Susan Darlene Doing the Loop: June 2007

On our way to Lake Oneida we passed the replica 77-foot canal schooner “Lois McClure.” It will travel 1,000 miles this summer to visit 25 historic ports-of-call. This boat is an example of an 1862 canal schooner that carried goods throughout the north east waterways.

At many places the waterway is very narrow.

Kids’ enjoying summer along the Erie Canal.

We stayed at a marina named Mariners Landing on the East side of Lake Oneida. It was very classy; check out what they use in the men’s head to keep it smelling fresh.

Is 25 cents for a hot shower too high?

Tuesday night is Bike night at Sylvan Beach on Lake Oneida. There were many hot bikes in town that night, it’s a good time to see lot’s of bikes and be seen as well. It was heartwarming to see a dad spending quality time with his daughters.

We finally reach Ess-Kay boat yard; tomorrow they will checkout our props and shafts. More on that sad story another day.

Dog Days of Summer

Lisa Marie, our 14 year old grand dog has been a trooper on this cruise. The last three days the temperature has been over 90 degrees. We have tried many different ideas to keep her cool, first was the sun shade idea.

Next was the hat idea.

Maybe the hat idea isn’t working.

Finally an idea that works, Lisa now has her own battery operated fan.

Ilion, NY

We left Canajoharie, NY and headed to Ilion, NY we have now gone through 55 locks and traveled over 4500 miles on the waterways. At lock 15 we met Chris the lock-master who welcomed us to his lock, what a nice guy. He loaned his car to a boater docked overnight at his lock who needed to have a prescription filled. We have met so many kind and generous people along the way.

We stopped for fuel at the Red Neck Boat Club. It was hit by the flood of 2006.

The water level went up 22 feet. The lighthouse next to Sue was under water except for the tip

This is not a lock up ahead but “guard gates” that act like a dam to stop water flow in case of flooding.

Lock 17 on the Erie Canal has a “guillotine” door, it is the only lock of it’s type in America.

In lock 17 you hook a line from you boat amidships to the wire that runs down the lock wall.

It’s about time the Captain did some deck work.

We plan to visit the Remington museum tomorrow, the sign announcing the museum has a flag for each branch of service on it along with a POW flag.

I met a Pearl Harbor survivor in the park he saw my NAVY shirt and wanted to shake my hand. He was showing me his license plate that says “Pearl Harbor Survivor” he’s 88 and had some great war stories.

We were the only boat docked in the whole marina.

Lisa is trying to tell me it’s time to go back to the boat, “it’s too hot out here”

We visited the Remington factory and had a tour of manufacturing. Very interesting. These 16th century guns were given to Remington in 1870 by a delegation from China.

This tug was from the museum on Lake Champlain, VT. It pulled in for fuel today. I don't know why it's so far down the Erie Canal.

Canajoharie, NY

We left Amsterdam and headed to the free dock at Canajoharie, NY a very nice small town. The Erie Canal was flooded last year and the businesses that rely on boaters were severely impacted. The Beech-Nut company plans to close down next year and move south leaving many residents without jobs as well.

Sue and I walked about two miles trying to find the “famed” water fall. This is all we could find but it was worth the walk.

Can you tell how happy I was to have walked two miles to see a trickle?

The old lime stone school house in town is being re-built.

Amsterdam, NY

Today we traveled 37 miles in 7 hours and locked through nine locks, from Waterford to Amsterdam, NY.

Some of the locks need lots of work.

While waiting for a lock to open Sue and Lisa took a walk.

The docks in Amsterdam were $1.00/foot, including power.

A beautiful ending to a very long day.

Waterford, N Y

We stayed two days in Waterford, NY, dockage, electric and water is free. The town welcome center is wonderful the volunteer welcomed Sue by kissing her hand. Besides cruisers there were some unusual boats. These two “LSTs (Landing Ship Tanks” shown here are being used as working boats on the canal

There were also some unusual houses in town. When it rains this car gets washed, (notice the suspended gutter)

This house is similar to homes you see in Europe.

A sailboat waiting overnight for lock #2 to open, the locks work from 7:00AM to 10:00 PM

This guy would anchor his boat between the Erie Canal and the Mohawk River and use a Kayak to get to and from his boat.

On to the Erie Canal

This is the Albany Yacht Club near downtown Albany, NY. You can see a Navy destroyer across the river.

The members of this yacht club take great care of the grounds.

Ahead is the first lock we have seen since March. We have “Locked Thru” 36 locks and have 60 more to go.

I’m lucky to have such a cute crew.

It’s time to make the decision on which canal you wish to traverse. Many loopers take the Champlain canal to the St Lawrence Seaway then on to Trenton Canada.

It was very tight docking the boat, we found the last space afterward people where then rafting off each other.

The boat Lucy started life as a Navy liberty launch taking sailors from Aircraft Carriers to land. The next part of its life was a fishing boat, the present owners are working on making it a cruiser.

Meet Fred and Charlene the owners of Lucy. Fred was a Navy P2V pilot in the 60’s he then flew for United until he retired.

You can rent one of these canal boats to tour the Erie Canal.

This is lock # 2 at Waterford, NY, once you enter the lock there is a flight of five locks to traverse upward totaling 150ft. On the right is where the mules would pull the barges along the canal.