Let’s get this party started!


Monday August 8, 2011 – North Tonawonda, NY (near Buffalo – in the Erie Canal)

Dale and kids moved the boat from the Buffalo Yacht Club to Wardell’s Boat Yard in Tonawonda to have the masts taken down. I did some provisioning and returned the rental car. I took the whole day to get the masts down and everything all settled on deck. The masts lay across the starboard side of the cockpit with the booms on the forward deck. We are able to put the bimini back up for shade and rain protection in the canal. It was a hot and sunny day and the “newbies” (Madeline and I) got a little pink. Ah—just the beginning of a fantastic tan, I hope!
It was after 5 pm when we were able to pull out of Wardell’s. We were all hot and tired and only made it 200 yards to a nice dock where we tied up for the night. We set up the bikes and checked out the area. Later the kids swam in the canal. The boat was still a disaster area with piles everywhere. The original load from Duluth had never been “properly” stowed; only stowed for safety. Plus, the girls brought another pick-up load with to Buffalo. Dinner at the canal side restaurant was in order. We moved piles around to find sleeping spots and were off to bed.


Tuesday August 9, 2011 - North Tonawonda, NY

We woke to light rain that ended up lasting the whole day. I was totally overwhelmed at the disorganization in the boat. Dale suggested we just stay put and spend the day stowing things and making our home livable. This was a VERY good idea. By the end of the day the progress was amazing. We got rid of almost all of our boxes and you could actually sit in the saloon!
I was not really up to cooking and it was still a bit of a mess so I easily talked the crew in to dinner across the canal again. They have a very good pulled pork sandwich. Plus, it only cost a few bucks more than eating at Burger King.


Wednesday August 10, 2011 – to Middleport, NY – 29 miles

We were up and at ‘em by about 9:30 ;-); did some final stowing and actually decided to get moving. We went through our first locks (a double lock) with no troubles. Cool. You pull your boat up to the side where they have vertical lines or cables running from top to bottom. All you do is slip your dock lines through a vertical line so that you don’t float around the lock. This was a down lock so it’s pretty slow and easy. We also got our lock pass so that means we need to be out in 10 days ($50 for over 39 footer). No problem!
We had a nice sunny day and enjoyed watching the small villages and acres of crops go by. There was a tour boat in the first locks with us but after that we didn’t see anyone else transiting the canal.
We pulled over at Middleton and tied up. The small towns and villages along the canal generally provide free dockage with electric. Many have water and most have bathrooms and showers too. Another competition for the tourist dollar. Fortunately, it works well with our cruiser budget!
Wyatt spent a lot of time becoming very comfortable on his ”new” bike. Dale had Madeline and Wyatt switch bikes and the newer bike was easier for Wyatt to handle. I made our first dinner aboard and we had a nice, quiet evening.


Thursday August 11, 2011 – Wyatt’s Birthday!! To Spencerport, NY – 38 miles
We awoke to an ambulance call about 7 am. We were docked right next to the ambulance garage. Oh well.
Our next stop was Spencerport – about 38 miles and 11 lift bridges away. The lift bridges were fun. We had to call the lift operator for an opening. All the operator of bridges and lifts are really the canal ambassadors. They have been friendly and very helpful on local information. Most of the bridge operators work 2 different bridges. Sometimes we would have to wait for them and we’d see a car jump up and an person run in to the building.
At Medina we had to wait. We pulled over and tied up and a young boy on a bike, shirtless with a helmet comes flying up. “You should’ve moved faster. He was waiting for ya but had to go to the other bridge. You’re gonna have to wait about 10 minutes”. That was followed by comments on our big boat and how it must be worth at least $1 million!! Nicholas was 9 years old only 2 weeks before so he and Wyatt made a fast friendship that only lasted 15 minutes.
We the lift operator came back we thanked him for sending his assistant for us. He told as Nicholas was an Operator in Training.
We pulled in to Spencerport to a beautiful new dock and museum with all the facilities including WIFI. Shopping was close by too! The bikes came out and were used a lot in Spencerport. Another great weather day too. Ahhhh….what more could you ask for.
Wyatt got pancakes, bacon and eggs for dinner and a trip down the street to Abbott’s for a yummy frozen custard treat. I had brought a couple of presents too! He decalred it the best birthday ever!


Friday August 12, 2011 – Spencerport, NY

We liked it so much in Spencerport we decided to stay another night. Plus, there was going to be a German Fest starting that night.
We cleaned, stowed, provisioned and used the WIFI. About 5:30 we went off to the German Fest. Good beer, brats and music. The Kid entertainment had car trouble so we didn’t stay too long. 2 beers are my limit and I hit the sack!!
We began looking at time and mileage and decided we needed a bit more canal under our keel! W also started looking at after the canal and we’re thinking we may not go as far north as Boston anymore. We’re thinking we’ll spend some time in Newport and then use a bit more time in the Chesapeake. We’ve also decided to head off shore from closer to Norfolk, VA instead of Oriental, NC. We’ve met some Loopers that say the part south of Norfolk is just a cattle drive through the ditch. OK – time to set one rule: do not hold us to ANY plans we may make. The Norfolk change is pretty solid but anything else is up for grabs!!


Saturday August 13, 2011 – to Palmyra – 30 miles and then to Lyons – 15 miles

Another beautiful day and we set off for Palmyra. This quaint village, named for a Mesopotamian Queen, boasts 6 museums and a new dock with bathrooms and showers. We were particularly interested in the Phelps Store. This place was run by the Phelps family since about 1865 ish. It was a bakery and a tavern before Phelps made it a store. Phelps’ son ran the store from about 1905 until 1940. One day in 1940 he decided he just wasn’t gonna do it anymore and locked up the store. It was never opened again and all the stuff is still in the store. This includes the eggs that were delivered that morning in 1940. They have but them in a glass box so you can’t touch them!! It is very cool with a lot of names we still see today – Tide, Fab, Fels-Naptha, Boraxo, Shinola, etc. The upstairs was once a boarding house and served as the family home. A daughter, and her 15 cats, kept the home until her death in 1976 when the village took it over and finally restored the property and made it a museum. We visited the Print Shop and the Canal Museum and part of the local Historical Museum. They also have a Coverlet Museum and a museum in the print shop where the first edition of the Book of Mormon was printed. Palmyra hosts a huge Mormon celebration every year that brings in 25,000 people in to this town of 8,000.
We took the bikes a rode the bike path that runs along side a piece of the original cnal that still has water in it. It leads to a park that has an original turn around bridge. The mules would walk from one side up and over the bridge to turn a barge around the other way. Nearby is a piece of an old aqueduct too. Definitely worth a stop in Palmyra.
It was still early after our touring so we pushed on to Lyons-another 15 miles.

Sunday August 14, 2022 – Lyons to Baldwinsville – 49 miles

Rain, Rain and more rain. We just kept on motoring. We are now discovering that the west end of the canal is where all the neat stops are and the free services. The east has all the finger lakes and 2 smaller canals to visit. We wish we had the time to divert but not this trip. Besides, it’s raining……..

Monday August 15 – Baldwinsville to Lock 20-67 miles

Rain, rain, rain and movie watching. We covered some ground tho!! Looks like we will be out of the canal Wed nite or Thursday a.m. We contacted Castleton Boat Club and they will set both of the masts for $75!! (We paid $540 to have them taken down). Stayed at Lock 20 overnight after passing by Rome. It just didn’t look very good. Found out later that was a good choice as the canal runs through a seedy part of town in Rome. Tomorrow we will find a pumpout and keep moving East.