On the Move

June 25 – 30

Left Amsterdam, NY on our way to Little Falls, Utica and Sylvan Beach, NY. Finally slowing down and smelling the roses. There had been a bottleneck at the entry to the Oswego Canal which will take us to Lake Ontario. It has been closed for some time and boats have been backing up trying to get to the Great Lakes. The numbers in the circle represent boats. Lake Ontario is in the upper left corner of the photo. Right now (June 30) we are in the area depicted by the circle with a 10+ in it. Almost all of the boats in this area have followed the other boats up the Oswego Canal to the big lake.

We’ve been having great weather and the Erie is pretty cool. Much of it is actually the Mohawk River and it resembles the Tennessee River in many ways.

Coupla pretty cool lock hands. All of the Lockmasters have been great. Unlike the Lockmasters on the inland rivers, these folks all speak english. On the rivers we think it is a prerequisite to have worked in the New York City subways prior to a stint at a Corps of Engineers lock.

On the right side of the photo you can see the dam.

Entering one of the 20+ locks on the Erie Canal. These locks are much smaller than those on the inland rivers.

As everyone in my family knows, the Holidays were the busiest time for me when I was still working. After every Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner I would fall asleep in a chair with my mouth open. One year Nick and Haley gave me a blanket with photo’s they had taken over the years of me sleeping with my mouth open after a great meal. Well, one year Nick fell asleep…so I gave him one of these rare coffee mugs. Love drinking my morning coffee out of it. Always puts a smile on my face

On the subject of photo bombs, this is my big brother Jim. I introduced you to him when he helped me bring the boat down the Tombigbee waterway from Iuka, Mississippi. He fell asleep on a train in France…

Speaking of my big brother, when we were kids mom and dad would pile us into the car for a 2 day drive to Rhode Island to see my mom’s family. Every bakery and neighborhood grocery would sell slices of tomato pie. Not pizza mind you. I have always loved this stuff. Whenever I fly up east to see family my carry on on the way home reeks of garlic due to the 40 slices of tomato pie in it. At the Aquavino restaurant right on our dock in Utica the subject of tomato pie came up. Terrific lady by the name of Trish brought 2 of these boxes to our boats next morning.

Is she cute or what???

Whisky Business is equipped with the latest and greatest marine navigation software this side of the US Navy. The color white denotes the Erie Canal. Yellow is dry land. What is wrong with this picture. We are navigating in the center of the marked channel which does not agree with the chartplotter.

A young couple are traveling on this very small sailboat. Rather minimalist. On the Erie they hit a submerged object with their rudder and have to end their trip.

Not an infinity pool. But if you look closely you can see a dam. We are on the high side of the dam. Saw a lot of these on the Erie.

How the dam appears on the chartplotter.

Farm in the distance.

A lot of really low bridges. We lowered our antennae’s and anchor light so as not to scratch the underside of the bridges we encountered.

Lock # 17 just east of Little Falls, NY. Largest lift on the Erie at 41 feet. At the beginning of the video you will notice the large “guillotine” door that we pass under. It goes by quickly so watch carefully. Instead of traditional doors, this lock’s eastern door is raised above the boat and we had to pass under it going into the chamber.

Could not get a picture of the actual door as things happen pretty fast once you get in a lock chamber. I cheated. I took a photo of the image in our guide book.

The counter weight for the “guillotine” door is a giant molded concrete slab.

What a view these guys have. Friendly fellows.

Just about the only place on the Erie Canal that actually looked like a canal.

These are called “Guard Gates”. Actually flood control doors that drop into place.

Deb and Kari enjoying a preprandial beverage without their pesky husbands in Little Falls.

Fishin’ spot.

At this end of the Erie we are now being lowered on our way to Utica, NY.

Interesting marker in Little Falls.

On the way to Sylvan Beach located on the eastern shore of Lake Oneida we passed a group of Amish enjoying the beautiful day.

Interesting, the moment they became aware they were getting their picture taken they turned their heads.

On our way to Sylvan Beach we passed a bridge where kids were jumping off the bridge supports in to the water. Got kinda close to us. Big propellers make small body parts should you run over someone. Captain Carey on Carried Away who was following us ‘splained to these miscreants that jumping in front of large water craft was not a wise idea. They apoligized. They promptly jumped in front of John and Debbie Neal as they approached on Saltaire.

Went to a BarBQ joint for dinner. Debbie wouldn’t let me buy it. Would have looked swell on the swim platform.

This little resort town of Sylvan Beach had an amusement park. Skee Ball and all of the old arcade games were present and accounted for.

Oneida Lake actually runs east to west but I have set up our navionics with a “heads up” orientation.

‘Bout 20 miles across.

The eelflies came out lost night. Look like mayflies to me. We were covered in ’em. For those of you that know Debbie, you know she does not like bugs of any sort. I got up at 5:30 IN THE MORNING so I would have plenty of time to rid the boat of the things before she got up. They covered the outside of the boat.

Now in Brewerton, NY. And within striking distance of Lake Ontario. Here for a few days.

The dock we are on is just a smidgen too low for Debbie to step off from the deck of WB but too high to get off from the swim platform. We carry this gangway for such instances.