Captain Lar- Der Low Bridgemeister

A 15.5' bridge on the Eastern Erie

When loopers are contemplating their routes they have a number of options. Sometimes a route that is selected is not necessarily determined by what one will see, but rather fixed bridge clearances. Because of these bridge heights, all sailboats have to have their mast stepped unless they sail around Maine and up the St. Lawrence River and through the Wellend Canal into the Great Lakes. Even with this option, loopers are restricted by a 19' fixed bridge in Chicago and cannot proceed through the inland rivers unless they can clear this bridge. If a boat can clear 17', a route into Lake Champlain is possible ending up in the St. Lawrence River and Lake Ontario. To transit the eastern Erie Canal you have to clear 20.5', and if you can clear 15.5' you can go anywhere.

With her antennas fully up and 3/4 load of fuel and 1/2 tank of water, Bavarian Cream has an air draft of 18'4". With antennas down she measures 16'6" to the top of the mast light. With the mast light stepped she measures 15' to the top of the radar dome. There is 1'6" between the top of the radar dome and the radar arch which is located about 1/4 the distance from the stern, but this would require an excessive amount of work and removal of the bimini. So for all intents and purposes we need an air draft of 15'6" to clear the western Erie Canal bridges at maximum pool. If the pool levels are lower, we have more clearance. Also, we took on a full fuel and water load in Brewerton, plus the boat has a lot more weight in it than when we measured her on the Tickfaw. We should be good to go.

Squeaking by bridge E-92 with stepped mast light

Once we passed Three Rivers and the Oswego River, we were pretty much committed to completing the western Erie. Since we weren't going to Canada, going up the Oswego Canal and into Lake Ontario to lock through the Welland Canal was a viable option. The Welland is for very large, ocean-going ships and we've heard nothing but horror stories about recreational boats going through there. Besides we had at least 6" of breathing space, right? We left Baldwinsville early the next morning for the almost 50 mile and 2 lock run to Lyons. This would be the day in which we encountered some of the lowest bridges on the canal. Capt. Larry had lowered the antennas and stepped the mast light, so clearance shouldn't be a problem with a 15' draft. The problem was we could never figure out what the pool levels were between the locks. We couldn't locate the information on the NY Canal System website or find a number to call for the info and there are no depth gauges at the bridges. All we knew was that the region had received a lot of rain lately and to be safe we would have to assume the levels were near maximum pool. Besides, even at maximum pool we only needed 15.5' of clearance and we were drawing 6" less than that, right? Well we started through the canal and each bridge seemed to get lower and lower. Every time we passed under a low bridge we cringed and waited for the radar dome to end up on the cockpit floor. After a few of the bridges, we were pretty sure that we were close to max pool.

E-93, lowest bridge on Erie Canal

To make matters worse, we had clearance heights from 3 different sources, and none were in agreement. The charts on the chartplotter had the clearances charted at normal pool, sometimes 2-3 feet more than the maximum pool clearance. Skipper Bob and the NY Canal System had the maximum pool clearances, but due to rounding errors, the sources did not agree. We decided to trust the NY Canal System figures, thinking that they should have the best handle on what was going on. Capt. Larry would call out the bridge number and Jane would look the clearances up. We were doing pretty well and not abusing the radome, when we came to bridge E-92, the County-Line Road bridge. This had a clearance of 15.5' at maximum pool. But, god, it looked so awfully low! Capt. Larry gave the helm to Jane and went astern to view the radar dome as it passed under the bridge. By his eyeballs, the dome cleared by less than 6", perhaps at little as 3-4". This was really disconcerting and what was going on? Doesn't maximum pool mean just that? We mean, if you define maximum pool as the maximum plus a little bit, for godsakes tell us! We really didn't have time to sort this out too well, because we had to lock through Lock #26, and we are now looking at what is identified as the lowest bridge on the Erie Canal, E-93, the "Old Railroad Bridge." Jane says the bridge table shows this bridge to be an inch or two higher than the last one, but there was a warning label on the map next to the bridge- "Use caution when passing under this bridge.

