On the way flowing up/ flowing down

Signage at each lock   

The Champlain Canal which runs from the Hudson River to Lake Champlain, flows south towards New York City from Ft. Edwards, the high point (Lock 8). Then flows  north to Lake Champlain through the last 3 locks. It climbs 139 ft. over the 42 miles between Troy lock and lock 8, then drops 44 feet to Lake Champlain. The upper Hudson is very narrow with falls and rapids so locks are needed to adjust the water levels for navigation. Fort. Edwards is the end of the navigable Hudson, which splits off and heads west while the canal continues north.

After spending several days and nights at Chipman Point Marina over the July 4th Holiday weekend, we are finally on our way through Champlain Canal and down river to Albany,  NYC and beyond.www.canals.ny.gov
As mentioned, we tried to go through Lock 12 at the Lake Champlain end of the canal on Sunday, July 2, to no avail. By end of day on July 2, most of the 3 Canals-Erie, Oswego, Champlain, were closed due to heavy rains, rising water and flooding. We have pictures going down the Canal where rising waters left muddy sludge on the shrubbery along the banks up to 5 feet above normal water level.
So---Tuesday, July 4th, 3 boats started from the Marina to begin navigating the 12 Locks of the Champlain Canal. Along the Canal in small towns, there are town docks, some with facilities, some not, where you can tie up at the dock for no charge. Several town docks had pretty parks and nice facilities.
Our first stop was Whitehall town dock, just beyond Lock 12.  A relatively new town dock with free water and electricity provided for transient boats.  Police station and fire department are just up beyond the dock, so very secure. We headed first to Historic Grounds, an awesome breakfast and lunch restaurant in an old bank building dating back to early 1900's, a short walk across the green.   Dean had eaten there in his way up to Lake Champlain and wanted to return.  We were able to shower at a restroom facility, built by the state of New York and taken care of by the town. We visited the Skenesborough Museum (Skenesborough was the original name of Whitehall) and wandered the town a bit waiting for lower locks to open. Across the Saunders St. bridge was a quaint shop in the old newspaper office - The Times Emporium. Both Historic Grounds and Times Emporium owners chatted with us about the town history and refurbishing being done to revitalize the town. We walked several blocks away to get some groceries and discovered a gas station there selling diesel fuel for a good price so I made three bicycle trips (for the exercise of course and something to do while waiting lock openings) to fill my single 5 gallon fuel can and the boat tanks - the jerry can fit neatly into a large backpack so was easy to carry on the bike.

As soon as the locks were open below 8 we were on our way to Fort Edward, below Lock 8.  Again to tie up at their town wall to wait for the lower locks to open. Here we enjoyed a wholesome, inexpensive meal at Ye Old Fort Diner, making it the third meal I (Dean) had here. Down on the dock we met other Canal travelers either going north or south that were held up for Lock openings. Next stop- Mechanicville and below now that locks 1-7 were opened heading us to  Troy Federal Lock and down past Albany.


Reason for the Locks seen
from inside the lock 

Mechanicville also had free hookups for water and electric, new bathrooms and showers. These features certainly help make the transit more economically feasible for many boaters. Here we walked to a Price Chopper nearby to replenish food supplies.
The following morning we were heading south again.


Mount Travers ahead 

At Albany, we were approaching a large ship, the Mount Travers, just pulling out of an Albany Commercial terminal maneuvered by 2 tug boats pushing and pulling the huge freighter. The captain radioed us that he would be moving slowly at first through the terminal area then gathering speed and asked at what speed we traveled. We radioed back that we traveled at 7 knots so he would be passing us at some point and would keep an eye out to give way.

Puffin at Coeyman's Marina  

Just below Albany we docked at Coeyman's Marina so 1) I could jump off and travel home by land as the Hudson River down and around NYC gets a little rough and 2) so a friend from the Albany area could visit.
As we were on the way home from the trip- Dean being on the boat for 45 days, at this point, and I for 30, I was ready to be on land for a while, not sure if Dean was and it would take him another week to reach south coast Massachusetts,

Locking Through  

Suzan and Puffin in Whitehall  





Essex down to the start of the Champlain Canal south of Chipman Point Marina

Residence in Essex, perhaps an old
 school house?

