Tag: Erie Canal

Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

One of the many waterfalls at Watkins Glen State Park

Summary of week:

The crew moved around most everyday during the last week, though many of the moves were short distances:

1. Sunday afternoon, the crew moved down to Sampson State Park on the east shore of Seneca Lake
2. Monday, the crew made it down to the south end of Seneca Lake, where they visited the Watkins Glen State Park on Tuesday
3. They returned to Seneca Falls on Wednesday, after a stop at Belhurst Castle for lunch on the western shore
4. Newark was the stop on Thursday
5. Followed by Fairport on Friday
6. And they ended the week in Spencerport on Saturday

Click here to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, a summary of the day’s experience, and a few pics of the route.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following questions this week:

1. When and where was the first road race in the United States following World War II?
2. Who built the walkways and archways at the Watkins Glen State Park?
3. Who designed Belhurst Castle?

At the Box Office

This week’s video shows Still Waters II as she works her way up the 19 Watkins Glen waterfalls.   Enjoy!

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site.  The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Sunday, July 15th

The crew decided to put a few miles on the water after Church.  They headed towards Sampson State Park about a third of the way down Seneca Lake.  After they got docked another transient boat showed up and provided the evenings entertainment.  The couple on the boat were easily in their late 80’s.

A few wood carvings along the Cayuga-Seneca Canal

While trying to dock the boat, the man was pulling into the slip, stern first.  He could not turn around to see, so his wife was standing at the back of the boat providing the following information:

Wife, “You are about to hit a post, YOU ARE ABOUT TO HIT A POST.  YOU HIT THE POST!!!”

Husband, “Did I hit something?”  As he pulled forward.

The skipper got off Still Waters II to see if he could lend a hand.  As the man started backing up again, he headed straight for the post, again.  The skipper was able to shove the 25 foot boat away from the post to prevent another collision.  The skipper then grabbed the handrail of the boat and help guide the boat back.  The skipper was looking for a line to tie the boat up with when he noticed they had no lines or fenders ready to deploy.  The skipper just held the boat for about ten minutes while the couple got some lines to tie down the boat.

The view looking south down Seneca Lake

Once the boat was all secure, the skipper noticed that the hailing port was Marathon, Florida, down in the Keys.  That got the skipper’s attention so he asked if they had brought the boat up from Florida.  The man responded’ “Sure did!  Put her on a trailer and drove her up here at 70 miles per hour.”

The man grew up in Nova Scotia during the depression.  He said that he moved to the states when their potatoe crop came in but they were unable to get them to market.  Because of the Depression, there was no infrastructure to move the potatoes to the starving people in the cities.  He mentioned that his father moved the potatoes into the barn and they just walked away.  He said that was why they called it the Depression, because it was depressing.

There are several more stories to tell that would make you laugh, but I will stop here.  The skipper and Admiral are just impressed that the couple are still going strong, good for them.

Sunset from Sampson State Park, looking west across the lake

Monday, July 16th

The crew set off this morning for the southern reach of Seneca Lake, and the village of Watkins Glen.  The dock master had asked that they arrive before noon so he could meet them and not be late to his doctors appointment.  The crew obliged and arrived about 1120.

Bloomer Creek Vineyard on the east shore of Seneca Lake

After getting secured in the marina, the crew walked around the Village.

One of the first things they noticed were the motor speedway plaques in the sidewalk.  The town has a Drivers Walk of Fame that was started back in 1993 to honor drivers who have competed at Watkins Glen.

Racing seems to be a big thing in town.  In fact, racing has been a big deal in town for a long time.  The first post-WWII road race in the United States took place here on October 2, 1948.  The 6.6 mile circuit ran through the existing roads in town with spectators watching from the sidewalks.  At the town Visitor Center, you can pick up a road map of the original course and drive the original circuit for yourself.

Start Finish Line of the Watkins Glen road race

A few murals in town about racing

Another big attraction in town is the Watkins Glen State Park.  The park contains the Gorge Trail that runs along Glen Creek for 1.5 miles and 19 waterfalls.  The crew walked to the park entrance and looked around the Visitor Center and Gift Shop.  They plan to do the Gorge Trail in the morning when it will be cooler and less crowded.

The crew found this Bear eating ice cream so they went inside to give it a try.

Tuesday, July 17th

Well, it poured for most of the night, so the waterfalls should be running well today as the crew hikes the Gorge Trail.  This weeks video highlights the waterfalls, so here are just a few pics to encourage viewing of the video.

The walkways, steps, trail, and archways in the above pics were all originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which was a public work relief program for unemployed , unmarried men during the depression.  Like the falls, they have stood the test of time.

There was a heavy rainfall back in 1935 that caused some serious flooding of the Gorge.   The water level rose nearly 80 feet through the canyon.  The locals claim that the water rose within five feet of the arched bridge in the below pic.

After returning to the main entrance, the Admiral went in the Gift Shop to look around.  The skipper found a place in the shade to relax.  While waiting on the Admiral, he witnessed a real live ‘Who’s On First” episode.  But this time the confusion centered around the word ‘Park.’

To set the stage for this conversation, one must understand that there is an $8 parking lot fee to park your car in the State Park parking lot.  Entrance to the State Park and hiking the 1.5 mile Gorge Trail is free.

So, while the skipper was waiting on the Admiral, a man walked up to a volunteer and asked; ‘Where do I pay to get in the Park. The volunteer answered, “It is free to get in the Park.”  The man said, “No, I paid $8 to get in the Park yesterday at the other entrance.”

The volunteer countered, “No you paid the attendant $8 to Park, but there is no entrance fee for the Park.  The Park is free.”

