Stay or go? September 29, 2012

After leaving NYC, we decided to make a 140 mile sail to Cape May, NJ. We would be sailing overnight for our first time in the Atlantic Ocean and wanted to arrive at Cape May in the daylight. We timed our departure for 3:00pm to take advantage of the tide leaving New York Harbor. The forecast was good, so off we went on September 23.




Leaving the harbor we were treated to some spectacular views of The Statue of Liberty. This is the view we had dreamt about since we started planning this trip. Laurie had more of an opportunity to enjoy the view than Dan as he was steering. New York Harbor is a very busy place on a Monday afternoon, with a lot of shipping and ferry traffic.

We had a nice sail down the harbor with no close calls, to Sandy Hook where we formally entered the Atlantic Ocean for the first time.




As we cruised down the New Jersey shore, we had a beautiful sunset.

As sometimes happens, the actual weather did not match the forecast. By the time we got near Atlantic City, the wind and waves came up, and the were right on our nose. Rather than bash into the seas for the next seven hours, we decided to seek shelter. After a frustrating attempt to find a marina in Ocean City, we went back out and backtracked to Atlantic City.




We ended up staying two nights at a marina in the shadows of the Golden Nugget Casino. We walked the Boardwalk and decided we could not leave without seeing a show. We saw The Legends at Bally. It was fun and a little corny, but part of the AC experience.

The wind blew hard all day Wednesday and there were quite a few boats in the marina watching the conditions and trying to decide when to leave. Thursday morning looked like the best time to depart, and if we didn't, we would be stuck at AC until Saturday. Off we went with several other sailboats. When we got out into the ocean we were greeted by a pod of dolphins (another first for us) that would not cooperate in getting their picture taken.




We also found flat calm seas and had an easy motor to Cape May. After we got settled into our slip, we walked into town to see the town that so many people had recommended to us. It was very picturesque and a huge contrast to Atlantic City.

We did not have much time in Cape May because our Skipper Bob guidebook says that to go from Cape May to the top of Delaware Bay, it is "best to depart two hours after low tide." Low tide was at 1:00am, so after a lobster, clams and mussels dinner on the boat, we set the alarm for 3:00am and left the dock at 3:30am.



Skipper Bob was right and after a nervous trip through the Cape May Channel in the dark, we entered the Delaware Bay and had a great ride up to Delaware City. We got here at noon yesterday, which gave us time to relax, clean the boat and enjoy cocktail hour and a couple games of cribbage.

We are leaving later today to go through the C and D Canal to enter the Chesapeake Bay.

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Location:Deleware City. DE

The Rising, September 25, 2012

We spent two days in Nyack and enjoyed the shops and restaurants downtown, as well as the walking friendly and health conscious vibe of the city. We left there on Saturday, September 22, for a ride down the Hudson. We timed the tide correctly and rode a favorable current to Liberty Landing Marina, on the Jersey side, right at Liberty Park. It was a spectacular spot, with panoramic views of the Manhattan skyline to the east and Ellis Island and The Statue of Liberty to the south. The picture above shows the new Freedom Towers, which are under construction. The guy at the dock pointed out to me that there is a "hole in the skyline between the Freedom Towers" which was where the Twin Towers stood, before 9/11. This became more clear to us when we took the ferry across the river and viewed the 9/11 Memorial site and saw the new construction up close.







After we got off the ferry at Battery Park, we walked to the Financial District and registered to see the 9/11 Memorial later that afternoon and then took a subway "uptown" and walked around Times Square and up Broadway. We were joined on this city adventure by George and Jackie from the sailboat Heritage. We have been bumping into them since we were in Lake Erie and have enjoyed getting to know them a little. They are from Sarnia, Ontario.

We took the subway to the Soho area and then walked to the 9/11 Memorial. While waiting in line, we were struck by how many people wanted to get in and also the tight security that is necessary in today's world. It was much like going through airport security.



The wait and the hassle were well worth the experience. This is a view of the North Pool, which is in the footprint of the north tower. There are two pools, and each contains the names of the victims that perished in the attacks. It is impossible for a photo to capture either the scope or emotion of this memorial.

