ssloop: Welland Canal to Hudson River

Our normal morning routine is to check the up coming weather. After a good night sleep on anchor in Wilson, NY, our weather research showed we had a beautiful day ahead, but that was going to change drastically the next day. Realizing we had to get off Lake Ontario before the winds picked up we pulled anchor and headed 116 miles east. The lake was flat and we had a smooth cruise. At Oswego, NY, we turned onto the Oswego Canal where we locked up 118 feet thru 7 locks. Most locks on the canal close by 6pm however our last lock stayed open until 8pm which was a good thing because we didn’t arrive to it until 6:30. By 7pm, we were tied up to the final lock wall in Phoenix,NY for the night. It was a 142 mile/12 hour day, but we were happy to be this far with the forecasted weather. Cute town!

As predicted, Thursday morning was windy, stormy and rainy. By noon the rain had stopped so we walked a mile to the Angry Pig BBQ for a fabulous lunch. That afternoon we moved 12 miles, thru 1 lock, and blew on into to Ess-Kay Marina in Brewerton, NY. Due to the continued winds, we stayed here 2 nights. While here, we purchased 2 new batteries for the port motor and used their courtesy car to load up on provisions.

Next up….the Erie Canal! By 7am on Saturday we were back moving. We cruised 20 miles across Lake Oneida. It was a choppy run but we were happy to have the winds at our back. Upon entering the river we began our journey through the Eastern Erie Canal. This portion is 153 miles and 20 locks. We broke up our trip with overnights tied to the lock wall at Lock 18 and Lock 8. The canal system offers free docking on the walls below or above the locks. Monday was our last push thru the canal - 7 more locks to go. Unfortunately the rains came in so Sheli had a wet day on lock duty while the captain stayed dry. Argh! The last 2 miles and 5 locks, we dropped 160 feet, which is the greatest rate of decent of any navigable waterway in the world.

Upon exiting the Erie Canal, we turned south onto the Hudson River. We went thru the Federal Lock two miles later. The height of this drop varies with the tide. Yes, tide. Although we are 152 miles upstream from New York Harbor, this area experiences a 4 foot tide.

We have now left behind fresh water and are moving into salt water.

We have traversed a total of 38 locks between the Welland, the Oswego and the Erie Canals. As always, locks are an interesting and challenging experience however we are very happy when finished.