July 12-14, 2017 Tuesday-Friday
July 12-Wed: We first encountered Lois McClure and her side kick, companion tug, C.L. Churchill, at Waterford but did not know their mission. Last night they also stayed at the Schenectady Yacht Club, and today we transited through Lock #9 with them. Lois McClure is a full-scale replica of an 1862-class sailing boat and belongs to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Her sidekick is the C.L. Churchill, a 50 year old wooden tugboat that was named Tug of the Year for the 2014 Waterford Tugboat Roundup.
Together they are on a Canal Legacy Tour that will pay tribute to the legacy of the canals and the Northern Forest. Through an initiative called Stem to Stern, the crew of these vessels will share their maritime perspective on the relationship between waterways and trees, canal boats and forests.
We pulled into the Amsterdam Riverlink Park only to find out that the electric panel gave us the message “reverse polarity” when we connected our cord so we left Amsterdam and continued up the canal. At Fonda, we were able to get 15 amps by dragging a hundred foot cord across a grassy field to plug in at the Canal Corp Maintenance Dock. By the end of the day, we had transited Locks 8-12 for a total lift of 67 feet.
July 13-Thur: The plan for today was to go to Canajoharie, hike to the boiling pots, and visit the local Art Gallery collection of 350 paintings by American artist Winslow Homer. I read that Canajoharie has the most original architecturally intact Erie Canal commercial district on the Mohawk River and we were looking forward to our visit. As luck would have it, there was no room at the dock so we continued on to St. Johnsville. Today we transited Locks 13-15 for a total lift of 44 feet.
July 14-Fri: Today we transited Locks 16-18 for a total of 80 feet. Before entering the locks we thought that Lock #17 would be the most challenging, it is the highest lock in the canal, 40 feet, and requires that you lock through on the port side. Each boat has its own unique quirks and Andiamo is easier to handle with a starboard tie. Instead, Lock #18 at 20 feet, was the most difficult. Just as we entered the lock the wind increased and changed direction making it difficult to hang onto the ropes, we were happy that that was the last lock of the day. If you look closely at the pictures of Lock #17 you will see that it is unique in that the entrance gate is lifted above the boat instead of out, this ensures a wet ride through the entrance as the water drains off of the lock door above.
Tonight we are at the Ilion Community Marina, where we will stay for the weekend.
