Good Crew

We knew leaving NYC to head out into the Atlantic and down to Cape May at the mouth of the Delaware Bay was a place that we would have elevated senses (aka stress) because we would be encountering currents, tides,  fish havens, commercial vessels, crab pots, lobster pots, and other unknowns.  All this is not what we have been used to sailing on Lake Michigan the last ten plus years.  Our good friend Donald Rome offered to help Pam and me out when we thought we would want an extra hand.  We knew this was a good place to take him up on that offer. 

The Hudson River - Part Three - Into New York City

 From West Point we continued down the lush banks of the Hudson flanked now by the Catskill mountains to our destination of Croton-on-the-Hudson, NY where we met up with up Ricky and Nancy, two of my more seafaring and adventurous relatives, that  live a only a few hours away by car, and wanted to meet "Grace".

The Hudson River - Part Two - West Point Military Academy

While moseying down the Hudson just to the starboard of green buoy 34 we came upon a building that had "Beat Air Force" emblazened on its roof.

The Hudson River - Part One - Stepping the Mast

Stepping the Mast

After a few days of rest, relaxation and catch up in Waterford,  we went through Federal Lock 1 and on down the Hudson River.

Congregating in Waterford, NY

Waterford, NY is the harbor town adjacent to Lock Two on the Erie canal. As such, it is a perfect congregating point for all the intrepid boaters just coming off or venturing on the Erie Canal.

The Canals Part Two: Erie

The Canal

The Erie canal system is  321 miles long, contains 34 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of 565 ft.   We bought a ten day lock pass as we wanted to slow down and enjoy the beauty of the canal and the towns along the way. We were able to hop on at Lock E23 just south of Phoenix, NY.

The Canals Part One: Oswego

Jeff is pretty pleased with his expert cradle construction. The true test has yet to come!

Getting There

So here we sit in a coffee shop in Phoenix, NY, a small town just on the other side of Lock 1, the last southbound lock, on the Oswego Canal. We’re here for the same reason every cruiser in every port on the planet is… wifi, air-conditioning and coffee.

We started out from Little Sodus Bay yesterday, Jeff’s heart in his throat as we motored our last two hour Lake Ontario leg to Oswego, NY.