Where Are We Now - Waterford, New York

September 11, 2008 - Waterford New York.

We have just finished the Erie Canal and are resting in friendly Waterford before heading down the Hudson River to have our mast stepped.

The trip down the canal was ok but not great. The weather alternated from Too Damn Hot to Too Damn Cold with little in between. The canal seems to be in the midst of a job action by the lock keepers and some of the transit times were a bit extended. However from these pictures you can see it has not been much of a trial:

Meredith Approaches a Lock on the Oswego Canal System. I have no clue which Lock or why I took the picture.

A Dawn Departure somewhere on the Erie Canal. We were seldom underway later than 7 a.m. which is also the start time for lock operations.

The Tug "Governor Roosevelt" Asks for Permission to Pass. This tug was built in the depression and is kept in spectacular condition. The bronze gleams. When she passes she throws a wake and a half.

Meredith is docked in Waterford. Lock 2, about a 40 foot drop is shown in the background. Approaching Waterford boats run a flight of locks dropping 160 feet in 5 lockings which take about an hour.

Arriving in Waterford everyone takes a breather, buys some cheap beer (best price for Yeungling Lager so far is $17 for 24 cans) and cleans up in prep for restepping the mast.

Here are some of our travel mates in Waterford:

The owners of this vessel left minutes after we arrived. Look carefully at the mast. That shadow is their daughter . Turns out this is a family of circus acrobats. When the mast is up she does the same routine. No nets.

Andre and Benoit from Gateneau Lead the Quebec Navy aboard "Douce Folie V". Andre does the navigating. Benoit's Nose is not really that long.

Benoit likes to insult lawyers and talk about his newly rebuilt diesel. He never mentions that he had to have it rebuilt twice when the first mechanic turned out not to actually know anything about diesels. Benoit refers to the second mechanic as a "total crank - but a damn good one".

Mike and Caja live aboard "Resolute" Mike built the boat himself from plans. It took him 20 months: one month a year for 20 years. Cajo was not even born when Mike started. When we say he built the boat we mean he cut every plank, poured every drop of epoxy. He even laminated the tiller on his own.

And this guy was asking us for advice?

Here Mariel inspects some toerail repairs undertaken by partner Heinz. Their boat "La Buena Vida" lost a couple of chunks of teak to the rough walls of one of the locks while downbound.

Mariel, although French, hails from Kingston and Heinz, of course, comes from the famous tomato fields of Germany.