Well, we got no mule named Sal, and had no intentions of staying for 15 years, but The Erie Canal was next up on our Looping Adventure.
Stretching over 350 miles from Waterford on the Hudson River in Upstate New York to Buffalo, on the eastern edge of Lake Erie, The Erie Canal was first proposed in 1780 as a way to reduce costs for shipping goods across the Appalachian Mountains. Construction of the original canal started in 1817 and it opened to transport in 1825. When completed it was the second longest canal in the world, surpassed only by the Grand Canal in China. The canal brought prosperity to many of the towns along its banks. It has been modified and widened since the original construction. In it's current form, it has 34 locks with an overall elevation change of 565 feet. The western end of the canal is now at Tonawanda N.Y. With the increase in trucking and the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway in 1959, commercial traffic declined significantly. The last regularly scheduled cargo hauler ended service in 1994 and the canal is primarily used now by pleasure boaters (Like Us!!!). The canal is drained and closed during the frozen winter months. Depending on weather, the canal is usually filled and open from mid May through mid October. In addition to being a popular destination for boaters, a bike path along its shores attracts hundreds, if not thousands, of cyclists each year that take advantage of the welcoming visitor centers along the way to bicycle camp the entire length of the canal.
The Erie is often thought of as having eastern and western halves with Lake Oneida at the center. The majority of Loopers do the eastern half of the canal but shortly after Lake Oneida they turn north and head to Lake Ontario and the Canadian Canals. A smaller percentage of Loopers will continue up the Hudson through lake Champlain and on to Canada rather than take the Erie canal at all. As we wanted to visit with Karen's 98 year old dad in Cleveland, we planned to travel the entire canal through to Lake Erie. After a beautiful sunset, we said goodbye to some Looper friends who were continuing up through Lake Champlain and we went to sleep with both excitement and apprehension about what laid in store for us in the morning.
The eastern start of the Erie canal is a series of 5 locks known collectively as the Waterford flight and are the steepest set of locks in the US. The entrance to these locks is only a couple of hundred feet from the town dock where we spent the night. These locks would lift us a total of 169 feet from the Hudson River to the Mohawk River. By this time we had already been through a number of locks on our trip and there was nothing significantly different about these locks except they were taller than the ones we had previously transited. This can present a little difficulty. Most of the locks on the Erie, like most we had been on before, had ropes hanging down to hold onto to stabilize the boat in the lock. I would guide us in. Karen would use a boat hook to grab a line on the bow and I would then put the boat in neutral and grab a line on the stern. We would hang large fenders on the side of the boat to protect it from the rough lock concrete walls. Most of the time it's pretty easy but the taller the lock, the longer the lines and the more difficult it is to hold the boat stable against the wall. Most of the time it went well but there were occasions when the turbulence created as the lock was being filled would move the boat around and it could get a little tense. We were also not alone in the locks. We would usually share the lock with 2-4 other boats. Most of the time that went well but there were times that one of the other boats would add to our anxiety. Over the course of the 35 locks we did see some crazy stuff like a boat that got sideways while trying to exit with one of their engines fouled and another boat that came in faster than he should have and inadvertently left the boat in gear instead of going to neutral. And, I have to admit, Karen's arms did grow and inch or two when I mistakenly left an engine in gear as she tried to keep us from moving. But, all in all, we never saw anyone seriously damage their boat and we made it through without a scratch.
We were really not sure what to expect when we exited the final lock of the Waterford Flight and made our way onto the Erie Canal. I had images of a concrete lined ditch that had pathways on which the mules and their drivers used to walk to pull the barges on through. In reality, that type of scene no longer exists and even in the early days the majority of the canal was rivers that were intermittently connected by ditches. The last lock let us out onto the Mohawk River. It was a beautiful river lined by trees, shrubs and rustic countryside. In some areas the shores were lined with homes. It was all very scenic and nothing like the commercial setting I was expecting. Small towns are interspersed along the canal, some we had heard of, but most we had not.