After our afternoon in the Big Apple, we took the ferry back to the Marina and relaxed a little.




We walked to the Liberty Park to try to get some sunrise shots of the Statue of Liberty. While walking through the park, we came to the New Jersey 9/11 Memorial. In the foreground is wreckage from the Twin Towers. The two walls in the background are symbolic of the Towers and their place in the skyline. On the inside walls are the names of the New Jersey residents that perished in the attacks. Viewing this was also an emotionally moving experience.





We left Liberty Landing in the afternoon for an an overnight sail to Cape May, NJ. While I sailed the boat and dodged ferry boats and barges, Laurie snapped some shots of Lady Liberty as we left New York Harbor. When we planned this trip, one of our dreams was to sail past the Lady. We can now scratch that off our bucket list.




This is a sunset over the New Jersey shore, south of Sandy Hook.

We had a great sail (motor sail) down the shore and we were making making great time when the wind shifted and picked up (sooner and stronger than predicted) and forced us to alter our plans and pull into Atlantic City We are sitting at a dock in the heart of the casinos area, but are too tired to even consider checking out the sights. Maybe tomorrow, as it looks like the wind will continue for another day and we won't head down the coast until it shifts.

We were in New York State for about three weeks and I have a couple of reflections. The people are great. Each day it seemed we encountered someone who offered to go out of their way to be helpful. From the lift bridge and lock operators, to Judy in Nyack who loaned us her car, to the lady in the subway who sensed that we were out of towners and guided us, to the dock hands and the shrimp boat captains who kept us out of trouble; everyone has been great!

Also the countryside from the waterways is prettier than I expected and the people's enjoyment of the outdoors and the water was evident everywhere we went.

I was somewhat reluctant to go into NYC, but I am so glad I did. Seeing the memorials and the vibrancy of the city has been powerful.

Come on up for the rising
Come on up, lay your hand in mine
Come on up for the rising
Come on up for the rising tonight

From Bruce Springsteen's, "The Rising." written following September 11, 2001.



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Location:Atlantic City, NJ

We have a mast, but we are still motoring. September 21, 2012

We arrived in Catskill, NY on Monday September, 17 with a plan of stepping the mast Tuesday and taking off later that afternoon or Wednesday morning. We woke up Tuesday to a hard rain, that continued ALL DAY LONG AND INTO THE NIGHT. No work got done that day so we hung out on the boat reading and playing cribbage. The marina we were at is on a creek and when we got up Wednesday, the water in the creek had turned a chocolate brown and the current was roaring. It looked like we were not going to be able to put the mast up that day, until later in the afternoon when the tide had risen and the current had slowed, the marina guy said, "I think we can do this."






This marina uses a process to raise the mast that I have never seen before. Another boater described it as, "a Huck Finn operation." They lift the mast off a set of sawhorses with the Travel Lift, then lower the mast on to another set of saw horses on a floating section of dock. Then a guy on the dock poles it into position under a hand operated crane and they lift the mast off the floating dock. Then they had me move the boat under the crane and into position.


One of the guys cranks and cranks until the mast is upright, then they lower it into position and we secured the shrouds to hold it in place. I had a few nervous moments. It all worked fine and the guys were friendly and very careful.

Laurie and I worked until past dark to get the sails on and all the other rigging taken care of, then left the dock at first light to take advantage of the tide and headed to the Poughkeepsie Yacht Club. We got hooked up to a mooring ball and went ashore. The YC is in the middle of nowhere and we were disappointed to learn that it was too far from Hyde Park to walk. We had wanted to see the home of FDR and the Eleanor Roosevelt Museum, but have added this to our list of things to do on our return trip.

We left our mooring before sunrise and rode a favorable tide all the way to Nyack.








On the way we passed West Point. It is an incredible sight from the water.




We also saw this boat with a bunch of kids out for a sail in Haverstraw Bay.

Tonight we are hooked to a mooring ball at the Nyack Boat Club, in the shadows of the Tappan Zee Bridge. The people here are very friendly. A woman came out to our boat and welcomed us, then later loaned us her car so we could go pick up a package the we had mailed to another marina.

