We spent the last part of July split between our Erie Canal trip and helping Dave's parents with their move to Pennsylvania. By month's end, we were about to pack up and leave with Jr on the trailer for the ride home to Virginia.  

More Time on the Canal

After spending several days in Pittsford, we began to move further east on the canal. Our intent was to go as far as we could and still ensure a reasonable trip back to Macedon and the trailer. On our first day, we retraced our route through Bushnell's Basin and Fairport and Mid-Lakes Marina, before we started covering new ground. We made a quick stop in Bushnell's Basin to pick up Dave's dad, who would ride with us for half the day and through the first 2 locks. It wasn't long after Mid-Lakes that we encountered lock 30 in Macedon. The cables that we had grown accustomed to grabbing in earlier locks were not there any more, which caused some confusion as Cathy and Dad switched gears to grab a ladder instead. We were a little more ready to make the grab in the next lock 29, which we encountered just before Palmyra. This was Dad's jumping off point, so we pulled into their basin for some lunch while he waited for Dave's Mom to come pick him up. Palmyra is the birthplace of the Mormon church and the Hill Cumorah pageant had just ended, making the town a little sleepier than it might otherwise have been on a Friday afternoon. After grabbing an ice cream we hopped back on the boat and headed on east.  

We decided to spend the night in Newark, which was reputed to have not only the standard freepower, water and showers, but also free laundry! To our surprise, the space on the wall was a little tight, but luckily we found a spot near a ladder, since this was a very high wall. Not even Dave could make it off without one. On our return trip through Newark, finding the ladder proved a little challenging, but another boat was willing to move a little and we found a spot. The reason this port was a little busier is that we had arrived on Friday night, when their free live concerts took place. We were basically right in front of the bandstand both nights for some lively music. In between laundry loads, we even got in some dancing. Newark's claim to fame in years past was as the birthplace and longtime home of Jackson and Perkins and the growing of beautiful roses. Although that business moved to California, Newark is still proud of its connection with roses. We also stumbled onto a clock museum in the local library with some amazing examples of clocks – large and small that dated back to the 1700's. We were joined one night there by John and Millie who met us for dinner. Millie grew up in Newark and gave us a little picture of what it was like in the boom times when Jackson and Perkins was still there.  As an example, this small town had 4 Cadillac dealers. We also spent quite a bit of time with a couple on the sailboat Amante, who were just beginning their trip south for the first time. 

Lyons, the next town east of Newark is only 5 miles away, but you travel through 3 locks to get there – a lot of work per mile. Although we bypassed it on the trip east, we made sure to stop there on our trip back west. It's amenities are located in the firehouse next to the dock. It's kind of unusual walking into the firehouse to get showers, but the facilities were very nice. Lyons was the home of the Hotchkiss Co. That became internationally famous for its prize-winning Essential Oil of Peppermint. In its heyday, it was the source of most of the world's supply. We took a walking tour of the town, found ice cream at a stop across the canal and even took advantage of a tour of Lock 27, which sits right in town. The lock tender explained his process, and we learned to better read the various lights in the lock to understand what state the lock was in. This helped us down the line to understand how long before the doors would open. Later that afternoon, we joined the other boaters here for some food and conversation on the hill overlooking the dock.  

The next stop east was the town of Clyde. We stopped here both going and coming, but it turned out to be more of a stop for convenience than for interest. There is a very long stretch east of here until you come to the next place to stay – over 35 miles to Baldwinsville on the Erie Canal and about 25 miles to Seneca Falls on the Cayuga – Seneca canal. We toured the town, but found very little to explore. The much-touted hardware store was closed, since it was Saturday afternoon. And even the "Famous" mineral springs were a disappointment, since the pump handle was broken. Oh well. That's not to say we didn't have some excitement here. Like most of the towns on the canal, the town had created a docking wall with some lower floating docks on either side. However, the power pedestals were only on the wall. We tied up to the wall, even though it tends to be a little tall for Orion Jr. Since the speed limit here is 10mph, we had never encountered any wakes to worry about. Not so this Saturday afternoon. A large power boat came through on full plane. Cathy saw it coming and called to Dave. We fended out as best we could as the boat swung wildly, causing the bimini poles to barely miss getting mangled by the dock. Everything down below was on the floor in a puddle of water caused by a falling water bottle. We called the boat to tell him of the havoc he had caused and called the lock to report the boat. We then moved onto the floating dock. We didn't want to risk that happening again. And luckily it didn't.

