We didn’t see any mules when we left Waterford and traveled through the Erie Canal system in Upstate New York in 2015. But we saw several places where the original canal is preserved and where mules did pull boats. Yet the feeling we were cruising through history prevailed all the way to the Oswego Canal that took us down to Lake Ontario.
We began this leg in Waterford, NY, tied to a canal bank in front of a Visitors Center. Remaining an extra day, we provisioned, filled the water tank, and began a route that would take us through locks, a lake, and a weeklong stop in a boatyard/marina in Brewerton. But first a bit about the canal, compliments of Wikipedia.
“The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the upper Great Lakes above Niagara Falls, vastly reducing the costs of transporting people and goods across the Appalachians.”
In the area where we were cruising the route mostly followed the Mohawk River, a waterway we entered many times. There were also several locks, some of which lacked maintenance and were quite an adventure. Remember, when you enter a lock where water is rising, you get as close to the wall as possible, grab a rope hanging down, forward and aft, and hang on tight as water enters the lock and moves you up. Then, when you reach the level of the next body of water, you toss the rope ashore for those waiting to go the opposite direction. In one of the locks we entered, there was only one rope for about four boats. We were lucky enough to grab it, as we entered first. The other boats put out extra fenders in case they knocked into someone, or a wall. We did, too.
Waterford had five locks that rose us 169 feet. Between Waterford and Oswego Canal there were twenty-three locks. Sometimes we had to wait our turn by tying up to the edge of the canal. There were usually cleats or bollards embedded in the cement. We also tied up at night when we weren’t near a town because the canal system often had parks. One night we saw a weasel on shore near our boat. Also, lots of geese. On another night we tied up under a sturdy bridge. Tornado warnings are always exciting.
It took us four days to get through the locks to Oneida Lake. We crossed and entered the canal system once again, finally making it to Brewerton. Rented a slip in a friendly boatyard and marina for a week while we flew home for a visit. Waterways were closed due to flooding, so it was a good time to go. Mark’s brother Keith, doing a motorcycle trip, used the boat as home base, so we knew it was in good hands.
Next is Canada, but I will tell you about that next time.