Etiquette Lessons

We took an extra day in Amsterdam and used it to take a bike ride, and Chrisy tacked on a yoga session.  The ride was along a bike path that runs from Buffalo to Albany. We're not exactly in our normal mid-summer biking condition, and our bikes on Egret are not exactly the same as our road bikes so we were happy with a 16-mile ride.

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. 

A Few Firsts

Ok - Ok - we know we haven't posted in a few days.  We've been told many times that we need to post frequently - sometimes life just gets in the way.  

We left Kingston for Shady Harbor Marina (New Baltimore, NY on western side of the Hudson) on Thursday and did our first laundry and had our first pump-out. If you don't know what a pump-out is - ask someone who does. When one is cruising there are lots of little things that need to be planned out or at least given some thought.  Where are we getting our next fuel, pump-out, water, and groceries? They aren't constant worries - just things that need to be factored into the plans.  It's a nice feeling when we can pull away from the dock and know that we have a "zero state" boat - one that is pretty much the way it was on the day we left.  

Shady Harbor was also the first time we were in pretty much of a black hole of communication.  Our Verizon hotspot didn't want to work and our cell phones on T-Mobile plans were also dark.  To top it off the marina WIFI was down.  We did manage to get out a few texts, but that was it.  

The weather was pretty foul for the last few days.  The cold front that passed over the Eastern US created lots of wind but fortunately not too much rain.  We had a bumpy night on the docks at Shady Harbor at a pretty exposed slip.

We were up early Friday - well at least by Egret standards.  We left the dock at 8 AM on Friday on our way to the Albany Yacht Club to pick up Chrisy's uncle Edgar.  What fun it was to have Edgar onboard to help us through our first ten locks over 2 days and provide us with some good companionship and history of the area.  

We currently are in Amsterdam, New York, having another "Chrisy Day". We are getting our bikes off the boat and hitting the Erie Canal bike trail this afternoon! It is a gorgeous Sunday of Memorial Day weekend!

Our first and last freighter encounter on the Hudson

Millie's first encounter with a rooster - Millie is just in front of Chrisy's right leg - it was a little tough to get Millie and the roosters in the same frame.  For some reason, the roosters didn't want to cooperate. 

Our first lock - in at the bottom

Out at the top

For those who may not know how a lock works - traveling upstream - you enter a chamber at the bottom and the doors close behind you.  The chamber is probably 300 feet long and 40 feet wide.  Once the doors are closed, the lockmaster opens a valve that allows water to flow from the upstream river into the chamber raising the water in the chamber and fortunately lifting the boat.  Once the water level is equal to the upstream water level the doors are opened. The whole process takes about 20 minutes from the time the doors close until the time you are released out the top side.  As the water is flooding into the chamber the boat tends to get pushed around a bit so we hold onto ropes that are suspended from the side of the chamber.  Each lift is about 30 feet.  On our first day, we went through seven locks which was a lot easier than it sounds. Most of them were pretty close together and the chamber was open when we arrived. 

Chrisy and co-pilot Uncle Edgar

Here's what a sailboat looks like on the canal. Mast down to clear through all of the low fixed bridges and lots of fenders.

 

Here's a map of the Erie Canal.  Just before Syracuse we take a right and head up to Lake Ontario.

Quick friends!

Here's our current location.

Our First "Chrisy Day"

Previously scheduled Chrisy Days were interrupted with Millie's little run-in with a pit bull so yesterday was truly a Chrisy Day - one where the boat doesn't move and we're able to take in the town.  Shockingly, Chrisy elected to spend some of her special day visiting a museum.  For those who don't know, museums are not high on Chrisy's to-do list when she visits a new area - or an old area for that matter.  They tend to put her to sleep, and she's literally yawning within minutes of entry.  

We visited the Hudson River Maritime Museum which wasn't too much of an endeavor as we are on their docks and as a further inducement they grant free admission to those who are on the docks.  The exhibits don't actually open to the public until the weekend, but we were granted permission to go on a self-guided tour.  The museum sits at the terminus of the Delaware and Hudson Canal in Kingston, NY.  The canal was built to transport coal from Pennsylvania to the Hudson River.  Not only did the museum do a nice job of explaining the history of the canal, but it also gave a nice history of the region.  The irony of our visit was that Roger was actually yawning before Chrisy.

Captain Chrisy at the helm

For dinner, we were able to catch up with good friends Kim and Brian Mauch. The Mauchs also happen to be the parents of Eric's good friend Devin.  The dinner was wonderful, but we had to leave the golfing and brewery tours for another visit.

 

Quick visit from Courtney

I don't want to get too far ahead of myself but we've had a couple of very good days in a row now - must be the Dinty Moore or we are falling into a nice rythm.   

Courtney jumped on for a quick overnight and we had a short trip up the Hudson to Poughkeepsie.  We had a relaxing dinner with a nice view of Egret and the western shore. The scenery was spectacular.

Half Moon Bay looking north.

Egret from the porch of Half Moon Bay Marina

The girls enjoying some time in the cockpit at 20 kts.

No comments about the captain's hair - you don't always get to shower every day when you're cruising.

Happy girls at Shadows Marina in Poughkeepsie 

Egret from the porch of the restaurant looking north

After dropping Courtney at the Poughkeepsie train station we headed to Kingston, NY where we will stay for two nights which means that tomorrow is a "Chrisy day" - the boat doesn't move - very imprortant for everyone's spirits.  

Millie Update:

There's a good chance that the only reason you're reading this blog is to get an update on Millie.  She's doing great!!  She has pretty much recovered her personality as well as healed her wounds.  Her spunky spirit - bark at anything that moves - has returned.  After the initial "introductions," she's basically a lap dog. She is a little anxious on the leash - pulling a lot more that usual. We attribute that to the attack, so hopefully that will calm down with time.