Pictures! The Erie Canal

Traveling through the canal this time round was a pleasure. A few days of rain but mostly beautiful. Lots of free docks and no charge again for the canal. Very nice. We put up a cover for the sun and rain and in only a few short days it completely bleached and was much lighter from the sun!

This is Abbey helping out in one of the locks.




We stopped in Phoenix at the free dock. They've put out deck chairs for the cruisers here. They were very kind and helpful. We met a very nice man named Tom on a huge power cruiser and it turns out that he knew the previous owner of our boat. What a small world!

At Phoenix you can tour the old tower where they used to operate a bridge and the lock from.

Rob enjoyed the tour!

Bird's eye view of the free dock. Our dinghy always looks so big, hard to believe we towed that so far!

At the end of the canal on the wall just before Oswego we met Cadana! We first met in Lantana, Florida where we had the best key lime pie in the world. Then we saw lots of him in the Bahamas. Ray actually went on to the DR with intentions for Trinidad but he turned around as he missed home. So we had fun visiting and catching up. He said he had lots of updates about us and knew we were safely on our way back home. He spoiled the kids with the lending of a DVD player and some movies!

We met lots of new people, lots doing the Great Circle Route through the Mississippi. This is Gecko- they were very nice. We first met at Elizabeth City in the ICW.

So Rob's Mast hinge (yes it is actually a hinge and technically not a tabernacle- I had that wrong) worked really well! We didn't bother to use any halyards, etc because we had 4 big guys come and help us. The mast went up perfectly, no crane and it was straight and in line- good job Rob!! Of course after the mast was up a block jammed! Of course. So I went up in the Bosun's chair. Rob says I'm truely a sailor now that I've gone up the mast. He was proud of me as I wasn't scared and had no troubles. :)

This is "Rambler", they are from Montreal and just down the Erie to see New York City and tour a bit. They were really nice. We went all together to an Irish Pub and had a good time visiting.

I'll put up more pictures soon to finish off the journey. I have a special picture just for Kristen and Hans coming!!