Man, “No I paid $8 to get in the Park, where do I pay to get in the Park here?”

Volunteer, “The Park is free.  But here, there is no attendant at the parking lot, so you put your money in that machine right over there (pointing at machine), you will get a Parking sticker, and you put it on the dash of your car.  Then you walk up there (pointing at the walkway up to the Gorge Trail) and go take the hike,….. it    is    free.”

Man, “No I paid $8 to get in the Park yesterday.  Where do I pay today?”

Believe it or not, this circular conversation went on for nearly 15 minutes.  Finally, the skipper could not take it any longer and asked the volunteer if he might assist him in providing the man an answer to his questions.  The exasperated volunteer said sure.

The skipper looked at the man and said, “For the rest of this conversation, you are not allowed to use the word ‘Park’.  As this volunteer has been trying to explain to you, yesterday when you entered the area, you came to an attendant guarding the lot where people leave their cars.  You payed the lot attendant $8 to get a pass to leave your car in the lot.  You placed the $8 pass you bought on the dash of your car.  After you got out of your car, you walked around and did not pay anybody to see the sights, because it was free to look around. Today, you need to go to that machine over there and pay $8 to buy another pass to leave your car in the lot.  Then you can walk around here all day long and not pay anybody because walking the Gorge Trail is free.”

About the time the skipper finished, a lady walked up and said, “Honey, I found a place to park the car for free, and I learned that the Park is free also.  Isn’t this place great!”  She grabbed his arm as she was walking by and headed up towards the waterfalls.

I am not sure if the man ever got it, but the volunteer did thank the skipper for the intervention.

After returning to the boat, the crew learned that there would be a free concert in the Park about three blocks away from the marina, starting at 1900.  The crew grabbed some chairs and enjoyed the music.  The band played a wide range of music: Texas Swing, Charlie Daniels, Merle Haggard, Beatles, Eagles, and some lesser knowns.

Concert in the Park

 

 

Wednesday, July 18th

When the crew first visited the Watkins Glen Visitor Center, they were told that the area is known for four things:

1. Seneca Lake
2. Original Road Racing Trail
3. Waterfall Trail
4. Wineries/wine trail

The crew had experienced three out of four, so the skipper thought he would look for a winery that had a boat dock large enough for them to land and explore the winery.  After using Google Maps to search the lake shore line, he noticed that the only opportunity might be the Belhurst Castle.  The website for the winery did not mention the boat dock, but the skipper found a phone number and called.  The person on the other end of the phone did not know the depth of the water at the dock, so she put the skipper on ‘ignore’ to see if she could find the answer about the depth of water at the dock.  When she returned, she still did not have an answer to the depth question, but she did say people land on the dock all the time.

Overhead view of Belhurst Castle grounds and the boat dock

With that scant bit of info, the crew decided to give it a try, so they shoved off from Watkins Glen and headed towards Geneva to visit Belhurst Castle.  While the skipper was researching the Castle, he learned that the architect was Albert Fuller (1854-1934).  Turns out Albert designed many of the landmark buildings in Albany.  The castle is built in the ‘Richardsonian Romanesque’ style from the 11th century.

Another interesting story the skipper unearthed was about a man named Henry Hall.  Henry arrived in the area in the 1830’s in a cloud of mystery.  He bought the property that Belhurst sits on today, but put the property in a Deed of Trust to an Isabella Robinson.

He built a home on the property that the locals nicknamed Hermitage.  As you might gather, Henry was a bit of a recluse.  Upon his death the truth finally came out. Henry was actually William Henry Bucke.  In the early 1830’s, William was the treasurer for a London Opera House.  He emptied the coffers of the theater and started a new life in America.  Isabella was an Opera singer, who could have guessed?

But back to our crew.  They arrived at the boat dock and made an approach to check the depth.  Of course the charts did not show the depth at the dock.  When they got within 10 yards of the dock the depth alarm went off (3 feet under props).  The water was clear and you could see the bottom.  It looked like mud, so the skipper inched the boat forward so the Admiral could get a line around a post.  (Depth now showing only 1 foot below the prop.)  The skipper made a high risk decision to go ahead and swing the stern of the boat around and land on the dock.  The depth hung in at 1 foot below the props as they landed safely.  They did kick up a large bit of mud in the water though.

Still Waters II at Belhurst Castle dock

The crew headed up to Belhurst Castle to enjoy lunch and some wine tasting.

Modern day addition to the Castle

After lunch, the crew made way back to Seneca Falls for the night.  While on the wall, the crew was surprised by a knock on the boat.  Mike and Jen arrived and the four spent the evening swapping stories.  Mike and Jen will cross their wake when they return to Milwaukee, after departing in the fall of 2016.

Thursday, July 19th

This was not a very long route day, but turned into a long day due to passing through eight locks.  They had an unusual long wait (40 minutes) at the Cayuga-Seneca Lock 1 due to the Canal workers moving a couple of barges.

The train of equipment leaving C-S Lock 1

After passing through C-S Lock 1 the crew quickly arrived at the Canal Junction with the Erie Canal.  The crew turned to port and headed towards Buffalo.

Canal Junction, back on the western Erie Canal, mile 201

The locks are no longer the challenge on the western Erie Canal.  The new challenge is ensuring that the boat can safely pass under the multiple low bridges.  Todays stretch consisted of five bridges that were 16 feet or less.

Approaching a high 17 foot bridge

But today was only practice for tomorrow.  The crew will pass under the lowest bridge on the Erie Canal sometime tomorrow.  Hope they make it, because if not, they will be turning around and doing the Great U-Turn rather than the Great Loop.

