Waterford

With mast on deck, off we went. It was a short 16 miles the rest of the way up the Hudson River. This section was not nearly as scenic as the previous two legs.

We arrived in Troy, at the first lock of the Erie Canal at about 2:00pm. We locked up with little trouble, as Andy had rigged a fender board and all of the fenders in all the right places. Andy had some experience with locking in the Welland Canal from his solo trip home with the Cal 3-30 when we bought it.

Just beyond the Troy Lock we came upon the town of Waterford. They had a free dock and Visitors Center with information about the Canal System. So, we docked, walked the dogs, and went inside for some maps and such.

The people running the Visitors Center were extremely friendly. We purchased an information booklet for $1.00 and I found a book exchange, where I was able to leave a novel and find two more.

We got talking to some fellow cruisers on the dock who had a lot of experience with the canal. They were incredibly helpful, and one gentleman went so far as to make us a list of all of the locks, pertinent information, the mileage between them, and where all of the free docks were located along the way. With this information in hand we decided that there wasn't much point in starting through the canal today. Waterford's free dock was great, they even provided power and showers! So we decided to call it a day.

The lady at the information centre recommended a local restaurant for lunch, so after the dogs were walked we headed into town. Waterford is a lovely little village. We found the quaint little coffee shop/restaurant to be very reasonably priced and the food was delicious. They didn't deep fry their French toast!

After lunch I was on a mission to get my hair cut! I hadn't been to a salon since Marathon, and I was feeling rather shaggy. There were three salons in one block, but only one of them was open (poor economy?), so we stopped in. The wait was 20 minutes, so Andy took Henry back to the boat in the hopes of napping, while I awaited my hair cut.

I was very pleased with the cut, and it was only $10.00!! I don't think you can find a hair dresser in Toronto who charges less than $40! It sure would be nice to settle down in a small town once we've finished our travels.

Andy was feeling rather lousy from his allergies, we've all noticed allergy symptoms since we've gotten north of Virginia. So Henry and I ventured out across the bridge to the pharmacy and grocery store to let Andy get a good, long nap.

We had a nice walk and returned with a few provisions. Andy had just gotten up, feeling quite a bit better. Aren't naps wonderful?

All in all we really enjoyed Waterford. It's a nice place to stay before embarking on the long trek up the canals to Lake Ontario....almost home!!