Last fall's trip home from Myrtle Beach was ill fated with equipment problems, foul weather, and finally the early closure of the Erie Canal when lock 13 was damaged near the end of the boating season. That is the reason we are cruising home now from the Chesapeake Bay.
While waiting for the weather to break last week in Cape May, I received an email from the NY Canal system saying the Erie Canal was closed due to flooding and sections would open in 7 to 10 days. Today we reached Albany NY, near the starting point to enter the Erie Canal. I called the Canal System this morning and was told the canal was still closed and I would just have to follow the web site to know when the canal would reopen. Just after noon I received an email stating the eastern section of the canal from lock 1 to Oneida Lake would reopen at 7:00 am tomorrow, whew, that was close. The balance of the canal should open soon.
I usually start calling marinas after lunch to reserve a dock for the night (that's when I am able to determine how far we will cruise that day). It seems that boats have been stacking up waiting for entry onto the Erie Canal for the past week. There was no slip open for 30 miles from lock 1. With the tidal currents on the Hudson River, it is not an ideal candidate for anchoring out. I finally talked the dock master at the Albany Yacht Club to allow us to spend the night tied off to the fuel dock. We tied off at 4:00 but had to leave the dock for 45 minutes to allow other boaters to purchase fuel. We used the 45 minutes to cruise around downtown Albany, then returned and tied up for the night. We have shore power, an easy exit in the morning, and are only 10 miles from entry to the now open Erie Canal. Better lucky than smart.
Todays blog is the Hudson Valley Real Estate issue.
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| Bobby and his Mahi buddy found a new shell friend in Barnegat Bay. |
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