We started out today at 9:00am. The first section of the Erie Canal, headed west, has four locks in quick succession. I found it interesting that after heading north for so long we're now going west. I'd kind of forgotten that we were on the coast, and Toronto is definitely not!
After the first few locks Andy and I were really getting a good system going. It was actually easier than I thought it was going to be. The height of the locks varies, with their being more turbulance in the taller locks, but once we got the swing of things we felt like old pros.
There was a free dock with power just after Lock 11. It was approaching 5:00pm, so we decided to stay there for the night instead of trying to push on to the next dock, which would have taken another 3-4 hours.
We were docked with three other boats. One of them had a couple that we had seen in Waterford on our way out. They had commented on our "three babies" and she had said that she wanted one of them. We offered her Charlie, but she seemed to want Henry...
They were a Russian couple in their fifties. Lana and Boris, very nice people. Her sister was with them for a vacation. She still lives in Russia, and spoke very little English. We visited with them for most of the evening. They invited us aboard and fed us snacks as they oohed and aahed over Henry. We were asked to stay for dinner, but it was getting on towards 9:00pm and Henry was ready for bed.
We wanted to get to bed early, too, as we had a longer day in the locks to look forward to tomorrow.
Deb:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your wonderful blog. We did a similar trip in reverse, leaving Queen City in September 1997 and arriving in the Bahamas for Christmas. Reading about your journey took me back to many of the places that we enjoyed as much as you -- Fernandina Beach, Charleston, Oriental, the Hudson River valley. It was great to be reminded of the natural beauty of the waterways and the friendliness and generosity of the people you meet, both cruisers and local residents. Your frank descriptions of mishaps and rough days made me ache for you and your little ones, the gorgeous Henry and the furry crew. How resilient you are, and what a positive outlook on life!
Best wishes to you and Andy in the next phase of your life's adventure. I hope to meet you some day when I'm visiting my sister Belinda (Sansei).
-Bonnie James bonnievagrant@gmail.com