With 35 miles and seven locks, Memorial Day was a big moving day so we tried to get away from the dock early, but alas we were the last boat on the dock when we left. Egret never does anything early. After several days of a cold front, the weather was perfect. Mid to upper seventies, no wind, and clear skies - perfect for a motorboat. Roger is starting to get used to the concept of motorboat weather.
There's a certain etiquette to boating along the canal - one slows down to a crawl when you're passing a marina or a small fishing boat in the canal so as to minimize your wake. Your wake can leave a mess for those who have docked a short distance from your wake. You learn the etiquette quickly and you stick to it. Roger feels free to be the "wake police" and jump on the VHF to alert any violators and let them know about the carnage that they've left behind. The funny thing about the canal in the spring is that - it's a canal - and everyone is going in the same direction and pretty much staying in the same marinas - so we're all going to see each other - hang out - have drinks and realize that the guy who waked you in the morning in the first 200 yards of their trip is actually a pretty funny and pretty nice guy. Ironically, he's on a boat named Redemption.
It's always good etiquette to leave a beer for the lockmaster. Rumor has it that, miraculously, the next lock tends to be open if you follow this.
Lock 17 is one of two locks in North America that has a door that slides down - guillotine fashion. The white section at the top is a concrete block that is attached by a pulley and massive chains to the door. The forty-foot rise is the largest on the canal.
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