We knew our first day would be strenuous with five locks in quick succession and then one more a little further on so we did not plan to travel too many miles that day. Our first stop was at the Schenectady Yacht Club. They had space for a few "transients" like ourselves. We tied up, signed in and were advised we could use their pool and were invited to a big party and baked chicken dinner they were having that night. So we did...both! We had been travelling through the locks that day with two other Lopper boats, "Funintended" and "Two by Two". Both of them also tied up at The Schenectady YC. Our looper friends, Lucy and John had told us about a burger joint a few miles up the river from Schenectady. So, prior to using the pool we teamed up with Doris and Jeff from "Two by Two", launched our dinghys and took a quick ride up the river to Jumpin' Jacks, an old time walk up diner and had some good old burgers, fries and sodas. Along these waters were boaters and boats of all types and sizes. Families were out cruising, water skiing and fishing. The boating season in upstate New York is obviously cut short by the weather so when it warms up, everyone with a boat shows up to play.
Over the next 4 days we transited 14 more locks and tied up at Amsterdam, St. Johnsville, Ilion, and Sylvan Beach. We were getting to be pretty good at "locking through" but the locks could still be nerve wracking and tiring. Karen and I really have to work as a team to make everything go smoothly. We wear head sets to communicate with each other during docking and locking. Loopers refer to these head sets as "marriage savers" and they really are. They allow us to communicate without having to yell at each other. No matter how well intended, yelling and being yelled at is never fun.
At Amsterdam we tied up on a wall alongside a park. The gates to the park are locked at night so we did not visit the town. We had docktails with other loopers and ordered pizza which the driver had to pass to us through the locked park fence. St. Johnsville was a quiet little town. Not much to see but they did have nice memorials for their veterans and fire fighters. Ilion is the home of the Remington Gun Factory. We walked into town with Ron and Linda from "Gypsy Soul" hoping to take a tour of the factory but they had not yet resumed their tours post covid. Our general impression of the towns along the eastern Erie was that they were depressed, tired and worn down. This area has been hit hard with the loss of many businesses and I'm sure covid just exacerbated the hard times. Midway through the Erie canal is Lake Oneida. Sylvan Beach is on the eastern end of the lake. We tied up at Sylvan Beach on a "free wall" that had no power or water supply but with the solar panels on our boat that was not much of an issue. This was also the first stop on our entire loop where we had no one to help catch our lines and no real cleats, only loops of metal sticking out of the concrete wall.. Fortunately, Karen was up to the task and she was able to hop off onto the dock with a center line, secure it to one of the hoops and then tie up our stern and bow lines! It was a larger town and seemed to have an economy based on tourism rather than industry. It was much more vibrant than the previous few towns with multiple shops and restaurants. It even had an amusement park and a casino. We had a nice lunch in the first good restaurant we had been in since starting along the canal. (we had actually heard from several people about a fantastic Italian restaurant in the town of Little Falls, but it was closed when we came by so we did not stop) I had been looking forward to being able to swim in the lake as there had not been an opportunity to swim since we left Cape May, New Jersey. Unfortunately it was a cold and windy day which did not make swimming in a really cold lake seem too appealing. We had hoped to stay and play in Sylvan Beach for a few days but we had to move on to our next stop where we were having a few things looked at on our boat.
Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within the borders of New York State. At 20 miles long and 5 miles wide, it was the largest body of water we had seen since we left the Atlantic. With an average depth of only 22 feet it's surface can whip up easily in a breeze. We had great weather for our adventure on the lake and the surface was nice and calm for us. The shores of the lake are filled with homes and what appeared to be camps. I'm sure most of these homes were summer vacation "cottages" as this area would be biting cold in the winter. But, like the rest of the Erie, it was a summer paradise for boaters of all types.
On the eastern end of Oneida lake is the city of Brewerton, NY. This was the largest town we had seen on the Erie and many loopers, ourselves included, will stay at one of the marinas here for a few days. There are many facilities here for boat maintenance and repair, a variety of dining options and other amenities found only in decent sized towns. We pulled into Winter Harbor Marina and Boatyard on June 30 and found there 8-10 other looper boats there, some we knew, others we had not yet met. We had a few issues we wanted checked out on the boat and the yard made room for us that day, before the holiday weekend, to get hauled out for inspection. The first time we had been hauled out was near the start of our loop and I had one of the yard hands drive our boat onto the travel lift. This time, it was my turn to drive it on. The canal we had to traverse to get to the lift was narrow and lined with other boats but I got us there safely. We hauled out an found everything looked to be in order so we washed the bottom, replaced a few zincs, and splashed her again about 90 minutes later. Back in the water I now had to back her out through that narrow channel. Fortunately, over the past few months I had become much more comfortable with our baby in tight quarters. I cannot say I was not nervous, but I got her back out without a bump or a scratch. The yard also helped me remove part of my radar arch so we would be low enough to get under the low bridges coming up on the western half of the Erie.
