Mon July 12: Mechanicsville to Ft Edward free wall

 

 In which we suffer from lock ennui ....

Some sleeping-in happened, due to the rain.  And because we did NOT sleep well.  We took turns getting up in the night to be sure none of our outside stuff had been stolen.  And we each, separately, had developed the paranoia that someone would uncleat us in the night and we would go shooting off over one of the dam falls we had seen, in great detail, yesterday.  

Yes-these cement blocks would stop the boat but the flimsy rope and floats are what I was worried about

It just was unnerving to be the only boat on a wall in a public park in the downtown of a slightly seedy area.  Although it was a bit reassuring that the po-po station (police station - although the bathroom was also close) was 100 yards away.

 

Goodbye wall

Yesterday we notched our belt with the big Federal lock at Troy (the only one run by the Army Corps of Engineers, the rest are run by the state of NY) and the first two locks on the Champlain Canal.

But the GAPING MAW of the first lock, C3, still gave us jitters.

Prior to each lock we would call on the radio to let the lock master know we were approaching. This morning, when we called, the lock master said “Good morning Blue Horizon, I’ve been expecting you!”   I thought he was psychic-but he said “the C2 lock master called me yesterday and I knew you had nowhere else to go”! All the lock masters were so cheerful and helpful.  I suppose they were happy to see us in order to have something to do - we have seen NO other boats.  It’s like we are on a private lock tour at the tax payers expense. I’m going to bring the lock masters all cookies on the way back down.

Some details on the locks (Rick here):  There are 11 locks on the Champlain canal.  Locks 1 - 12, with no lock 10.  Lock 10 was removed many years ago (not sure why). Each lock is basically a big box that you enter and then hold on as the water fills - to lift you up, or drains out - to lower you down.   On this canal locks 1 - 8 lifted us up and then lock 9, 11 and 12 (tomorrow) lower us back down into Lake Champlain.   The locks have either a big pipe,  a cable or ropes hanging down the sides of the lock and as we enter we gently move to the wall and hold on to whatever the lock offers.  It is important NOT to tie up to anything - you must be able to slide up or down the wall.   One lock master told us a story of a boat he had seen where the captain had gone to make a sandwich as the boat was going down.  He had tied the line to a cleat on the boat and as the water lowered the boat was basically left hanging, or would have been if the lock master hadn’t yelled at him to release the line.   Basically you have to go with the flow!

Melanie controlling the boat from a “pipe” in the lock - on the way up.

Rick, on the way down.

By the time we got through the 4 locks of the day we were pretty noncha-lock.  La la la-yet another lock, no big deal! Totally jaded ...

Today we ended up in Ft. Edward, NY - on another free wall.  We entered a small creek off the side of the main canal which ended in a wonderful little yacht basin.  These free walls are a good marketing tool -  a free place to tie up with power and water (no internet!).  This wall could easily hold 5 big boats and we were the only boat there. 

Headed into the pretty little basin.

Once we tied up we took a walk around the small town.   As with many of the towns along the Hudson River it appeared to be very depressed.  

Fixer upper anyone?!

Rick does take me to see some great sights…

The free walls are intended to encourage tourist spending, but many of the businesses were closed, and we saw few other people.  

We were looking for the old Champlain Canal (we’re traversing the newer canal) which was built originally in the 1820’s and is mostly gone, but there are sections still to be seen.  

Ye olde canal in days of yore.

This shallow horizontal indentation is the only remnant of the old canal that we could find

We ended the day watching a parade of 30+ ducks move past us to their nighttime roost.  That’s the kind of fun we have on this here trawler.   That, and a new episode of A Discovery of Witches.

Living on the edge-that’s us!!