The forecast for tomorrow calls for rain and thunderstorms, so I think we will stay put and head to NYC on Sunday.

Oh yeah, since we got the mast back on, we have had either no wind, or wind right on the nose so we have not sailed.

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Location:Nyack, NY

The mast is here, but so is the rain, September 18, 2012

We left Waterford, New York yesterday morning, said good bye to the Erie Canal and hello to the Hudson River.




Before leaving the dock I walked back to the canal and took this picture of Lock #2 (there is no Lock #1, don't ask me why), the last lock on the Erie.

Soon after leaving, we went through the Troy lock on the Hudson, which should be our last one until we return.

Several hours into the trip on the Hudson, we noticed that our boat speed over ground was dropping. It was then we noticed that we were going into a two knot current. I consulted the tide tables and realized that the tide was rising. Part of my inexperience was not realizing that even 140 miles from the Atlantic, we would be subject to tide. It was not a big deal, but another learning experience. The trip took a little longer than planned, but we found the marina and were relieved to find our mast in the boatyard, right where it was supposed to be.


While we were on the Hudson we passed this boat going the other way.

We had hoped to put the mast up today, but the weather has turned bad with lots of rain and wind. Tomorrow looks better.




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Location:Hop-O-Nose Marina, Catskill, NY

End of the Erie Canal, September 16,2012

We have officially completed the Erie Canal. We are docked at the wall in Waterford, NY. The Hudson River is just a few hundred yards away and in the morning we will head down the Hudson to Catskill, NY to get the mast put back on the boat.




We left this morning very early from Amsterdam, NY to complete this leg and still have time to see Waterford. When we were in Amsterdam we had a chance to walk around the city. Amsterdam is a lot like many of these New York cities, in that it is suffering from plant closings and loss of jobs. It had been home to Mohawk Carpets until they closed up and moved. Now, it seems that it's claim to fame is the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. I of course had to visit and Laurie was a good sport and came along.



One display was of Jesse Ventura, the former governor of Minnesota. The Hall is a pretty corny place, but it took me back to the days of watching Big Time Wrestling on TV with my brothers and grandfather.

Today was interesting, because at the end of the canal, the locks come one after another. In the last two miles or so, we transited five locks and were lowered a total of 170 feet. This is known as the Waterford Flight.

After we got tied up and settled, the harbor master directed us to a supermarket on the other side of the Hudson. We walked over and stocked up up because we never know when we will have access to a grocery store again. The store allows you to use their shopping carts to get your stuff back to the boat and then once a week, they come and pick them up.

After we put the groceries away, we went down town and had a great dinner out to celebrate the completion of this segment of our adventure.

We have truly enjoyed our trip down the Erie Canal. The people have been great and I have loved learning more of the history. This area suffered terrible damage from Hurricane Irene in 2011, but they have worked hard to rebound and repair this great American waterway.


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Location:Waterford, NY

"Train Kept a Rollin' All Night Long." September 15, 2012

After a peaceful night in Little Falls, we proceeded to Lock #17. This is our view as we enter the lock when it is full of water.




This is the same view after they have lowered us 40 feet. Our largest previous drop was 25 feet, so this one felt much different.




Soon after we cleared the lock, I checked the odometer and saw that we had gone over the 800 mile mark since we left Tawas Bay on August 15th. Our average speed is 6.5mph, which is pretty good. The max speed of 12.4 mph was when we were in the swift current under the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan. Only another 1200 miles and we will be in Florida.

Yesterday we travelled about 20 miles and through four locks. We spent the night in Canajoharie, NY.

There is a very nice Art Museum here. Laurie spent a couple of hours touring the exhibits while I sat on the boat and read.

As I write this we are sitting in the McDonalds using their Wifi and waiting for the Farmers Market to open.

This was a nice stop, with one exception; the railroad runs right next to the canal. It is a heavily used rail line and there is a crossing near the dock. Every half an hour or so, a train would go by, and of course sound the whistle. ALL NIGHT LONG.