Essex, New York is a pretty town with many antique and architecturally interesting buildings. Unfortunately we arrived on a Sunday, part of the marina docks had been damaged due to the recent heavy rains, and numerous businesses were closed. We did find a restaurant - "Old Dock House Restaurant and Marina" for a pleasant dessert.


Vergennes

Otter Creek

From Essex Harbor we traveled across the Lake to the eastern shore (Vt) and 7 miles up Otter Creek to the delightful little town of Vergennes, a hidden gem. We tied up at their town dock, no facilities (restrooms, showers, or fuel) other than electric We could walk up a small hill to their main street, shops, restaurants, convenience stores and town offices. The night we arrived, we met a couple who lived aboard their 38 ft Kadey Krogen boat, and attended the town's Strawberry Festival that evening. We stayed 2 nights in Vergennes again due to weather, and started back down the Lake heading for the Champlain Canal to take us to the Hudson River, around NYC, and home to  south coast Massachusetts.


Early Sailing Canal Schooner  

Philadelphia

Next stop was Basin Harbor  and Resort, home to the Champlain Maritime Museum with a working revolutionary war gunboat replica, the Philadelphia and the  Lois McClure, a replica of an early sailing canal schooner, currently sailing and boating through the Champlain and Erie Canals to Buffalo to celebrate the 200 year Anniversary of the initial construction of the Erie Canal in  1816. See more at www.canals.ny.gov.    At Basin Harbor one can tie up at their courtesy Dock to explore the Museum and dine at The Red Mill restaurant. Interestingly, the restaurant sits beside a small airfield where patrons of the Resort and restaurant can land a small plane and stay for awhile. The Resort reminds us of the Resort from the Dirty Dancing movie. Although the Dirty Dancing Resort was located in New York Catskills, just sold and is to be demolished.
We moored overnight in Mile Cove, just North of Basin Harbor.
We continued our journey south passing the Crown Point Bridge ( Lake Champlain Bridge) and one of International Paper Company's mills,www.internationalpaper.com largest in the world for their type of product ( corrigated paper for packing and other packaging products.
From there we continued to Chipman Point Marina www.chipmanpoint.com, meeting our boater friends with the Kadey Krogen.


Chipman Point Marina     

Unfortunately most of this trip (over 1,000 miles) had  more rainy, cloudy days than sunny. We arrived at the Marina on a Thursday, hoping to make Lock 12 on the Champlain Canal on Saturday. We were convinced to stay Saturday night as the Marina was hosting a Pig Roast and Fireworks for the July 4th Holiday weekend. Again, it rained off and on Thursday, Friday and continually for 5 hours on Saturday cancelling the Pig Roast. The up side is that it cleared by early evening and the Fireworks put on by the Marina Hosts, Pat (female) and son Chip were fantastic.
By Sunday, we were out to the Canal, checking their site for Lock closures due to the heavy rains and rising water. As we approached Lock 12, the falls were roaring and high. Most Locks are placed where there is a waterfall of some height or rapids and shallows, making it impossible for a boat to travel through. We called the Lock as we're approaching, and were told that most of the Canal was closed and there were boats hanging between lock 7 and 8 as the lower Locks were closed also.  The Champlain, Erie, and Oswego Canals were closed for 3-4 days until the water levels lowered and debris was washed aside. We turned and stayed 2 more nights, until July 4th at Chipman Point Marina. We had traveled 3 hours to Lock 12 and 2 hours back to the Marina. The current was with us on the way back so we were cruising at 10 mph., 3 mph faster than our usual 7 mph. By this point, we needed to replenish our food supply, water, fuel, and get a pump out. Our Host, Pat, offered her personal car, so we could drive to the market for food supplies.
A note on measuring mileage on the water: inland waterways are measured by statute (land miles) and ocean and coastal waters are measured by knots(nautical miles). There is a small difference in the calculation.
Stay tuned for my Canal and  Lock experience.