We stayed at Winter Harbor for 4 days. We enjoyed having docktails connecting with the other loopers. I played golf one day with Darrel from "Star Dust" and Kevin from "Perfect Match". Perhaps the highlight of this stop was a side trip we took. We rented a car along with Ron and Linda from "Gypsy Soul" and drove up to Clayton, New York. Located the St. Lawrence River at the eastern edge of Lake Ontario, Clayton is the US entrance to the 1000 Island area. As the name implies, this area between the US and Canada is dotted with over a thousand beautiful islands. Some are public. Many are private. Almost every one has at least one house. This area has been a summer playground for many wealthy tycoons and a hiding place for smugglers and rum runners during prohibition. We boarded a sightseeing boat for a tour of the area... it was actually a bit of a relief to have someone else in charge of the boat for a while. The area has spectacular scenery in every direction and like most northern waters in the summer was filled with boaters. There are two homes on these islands recognized as castles. One, Singer Castle was built in 1905 by the 5th president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company. The other is Boldt Castle on Heart Island.
Our tour included a stop at Boldt Castle. George Boldt was a hotel magnate. A penniless 13 year old Prussian immigrant when he came to the US in 1864, he started as kitchen worker and at 25 became the dining room manager of an exclusive gentlemen's club in Philadelphia. He owned a number of hotels on his own but his big success came managing the Waldorf and Astoria hotels in NYC which he eventually combined into the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. George, his wife Louise, and children summered in the Thousand Islands and became prominent residents, and boaters of the area. His daughter won championships in powerboat racing and they had a variety of both power and sail boats. In 1900 he began building his beloved wife a magnificent, six story, 120 room castle. In 1904, Louise suddenly died and, grief stricken, George ordered all construction to be stopped. The castle was never completed and George never returned to the island. The castle was left exposed to the elements. In 1977 it was purchased by the 1000 Islands Bridge Authority and since then, millions of dollars have been raised and spent restoring the castle. It is now a popular tourist spot. Most visitors arrive on sightseeing boats but there is also a dock for personal pleasure craft to tie up to for the day.
WELL.... AT LEAST THAT'S THE STORY THEY TELL YOU ON THE ISLAND..... I was later talking with a long time resident of the area. I don't know if true or not... but according to him, George, who really loved his wife, discovered she was having an affair with one of the stone masons working on the castle. Distraught at the betrayal, he had her killed and never set foot on the island.
Back on land in Clayton, we had lunch overlooking the St Lawrence River and the visited the Clayton Antique Boat Museum. This museum was remarkable. There were wooden boats ranging from canoes to yachts and sailboats to high speed power race boats. Most of them were restored to their fantastic polished glory. I must say that I like the creature comforts and technology of our boat, but the artistry, craftsmanship of these old boats is amazing and beautiful. This museum should be a bucket-list visit for any true boat lover.
The next day, before returning the rental car, Karen and I drove about 20 minutes to visit her old alma mater - Syracuse University. We walked around her old Delta Gamma house but there was no one there during the summer to let us in. We also drove around the campus for old times sake.
Our last day in Brewerton was July 4! After dinner Linda, Ron, Karen and I sat on the flybridge of our boat to watch the fireworks. I'm not sure which were better... the official ones launched by the city, or the multitude of fireworks and fire crackers set off by local residents. It was a fun evening but was somewhat marred by the massive attacking horde of mosquitoes.... the worst we had seen on the trip! As soon as the fireworks were over, we escaped to the safety inside the boat and got ready to set out again the next morning.
Technically, Brewerton is still part of the "Eastern Erie" but this blog has already gone on too long so I must stop here. To be continued.....