We were nearing the outer limit of what we could travel and still make it back roughly by the end of July. We also wanted to position ourselves somewhere we could rent a car to travel to Victor to help Dave's parents on their moving day. So, we decided to make a right turn off the Erie Canal and travel a few miles down the Cayuga-Seneca Canal to Seneca Falls. This aptly named canal connects the Erie to the Cayuga and Seneca finger lakes. Seneca Falls lies beyond 3 of its locks about midway between the 2 lakes. The Cayuga-Seneca actually turns west just after the first lock as we make our way to Seneca Falls. We had to wait for several boats to clear the first lock, so we were just idling toward it to kill time. However, just as we crossed the entrance, the engine died. Cathy tried quickly to restart, but nothing happened. She turned her attention to grabbing the ladder. While we waited for another boat to enter, Dave looked at the engine. There was grass all over the lower unit. He cleared it and the engine started. The only problem was the lock was filled with grass. As the water was rising it pushed more grass our way. We threaded our way out of the canal around the many patches and successfully cleared it all as we moved into the Seneca River. The next 2 locks were a repeat of the double locks in Lockport, with one notable exception. Lock 3 was coated from top to bottom with zebra mussels. One thing we learned about this invasive creatures. As the water falls, they like to spit out their water. It was . . .interesting.

Seneca Falls is probably most famous for its role in women's rights, since the first women's rights convention was held here in 1848. Elizabeth Cady Stantion was one of its most famous citizens. The Women's Rights National Historic Park and the Women's Hall of Fame are here. Since they were closed and we had seen them on previous trips, we spent our time here taking in other sites, such as a car show that was in progress as we arrived, the Museum of Waterways and Industry in the Visitor's Center above the boater's lounge, a wonderful Amish market named Sauder's and a unique sculpture garden. We were ready to move on after a few days there, when the night before departing we saw a notice from the NY Canal Corporation the canal between locks 26 and 27 were closed. That was exactly where we were headed. Best laid plans.  

The delay gave us time to enjoy a fabulous farmer's market, when the notice came that the canal was re-opened. We were off the dock within 15 minutes, joining another boat in "spitting" lock 3. By the time we made it back to lock 26, the spillway next to it was still overflowing with water, pushing a strong current across the entrance to the lock, forcing us to power up to maintain steerage at a point when we usually are shutting the engine down. For the next 12 miles, the current was flowing strong and there was lots of debris in the water. We kept a sharp lookout for possible logs and decided we would need to stop early. Storms were coming and the current was slowing us down. Combined with our late start, we wouldn't be able to make it further than Clyde.

By the second of August, we were back in Macedon, having come full circle with our abbreviated canal trip. We had a great time, and for sure, we'll be back.

Boat Stuff

Prepping the boat for haul-out took less time than we thought. Within a couple of hours we were being loaded back on the trailer for the first time. It went OK, but we required the marina's backhoe to maneuver the trailer deep enough for the sailboat to be able to settle onto it. Cathy used the engine to try to power it on, but it wasn't strong enough to make a significant difference. With the marina's help, Jr was winched onto the trailer and secured good enough for transit. Another half day of work and we were ready to move out – the next morning. It was ironic that we set her up in the rain, and at the end we packed her up in the rain.