We are not sure how far we will go today. I would like to stop in Amsterdam so I can tour the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame. Laurie thinks we should go further.

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Location:Canajoharie, NY

Little Falls, Big Lock, September 13, 2012

We left Rome, NY early this morning and moved on down the canal. The terrain is becoming more hilly and it is very pretty.




We had planned to stop in Ilion, but it was such a nice day, we decided to continue on to Little Falls. Because we got here early, we had a chance to walk around and see the town. Like a lot of these towns, there is a lot of history here. We stopped in at the Historical Museum and were quite entertained by the volunteer on duty. He explained how Little Falls was once a thriving textile district with many mills. The workers endured terrible working conditions and eventually went on strike and gained some concession which improved their situation.




We also walked down the canal and looked at Lock #17, which we will pass through in the morning.





This lock has the largest elevation change on the Erie Canal, about forty feet, and one of the highest lifts of any lock in the world. The locals seem very proud of this.

The dock we are at offers wifi, water, electricity and showers. It is one of the nicest stops so far.


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Location:Little Falls, NY

Past the Half way Point, September 12, 2012

After we left Lyons, we moved down the Canal to Baldwinsville. We parked just above Lock #24 and across the canal from the Budweiser Amphitheater.

It was Laurie's birthday, so we did a little research and found a nice restaurant that happen to be serving all you can eat crab legs. It was within walking distance (for us, not the crabs) so we went. It was a very nice meal and a nice birthday celebration.



The next morning was very cool, in the mid 40's, and the mist was rising from the water as we got underway.




I don't think I am exaggerating when I say we have seen a couple hundred Great Blue Herons on the Canal. It seems each bend we go around, we see one or more.

We stopped for the night in Brewerton. There is little of note in this town, except a nice library, one block from the docks.




The next morning we left early and crossed Lake Onieda. The lake is about 23 miles long and reminded us of a little of Higgins Lake.




Once across the lake, we went through two locks and shared them with another Michigan boat, Tropical Attitude. They were continuing on for a while, but we stopped in Rome.




We are on a wall for the night in a small city park with a bridge and a small dam nearby.




We walked into town and toured Fort Stanwix. We learned that this fort was built in 1758 to protect the important portage between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek. It played an important role in the Revolutionary War as the Colonial Army defended the fort and withstood a long siege by the British, in spite of being significantly outnumbered.




There were lots of school kids getting a history lesson.




On the back side of the fort is St. Johns church. It is a very impressive structure.

The town of Rome has a strong Italian heritage and although it has struggled economically recently, there are still a number of nice looking restaurants. We found a great market where we bought some Italian favorites.

We have slowed down our pace through the Canal, choosing to travel a shorter distance each day and and enjoy the sights and the towns.

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Location:Rome, NY

"...I'll get it out of your way, Captain." September, 9, 2012

Since being on the Erie Canal, we have passed dozens of lift bridges. The bridges are all of the same design, with the exception of the one in Fairport, where we spent our last two nights. This bridge was built on a hill, so it slants noticeably. According to the guide book, it is in the Guinness Book of Records because of it's design and it is said that no two angles of the bridge are the same.




Most of the bridges are handled by a "roving operator," which means one person is responsible for two, or sometimes three bridges. After they raise the bridge for a boat, they lower it and hop in their car and drive to the next one and open that one. It seems like a pretty good system. Often they will ask us how far we are going, then call the bridge down the line to let that operator know we are coming. Each time we call on the radio to the bridge when we are approaching and the response is always the same. "Keep coming and I"ll have it out of your way, Captain."

In Fairport, we stocked up on fresh produce at a large farmer's market. We also went to a local bar where the bartender was kind enough to put the Michigan and Michigan State games on for us (in addition to Syracuse which was already playing on the big screen.) The locals were very friendly to us.


Tonight we are tied to the wall in Lyons, NY. The dock is free and it seems like a nice town. When we got here, we walked up the hill and registered at the Fire Station, which is also where the bathrooms and showers are.

So far we have travelled 122 miles on the Erie Canal. We have managed to get through ten locks with a drop in elevation of nearly 200 feet.