After seven hours of cruising, the crew pulled onto the wall at Newark.  The area is known for its many murals painted on bridges and buildings.

Newark mural on bridge as you approach town

Friday, July 20th

Today would be another day of five low bridges under 16 feet.  The skipper kept thinking of the old adage, $1K for every knot of speed to repair the boat if you hit something.  The last thing the skipper wants to do is tear the canvas enclosure off the flybridge on one of these low bridges.

They practiced using the air draft tool several times as they approached the low bridges.  The Admiral would take the PVC pipe to the bow pulpit, and the skipper would slow to a crawl.  They would then pass under the bridge.  The 10 foot PVC pipe is 5 feet 8 inches above the water when sitting on the bow pulpit.  This gives a total height then of 15 feet 8 inches at the top of the PVC pole.  If the pole makes it under without hitting anything, then the boat will pass safely under the bridge.  The boat clearance is 15 feet with the radar dome taken down and sitting behind the skipper in the helm.

On station at the bow pulpit as they approach a 16 foot bridge

The slow approach

And the moment of truth, they can make it under this one

Not sure what the skipper was worried about, he had at least 3 inches of clearance to the tip of the pole on that one above.  As with many things on the Loop, the lowest bridge turned out to be a non event.  The two railroad bridges before the ‘lowest bridge’ were actually lower than the ‘lowest bridge’.  The lowest bridge is advertised to be 15.6 feet at normal pool level.  The skipper asked the lock operator what the pool level was when they entered the pool with the lowest bridge.  The lock master said it was a half inch high.  So that should not make much difference for getting under the bridge.

They finally arrived at the ‘lowest bridge’.  There was a home and dock just past the lowest bridge on the starboard side.  A lady was sitting on the dock watching as the crew approached and passed under the bridge.  After the crew slid under the bridge, she clapped and said, “Great Job.”  It would probably be fun to sit and chat with that women.  I bet she can tell a story or two about boats hitting that bridge.

About 8 inches to the bridge from top of GPS, Clearance at the ‘lowest bridge’.  What was the skipper worried about again?

After they had that non-event behind them, they pulled into Fairport.  Most of the dock space was taken so the skipper was thinking about going on past the bridge to see if there was room west of the Lift Bridge.  The Bridge Operator radioed the skipper and told him he could stay down at the end of the wall in the reserved space because there would be no tows in town tonight.  The skipper said thanks and backed the boat down to the reserved spot.

Fairport Main Street Lift Bridge

The crew landed on the wall, but soon discovered that there was no power at this location.   The temperature was 90 and air conditioning sure would be nice if they could get some power.  The skipper walked the docks east of the lift bridge, but there was no spot with power there either.  While returning to the boat, he saw a dock master.  The skipper asked if they could tighten up three boats to make room for Still Waters II on the wall.  The dock master agreed and pulled the three boats closer together.  The hole on the wall was just big enough to land Still Waters II.  The dock master said he would hold the spot, but the skipper needed to hurry because possession is 9 tenths the law on the wall.

The skipper fired up the engines and the crew moved the boat to the open spot.  It would be a tight fit, but the skipper managed to shoehorn the boat in the hole. The Admiral said her heart was pounding but looked up and saw that the skipper was as cool as a cucumber.  However, it was a tight squeeze.  Even the rats on the boat behind them were nervous and about to abandon ship.

The stern gap

The bow gap

Saturday, July 21st

Today the crew had two locks to rise up 50 feet and 5 more of those pesky 16 foot bridges.  The crew had no problems with those obstacles and enjoyed the cruise today.

Much of the canal today had the Canal Bike Trail running along side where the old mule tow path used to be.  In fact, there were many places along the canal today that you could see the tow path on both sides of the canal.

The flat area is the old tow path

The mules had to pull the barges 362 miles from Buffalo to Albany back in the original canal days.  That would be a long hard walk.

Mule in Village of Fairport

While passing south of Rochester, there were many interesting arched briges across the canal.

Then the crew passed through a four mile area named the ‘Rock Cut.’  During the expansion of the canal in 1918, the canal was moved south of Rochester.  To accomplish this task, the builders had to cut through the solid rock in the area.  Hard to imagine cutting though this area with out the modern day earth moving equipment.

The Rock Cut

The crew finally stopped in a village named Spencerport.  They will stay here through the weekend and head further west on Monday.

The Admiral liked the flowers in the yard today

Next Week –

The crew will move the 68 miles to Tonawanda over three days next week and complete the western Erie Canal.  They will stay a week there and visit the surrounding area, including Niagara Falls.  The grandkids and kids are also expected to arrive late next week, so it should be a fun week ahead.

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red

Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

So what do you do with spare pump casings and impellers you ask?  Well the Gould Pump Company of Seneca Falls sponsored this sculpture on the Ludovico Sculpture Trail.

Summary of Week:

The crew travelled four days last week making the following stops along the way:

1 – Monday, they stayed on the Lock E20 wall near Marcy, NY

2- Tuesday, they travelled to Winter Harbor Marina in Brewerton to get some work done on the boat

3- Thursday, they officially entered the western Erie Canal and stopped at Baldwinsville for the night

4- They then started a side trip to the Finger Lakes Region and stopped at Seneca Falls on Friday

Click here to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, a summary of the day’s experience, and a few pics of the route.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following questions this week:

1. What is the highest point above sea level of the Erie Canal?
2. When was the last time the Lock E23 power plant was used?
3. When and where was the first Women’s Rights Convention held in the US?
4. How did the Haudnosaunee Nation influence the Convention?
5. What is the ‘bridge scene’ in A Wonderful Life based on?