 

Dean and the Canals

Canals- Erie - to Lake Erie, Oswego- to Lake Ontario, Champlain- to Lake Champlain.
Troy, NY about 10 miles above Albany, has the New York Federal Lock that allows you  to start the New York State Canal System either west to the Erie Canal and branch off in the Oswego Canal or north to the Champlain Canal.

Once thru the Federal Lock, the town of Waterford has a public dock, where you can tie up and get  information about the canals, restaurants, public facilities, before starting your Canal journey.

Erie Canal to Lake Erie- 340 miles-35 Locks
Erie Canal to and thru Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario 184 miles - Erie- 23 Locks, Oswego- 7 L
Champlain Canal to Lake Champlain-60 miles- 12 Locks

2017 marks  the New York Canal System Bicentennial 200th Anniversary of the start of the construction of the Erie Canal and for those traveling the canals by boat, it is offering toll free navigation on the Canals for non commercial boaters during the year.

 Sooo Captain Dean wanted to experience some of the Erie Canal before committing to the Champlain Canal to reach Lake Champlain so I can return to the journey.     Once thru the Federal Lock in Troy, Dean continued up the 5 lock stairs (one right after the other) and up thru lock 9. There are walls in the Canal where you can tie up for the night and most had restrooms and/or showers available.  From there Dean turned around and came back down to Waterford where he turned North for 11 locks ( 1-12 no #10) on the Upper end of Hudson River turning into the Champlain Canal to reach Lake  Champlain. At times the Hudson River is so shallow and narrow a Canal is dug so you can get through. This took about 9 days to get to the southern part of the lake where it gets wider and 2 days to be in Burlington, on the Vermont side.

One experience was Basin Harbor, home of the Champlain Marine Museum www.lcmm.org and replicas of Lois McClure schooner ( that is sailing this summer on the canals to Buffalo to help celebrate the 200 anniversary of the start of building the Erie Canal). The museum is a nice walk from the courtesy dock at the Basin Harbor Resort www.basinharbor.com and you can stop at the Red Mill restaurant for a meal on the way.

Gate to regulate water flow in the canals

Once in Burlington at the Community Dock I joined him.
Next- Lake Champlain and more of the journey

Some things to know

Boats- the type you choose is a big consideration.  Most of the Loopers (boats cruising the Great Loop or any part of it) we connected with had power boats a bit larger than ours.  Ours being 33 ft motor sailor with masts down, and 10ft 2 in width.  Some of the power boats, trawler style,  were from 36' to one we met from Marathon, Fl. a live aboard, at 58 ft, a bit larger than they had anticipated, to a 48 ft live aboard.  These couples no longer own land homes, their boats are their homes.  A little scary for me at present although, I would like to perhaps have a 36' ft trawler on the intercoastal down south.  And there were a few hard core sailing people making the Great Loop in their 40 some feet sailboats. One couple we met were from Finland and sailed to the US from there to travel the Great Loop.

Coming from South Coast Massachusetts down to NYC, there are many coves and tucked in harbors and marinas to spend the night, not much in anchorage or moorings. Many along the way to NYC charge from $2.50-3.50 a foot for dock space. We had to tuck into some of them as our weather beginning the trip was not ideal- much rain, wind, and high seas. We were able to get  free moorings with the town of Fort Washington in Manhasset Harbor but is was too windy and wavy for me that day so chose to go into a dock.  You can anchor behind the Statue of Liberty if the waters aren't too busy.
As you journey farther up the Hudson River you can find Anchorage and Moorings at least 50, 60 miles from the Statue. There are many areas to tie in the Canals or at a Lock with nice parks you can be on land for a while. 2017 is an Anniversary for New York so the NY State canal system is not charging for canal travel and tie up.