Jane enjoyed her ride under E-93

Overhead clearance can be low." What the hell! We likely have a little more clearance, but the unknown variable is that after passing through the lock we are now in a new pool, and everything is dependent on pool level. We have about 1/4 mile from the lock to the bridge to decide what to do. Capt. Larry tells Jane to go sit as close to rear of the boat as possible.

After E-93, on to the next bridge!

He idles the boat up to the bridge, geez it looks low, and about 20 yards from the bridge he firewalls the throttles, popping up the bow and setting the rear end of the boat down hard. We came through so hard and fast we had to turn hard to avoid running into the bank. But we made it with no damage to the boat. Jane said she thought we had 2-3" of clearance to the top of the radome. Both of us were laughing so hard we couldn't believe it. And that, folks, is how we roll and how Capt. Larry became the low bridgemeister!

Bald eagle looking for lunch

Lock #25 lockmaster's office

Richmond Aqueduct remains

Our second whitetail deer

Another mature eagle

Closeup of a whitetail deer

The day wasn't all about bridge worries. We came through some wildlife areas and saw whitetail deer (at two different locations) for the first time, some bald eagles, a beaver, and a number of other bird species. We also went pass the remains of the Richmond Aqueduct, which was once one of the longest on the Erie Canal. It was a really enjoyable trip. By the way, did we mention that it's raining.......

I've got a mule, and her name is Sal,
Fi-fteen miles on the Er-ie Canal,
Shes a good ol' worker and a good ol' pal,
Fif-teen miles on the Er-ie Canal,
We'v hauled some barges in our day,
Filled with lum-ber, coal and hay,
And ev'ry inch of the way we know,
From Al-ba-ny to Buff-alo OH

Low bridge ev'ry bod-y down,
Low bridge for we're com-in to a town,
And you al-ways know your neighbor,
And you always know you pal,
If you've ev-er navigated on the Er-ie can-al.

Erie Canal Song
- written by Thomas Allen, 1905

The Eastern Erie Canal- Waterford to Three Rivers

A typical lock & dam

Erie Lock #2- our first Erie Canal lock

Inside a Waterford Flight lock

Lock #4, ready and waiting

Guard Gate #1

We spent one night in Waterford. It was raining early the next morning, so we decided to not leave and enter the canal until the rain let up. The forecast was for light showers off and on all day long. Conditions were not the best, but we also knew that major storm activity was not predicted. We cast off our lines around 0930 and entered Lock #2, the second of 35 locks we would transit. There are five closely space locks (#2-6) and two Guard Gates (#1 and #2) near Waterford that are referred to as the Waterford Flight. Each lock rises or falls about 34 feet, so in a distance of approximately 2 miles you are raised or lowered around 170 feet. This is twice the elevation of the entire Panama Canal! We entered the first lock and were secured to a rubber coated cable (similar concept to the pipe) when it started raining. Since this was our first lock, we had to process some paperwork to purchase a canal pass. The lockmasters are the greatest and walked our paperwork between the office and the boat so we wouldn't have to go through the rain (not that this made any difference because we were already wet!).

Some debris NOT floating in the water

Cruising down the Mohawk River

Because we were the only boat locking through at this time, we transited the Waterford Flight in a very short time, then went through four more locks and around 30 miles before arriving at Amersterdam, NY. Here we tied up to a municipal dock for $1/foot which included electric, water, showers, and a laundry. After we were secured, we met Rich & Carol Nick aboard Salt 'n Sand home ported in Cape May, NJ. We decided to all have dinner at the restaurant at the dock, and it turned out to be a fabulous meal with fantastic company.

A happy little girl wearing our Mardi Gras beads

Bavarian Cream visits Canajahorie

Relaxing at the Canajahorie dock

Getting ready for the next lock

We toyed with the idea of spending an extra day in Amsterdam. We needed to do laundry, and a day of rest would be welcomed. However, after talking it over, we decided to move on after the laundry was done. Coming out of our last lock the day before, we hit a submerged tree and brought it to the surface. Immediately we had a bad vibration at mid rpms and figured we dinged a prop. We figured it would be better to move on in case we had to have the boat hauled and a prop repaired in a boatyard in the Finger Lakes. We didn't want to waste time if we had to spend extra days for repair work. We finished the laundry and headed on very close to noon. We had around 24 miles and 3 locks to transit to make it to Canajahorie, NY. The run to Canjahorie was uneventful and we arrived around 1530 and tied up at the free dock. Not only was the dockage free, but electric and water were provided at no charge. One could really get used to Erie Canal cruising. Jane talked to some park visitors to find out about the town. A young woman that she spoke with said that she worked at a very nearby restaurant called the Elephant Bistro and that tonight was mexican night and she was the one who made the nachos. So, when it came time to eat, we found the Elephant Bistro and had nachos and a combination platter that was really delicious. We went back to the boat and crashed for the night.