At the Box Office

No new video this week, the skipper has been busy with other boat projects.

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site.  The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Monday, July 9th

The Admiral was off to the Post Office to mail the youngest granddaughter her birthday gift. While she was off on her errand, the skipper pulled down to pump out the holding tanks.

The forward holding tank vacuum pump has developed a leak and human waste has dripped into the forward bilge. After pumping the forward tank out, the skipper ran the hose through a window, through the salon, and down into the bilge and got that stuff out of the boat. (Probably a good thing the Admiral was not present to witness this activity.) He will have to repair or replace the pump upon arrival in Brewerton. Now there is a task to look forward to.

When the crew shoved off the wall, there was another boat approaching.  The skipper allowed the other boat to pass and then fell in behind them and followed them to Lock E19.  When they arrived at the lock, they learned that Island Time had just entered the lock, so the crew would lock thru with two other boats this morning.

Arrival at Lock 19, port gate was broken, lift up 21 feet

After exiting the lock, the trio of boats were off towards Lock E20, ten miles away.

The crew decided to pull off the canal at Utica for lunch.   The dock side restaurant was closed so the crew hiked about a mile into town and found a Denny’s open  After lunch they had one more lock to negotiate and then they stopped for the afternoon.

Lock E20, letting out water, lift up 16 feet

After exiting Lock E20, the boat has climbed to 420 feet above sea level from New York Harbor. This is the high point on the Erie Canal.

The crew stopped in front of Governor Roosevelt for the evening.

The skipper got the bikes off the boat and the crew rode the Canal Trail for a little exercise.  The Canal Trail could be an adventure in itself.  The Trail consists of just over 220 miles of paths along the canal.

Tuesday, July 10th

Today the crew had two locks to negotiate and then needed to get across the open waters of Lake Oneida before the afternoon winds picked up.  The morning was calm though and made for glass like conditions on the canal.

Mirror reflection of bridge over canal

Arrival at Lock E21, step down 25 feet

There was a little excitement upon leaving Lock E21 though. The port main engine decided she would not start. The skipper had to leave the lock on the starboard engine which made getting off the lock wall a bit difficult.

A virtual crew member, Scott, asked last week, how do you normally get off the lock wall?.  The short answer is that we shove off the wall to get some space (about 1-2 feet) then use the engines to move further off the wall and get underway.

However, with only the starboard engine running, and the boat up against the lock wall on the port side, the skipper delicately bumped the starboard engine a few times to get some forward momentum while steering to starboard.  Once some water started to flow by the rudder, he was able to steer the boat to the center of the lock.

After they exited the lock, the skipper went down in the engine room and checked the cables to the starter on the port engine. He managed to get about a half a flat turn on one nut. When he got back up in the helm, the port engine started right up.

Passed this little canal work boat on the way to Lock E22.  Do you see the guy riding the tow?  If that tow line breaks, he is in the ‘line of fire.’

Safely in Lock E22

There were no issues exiting the second lock. The crew made way to Sylvian Beach and then into Lake Oneida. The lake runs east to west for about 20 miles and is not all that wide. The crossing of the Lake went well. The Lake was fairly calm except for the occasional boat wake, but the waves did build to one foot as the wind started to blow from the west. The crew exited the lake and entered Oneida River before conditions got to bumpy. They then docked at Winter Harbor Marina with about eight other Looper boats.

Hopefully the marina has the breaker the boat needs to replace the failed Main Line 2 Breaker.

Wednesday, July 11th

Today the skipper had several projects to complete around the boat as well as have the marina replace the Main Line 2 Breaker.  The electrician found that the breaker had a loose connection that had arced and sparked.  The arc caused some of the breaker’s molded case to break off and also burnt some surrounding wires that will be replaced.

The bad breaker and wire

The skipper finally managed to get the radar dome down so that the air draft of the boat is now 15 feet. This will allow the crew to slide under a 15.5 foot bridge on the western Erie Canal. He also built a measuring device to put out on the bow to verify they can clear the bridge. We shall see how it works in a week or so.

The skipper also replaced that forward head vacuum pump. Let’s just say that was the nastiest job completed on the boat to date. Where is Mike Rowe when you need him?

With the projects around the boat complete, the crew took a courtesy car to town and bought a few provisions for the next leg of the journey, The Cayuga-Seneca Canal.

Thursday, July 12th

After topping off the fuel tanks, the crew initially headed towards Syracuse where they had planned to visit the Erie Canal Museum.  After a few miles they arrived at Lock E23. The lock master made them wait for a second boat because the first lock on the Oswego Canal had a problem with the 7 foot lift bridge. They are having to manually open the bridge.  The crew mentioned that they were not going to Oswego, but they got to wait for the second boat anyway. While waiting the crew did learn some interesting things about Lock E23.

Lock E23, step down 7 feet

This lock is the busiest lock in the entire system because of its proximity to the eastern Erie, western Erie, and Oswego Canal Junction. The lock master said he locks about 100 boats on a Saturday. On July 4th, he said he locked 132 boats.

Power House for Lock E23

Another interesting feature of this lock is that its original power house is still onsite and available.  The generator is maintained and ready to supply power if required as a back-up. However, the lock master said they had not fired up the power plant since the Northeast Blackout of 2003.  There were four boats trapped in the lock when the power went out in 2003, so they started the power plant up to operate the lock equipment and let the boaters out of the lock.

Looking out of Lock E23

The crew soon arrived at the Canal Junction and officially entered the Western Erie Canal.

