Fonda to Guard Gate 2
08 September 2008 | N42o48.370 x W73o42.877
High Pressure - Sunny 70s
Locks 12 to 7 today, so a long day for us. Lock 12 had no power but got it back 5 minutes after we got there. There was one guy standing there watching us come in and when the Lock Master said "Morning Captain" to me, I said "oh no, he's the Captain, I'm the helmsmen" We laughed (except the guy watching me). The observer turned to the Lock Master and said "we'll they need to learn sooner or later aye?" in reference to my handling the boat into the lock. I cozied up to the wall, threw the engine in reverse, stopped the boat in front of the rope, picked it up, looked him in the eye and said better sooner than later aye?" He didn't like that, but looked me square in the eye and said where you heading? Wayne said "the Bahama's. I just smiled, and he left.
Lock 11 went without a hitch, but when we got to 10 and locked in, he had some problems and let us know. "Letting the water out is no problem, but letting it in there's only one inlet working". Then we sat for a while and he yelled down at us that he couldn't get the gates open, do we mind? Well, no. But do we have a choice? 5 minutes later he asked if we could get out if he got one gate open? We said we're 12 ft wide, and he said it's 20 ft, so shouldn't be a problem. 10 minutes later, they both started opening, so it wasn't a problem. The rest of the Locks went without a hitch. So a total elevation drop today of 98 ft.
We Tried to stop at the Crescent Terminal Wall in Saratoga County at the free dock east of Bridge E-6 but it was filled with two barges and a tug so we went on to Guard Gate 2 hoping to be able to tie up there. There was room behind another green sailboat called La Buena Vida so we pulled in behind them and they came up and caught our lines. Nice couple from Kingston, Ontario Canada - Marlena and Heinz. They're heading down for the Bahamas also (they've made this trip several times already). Very nice boat and very nice people.
A cold front is supposed to be approaching late night/early morn with some severe thunderstorms heading our way tomorrow. The following day is supposed to be nice though so we'll see.
Sausage & garlic/butter egg noodles for dinner (wish I had some sauerkraut to go with mmmmmm). Theoretically - Waterford and power tomorrow.
Oh the picture for the day? The second lock we went to was next to an industrial area. I spotted this VW Beetle on top of the smoke stack. Don't know the story behind it but Wow I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it...