THE ERIE CANAL

We were up early on Thursday morning to start our adventure on the Erie Canal. We had planned to go to a nearby marina for fuel and to pump out, and then head over to First Buffalo River Marina to take the mast down. As I was walking back from the showers, I saw Marty and Doc and told them our plans. Doc said the gas dock would not be open until about 9:30 and there wouldn't be anyone to help us with the mast until after 10. So much for getting up early. We had our coffee and then got our fuel and pump out and headed to the marina to take the mast down. The dock we had been told to tie up to was very low, rickety and narrow. We could not get ourselves tied up securely and had to keep fending the bow off of the steel frame of the take out well. The "mast crew" showed up and helped secure us in the well. After an hour or so of discussion while removing the boom and kicker, we loaned the workers our top climber and hoisted one of them up the mast to secure the crane sling using our electric wench. We loosened one side of the stays on the mast and then began removing the rest of them as the pressure was taken off of the others. As we lifted the mast, they stopped the process to allow me to disconnect the electronics. To my surprise, there were no plugs to disconnect at the base of the mast. All the connections were below in the bilge! We frantically started disconnecting the wires while the mast dangled above the deck. By this time, the wind was starting to pick up and the crew was getting concerned about being able to control the mast on the crane. From that point, it was a race to get the mast and the boom in the cradles we had and getting the boom back on board. By the time we were done, the rain started. This was a problem and a blessing at the same time. We had not secured the mast and boom enough to start our trip, but we were both extremely tired and need some rest anyway. The rain continued off and on, so we stayed in the well overnight. The rain continued on Friday morning, but we decided we had to get this done and, at the very least, get out of the take out well. We finished securing it and pulled out of the well with the rain still coming down. It felt weird with the mast draped over the boat, but it also felt good to be on the water and moving again. We headed out of the Buffalo River and made a right turn into the Black Rock channel. Our first experience with the locks was the Black Rock Lock. (Try saying that three times fast!) We were given the option of hanging on to ropes on the side of the lock or just float in the middle. Since we were only going down 5 feet, we opted to float in the middle. Piece of cake! Now we headed into the Tonawanda channel around Grand Island to the Erie Canal. A power boat came roaring past us in his power boat and his wake sent us rolling. Nothing moved! We felt a little more confident we had secured everything well and nothing was going to roll off the boat. As we entered the Erie Canal, we were a little surprised at how small it seemed and the number of what appeared to be "shanty" type buildings on both shores at Tonawanda.

It didn't take long before the shores became lined with trees and farm fields. It took about two hours to get to Lockport, which is the first lock and where you get your permit to transit the canal. We called the lock operator and he told us to go into the lock and secure the boat after he opened it. I began motoring forward and entered the lock with the doors about 80% open. There were a lot of people watching us come in and I headed to the wall to tie up. Although I didn't know it at the time, the water rushing out of the lock created a whirlpool affect and virtually spun the boat around. I was trying to back up and go forward to keep it under control and wound up landing on the opposite wall. We were both completely baffled as to what happened and I felt like an idiot as the crowd around the lock watched our out of control landing. The lock master then explained that we needed to wait before entering or leaving the lock until the turbulance died down. After all, we were going to be dropping almost 50 feet, and that takes a lot of water to pump in and release again. After recovering some composure, we were back in the boat to begin the locking process. It was a little scary but very impressive as our boat began to drop down the first 25 feet.

All we had to do was hang on to some lines and keep fending the boat off the wall. After waiting an appropriate time to let the turbulance die down, we motored into the next section of the lock. As soon as we had the lines in our hands, the water began it's descent for the second 25 feet. The view was incredible as we looked 50 feet above to where we had started.

The original lock had a series of five 10 foot drops called the staircase that is alongside the existing lock. Although they removed the flood gates, you can still see the 5 levels as the water pours down them.

From this point on, we did not have to deal with anymore locks until we got to Rochester, New York. We did have to deal with the low bridges though. The canal guide says that you have a vertical clearance of 15.5 feet. Most of the permanent bridges are over that. There are, however, very low draw bridges in almost every little town and port. This had been a concern since it is difficult to get an accurate measurement from the water up. We passed with 3 feet to spare! The low bridges are in the towns and are a novelty in themselves. The bridge tenders keep track of what boats are coming through and generally know when to expect us. We will tell them how far we intend to go for the day and they will alert the bridges along the way. Many of the bridges are operated by the same person and they will hop in their car (or bicycle)and race to the next bridge to let you through. They are very friendly and helpful with local information about their towns and their history. Although you have to be alert for large debris that may be floating in the canal, it is very quiet and peaceful with much scenery, wildlife and historical sites along the way.

The origianl canal was completed in 1825 and many of the towns along it benefited from the commerce it created as it opened up the great lakes to the East coast and New York City. The barges were originally pulled through the canal by mules that used a tow path along each side since they couldn't sail in the confined areas and there were no mechanical engines at that time. This path has been preserved along the canal and is a constant reminder of almost 200 years of history. Our first stop was Middleport. Docking Manana is a bit of a challenge. Our 38 foot boat has been transformed into a 55 foot boat with the mast hanging out the front and the back. From the helm, I can't see the the bow or how far the mast hangs out in front. There have been some scary moments but, so far, the fenders (and Denise) have prevented us from any major contact with the canal wall as I blindly try to manuever as close as I can.

Middleport is a typical town along the canal that provides free dockage, electric, water, restroom and shower facilities for boaters. We took a long walk for our dinner and retired to a very quiet and peaceful nights rest. On Saturday morning we had breakfast at the local restaurant and made some finishing touches to protect our mast and electronics hanging out the front of the boat. We were on our way by 12:30 with our final destination as Brockport, New York. We had heard some rumors about kids playing pranks on boaters by untying the dock lines and unplugging the electric at some stops along the way, so we wanted to find the nicest, and safest stop. More beautiful scenery, low bridges and historic towns along the way. One of the stops we were considering was Holley, New York. The guide books described a cute town, beautiful parks and walkways and a waterfall that then flowed back under the canal so we decided to take an ice cream stop and take a look. Holley did have a nice wooden deck with a gazebo, a path through a park area and down to the falls. The downtown area was centered around a small square and the ice cream store was our first stop. After enjoying our treat we walked back to the boat and continued on. The bridge tender had been concerned when he saw us tie up at Holley, so we called to assure him we were headed for Brockport for the night. Brockport is a college town and has a great welcoming center that is manned by enthusiastic and friendly volunteers. The docking is the best we have seen so far with restaurants and bars right along a very neat and clean canal walk. They did charge a nominal fee of $12.00, but it is well worth it. We decided to spend Sunday exploring a farmers market and the rest of town. We are having difficulty uploading pictures because of a weak internet connection, so I will update this post with more pictures when we get better service. Enjoy!