Canal Junction

They were not on the western Erie Canal long though, the skipper diverted toward Syracuse across Lake Onondaga. However, when they arrived at the entrance canal to Syracuse a RR Bridge, which shows to be 17 feet on the charts, turned out to be less than 15 feet. The crew could not get under the bridge so they headed back to the Erie Canal and decided to stop at Lock E24.

Nope, not getting under that bridge

While making way to Lock E24, the crew saw several swans.  Including one cygnet, or baby swan.

Upon arrival at Lock E24, the Admiral spotted a Cake and Ice Cream store.  They agreed that they would make that the first stop while exploring the town of Baldwinsville.  A little historical tidbit, Lock E24 was the first lock completed during the modern Barge Canal era of the Erie Canal.  The lock opened May 9, 1910, almost eight years ahead of the canal completion.

Lock E24, Lift 11 feet

After clearing the lock, the crew found a spot along the upper lock wall to moor for the night.  The skipper did find the ice cream store.  He bought a big kahuna, two peanut butter cookies sandwiching vanilla ice cream.

Friday, July 13th

With the crew unable to make Syracuse, and the unscheduled stop at Lock E24 in Baldwinsville, the skipper had to recalculate the next few days moves.  He has decided to head to Seneca Falls for the weekend.  The crew headed down the western Erie Canal to the Canal Junction with the Cayuga-Seneca Canal at mile 201.

A few sights on the western Erie Canal

One surprise caught the crew a bit off guard.  However, it did give the crew a chance to use their new air draft tool for getting under low bridges.  The skipper was approaching a 17 foot bridge, which should have been no problem.  However, he noticed a bunch of cables dangling below the bridge.  As they approached closer, he could tell there were people on a platform working under the bridge.

The skipper slowed to a near stop, had the Admiral go raise the air draft tool, and then proceeded slowly towards the bridge.  Turned out the crew still had a foot of clearance to the dangling cables below the bridge.  The skipper did notice that the work platform the guys were working on was really an extension ladder.

A few more miles down the canal, the crew crossed the remains of the Montezuma Aqueduct.  The Aqueduct was built back in the 1862 expansion when the canal designers were having issues with the canal crossing the Seneca River.  The solution was to build this 900 foot long Aqueduct over the Seneca River.

Aqueduct remains

Just a few more miles and the crew reached the Canal Junction with the Cayuga-Seneca Canal.  The crew headed south (left) to start their side trip into the Finger Lakes Region of New York.

Canal Junction

The crew traveled along the Montezuma Wildlife Refuge where they saw many birds and a deer along the bank.

Osprey Nest

Bald Eagle in flight

The crew then arrived at Lock CS1 which raised the boat 7 feet to be the same level as Lake Cayuga.  The crew made a right turn upon exiting the lock and headed towards Seneca Falls where they would encounter Locks CS2 and 3.

Lock CS1, lift 7 feet

Locks CS2 and 3, combined lift of 49 feet

The first sight of Seneca Falls is this Episcopal Church along the Canal front.

After making the bend, the crew saw the village walls and found a spot to moor for the weekend.  The skipper noticed a Sculpture Garden Trail Head that was near the boat, so the crew headed down the one mile trail to see the sights.

Saturday, July 14th

Seneca Falls turned out to be an interesting stop.  The village has a rich history.  There number one claim to fame is the location of the first Women’s Rights Convention at the Wesleyan Chapel on July 19-20 1848.

Wesleyan Chapel

It was here that the Declaration of Sentiments was signed and eventually led to the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution in 1920.  The Women’s Rights National Historic Park tells the story of how women fought for equality and the right to vote.

Of the 300 folks in attendance at the Women’s Rights Convention, only 100 signed the Declaration of Sentiments.

The town also houses the National Women’s Hall of Fame, which showcases great American Women.  Of the women inducted there, the skipper has to admit that he did not know many of them by name.  He did recognize Susan B. Anthony, Lucile Ball, Clara Barton, Amelia Earhart, and Betty Ford, to name just a few.

He did discover a Margret Fuller in the Hall of Fame.  She lived 1810 – 1850.  From 1839 to 1844 she held a series of ‘Conversations’ for women of Boston, encouraging women to think and talk together about ideas.  These dialogues led Fuller to write her most important work, Women in the Nineteenth Century (1845), considered a classic work of American feminist thought that had a profound influence on the Seneca Falls Women’s Rights gathering in 1848. (From the National Women’s Hall of Fame)

Future home of the National Women’s Hall of Fame (under remodel)

One of the interesting back stories that the National Park told was of the Haudenosaunee (ho-dee-noe-sho-nee) or Iroquois.  The six nations make up the oldest living participatory democracy on earth.  Their government of unity and equality go back over 800 years.  The chiefs of the Haudenosaunee were invited to speak at the Continental Congress on June 11, 1776.  Many of their ideas of unity and equality made it into our Declaration of Independence.

There was still a presence of these tribes in central New York in the mid 1800’s.  These Native Americans had an impact on the women of Central New York.  The women began to take notice how the native women already had the rights that were denied by the laws of the United States.  For example, the native women had a Council who actually picked the Chief for the six nation Confederacy.  Then the six nations individually voted (both men and women) on the choice.  The nominee had to carry all six nations to become the Chief of the Confederacy.  If the nominee did not carry all six nations, then the Women’s Council would select a second candidate.

The Quaker and Methodist women of Central New York took notice of the rights of the Native Women and used their observations to form the backbone of the Declaration of Sentiments that was edited and approved at the 1848 Convention in Seneca Falls.

