From Oswego,NY and into Canada.

First, an update!  In my last post, I mentioned how I saw Sylvi and Michael with their sailboat on the side of the canal waiting on a tow.  They were towed and the problem was a blocked water intake for their motor, which was easily resolved. They made it to Oswego and were once again boat neighbors with me.

From Oswego, we headed to Sackett's Harbor, where Sylvi and Michael keep their sailboat.  It was a run across the lake, with calm waters, but a lot of fog. For most of the time, I couldn't see anything different from any direction... it all looked like this:

Lake Ontario -smooth, but foggy.

After a couple hours, the fog cleared, and I left Lake Ontario for the small town of Sackett's Harbor, where I met up with a few other boater friends. Barb and Ross, from Attitude Changer pulled in shortly after I did.   It was a social evening. The only concern I had to deal with was my shower sump pump, which had a bad float switch. One of my new boat neighbors, Tom, offered to take me to West Marine in the morning, where I was able to pick up a spare bilge pump and float switch.

Sunset at Sackett's Harbor

Lighthouse on way to Sackett's Harbor

After a quick trip to West Marine, we left Sackett's Harbor and headed up the St. Lawrence River to Clayton.  In Clayton, Midas Touch caught up with us, so we now have three boats in our little convoy.  Clayton is one of the towns along the Thousand Islands.  We were told of three things that one must do in the Thousand Islands:  The Antique Boat Museum, River Rat Cheese, and the Boldt Castle.  We managed to do all three.  The museum and cheese store are both in Clayton.  We spent two nights there, then headed north to Boldt Castle, which was our turning point to head back towards Lake Ontario and into Canada.

Downtown Clayton from the water

Boldt Castle on Heart Island

After a few hours touring Boldt Castle, we headed towards Gananoque, Ontario, Canada.  After arrival, we checked in with Canadian Customs through a payphone.  It is quite the contrast to what I have been accustomed to in Arizona.  Even at Boldt Castle, there was a U.S. Immigration office, which looked like the easiest job for a border patrol agent I have ever seen.  There were no lines, just a sign saying that if this was your first stop in the United States, check in.

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Station at Boldt Castle

This morning, we left Gananoque and headed west. We are staying just west of Kingston, Ontario at Collins Bay Marina.  It has been very windy, which is hampering our progress into Canada.  The weather forecasts have not been accurate, when we can get them.  We are adjusting our plans accordingly.

It may be a while before I post another blog... internet is difficult to find, and the upload speeds are slower than slow.  It took hours to upload the five pictures on this post.  I had a lot more I wanted to share.  I have limited minutes on my phone.  Communication is proving to be difficult in Canada.

Happy Canada Day!

Finishing up the Erie Canal

It has been a rough, rough week.  After getting thrown around by the turbulence in Lock 9, I managed Lock 10 well, then was thrown around again the next morning in Lock 11.  Four of us went through Lock 11 together, and I could not control my boat to keep it against the wall with the rope, which hangs vertically, and doesn't give any horizontal leverage.  I decided to "take a moment" and anchor between a couple small islands before heading to Lock 12.  I felt helpless and defeated by the locks.  The only saving grace was that the next couple locks would have poles, which I could do. I also knew I had to come up with another strategy to get through the rope locks, two close calls were more than enough.  As I pulled up my anchor and started heading toward Lock 12, I got a radio call from the lock master at Lock 12.  This is how that conversation went. "Annabelle, Annabelle, this is Lock 12". "Annabelle, we have poles in Lock 12, and you will get through safely."  I think he meant to say "Sweetheart, it will all be okay." 

I emailed and texted my friends who had gone through the locks. I also spoke with the lockmasters, who were truly wonderful for the remainder of my locks on the Erie Canal.

After Lock 13, a few of us stayed in Canajoharie including Summerland, Attitude Changer, and Shiver Me Timbers.  We had a pot luck dinner, and discussed our plans.  In the morning, after Attitude Changer left, I walked over to Lock 14.  I was given helpful information about how the locks fill, and also told I could request an "Easy Lift", which is where the lock master fills the lock at a third of the normal rate, which reduces the turbulence. There are no guarantees, and it is up to the discretion of the lock master and depended on the lock traffic.  In addition, he radioed ahead to the upcoming locks and gave them a heads up about my little boat.

