fall on the dock and scraped up her face. We spent the evening in the ER getting x-rays. No broken bones, just lots of bruising and shredded skin.
We are through our first lock on the Erie Canal. Tues and Weds (15th and 16th), Karl and Jim worked two 12 hour days to get the mast supported firmly across Manitou. We now have no antenna so no phone, computer access or FM radio as the mast is lying on its side. We will not be able to transmit pictures until we restep the mast at Buffalo.
The Hudson River area is absolutely gorgeous and everyone should take a ride on it sometime. Eagles, deer, swans, European geese, Herons fly over or walk along the shore. There are many historical sites also.
For the next week we will be motoring Manitou through New York State visiting little towns. The weather has been great since we left New York City. Warm but not humid days and cool nights.
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On July 14th we proceeded up the Hudson River. The cliffs are gorgeous with mansions, historical buildings and wildlife along the way. We've seen a deer walking along the shore with 2 white swans feeding nearby. |
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A Bald Eagle flew over and a Great Blue Heron was standing on a buoy. |
We have been like a trawler on this trip. The sails have been up for short periods but we are moving on engine power. We tried to enter Kingston (Roundout Creek) but our mast was too high for a bridge and we were at high high tide ( moon is closer to earth right now so the tides are higher and lower). So we continued to Catskill and will spend 2 days here. We met a new family who are traveling the same route as us. They hail from Minneapolis and are bring their Formosa built TaShing to Bayfield where they will keep her. They will be sailing Great Lakes on long passages to be home by Aug 3rd. We hope to see more of them. The boat name is Whisper. |
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Tomorrow our mast is coming down in preparation for the Eric Canal. Jim and Karl will work with crane operators to life the mast off Manitou and lay it on wooden stands on the deck that Karl and Jim will build today. Whisper already has her mast off and will ship it by truck to Buffalo. We will see how the mast fits on our deck before we decide. |
Rob and Karen Gach (Connie Georgenson's daughter) will bring the mail we had forwarded to their home when we get to Albany. Hooray! |
After 8 days in New York City, we departed for the north on the Hudson River (fjord/drowned river)on Sunday morning. The scenery was beautiful but couldn't be captured with my digital camera. Temp in the 70's, breezy but on the nose so the jib was only up an hour or so. We'll spend the night at Haverstraw, New York. Tomorrow our destination is Kingston, New York. The mast comes down Tues before we can enter the Erie Canal. In New York, we had radar installed. It will take a lot of practice to learn how to interpret it! |
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July 4th we left Atlantic city at 3am. We estimated we would take 15 hours to get to New York. The trip out of Atlantic City was harrowing. Darkness, fog and 8 foot seas as we exited contributed to a mouth drying experience. Our sister ship Virginia Dare scraped along a buoy scaring the side of their boat. |
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Once out onto the Atlantic Ocean, the waves had 4 foot swells which Manitou handles easily. We were in our slip at 6pm in time for a shower, meal on board and fireworks from New York and New Jersey enjoyed from our bow. |
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We'll be in NY City for about 6 days, sightseeing and having electronics installed. |
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Jim and Karl went to a Yankee baseball game today. |
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An extra picture from July 2. |
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