The Iroquois Women would tell the women fighting for equal rights, We

• Own the Land, the Lodge, the Children
• Ours is the right to adoption, life or death;
• Ours is the right to raise up and depose chiefs;
• Ours is the right to representations in all councils;
• Ours is the right to make and abrogate treaties;
• Ours is the supervision over domestic and foreign policies;
• Ours is the trusteeship of tribal property;
• Our lives are valued again as high as man’s.

These ideals drove the American Women forward towards the right to vote and buy property.

Statue capturing the meeting of Susan B Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton

On another note, It’s A Wonderful Life Museum is also in Seneca Falls.  The locals believe that Seneca Falls was the inspiration for Frank Capra’s script.  He is known to have visited the area while working on the screenplay.

Some similarities between Seneca Falls and Bedford Falls of the movie:

• Both are located in western New York
• The film makes reference to surrounding areas such as Buffalo, Rochester, and Elmira
• Originally, Harry Bailey attended Cornell University, in nearby Ithaca
• The steel bridge in the movie is very similar to the bridge over the canal, down to the detail of the color of the paint
• The movie has a scene where Harry is contemplating suicide and performs a rescue.  In real life, a lady jumped from the bridge and was rescued; however, the rescuer died.

All in all, Seneca Falls was an interesting stop.

Boat name of the week

Next Week –

The crew will head into Seneca Lake and then move over to explore Cayuga Lake.

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red

Hello virtual crew members and fellow adventurers!

Ski show in Scotia started with the Star Spangled Banner

Summary of week:

The crew put in four travel days during the week, setting up a pattern of one travel day followed by one day to explore the area:

1- Started the week out at the Waterford Visitor Center at the beginning of the Erie Canal

2- Travelled to Scotia on Tuesday and celebrated the 4th with the locals

3- Made way to Canajoharie on Thursday

4- Ended the week on Saturday by stopping in Ilion for the weekend

Click here to read the day-to-day travel log. This includes weather report, sea conditions, captain’s log, a summary of the day’s experience, and a few pics of the route.

The voyage of discovery did answer the following questions this week:

1. Where is the shortest canal system with the largest lift in the world?
2. What is Cohoes Falls?
3. Where are 5 barges, made of concrete during WWI?
4. What is a ‘Boiling Pot’
5. When and Where did Remington start his ‘Arms’ Factory

At the Box Office

This week we have two videos to share.  The first features Sea Horse as she navigates Erie Canal Lock E2.

The second feature shows Still Waters II on the dock with other Looper boats.  Then she watches as they leave the dock and pass through Lock E2. She enjoys a ski show off her bow in Scotia, and explores Canajoharie Creek.  Enjoy!

To see past videos, click on the link to the Still Waters II Vimeo site.  The library contains videos of Still Waters II cruising America’s Great Loop.

Sunday, July 1st

The crew broke with tradition and decided to travel a short distance on Sunday, and take a rest day on Monday. The main thing which drove this decision was the heat wave that has descended on upstate New York. The temperatures and heat index will be more comfortable on Sunday, than on Monday, to be out on the boat motoring around and locking..

First site of Albany from the water.

The crew traveled only a short 26 miles to arrive at the Waterford Welcome Center before noon. The 50 amp power locations were already taken along the dock. But the skipper noticed that the first power pedestal at the end of the dock had an available 50 amp plug with his name on it. He swung the boat around and backed up to the end of the dock and tied up along the concrete wall. The crew managed to deploy the power cable over to the dock and secured 50 amp power which means they can run both air conditioners as the temperature rises to 100 degrees.

The Federal Lock just before Waterford

Upon arrival at The Welcome Center, the skipper noticed they had a Farmers Market that was in full swing.  However, he quickly learned the Market would close at 1300. After the boat was secured the Admiral was off in search of fresh farm raised tomatoes. She procured some tomatoes and some strawberries for the crew. The skipper, well he purchased some maple syrup coated pecans.

There are five Looper boats at the Welcome Center. Three of which are from Texas. The crew hopes to meet them all before they launch the Erie Canal Cruise on Tuesday.

Monday, July 2nd

The crew plans to travel from Waterford to Buffalo – on the New York Canal System, a distance of 352 miles. However, there are 524 navigable miles of waterways in the System. The canals that make up this System are the Erie, Cayuga-Seneca, Oswego, and Champlain.

The crew has navigated the eastern Erie, Oswego, and Champlain Canals. This year they will run the eastern Erie again, then the Cayuga-Seneca, and then complete the western Erie. When they arrive in Buffalo, they will have completed all 524 miles of the system.

The present day Erie Canal has three distinct periods. The original canal was begun in 1817, and opened for commercial navigation in 1825. You may recall that last year when the crew cruised the Champlain Canal, the system was celebrating their 200th birthday, and the state of New York gifted the recreational boaters with free access to the canals.

Original Erie Canal with mules pulling the barges

The second period began in 1862 and is referred to as the Enlarged Erie Canal. By 1918, the mules and tows were no longer needed, and were replaced with motorized vessels which required deeper wider canals.  The modern canal abandoned many of the old canal routes and locks, and used existing rivers.

And guess what, the system is celebrating the 100th Birthday of the modern canal system during 2018. And yes, once again the state of New York has gifted free access to recreational boaters for the 2018 season.  FOG!

The Erie Canal by the numbers:

• 524 navigable miles of waterway
• 34 National Historic Landmarks
• 24 New York State Parks
• 11 State Wildlife Management Areas
• 9 New York State Historic Sites
• 4 National Park units
• 4 National Natural Landmarks
• 2 National Wildlife Refuges
• 2 New York State Bike Routes
• 1 National Forest
• 1 National Scenic Trail

So much to see and do,………. so little time.