As I was walking back to my boat, I ran into a gentleman working on his beautiful stone house.  We talked for a few minutes and I went back to my boat.  A couple hours later, he showed up with a friend of his, Michael, who had been in the Coast Guard, but had never been up the Mohawk River and done locks.  I agreed to take Michael with me for the next couple locks and drop him off at St. Johnsville with his friend.  Meanwhile, Mike, from Shiver Me Timbers offered to come aboard for the rest of the locks in the Erie.

The remainder of the Erie Canal locks went smoothly... very, very smoothly.  The combination of picking up Mike and Michael, the lockmasters, and the easy lifts made it all work out!

Approaching Lock 17, known as the "Guillotine Lock", because the gate comes down to close the lock.  It is a 40 foot lift with just ropes.

Lock 17

At the wall after Lock 18, to spend the night.  I took this from Shiver Me Timbers.

Sunset at Lock 18. A peaceful evening, after a good day of locking.

Shiver Me Timbers - the sailboats can't keep their masts up through the canals.  Some sailboats carry the mast with them, others ship the mast.  Andy is having his mast stored.

As much as I had a difficult, challenging week.  It was difficult for a couple other boats as well.  Freedom, the 53 foot boat, which was behind me at Waterford and then again at Riverlink Park, had problems with their throttle.  The electronic throttle control failed Martha and Cary in Lock 16, and they headed straight into the Lock, and then hard into the far gate.  It was hard to see them on the wall at Lock 16, waiting to figure out how they would repair their boat.

Freedom, at Lock 16 wall. Martha and Cary started the Loop in Charleston, SC.

Other friends, Sylvie and Michael, had engine problems with their sailboat, so were towed to Brewerton for repairs.  Their sailboat was in front of mine in Waterford and they were also at Riverlink Park.  With any luck, they will be back on the water soon.

Last night, I docked at Mariner's Landing in Sylvan Beach, NY, at the eastern side of Lake Oneida.  I needed fuel and needed to do laundry.  When I arrived, I was told there wasn't any available space. However, other boaters, from the marina, pointed out that a friend of theirs was anchoring out for the night, so I could have his slip.  I dropped Mike off at Shiver Me Timbers, on the free dock, and headed back to enjoy the evening at Mariner's Landing.

This morning, I headed out for the last stretch of the Erie Canal to take me to the Oswego River.  I crossed over Lake Oneida.  In Brewerton, on the other side, I briefly met up with other Looper boats, as we went through Lock 23 together (7 boats locked through, 5 of us were loopers). The other loopers were headed to Oswego, but my destination was Phoenix, a little town known for their hospitality to boaters.  Phoenix is the home of the Bridge House Brats, who will help with docking as well as take orders for breakfast, which they pick up from local restaurants and deliver to your boat.  It is not the Phoenix that I have known for so many years!

Tomorrow, I will head to Oswego, and meet up with Barb and Ross, from Attitude Changer, and we will move forward from there, and hopefully end up in Canada within the next few days.

Meanwhile, here are a few random pictures:

Saturday fishing.

Mike took this picture.  Hair and makeup have not been a priority on this trip.

Oneida Lake, first thing this morning.

The fork in the water... Erie Canal turn left, Oswego turn right.

Locking Through and New Challenges

Every day seems to bring a new challenge on this Loop Adventure.  Yesterday, the locks opened.  The Waterford Visitor Center dock was overflowing with boats.  Three "looper" boats were rafted onto other boats.  We celebrated and said our goodbyes, as half the boats headed north towards Lake Champlain, and the rest of us headed west, through the Erie.

Getting ready for a new day.  Attitude Changer, Limelight, and Panacea are rafted to Navigator, Summerland and Above Average Looper.  My little Annabelle is in front of Freedom.

