Hop-O-Nose

We pull into Hop-O-Nose Marina on Catskill Creek to step our mast today. There is a 38' Catalina Morgan next to us who is also headed to the Florida Keys. Since it's Tuesday we order beer and chicken wings at the marina restaurant. We head out around 4:00 and go to Esopus Creek in Saugerties to anchor for the night. We pass lots of boats at Riverside Marine waiting to have their masts stepped. There is quite a lot of boat traffic headed south this year. Does this mean the northeast will be having an unusually cold and snowy winter?

Waterford and Albany

We leave Waterford today and pass Troy and Albany on the way down the Hudson. It's sunny and warmer than usual which is a welcome change!

Guard gate 1 and the stair locks into Waterford

There are two guard gates protecting the 5 stair locks from flooding. These locks are close together and you no sooner finish one and exit when you are entering the next lock. They lower you and your boat almost 200 feet to the Waterford/Troy area. Waterford is filled with boats heading south. Yes there are all sorts of sailboats and plenty of French Canadian skippers speaking lots of French. I was happy to practice speaking with them today. Steve and I walked Ranger over the bridge to Troy this afternoon after finishing up our laundry at a really nice near-bye laundromat. They like dogs here and the harbormaster brought over a doggie biscuit as soon as we tied off at the dock. Tomorrow we step the mast at Hop-O-Nose and then it's down to NYC.

Scotia, NY...Lock 8

Lock 17 in Little Falls is the largest single step lock on the Erie Canal and drops 40 feet. It's eastern gate does not swing open but is pulled up by a dripping counter weight. As we head east today the weather clears and we see some rays of sunshine. We shed our ski jackets and hats in the afternoon. We share several more locks with other boats heading south. Tonight we are In Scotia at Lock 8. It is so warm that we have dinner in the cockpit and watch the moon rise. There is a great biking trail behind us and lots of room for Ranger to run free. Tomorrow we'll be in Waterford.

Sylvan Beach to Herkimer

The rain lets up this morning and we enjoy a glorious day with lots of sunshine and warmth. We cross Oneida Lake and enter the canal at Sylvan Beach. This is a photo of lock 19 which is just past Utica. Instead of locking up now we enter each lock at canal level and lock down. These locks are amazing..... After 9 hours on the Erie Canal we decide to stay at the free dock in Herkimer which is just in front of a nice restaurant. We walk across the bridge to attend Mass in the town of Mohawk and re-cross to walk to the Applebees Restaurant in Herkimer which faces a super walmart....every boater's dream store!

A fresh start!

Today, Friday, Oct 2nd, we head out into the lake at 6:30 in the morning. It's quite chilly but the lake is flat and there is no rain. We are through Lock 8 at 10:30 and we press on to finish all of the Oswego locks before noon. We are making great progress. There is quite a bit of boat traffic on the canal and we lock thru several times with a variety of power and sailboats. Rain comes in during the afternoon so we lock thru 23 on the Erie Canal just before Oneida Lake and stay for the night at Brewerton. I made brownies for dessert tonight and the oven heated up the cabin quite nicely. Steve is getting a taste of what it's like to cruise. He has been a great help on the helm and his muscles are coming in handy in the locks. Three on board is so much better than two! Thanks Steve!

Departure-Delay

This week has been a roller coaster filled with high winds, rain, cold temperatures and false starts. We have waited four days for the winds to subside so that we could un-step the mast. We set out today, October 1, for Oswego but we encounter 6 foot rollers still on the lake. With the mast strapped to the boat it's like we're on a roller coaster.... Then we stuffed the front of the over-hanging mast into a wave.....and last but not least our anchor cuts loose and slams into the deck marring our gel-coat. Well that's enough fun for one day! We head back to Katlynn and wait.

Katlynne Marine

Katlynn Marine on Lake Ontario in beautiful New York State is our hailing port. There are over 200 boats here, a combination of sail and power with lots of room for picnics and get-togethers. Here is a view of the marina via the picnic pavilion. Just a short walk to the left and you'll be in downtown Sodus Point where there are great restaurants, beaches on the bay and the lake, a light house with free Sunday concerts, and live music every week-end during the summer.

Spring Launch

Katlynn Marine on Sodus Bay launches Waves of Grace May 18th and on the 19th the mast goes up. We plan on leaving our boat in the water for the next three years, wintering in the Florida Keys and the Bahamas, and returning to Sodus Bay each summer.

Preparing the mast

Walt is preparing our keel-stepped mast for the 2009 sailing season. He is adding a TV antenna so that we'll be able to get weather reports and news while sailing. He is reluctant to add any height because we are already almost 60 feet high and most bridges are only 65 feet...... Walt also replaced our mast head light with a power-saving LED.