Tuesday, July 3rd

Ever heard of Cohoes Falls? Probably not. However, believe it or not, it is actually larger than its big sister at the other end of the Erie Canal, American Falls at Niagara Falls.

Cohoes Falls at full flow

Cohoe Falls in late Spring

Comparing Cohoes Falls to Niagara Falls:

Width
Cohoes – 1,000 feet
Niagra – 830 feet at American Falls
Height
Cohoes – 75-90 feet
Niagra – 70-110 feet
Water Flow
Cohoes – 0 – 90,000 cubic feet per second
Niagra – 5,000 – 21,000 cubic feet per second
Tourism
Cohoes – no tourist industry
Niagra – tops 28 million tourist per year

The Cohoes Falls were a major obstacle for the planners of the Erie Canal back in 1817 when work began. The original 1825 Canal went through the town of Cohoes. Back in 1862, when the Enlarged Canal was developed, the canal continued to run through Cohoes.

In 1918, during the Modern Barge Canal Era of today, the canal was moved to bypass Cohoes and run through Waterford. However, there was still vibrant industry due to the mills in the area of Cohoes. During the Great Depression, the mills closed down and the city leaders were desperate for cash. They leased/sold the water rights to power companies and the Canal System.

Cohoe Falls in summer

Consequently, the falls run strong following the fall rains, but dry up by late spring/early summer due to water diverted to the power companies and to the Canal Locks. Leading to the no tourist industry for the town today.

Speaking of today, the crew starts their official passage through the Erie Canal when they enter Erie Canal Lock E2 at Waterford.  Lock E2 is the first lock of the Waterford Flight of Five, Locks E2-E6. These locks make it possible to bypass the Cohoes Falls, and complete the largest lift in the shortest distance of any canal system in the world.  The five locks will lift Still Waters II 169 feet in just a little more than a half mile of distance. This will surely be a workout for the crew.

A fleet of six Looper boats all decided to leave together and travel as a group today. They got off the dock around 0700 and headed for Lock E2.  Our Crew stayed back to do one of the skippers favorite tasks, pump out the holding tanks. After the dirty, nasty task was complete, the crew shoved off the dock and headed to Lock E2 to start the Erie Canal Adventure.

Looper Fleet entering Lock E2 at Waterford to begin the Flight of Five, up 34 feet

After they exited the Lock, the Lockmaster informed the crew that the Lock E3 operator was pulling double duty today and was operating lock E3 and E5. The Lockmaster told the skipper to pull up to Lock E3 and tie along the wall, it might be a while.  He was right, an hour and half later, the skipper got a radio call from the Lock E3 operator saying he would be opening the gates in about 15 minutes.

While the crew waited to enter Lock E3, Almost There showed up and joined the wait party.  Our crew managed to tie along the wall under a bridge so they were in the shade while they waited.

The crew got the green light to enter Lock E3 at 1030. By 1145, they had completed Locks E3-6. They had completed the 169 foot rise around Cohoes Falls, but now it was time to find some electricity.

Lock E3, Waterford, up 35 feet

Lock E4, Waterford, up 35 feet

Lock E5, Waterford, up 33 feet

Lock E6, Waterford, up 33 feet

From there, it was about ten miles to Lock E7, so the Admiral got lunch together for the crew. When they arrived at Lock E7, they were informed that they would have to wait for some eastbound boat traffic to lock down before they could enter the lock. When the gates opened, there was a sailboat under tow by BoatUS. It was a narrow squeeze to get three boats abreast as they passed Still Waters II. When they passed the crew got the green light to enter the lock.

Almost There entering Lock E7, Vischer Ferry, up 27 feet

The dam at Lock E7

After exiting Lock E7, it was 8 more miles to the town of Scotia where the crew tied up for the night at the municipal dock.  Upon arrival though, they learned that a ski team puts on a show every Tuesday Night, about a hundred yards north of the dock.

At 1900, the crew wandered down and joined the crowd that had gathered to watch the ski show.

This was the 50th anniversary of the ski team, so they were doing a montage from past competitions and shows.  They had skiers from all generations of the ski team performing, also. A few pics from the show: 

The Bare footer

The Grand Finale, 4 tier pyramid

Wednesday, July 4th

The crew decided to spend a second day in Scotia.  They did not do much, but they did enjoy grilling burgers and dogs at the Freedom Park next to the docks.  Unfortunately, the second line of power went out on the boat in the late afternoon.  The skipper has exhausted his troubleshooting and will have to find a marine electrician to fix the problem.  It looks as though the Line 2 Main Breaker may of failed. The main consequence though, loss of air conditioning during the New York heat wave.

Off to go see the local fire works demonstration.  The casino is footing the bill, so the crew hopes it is a good show.

Thursday, July 5th

The crew set a goal to make Canajoharie by the end of the day.  In 2016, when the crew wished to stop here the docks were full and people were rafted two abreast.  The crew skipped this stop and went two locks further west.

To arrive at Canajoharie, the crew would have to pass through six locks.  These would be smaller locks, so much easier than Tuesday.  Also, the heat index is near one hundred again today, so it will be necessary to stay hydrated while locking through.

With calm conditions predicted all day, the Admiral decided she would practice her boat handling skills by motoring off the lock walls once the lock operator opened the gates.  She did an excellent job.

The winds were non existent when the crew shoved off the dock.  The water was like a mirror. 

Lock E8, Scotia, up 14 feet

The crew entered lock E8 with a boat named Patricia Ann.  After the gate closed, the lock operator started to raise the water level in the lock, but then stopped.  The skipper noticed the lock was draining, and then the gates swung back open to allow a third vessel in the lock.