The next morning we got ready to go another 24 miles and 5 locks to Ilion, NY, home of Remington Arms (the gunmakers). We called for reservations at the Ilion Marina and headed out. The trip to Ilion was uneventful. We passed through 5 locks and, according to the gps altitude had risen to 357' above sea level. We came to the famed Lock #17.

The lift gate of Lock #17

This is the largest lift of all the Erie Canal locks (40') and is unique in that there are not lock gates to pass through but a gate is lifted over the canal and the boats pass under the gate which is then closed. Supposedly there is only one other lock like this in North America in Canada. It was pretty impressive.

The gate closes on Lock #17

The Ilion marina was reallly first class, perfectly manicured, clean, and really helpful service. We enjoyed our brief stay here. The next morning we headed for Sylvan Beach, NY. Sylvan Beach is on the eastern shore of Lake Oneida and is a lively resort area with a good sized sand beach, a 1950's amusement park, and all of the eating and shopping establishments that come with typical resort community.

Rock climbing by Lock #17

At this point on the Erie Canal we have departed from the Mohawk River and are running in man-made ditches.

Debris removal on the canal

Today we would pass through 4 locks, two up and two down. We made it to Sylvan Beach and tied up at the free dock on the terminal wall.

Happy hour on Joysea

There ahead of us were loopers Steve & Linda Franks aboard Yesterday's Dream and Indianians Dave & Joyce Johnson on Joysea. We all had happy hour aboard Joysea and had dinner on our boats. Later, Jane & Capt. Larry walked into town to pick up a few items at a small grocery. When we got back to the boat we watched another of Todd's movies and crashed into bed. The locks are taking their toll....

Crossing Lake Oneida with looper boats

Lookin' good!

Getting ready to be worked on

The Wal-Mart run

The next morning we left with the other two looper boats and headed across Lake Oneida. We had an easy day planned and decided to stop at a marina in Brewerton, NY and have Bavarian Cream hauled out to see what here bottom side looked like. If we needed any hull or running gear work, this would be a good place to have it done. At the very least we had traveled almost 2,800 miles and figured she should at least have here bottom washed. Most boats don't get that many miles in 5 years. The marina staff was really great and accommodating. We borrowed the courtesy car and made the obligatory Wal-Mart run and waited for the boat to be hauled the next day. The boat was hauled and to our relief, the props were in great shape. Is Capt. Larry one helluva skipper or what? We did have a cutlass bearing that had slid halfway down the shaft and was resting on the shaft zinc, and the thought was that might be causing some vibration at certain times. Also we had a loose port prop nut that was only finger tight and considered ourselves really lucky that we hadn't lost a prop. These repairs were done and new zincs and a pressure wash and we were back in the water. It amazed us how good the bottom looked.

Turn right for Canada

The next day we continued westward on the Erie Canal, heading for Baldwinsville. We came to Three Rivers which is where the Erie Canal, Seneca River, and Oswego River join. Capt. Larry told Jane that a right turn would take us to Canada and this was here last chance, but she had her mind made up to run the rest of the Erie Canal. We went through two more locks and finally berthed at the Baldwinsville terminal wall. What a great place. Electric, water, great company with other boaters, and all of this for $5 a night. We had dinner on the boat, talked about where we would head to next, and sat through a pretty good thunderstorm. All in a day's play.....

Up the Hudson River- NYC to Waterford

Bye, bye, NYC

We left our marina in NYC to head up the Hudson River and get into the NY Canal System. We timed our departure to coincide with slack water so we wouldn't have to fight the really strong tidal currents. The skies were overcast and it was going to be a dreary day. Our plans were to go into an anchorage in Haverstraw Bay, just a few miles short of West Point. This was only going to be around a 30 mile day, and because we left fairly early, we ambled our way up the river on an incoming tide. We were doing around 7 kts. at idle speed.

