Day 306      St. Johnsonville Marina,

St. Johnsonville, NY

Monday, June 27, 2011

Steamboat

International steamboat flotilla passes us on the Erie Canal

Steamboat

Steamboats on the Erie Canal

Traveling on the Erie Canal

Marina office at St. Johnsville

Docked at St. Johnsville Marina

Italian take-out dinner at St. Johnsville Marina

Along with Seamoore we left the wall at Erie Lock 8 about 6:30.  Both boats stopped at Arrowhead Marina for water and a pump out.   Jeremiah and Nauti Nell left the lock wall about 7:30 and met us when we were ready to go.   All 4 boats went through Locks 9 -15 and stopped about 4:30 at St. Johnsonville Marina. 

We walked a few blocks to the downtown area for a little shopping.  All of us ordered take out from an Italian restaurant and enjoyed dinner at a park table near the boats.            

 Total miles:  46        Total bridges:   8       Total locks:  7

Days 303 – 305     Lock Wall above Erie Lock #8  

Schenectady, NY

Friday, June 24 - Sunday, June 26, 2011

 In Erie Canal Lock #2, the first westbound lock

 Seamoore entering Erie Lock #3

 Signs at each lock show the lock's lift and mileage to the next locks

Dream Catcher docked at the wall at Lock #8

 Along the lock wall above Lock #8

 Remains of old Lock #23





Flood waters roll over the dam at Erie Lock #8

Erie Canal here we come!  We left the Waterford Dock a little before 9:00 on Friday morning.  Rich and Linda came by to say goodbye.  Thanks again to both of them for everything! 

Nauti Nell joined the looper train, so we again had 4 boats traveling together.  We locked through the “Waterford Flight” (Locks 2 – 6), Lock 7, and Lock 8 before we called it a day.  We tied to the lock wall above Lock #8.  It was a very long and secure wall.  There was a well-travelled bike path at the top of the hill overlooking the lock wall.  It was pretty, comfortable, and a free place to stay.

At 8:00 on Saturday morning we had our engines running and were ready to go when the lockmaster came by to tell us that the locks above us were closed due to flooding.  No travel was possible, so we got out our bikes and went for a ride on the bike path.  We first rode to a park about 2-1/2 miles west of us.  We turned around and rode east past our boats and into the town of Scotia where we had a great lunch at a restaurant called Ninety-Nine.  We did a little shopping and then rode back to the boats.  It was a fun day with some good, well-needed exercise. 

On Monday we decided to stay at the wall for one more day.  The locks were open, but the lockmaster advised against travel due to dangerous debris in the water.  So again we rode our bikes to Scotia, did a little shopping, and enjoyed some exercise.                     

 Total miles:  24.5        Total bridges:   10       Total locks:  7