The Waterford Free dock.
The night we docked at lock 21 with Sweet Pea the high was barely in the 60's cloudy and winds averaging 20 knots and swift moving current. It made locking in 19 and 20 quite interesting. I have been doing the majority of the driving which is a complete oposite of our norm. I knew my time was coming to be the main captain so we could cruise during the week while Andrew works from the flybridge. I am feeling very comfortable driving now. I have been docking Inconceivable and casting off as well. There have been some nasty currents at these locks and add wind into it and it can get scary plus deadheads to look out for can make for some stressful driving.
Below are some pictures of the Waterford Flight. We rose 169 feet in elevation in less than two miles. We locked with two other loopers during this flight. As we entered the lock we were downstream and held onto the ropes for our ride up the 30 ish vertical feet in each of the five locks.
The work force of the Erie Canal. All locks, barges, and tugs are blue and gold.
We passed by the Canal Cruise ship as we exited lock number 3.
This is one of the many guard gates to help regulate the water flow.
The sky was beautiful and the water was still. After weeks of dreary clouds hanging over us we awoke one day to fluffy clouds and still water.
Our buddies Jim and Dale on Sweet Pea.
Every lock has one of these signs posted to let you know what elevation you are at and what our lift will be. The kids didn't even know we were working on math because it was so much fun. As we entered the locks we all would guess how much of a lift we would have and then look at the sign when we got to the top. Definitely a fun game to keep playing.
Several of the locks were joined with Dams. The Mohawk River was swollen due to a recent rainstorm. Lock number 12-17 were closed for a day but the debris and current were still swift 2 days after the locks were open. Lots and Lots of deadheads in the water.
A pretty house on the hilltop.
Our first stop was in Amsterdam, NY. We are out of the Mountains and in the Mohawk Valley.
We took Revenge out to do some exploring and Andrew found a cool waterfall.
All of us in a row.
The next morning we saw a group of Steam Ships at lock 11. They were up in Little Falls, NY for a few days and they were heading down to Waterford for a steamboat gathering.
After we left Amsterdam we knew we were heading to Little Falls for the night. As you can see on the sign below this is a 40 foot lift. The largest lift on the NY canal system. This is also our first lift gate to go through. When we exited the lock we saw a huge rock wall with people ready to climb it. Little Falls was a beautiful stop with a great little town to reprovision in.
Our buddy Dale on the Bow of Sweet Pea.
Andrew and the kids went out for a bike ride while I went off to the grocery store. They found the war memorial dedicated to all who served from Little Falls.
We had a short day of cruising from Little Falls to lock 21, free dock. The weather turned cool and we bundled up as the day wore on. The winds were up to 20 miles and hour and the currents were still against us. The cruising speed in this area was 5 mph and it was tough to maintain steerage at such a slow speed.
These signs are posted everywhere. The lockmasters know how long it should take you to get from one lock to the next. No Speeding.
Below are some pictures of us and Sweet Pea at the free dockage at lock 21.
Lock 21 was our first lock where we dropped in elevation. The ride down in elevation was a smoother ride than going up. Lock 22 was just as smooth as lock 21.
Sylvan Beach Free Dock
We took out the Revenge several times. While we were admiring all the boats going by Andrew noticed a fellow boater stuck in reverse doing circles near our boat. Andrew got in Revenge and towed them back to their marina.
We found some lilly pads and flowers on our ride to visit with Sweet Pea and Nauti Nell.
On Friday night we headed over to the Amusement Park and had some fun with some semi-automatic BBGuns. We all rode the roller Coaster and lifted off of our seats on the downhills! Paisley and I rode the Tea Cups because we love to spin.
After some fun at the Amusement park we headed over to the beach for quick cool off. The temperatures finally reached the 80's and the clear water felt refreshing.
A beautiful sunset over the Oneida Lake.
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