We are much more relaxed about the locks and are enjoying rides as the lower us.
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Location:Lyons, NY

Moving down the Canal, September 7, 2012

Yesterday morning, before we left Lockport, we crossed the lift bridge to the other side of the canal and went for a walk on the old tow path. The paths were used by the mules and horses to pull the barges along the canal. The State of New York is now maintaining a path on the north side if the canal as a walking, running, biking trail. It is crushed stone and makes a nice surface.




This couple told us they are riding the entire length. As we motored down the canal, we saw them numerous times. They would pass us, apparently stop for a break, and then pass us again. Laurie and I talked about how after we complete this adventure, we would like to come back to New York and ride the tandem down the tow path.




We traveled 42 miles yesterday, from Lockport to Brockport. Brockport has gone out of it's way to be welcoming to boaters. This picture shows the welcome center, which is staffed by volunteers. A very nice man met us at the dock and helped us tie up and then got us registered and gave us a brief orientation to the area. The building has a small laundry, boater's lounge and free wifi. There is water and electric hookup at the dock and nice bathrooms. All for $12 per night.

Today we plan to go about 32 miles to the town of Fairport.

We are really enjoying the canal and seeing it at a leisurely pace.

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Location:Brockport, NY

"Low Bridge, Everybody Down" Sept. 5, 2012

We started the day yesterday by getting up early and motoring from the Buffalo YC to RCR Yachts to have the mast taken down. The guys in the yard were very friendly good at what they do. In just over an hour, the mast was down and being prepared to go on a truck to be hauled to Catskill, NY, where it will be waiting for us when we arrive.




Glory Days is now a canal boat. It seems very strange to us to not have the mast up.




From the boat yard, it was on to the Black Rock Canal and our first lock. This was a very large lock and a modest drop of only five feet. The lock tender was pleasant and helpful and we were the only boat in the lock. He saw we were from Michigan and told us he used to have a cottage in Hale (not far from Tawas). After all our anxiety about locking, it turned out to be a breeze.




We spent the next three hours motoring down the Erie Canal. I am not sure what I expected it to look like, but I was surprised it looked like this. I told Laurie it reminded me of going down the Tittibawasse River in Michigan. The woods come right to the edge and it twists and turns.

We went thru locks 34 and 35 at Lockport, NY. Each one has a drop of 25 feet. Again, the tender was helpful and friendly. So, from Buffalo, we have traveled approximately 30 miles and have gone down 55 feet in elevation.




After Locks 34 and 35, we went under one of the famous "lift bridges," and tied up on the wall for the night. Many of the towns along the canal have created these free walls for boaters to stay. We walked around the town and came back to the boat for a delicious dinner of scallops, couscous, edamame, and a bottle of wine (thanks Doug and Jan). Great end to a great day.

Here are a few Canal Facts. The Canal was completed in 1825 and was considered an engineering marvel. It connects Albany, at the Hudson River to Buffalo, on Lake Erie. It is approximately 338 miles long. It has 34 locks, and a change in elevation of 565 feet. There are more than 300 bridges that cross the canal.

I've got a mule, and her name is Sal,
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She's a good ol' worker and a good ol' pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

-from the Canal song, written by Thomas Allen, 1905





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Location:Lockport, NY, Below Lock #34

Hello Buffalo

We spent last night at the Yacht Club in Dunkirk, New York and met some of the nicest people you can imagine. The YC is a little tricky to enter due to low water, so a couple came out in a small power boat and guided us to our slip, where three other members met us and help tie us up. Laurie and I went for a long walk and got to see the town.







We left in the morning and had an easy run to Buffalo and docked at the Buffalo Yacht Club. This club was established in 1860 and is said to be the 3rd oldest YC in the nation. It is a great club and the people have been very welcoming and helpful.





From the harbor, we can see the Peace Bridge, which connects Buffalo to Fort Erie, Ontario.

We have an appointment to have our mast taken down in two days, then we will motor under the Peace Bridge and head a few miles to the town of Tonawanda and enter the Erie Canal.


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Location:Buffalo, NY. September 3, 2012