July 11, 2017 Monday
Before entering our first Erie Canal Lock we decided to watch Papa Tango and Donna Mae transit the lock.
When it was our turn, we entered the lock followed by m/v Ramble On, with loopers Linda & Scott aboard, and two other boats. It took about ninety minutes to complete the Waterford Flight and the two guard gates at the end of the flight. The guard gates are lift gates so you can count on your boat getting wet as you drive under them.
The Waterford Flight consists of Lock #2 (34’), Lock #3 (35’), Lock #4 (35’), Lock #5 (33’), and Lock #6 (33’), for a total rise of 170 feet in just one and a half miles. With a motor these are pretty easy to transit, however, on the original Erie Canal, a ten-foot wide towpath had to be built along the bank of the canal so that hoggees, young boys driving the mules, could pull boats along the narrow canal.
Before arriving at the Schenectady Yacht Club for the evening, we locked through Lock #7 (27’), for a daily total of 197 feet. Behind the yacht club is one of the 1862 locks. Just past the yacht club, at the Balltown Road Bridge, are the remains of the 1842 Rexford Aqueduct.
The sun reflecting off the Mohawk River Cliffs made for a picturesque evening.
