The journey continues

Leaving Home Again - "Life's A Dance" you learn as you go.

It seems our week home went by in a blink.  Staying with Gord's mom was really nice.  We had lots of time to look at pictures and reminisce with the family about all the good times they had with their Dad.  We are thankful to all our family and friends who supported us at the funeral.  It's was so hard to say goodbye to everyone again, but we loved being able to get one more visit in before returning to the boat.

 I must say with all the modern technology it seems we're still close to everyone even when we're far away.  If you have an Iphone or Ipad check in with us face to face using facetime.  I will show you the scenery as we pass by. The contact is Gord Hodgson for  facetime.  We have a magic jack phone on our computer and can call for free as long as we have an internet signal.  If you want the number just make a comment on the blog and I will contact you. As you may notice I will do most of the communicating on our blog, Gord will put his spin on things from time to time because as you all know he's always busy doing something. 

We're  reminded every day to enjoy the opportunity to enjoy each others company and health and pray our journey will be a long one.  Being a sailor we pray more than we ever did.  We pray for wind when our sails are up, we pray for no wind when our mast is down, we pray for sun and then for shade, we pray for calm water and to be safe when a storm is coming.  So if you see some scary storm on TV, think of us and pray too.  We'll be thinking of you too.

Gord manning the helm, notice the gray remote in his hand. 

 It's a tough job but somebody has to do it.

The New York State Waterways

And so the journey resumes, we arrived back in Brewerton NY at 3:00pm on Wednesday August 14th 2013.  We went right to the marina to check the boat and then we went to Walmart to get groceries, returned the rental car and prepared to shove off in the morning.

 Great Dock at the Brewerton Boatyard

 

Our rental Car Dodge Dart - 4 1/2 hours home to Port Perry from Brewerton NY.

 

 

One week  later leaving Brewerton Boatyard  Aug. 15 at about 8:30am

 

The next step of this journey is to cross Lake Oneida, about 20 miles of open and shallow water.  Great conditions today, there is little boat traffic and low winds for the crossing.

 



 

Lake Oneida

 

After crossing Oneida lake we enter into the Erie Canal Barge System at Lock # 23.  Today we traveled 5 locks. Lock 23-19.

We stopped for the night at 7pm at the top side of Lock 18 - Herkimer NY.  There is no one here and it seems a little eerie for some reason.  Listened to all the sounds around us during the night,  Gord even put the doors in the hatch and set the security just to be safe.  We had no problems but better safe than sorry.

 

Lock 23 - mile 308

 

 Leaving Lock 23

Entering Lock 22

 Leaving Lock 22 - mile 279

 

Canal side fire drill

Canal Boat

Entering Lock 21 - Mile 278

Leaving Lock 21 - Mile278

 

Leaving Lock 20 - mile 260

Just passing the Utica Marina - Kitty's on the canal  restaurant. (stayed here before) Mile 257

Lock 19 - Mile 250

Notice the calm waters

 

Looking into the hills

 

Sun down at Lock 18

Arrived top side of Lock 18 at 6pm - Herkimer NY. - Mile 237

 

Lock 18

Leaving Lock 18 Aug.16/13 at 8:30am

 

 Leaving Lock 18

 

Lock 18 - mile 237

Lock 17 - mile 233

 Lock 17 - Door goes up and down with heavy cement blocks, you get a shower on your way out

 

 Lock 16 - Mile 225

 



Leaving Lock 16

Lock 16 - Mile 225

Lock 15 - Mile 219

 Leaving Lock 15

 

Lock 15

Lock 15 - Mile 219

 Arriving at Lock 14

 

Leaving Lock 14 - mile 215

 

Lock 13 - mile 208

Lock 13

Leaving Lock 13-short drop as you can see

Lock 12 - mile 198 - working on the dam

 

Lock 11 - mile 193

Lock 11

 Leaving  Lock 11

 

Lock 11



Entrance to Lock 10 - mile 189

Leaving Lock 10 - notice the lock walls

Gord still manning the helm - remote (Ha Ha)

It's not always this easy, Honest.

Approaching Lock 9 - mile 183

 Leaving Lock 9

 

Departing Lock 9

Top side of Lock 8 - mile 178 - notice the dead trees from the storms

Bottom side of Lock 8 - Schenectady NY

Karen and Dancer out for a walk

Gord and Dancer enjoying the evening together

 Fishing right below the dam

 

Gord wishing he was fishing

Dam at Lock 8

 

Sunset at Lock 8

 

Karen and Dancer boarding for the night at Lock 8

 

 

August 17/13 Departing Lock 8 at 8:30am

 

This is a picture of a spectacular private residence reminiscent of a castle on the Rhine River sits about a mile east of the Schenectady Yacht Club, high above the shale cliffs on the north shore.  Called "Llenroc" (Cornell spelled backward), this magnificent five-floor structure has 30,000 square feet, 15 fireplaces, 10 bathrooms, an indoor pool and a bar with two port holes that look underwater into the pool.

 

Arriving at Lock 7

 

Departing Lock 7

Lock 7

Lock 7

Nice bridge between Lock 7 and Lock 6

 

 

This is the flood gate at the entrance to the flight locks 6-2 when going south.

This section is know as the Waterford Flight

Another flood gate before Lock 6

The top side of Lock 6

Departing Lock 6

Arriving at Lock 5

Notice how high the water is. This is the entrance to Lock 4

Departing Lock 4

Lock 4

Approaching Lock 3

Lock 3

Departing Lock 3

We had company in the Locks 6-2

Approaching Lock 2

 

 Departing Lock 2

 



 

 

Approaching Waterford Town Dock

Lock 2

Bottom side of Lock 2

 



 

Old sail boat on the town dock 

 

 

We arrived in Waterford on Saturday around 1:30pm, this is a nice place to stay for a couple days.  The people on the dock are very helpful.  The town holds a farmers market on Sunday's, we bought some fresh corn for dinner and it was wonderful.  Gord and myself we're lucky enough to get a massage from some nice therapists at the market.  We feel relaxed today.  Gord worked on the mast and we went for a walk.  That's enough for today.