We were all very excited about Tuesday, as it represents a point in the Loop, where one decides which direction to go.  It was hard for me to watch many of my friends head north, while I headed west.  I even called the Canada Canal System, verifying I needed two people aboard throughout the province of Quebec.  I just couldn't take the chance, and once again chose the safe plan.

First thing yesterday morning, I decided to watch as other people went through the first "locking" in Waterford (Lock 2).  Amongst the seven boats in the lock, was "If", with Tom and his grandson Tim.  Tom is one of the oldest "loopers" and will be 80 in November.  They were the last of the boats heading into the lock.  Tim was at the helm and Tom was reaching out with his boat hook to grab the cable, when Tom fell into the water in the lock.  I think all our hearts stopped for a moment.

"If" has entered the lock and Tom has just fallen in, "Man Overboard!"  Nothing we can do but hope for the best, and start breathing again.

Tom swam to the swim platform and Tim is helping him.  Meanwhile the sailboat crew is yelling at Tim as his boat moves forward and is about to hit the sailboat.

With Tom safe on the swim platform, Tim has gone back to the helm to move the boat.

The lock doors are closing, and soon the chamber will be filling with water, raising the boats to the upper level.

Watching the lock fill with water.  In a few minutes it will be full.  The volume of water put into the lock can be over 1200 cubic feet per second.

Almost there... still filling.  The dimensions of the lock are 328 ft long by 45 feet wide.

Tom, still smiling, and considering the benefits of life jackets.  We were all smiling to see him safe aboard his vessel.

My friend, Jim, from Waterford offered to go up the first "flight" of locks with me.  I explained he could come with me, but I had to do everything myself.  He agreed, and we shared ideas about how to lock through, comparing our different boats and the different tools we each had to work with.  He has a twin engine or "double screw", while I have a single engine.  I have both bow and stern thrusters, and he has a bow thruster.  His boat is longer than mine, but his engines not as powerful.  Other considerations include being alone on the boat, versus having crew.

My plan for my boat, being singlehanded, was to reach out my window next to my helm, so I could still control my boat.  Then, put a loop around the cable, then hold myself against the wall by using my bow and stern thrusters as needed.  This is the plan that worked.  My secondary plan, which was my initial plan when I left Southport, was to grab the cable from the back of my boat, and use my bow and stern thrusters to keep me next to the wall.  The secondary plan did not work as well, since I lose forward and reverse control of my boat by not being at my helm.  With my helm station being on the starboard or right side of the boat, this limits me to tying up to the starboard wall of the lock, to have control of my boat.

After lock 6, I dropped off Jim and was back on my own again.  I had successfully managed the 5 locks, constituting the "flight".  I had one more lock to go before stopping for the night at Schenectady Yacht Club.  Row and Gus from Summerland made a great spaghetti dinner, and we checked weather and planned for today's journey.

Today, brought on new challenges.  Instead of cables, we only had ropes to hold onto.  The ropes are not attached at the bottom, like the cables, so they are not as effective at holding the boat near the wall.  It was windy and there was a strong current at the locks.  Lock 8 went well.  I tied to the starboard wall, fought off some wind, but managed to do okay.  For Lock 9, it didn't go as well.  Summerland and a sailboat were on the portside wall, with the wind holding them against it.  I was on the starboard side wall with the wind pushing me away.  I was doing well with my thrusters until the lock started filling with water.  The stern of my boat was over a filling pipe, which pushed my stern out to the middle of the lock.  Imagine ten times the power of a firehose, and you can imagine the force of the water.  I let go of the rope and re-positioned myself.  It all happened so fast.  One second I was next to the wall, the next second my whole boat had flipped around and I was perpendicular to the walls.  Fortunately, I have a small boat, so I didn't hit either of the other boats.  It was a close call.  I recovered and moved up a little on the wall, as the lock continued to fill with water.  We had one last lock, which was much better.

By 1:00, we docked at Riverpark, next to a good restaurant.  Other loopers shared their locking problems in the same lock.  One looper was grateful they were the only ones in lock 9, when they lost their lines, sure they could have hit someone.  We are all safe and sound once more. Annabelle is docked in front of Freedom, the big green yacht, like we were at Waterford.