We have had a nagging question since we put her on the trailer for the first time. How much does Jr weigh? We finally got an answer on our way back to Virginia. Stopping at a truck stop scales, we positioned the truck and trailer to get a weight for each axle. It turns out that the boat on the trailer as we had it loaded, which did not include the mast was 6800 lbs. Since the limit is 7000, we will need to make a careful inventory of what we can remove before we hit the road again.

Family and Friends


Before leaving Pittsford, we took advantage of our proximity to Rochester to connect with some friends. We had several nights of picnics and canal cruises on Jr, that gave us time to catch up with our former co-workers. In some cases, it had been many years, so it was time we really treasured together. Just before leaving, we made a long trek into downtown Rochester, a pilgrimage to a favorite eatery called Dinosaur BBQ. As it evolved, we ended up walking most of the way from Pittsford and part of the way back. It allowed us to walk off some delicious BBQ. It was a beautiful day, almost fall-like, so the walking was pretty easy. We took time to explore the historic canal's path over the aqueduct in Rochester. Our travels gave it a new perspective. 

We also used the time on the dock in Pittsford to do a road trip, carrying a load of boxes to Pennsylvania for Dave's parents and moving more into the house from storage there. The weekend ended with Dave's cousin's wedding in NY. While we were gone, we heard from our friend Carol. She was in Pittsford and could see our boat on the dock. It was all by itself. Hmmm. . . . when we left, we had a nearby neighbor watching the boat. When we returned, we learned what had happened. They had a benefit event, called the Duck Drop. And since we weren't there to move the boat, it was right in the middle of it. Actually on the finish line. Carol got a great picture.

It's not a circumnavigation or a major sea voyage or even a significant navigational feat. But we did make it to the western end of the Erie Canal and back before putting it in at Pittsford again for a few days in preparation for some family time. The trip was a delight, and we would do it again in a heartbeat. We saw a completely different view of this western part of NY than we had seen in all the years we lived here.

Traveling the Canal

To make the most of the time we had between family events, we decided to limit our travel to the ports west of Macedon. Our goal became simply to reach the western end of the canal and "touch" the Niagara River. That way if our travels bring us back to these parts with Orion Jr's mast in place, we can simply start where our track left off and put her in the water with her mast up. With that lofty goal in mind, we had about 160 miles to cover and a week to do it. At 20 miles a day, it would just be exhausting.

The canal west of Macedon has 95% of the lift bridges and 10% of the locks on the entire canal. The overall rise in level on this section is 100ft with almost exactly 25 ft rise in each of the 4 locks (#32 - 35). After Fairport, most of the lift bridges look identical to one another. They sit low on the water when closed so that only the smallest of vessels can pass beneath. To open, the central span rises to a height of approximately 15 ft above the water. When raised, pedestrians can still cross it via stairs on either end. 

With the small volume of traffic on the canal, the bridge tenders tend multiple bridges. This can make for some interesting passages. Sometimes, the bridges are so close together that you have to work to stay in place while the one bridge is lowered and the tender races to the 2nd bridge to stop traffic and raise it. At other times, this multi-tasking results in there being no one to answer the hail when you're calling the bridge right in front of you. Luckily the phone numbers for the bridges are published. So, you can call the bridges up and down the line until you get someone at his post. Then that person can either come to your bridge or call the right cell phone to get someone there. On our westward journey, the process worked smoothly. Each bridge called the next and let them know we were coming. No waiting. However, on our return trip, the operators always seemed to be somewhere else, despite our attempts to give them a heads up.

