Of Peckers and PT Boats

MAIA at the Medina NY canal wall, another FREE place
to dock with electricity (but no Internet)

This morning I'm in the Medina (rhymes with Carolina) library using their WiFi...  Later today we're making a short trip to Middleport NY and after that it's on to Buffalo.

We changed our plans a bit, thanks to the advice of a local, and stopped for a couple of days in Holley NY after Spencerport.  The day we arrived in Holley we saw only two boats and they were of bizarre diversity...

PECKER was colorful (this is a view of the "stern" with
the ship's dog on the sidewalk)



This restored W.W.II Patrol Torpedo boat (PT728) was an
unexpected sight in the canal!

 

We had a picnic brunch by this beautiful waterfall in Holley

Between Holley and Medina, a view up Main Street after
passing under a lift bridge

This is the only road that passes UNDER the Erie Canal.
This day we also were at the northernmost spot of the canal.

We are lucky to be experiencing pleasant weather and are thinking of those of you in the heat and heavy rain!  More later, take care!

Low Bridge Ahead!

The lowest lift bridge we've encountered.  It's in
Spencerport NY

It's a hot night in Spencerport NY!  Tomorrow we're headed to Albion NY thru seven lift bridges and in the following few days we'll stop at Medina, Lockport and Tonawanda NY, the end of the Erie Canal.  We have just three more locks but many lift bridges before we enter Lake Erie.

Here are the photos since they're worth a thousand words...  Hope you enjoy!

A rare wide open area between Newark and Fairport

A more typical view

We held our breath but made it under this low bridge
with inches to spare

MAIA at the dock in Fairport before the first
lift bridge of the trip

On Tuesdays, Fairport sponsors a vintage car competition.
MAIA provided the backdrop for the band.  On
Wednesday we said goodbye to Gene and Jo who
returned home to NC

Dave and I handled (alone) Locks 32 and 33 on the way to
Spencerport.  The excess water flow to the south (left) of
Lock 33 looked like an erupting volcano.

Some of the many bridges on the way to Spencerport

This section of the Erie Canal was cut thru rock

We've seen and/or heard hundreds of trains (or more) but
this is the first one we rode under

A Quiet Saturday

We're having a relaxing Saturday (with a few chores thrown in) in Newark NY.  Unfortunately, I couldn't get a good picture of Dave, Gene and Jo lounging on the swing in the shade!  In case you didn't know, Gene is Dave's brother and Jo is our sister-in-law...

The village dock at Newark NY.  Murals make it look
as if you're missing one of the lock gates.

We started the week with a beautiful trip from Baldwinsville to Seneca Falls NY on Monday - we left the Erie Canal and hit the Cayuga/Seneca Canal, thru three locks to Seneca Falls.  On Wednesday, we headed back thru two of the locks, peeked into Cayuga Lake, went back thru the third lock and continued west on the Erie Canal to Lyons NY.  In Lyons, the canoeist we'd seen several times over the last 300 miles, caught up with us again (he now has a name (Bill) and joined us for dinner on Thursday night).  Bill is paddling the Loop!


The trip to Lyons was "interesting."  The charts lied about the height of several fixed bridges and Dave and Gene had to lower the flybridge enclosures and antennas so we could pass under.  The trip to Newark on Friday was a short one and we've found sunshine again!  Here are the pictures...

Along Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

Jo and Gene and the narrowing Canal.

A church in Seneca Falls NY

Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes

Enroute to Lyons NY

The Village Dock at Lyons
(MAIA is alongside)

Tomorrow we're off to Fairport NY near Rochester.  More later, take care!

It's Dreary on the Erie (Canal)

MAIA at sunset at the B'ville NY town dock

We arrived in Baldwinsville NY today, the first day in about eight without some showers.  We've now been thru 24 locks and have enjoyed free docks, all in NY, at Waterford, Amsterdam, Canajoharie, Herkimer, Sylvan Beach, Brewerton and B'ville.  We're pretty much "locking pros" at this point.  It's kind of like the show "Deadliest Catch" about crab fishing in Alaska - Captain Dave is all comfy in the flybridge and Gene, Jo and I are working in the cold rain (heat today)...  Here's the week in pictures...

The Troy (Federal) Lock on the Hudson River -
Where's the Gate?

THERE it is, with boat leaving.

We headed left...

The gates close behind us.

A Guard Gate

Dam next to the lock

Beautiful scenery in MAIA's wake.

We passed this canoeist several times.  This time he joined
us in the lock.  He started paddling in Iowa eight months
ago and is headed to St. Louis.

Another lock

Many places the Erie Canal is higher than the
surrounding countryside.

Lock 17 is being prepared (emptying) for us to enter.  It's
the highest lift in the system, 40.5 feet!

The gate closes behind us in Lock 17.

It's a long way to the top!

Once again, we went left.

Lots of beautiful homes along the canal.

We're having a blast, every day is an adventure!  More later, take care!

It's Sunday and we're in Waterford NY at the start of the Erie Canal.  Yesterday we experienced our first lock, the Troy lock in the Hudson River (pictures next time...  I'm glad Gene and Jo (who we met at Castleton Boat Club) were there to help!).

Back to Memorial Day...  I've always thought Switzerland was the most beautiful place I'd ever seen until we made the trip on the Hudson River from Haverstraw Bay to Newburgh NY!  Despite discovering that Newburgh is the murder capital of NY, we had a nice time at its picturesque waterfront.

Passenger trains (see tunnel) run the eastern side of the Hudson River

Waterfall south of the US Military Academy, West Point

West Point

Closer to Newburgh NY

Ruins of Bannerman's Castle on Pollepel Island in sight of Newburgh

PILGRIM passing MAIA on her way to Newburgh

The view south from Newburgh.  Pollepel Island is in the middle.

 On Wednesday night we anchored in Esopus Creek at Saugerties NY.

The entrance to Esopus Creek.

Some sights from the trip from Saugerties to Castleton-on-Hudson...

Tomorrow we're off to Amsterdam NY thru the first several Erie Canal locks!

More later, take care!