Marinas- Many of the larger and better equipped Marinas, especially on the Hudson River,  are very familiar with Loopers and welcome them. The boats traveling the Great Loop or any portion of it Triangle, Champlain Canal Loop, will spend $$$ for supplies, groceries, any boat repairs, restaurants, laundry, fuel, pump outs, at the Marinas with these conveniences. The dock fees range from$2.25/ft to less than $3.00/ft plus a few $$$ for electric. on Hudson River Marinas as you get up the river about 50 miles.  Sometimes the dock fee is worth it if you have been traveling 6-7 hours a day for a few days,  and need a shower and laundry, or a meal you did not prepare on a boat. Stay tuned for the Hudson River and the NYState Canals

East River around the Battery and up the Hudson

I know why it is called the Battery.  You get battered around by all sizes of boats, waves from the boats, tides, wind, and ebb and flood currents from the tides.  That is a mouthful and a boatload of obstacles to maneuver around. The weather was not the best, cloudy, though no rain, and some wind.
We started out from Port Washington, LI about 10:00 am so we could catch the currents at ebb on the East River from Hell's Gate- which is about the middle of a 14 mile run from Throg's Neck Bridge to Manhattan (the Battery). Eldridge's Tide and Current Book start at the Bridge 2 hours after low tide at the Battery. We had to calculate the low tide, 2 hours, and our speed getting to the bridge and Hell's Gate to figure how to travel with the ebb currents or fair current in East River the last 1/2 of the 14 miles. Ebb currents can work in your favor, carrying you 2-3 knots faster than your normal cruising speed. Catching the wrong current can put you up to that much slower than normal.  We tried to time our trip around Manhattan for flood currents in the Hudson River. That didn't quite work in our favor, but not too bad. To see Manhattan (NYC) from the water is something to behold!! The skyline mixing old architecture with new modernistic is incredible and a little weird.  There are many buildings higher than the Empire State Building especially the new 911 structure in downtown Manhattan. From the west end of the East River you can see the Statue of Liberty in all her magesty at the base of the city. Anchor behind it or moor in Liberty Park, on the New Jersey side.  We dodged tour boats, cruise boats, small and large, and many other boats, including Looper boats such as ourselves going up the Hudson to the Canals.  I am learning there are different routes(loops) to take on this journey.  Heading up the Hudson River was a challenge, with all the boats and the current not always with us. It wasn't against us that much, just chugging along.  We recognized other Loop boats we had seen or docked with earlier. Next blog-- journeying up the Hudson River with other Loopers and other routes to take.


From afar
 



New vs Old
 





Getting Down to the Wire- Journey to begin

All the wiring for the Mast is in place. What a job that is/was. Much more complicated than expected. Mostly done except for testing to make sure all components- Radar, Radio, Deck Lights, Mast head Light, and Loud Hailer work.


My seat- across from the Captain's seat so whomever is not piloting, can sit up and see the water ahead and around.
Dean is working on the part that fits into the VBerth to make a fuller bed for sleeping. I have the foam, waiting to be cut.
Inverter we will take with us and wire in while traveling.
We will also take the extra batteries to be swapped out or added, as and if needed.
We are down to the last amounts of supplies to be put on board and then we are ready----


Our cat, Woodstock, is joining us on the journey. He has not been on Puffin in the water. We don't know how he will do and are prepared. He has been wearing a harness instead of a collar, that you can hook a leash to so if he goes overboard we can reel him in. As mentioned before, he also has a pet life jacket.

Still some things to accomplish on land---mail, bills to be paid, cleaning our home as we have guests staying while we are away. We are plant people so all of our indoor plants (20-25) are outside for awhile and some Dean has put the potted plant in the ground for moisture. We have placed them so there is ample morning light and should get moisture when it rains. I hope it is not like last summer- in July, August, September--no rain at all, we were in a drought. We contracted for someone to mow the lawn and neighbors will keep an eye out for anything unfamiliar around our home. We have nice neighbors.
By next week we will be on our journey on the Triangle Loop of the Great Loop.