Today’s lock buddies

Lock E9, Rotterdam, up 15 feet

Lock 9 has an interesting piece of history.  While the skipper approached the Lock, he noticed that the charts plotted a total of 5 sunken vessels, above and below the lock, just to the side of the channel.  The vessels are concrete barges that were built in WWI.  Following the war, the state of New York gained control of the barges and used them as approach walls for the lock.

And why would the US government build barges and ships out of concrete you ask?  During the war, metals such as steel were at a premium, so they used reinforced concrete rather than steel to build the barges and some ships.  Twelve concrete ships were commissioned during WWI. The government did the same thing during WWII, and commissioned 24 concrete ships.

Lock E10, Cranesville, up 15 feet

Lock E11, Amsterdam, up 12 feet

The Admiral managing the bow line in lock 11

Lock E12, Tribes Hill, up 11 feet

While in Lock 12, the skipper struck up a conversation with the Captain of the Patricia Ann.  They are from Alaska, and will also be doing the western Erie Canal.  The crew will probably be seeing more of the Patricia Ann in the days ahead.

The Patricia Ann

Lock E13, Randall, up 8 feet, last lock of the day

After exiting Lock E13, it was seven miles to the Riverfront Park in Canajoharie.  On the way, the crew passed an empty building.  Back in the early 1900’s, there was not local power available to operate the locks, so the Canal Authority built local power plants to power the locks.  They contained two 50 KW turbines.

Upon arrival, there was no dock space with electric power.  However, there was space on the terminal wall where the crew tied up.  With no power, there will be no air conditioning which will make for a long hot afternoon.  And probably a long hot night.  Makes you wonder how people survived the summers down south before the invention of air conditioning.

Friday, July 6th

The heat wave finally broke.  It is only supposed to get in the mid 70’s today with a low in the 50’s tonight.

With the temperatures moderated, the skipper decided to set out and explore the name sake of Canajoharie.  The name is Mohawk for ‘Boiling Pots.’  The Canajoharie Creek bed is lined with soft shale rock.  As the water cascades down the river bottom it has eroded the shale rock into round holes, called ‘boiling pots.’

The creek bottom looked very much like walking the dinosaur tracks in the Paluxy River back in Glen Rose, Texas.

Canajoharie Creek

A small boiling pot, only 1 foot in diameter

Larger Boiling Pot, 10 feet in diameter, maybe 5 foot deep

On the way back to the boat the skipper passed two interesting things.  One was a reference to the hot temperatures over the last few days.  The other was a traffic light that is placed directly in the middle of the intersection.

Church Warning 

Traffic Light in the middle of the road

The skipper decided to do some more troubleshooting on the Main Line 2 bus and breaker.  After taking multiple voltage readings, it looks like the Main Line 2 Breaker has failed.  The skipper cycled the breaker open and shut several times, but still no power getting to the individual component breakers.

Saturday, July 7th

Headed out today towards Ilion Village Marina, just past Lock E18.  The crew would get stepped up 196 feet through five Locks, including the largest step on the Erie Canal.  They would also end the day with a great discovery.

Lock E14, Canajoharie, up 8 feet

Lock E15, Fort Plain, up 8 feet, most western Lock that is directly on the Mohawk River

Lock E16, St Johnsville, up 20 feet

The Mohawk River turns to the right just before the Lock.  During construction of the modern Erie Canal, the designers dug a 3.6 mile ditch along side the old Erie Canal and the Mohawk River.  Lock E16 is the entry into this man-made canal that was dug in 1907.

The view of the man-made canal

Lock E17, Little Falls, up 40 feet, being drained so the crew can enter

Lock E17 was a design challenge for the engineers back in the early 1900’s.  The lock was built into solid rock and needed a unique solution to fill the chamber.  Part of the design was building a pond that would be used to fill the lock.

Also, this lock is the largest lift on the Erie Canal.  Part of the design was a guillotine lift gate that the boater goes under.  There are only two such locks in North America  The other one is located on the Ottawa River in Canada.

The guillotine gate being lifted

Sea Horse in Lock E17

The solid rock that was cut for the Lock

Lock E18, out in the countryside west of Little Falls, up 20 feet

On the way up in the Lock, the skipper noticed a large ship on the other side of the east gate waiting to get in the Lock.  The low profile allows the ship to get under the low bridges on the Erie Canal.

While exiting the lock, the Admiral asked the folks where they were headed on their cruise?  They answered New York City.  Well, they have about 240 miles to go.  The skipper looked back and noticed that the design of the ship allows a snug fit in the lock.

After Lock E18, the crew motored just a few more miles and pulled into the Ilion Village Marina.  You probably would never guess that Ilion is pronounced “E-lee-on” rather than “I-Lion,” but it is.  The skipper is having a hard time remembering how to say the name of this place.  I have head him refer to it as the town that starts with an “I”, and then the other person says the town name for him.  A great coping strategy.

In a more positive note though, after arriving at the marina, the skipper plugged into the 50 amp service.  When he went in the boat, he cycled the Main Line 2 breaker numerous times, and cha-ching, the air conditioners came back on.  FOG!  A great way to finish the week.

Historical Note – Ilion is the home of Eliphalet Remington, who created his first gun and started the Remington Arms Company back in 1816.  The factory and museum hire 1,300 folks in town making it the village’s largest employer.

Boat name of the week

Gettin’ Looped

Next Week –

The crew expects to complete the Eastern Erie Canal early next week.  They will then take a side trip on the Cayuga-Seneca Canal into the ‘Finger Lakes.’  They hope to be in Ithaca, at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake by the end of the week.

Loop On – Where the road ends, the water begins. The water goes on forever, and the adventure never ends.

Eric the Red