6/24/2011 BLAIN'S BAY MARINA, THROUGH THE FLIGHT OF FIVE AND BACK TO WATERFORD VISITORS CENTER

FRIDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY:  6 NM

DOCKED AT:      WATERFORD TOWN WELCOME CENTER (FREE W/P/WI-FI)

                              WATERFORD, NY

SUNRISE: 5: 17    SUNSET: 8:36

HIGH: 75               LOW: 61

TODAY’S FOUR LOCKS WERE A REPEAT: 5

1. LOCK E6      WATERFORD

2. LOCK E5      WATERFORD

3. LOCK E4      WATERFORD

4. LOCK E3      WATERFORD

5. LOCK E2      WATERFORD

Our deliciously quiet night was interrupted about 5 AM by an intermittent banging and thumping sound. Search as we might, the only explanation we could come up with was that it was fish bumping on the hull. Weird!

Since today’s journey is so short we didn’t pull out until nearly 10:00 and were completely through the closely knit Flight of Five by noon. We started with a green light from the keeper of Guard Gate 2 then, with hardly time to remove our work gloves, we transited locks 6,5,4,3, and 2.

GUARD GATE 2

Our journey was witnessed by a family at one lock, folks fishing off the banks, a heron in flight in the canal and the fabulous lock tenders who keep all us boaters moving along.

THE HERON'S IMPRESSIVE FLIGHT

 We have begun to notice some of the ingenious and effective fenders on the tugs.  Some are made from old tires while others are intricately woven ropes.  Here are a few that we saw today.

THESE CUT TIRES PIECES MAKE A GREAT TUG FENDER

THIS HEAVY DUTY WOVEN ROPE FENDER ADDS A DENSE PROTECTION

THIS RENDITION OF A "BAD HAIR DAY" PROTECTS THE BOW

We passed by the full Waterford dock, turned around in some less turbulent water and crept back in attempt to squeeze in. Lucky for us, one of the boats made a call Lock E2 to request an opening and vacated an adequate spot on the dock wall for Quest. Super!

After all of our docking chores were completed we walked into town with the Porters for a lunch at J.C. McGreivey’s. All good things must come to an end and today marked the end of the Porter short visit with us. They took a taxi to their car at Albany Airport then scooted on home to Vermont. They were so much help this last week. Craig had the line handling down pat and Alexis used her great culinary talents to keep us well fed. Oh yes, let’s not forget those killer drinks she made. That being said, we are planning on meeting them tomorrow night at Amigos Cantina in Schuylerville.

The following map shows the path we followed since starting travel on the Erie Canal on the 15th.  We left from Waterford at the Hudson and worked our way to Sylvan Beach on Oneida Lake then turned around and motored back.  Each stop was different than the previous, each lock an adventure.  Tomorrow we will start our trip up the Champlain Canal.

FROM THE HUDSON RIVER ON THE RIGHT TO ONEIDA LAKE ON THE LEFT