We've been through locks before, but none as tall as these, especially the 2 in Lockport. These locks all have lines and cables that run from top to bottom of the lock wall. Snagging one fore and aft, we tend the boat as it rises and falls. Since these lines spend much of their life in the water, they and the walls they rest against, are disgusting. So, we have work gloves for tending the lines, and boat hooks to keep the boat fenders off the wall. That doesn't mean we didn't get the slime on the bimini, the flag and the screens. Another new feature was the speed of the water's rise/fall, which was fast. To accomplish the 50 ft rise over the Niagara Escarpment in Lockport, the 2 25ft locks share a common middle gate. It is a massive door. As the lock gates open and close, the sound brings to mind a large metal monster, echoing around in the nearly empty chamber. Our eastward trip through the lock was the most interesting as we were locking down in lock 35, while 2 boats were locking up in lock 34. We passed each other inside the lock. It was pretty cool.

Traveling down this section of the canal, we passed miles of farms and about a dozen small historic towns, each with docks that are free to the boats traveling through -- most with power, water and showers. Its elevation relative to the surrounding land varied dramatically. West of Rochester's Genesee River and west of Lockport, we traveled through mini-canyons, the tree-lined rock walls looming above us. At other times, we were soaring above the land below, passing over creeks, farmland, houses and even a road. With rare exceptions, it was peaceful and beautiful. The sad thing is that we went miles and miles withough seeing another boat. This is an amazing treasure, and there are lots of boaters who are not taking advantage of it.

The Ports

Spencerport, Brockport, Middleport, Gasport, Lockport. Are you starting to see a pattern? We spent some time at all of them and a few more. For many of them, their prosperity as canalports in years past has given them treasures of grand main streets that still have many of the original buildings. Some of them are still bustling towns: Spencerport and Pittsford as Rochester suburbs, Brockport as a college town, Lockport with the locks and the tourist traffic, Tonawanda as a Buffalo suburb with its own industries. The rest are quieter, more rural towns: Holley, Medina, Albion, Middleport, Gasport, each to varying degrees developing the canal as a resource for their economy.  

Each port had something that made it unique. Gasport had fresh vegetables and herbs growing in pots next to the dock. Holley had a beautiful park nearby with a waterfall and some fresh black raspberries growing along the path. Of course, it was helpful that the path led to a Save-a-Lot. Medina had the Model Train Museum and Sandstone Hall of Fame, which were just a short walk from the dock. Albion had Friday night movies at the library, complete with popcorn. Lockport had the famous Flight of Five original canal locks, which were being reconstructed. It also had some amazing ice cream at Lake Effect Artisan Ice Cream and a unique winery named after the original locks. Tonawanda had the Herschell Carousel Museum, a unique collectible train store, called Jack's Trains (next to a candy shop, called Barb's Sweet Treats).  

But, by far our favorite port was Spencerport. OK. You probably think we're biased because it's where we used to live, but it had everything we could have asked for. The facilities and docks were excellent (and free). They have restored and relocated an old Trolley stop to serve as a museum and boater welcome center. Within a short walk are some great restaurants (the smoky smell from Texas BBQ was a pretty effective advertisement) and another Abbotts within a short walk. Most everything you need to provision is an easy walk: groceries, fuel, drug store, Dollar Store. There was a walking tour of the town and an amazingly good band playing on the canal the Sunday night we were there. One thing that was incredible is how many store fronts had changed in the 15 years since we lived there. There were probably only 3 that held the same business that was there at the end of the last century. Time does move on.

Friends and Family

It's been fun re-connecting with friends as we travel our old neighborhood. Gary, a fellow scoutmaster and his wife Karen, joined us on a ride from Spencerport to Brockport. Carol, a friend met in our early days at Kodak, biked to meet us in Middleport and rode with us to Medina. After a Sunday brunch at her house, we managed to track down the mysterious Soldier's monument in Brockport a few days later. Dave's dad helped us through the 2 Rochester locks on the trip west to Spencerport and Mark, Cathy's J&J co-worker did the same on the way east (after biking from his house in Penfield out to Spencerport). Since we found ourselves in Spencerport on 2 successive Sunday mornings, we attended the Spencerport UMC, which we used to attend and saw many of our friends there as well. 

After a few days away on the road, we'll have another week to explore before Jr has to be hauled and we head south again.