Grant's Tomb (cupola)

George Washington Bridge

Harlem at the Harlem River

Yonkers

Palisades

Tappan Zee light

The first sight we saw was Grant's tomb. We wanted to stop to see if anyone knew who was actually buried there, but decided to keep going. Next came Harlem and the Harlem River. We couldn't identify where the Clintons were living, but knew that they were in there somewhere. We passed under the George Washington and Tappan Zee bridges, passed the Palisades and Yonkers, then settled in for a leisurely excursion to Haverstraw Bay. We were hooked up with looper friends Dickie & Dixie, and Larry & Linda that we stayed with in NYC. We got to our anchorage around 1300, set the hook and relaxed and read our books for the greater part of the afternoon. Larry & Linda were also anchored with us, but Dickie & Dixie went further upriver to find a marina. In the anchorage, Capt. Larry reworked the BBQ grill which was banged around a couple of times coming into different slips. When he finished, the grill was presentable and didn't show too many signs of excessive abuse.

Bear Mountain Bridge

West Point

Go Army!

Hudson Valley highlands

Ruins at Pollepel Island

Vanderbilt mansion

Esopus Meadows light

Kingston light

Saugerties light

Hop-O-Nose marina

The next morning we were underway around 0630. We planned to do a 70+ mile day and make it into a marina in Catskill, NY. The skies were overcast again and threatening rain, but we again hooked up with an incoming tide and rode that practically the entire trip, making really good time. Shortly after we got underway we passed West Point, and just beyond the academy is the deepest part of the Hudson River which is charted as "World's End." When we passed over this hole the depth sounder read 179' making it the deepest water we will traverse on the loop. We are now in the Hudson Valley highlands and the scenery is absolutely captivating. We passed Pollepel Island which was used by an early 1900's arms merchant to store his goods. Lightening strikes and lack of use have now reduced these warehousing structures to ruins. As we passed the Newburgh Bridge, we got a radio call from Dickie and Dixie who saw us go by from their marina. We passed Poughskeepie and shortly after that Hyde Park. Hyde Park was the home of FDR, and is the home of Vanderbilt Mansion and the Culinary Institute. Also notable is the end of the salt water just a few miles further north around Esopus Island. Further north, we start to see a number of lighthouses that look more like houses than the tower-type lights seen along the coast. The southern sections of the Hudson are characterized by wide, deep channels with few islands or flats. Conversely, the upper sections of the river are peppered with numerous islands, mid-channel flats, and are fed by numerous creeks and streams. We made our way to Catskill Creek where the Hop-O-Nose Marina is located.

Jane kayaks on Catskill Creek

We would be spending two nights here to get some boat chores, fueling, and provisioning done before heading into the Erie Canal. It was a really pleasant stay. On the second day we were joined by Larry & Linda who would have their mast stepped before entering the canals.

Middle Ground Flats light

Coming into Albany

Troy lock & dam

Riding the pipe up 16 feet

The dam from the filled lock

We turn left

We left Hop-O-Nose's and headed for Albany, Troy, and Waterford, the start of the Erie Canal. It was a relatively uneventful trip until we got to the Troy Lock and Dam. Capt. Larry radioed the lockmaster and the gates were opened. Unlike the previous locks we experienced, this lock was equipped with vertical standpipes. One loops a line secured to an amidships cleat and holds the boat to the wall during the ride. It was up to Jane to get this line looped and hold the boat to the wall until Capt. Larry could leave the helm to assist. All that we will report is that this was a really emotional moment for her. She did, however, do an excellent job of securing the line and holding the boat until help arrived. Her biggest fear, of course, was losing the boat and causing us to drift in the lock. Unless one has previously performed these maneuvers, it's not something for weak-kneed individuals. But Jane was a real trooper. After the lock we made our way to the juncture of the Erie Canal and the Champlain Canal. We turned west to Waterford and tied up at the free dock. That night we ordered pizza and relaxed while we read about traversing the Erie Canal.

Hitching a ride on a debris taxi!