We spent two nights at the Riverlink Marina in Amsterdam, June 7th and 8th. We were able to get the laundry done and rest. The second morning, we awoke to find that a boat we had seen at Hop O’ Nose marina, “Northern Lights” a sister ship of Davali, had pulled in. I had been lusting after their cockpit enclosure and had taken many photos of it. It was great to meet the owners, Jeff and Neala. We had a wonderful evening! Art and Lynn came over for dinner and then we all went to Jeff and Neala’s for wine, scotch, and dessert. Art brought his guitar and a special guest, Duncan, his pirate puppet. It’s been a long time since I laughed like that. All of the guys took turns playing the guitar and there was much singing and laughing. On the morning of the 9th, we got underway with not a lot of sleep and big heads. Jeff and Neala stayed an extra day. so it was Davali and Seaquance, which is a 28 ft Catalina, on the move along with one other boat, The Sloop Tom and B, a 42 foot Hunter. We were a little flotilla traveling down the canal on our way to Ilion, NY.

Our plan for that day was to travel to Ilion, NY. A total distance of 44.8 nautical miles. The other boats had stopped for fuel and a pump out and the plan was they would catch up to us in Ilion. We traveled through Locks 11-13 in good weather. As we exited Lock 14, the skies ahead had turned very dark. The radar picture was bleak. We turned around and moored to the lock wall and waited out the storm. It was so black and the rain came down in sheets. Lot’s of lightening but luckily not a lot of wind. Just as the storm was over, the other boats were locking through lock 14. We went ahead, but Seaquance was having engine issues so he pulled in at Little Falls and we stopped with them. Very cute town and nice free dock. We lent him a thermometer and he determined his engine was not overheating but the guage was bad so we went on. This time in the rear. Which was actually nice because there was a lot of wood in the water and the boats ahead alerted us to big logs which we were then able to avoid. Because of the weather delay, we decided to stop in St. Johnsville. We went through 5 locks that day.

In St. Johnsville, we took on fuel, water, and pumped our tanks. We walked into town to a little bar and grill called Cosmos with the crew of Seaquance and The Sloop Tom and B. While there we met Albert and Sandi who have a 42 ft Choy Lee called Outrageous. We once again had a great time and the hamburgers were pretty good! Although the wine list was a little skimpy. We also met the crew of a catamaran which had spent the winter in the Caribbean and was returning to their homeport in Toronto.

The next morning we headed out for Sylvan beach, on Lake Onieda. Today was the day we would go through the largest lock on the Erie Canal, Lock 17 with a vertical lift of 40.5 feet. It was amazing, like sailing into a huge aircraft hanger. I have posted some pictures. We were now 363 feet above sea level.

Our friends in S/V Seaquance continued having engine problems. Just past Utica, NY the Captain shut down the engine, afraid it was overheating and could seize. We turned back to see if we could help. We had just exited Lock 19. Chris took Seaquance into side tow and on we went. We towed them into Lock 20, which turned out to be the worst set-up lock thus far. There were only 2 ropes on the port side and 3 on the starboard. The other boats we were traveling with hung back so that we could enter the lock first and we took the two port ropes. That left three other ropes for 3 boats. Usually, there is a rope for the bow and stern or at least a pipe. Luckily, the Sloop Tom and B had a bow thruster, but it was a hard lock. The captain of The Sloop Tom and B looked as though he were hanging onto the lock wall with his toe nails! Once through, we stopped early in Rome. We put Seaquance to the pier and let loose our lines and moored ourselves.

I must say that Chris had a great time! He said the last time he took a vessel in tow, it was a 190 foot crab boat near the Arctic Circle!!

We visited among the boats and the crew of Seaquance came over for dinner with a lovely bottle of peaty scotch. Nothing like a little adversity to build relationships!

The next day we headed for Brewerton. This day’s challenge was crossing Lake Oneida. Lake Oneida is shallow and it can be very choppy on the East side of the lake. Even up to 6 feet. When we reached Sylvan, Seaquance stopped for fuel and we poked our nose out into the lake. There were 15 to 18 knot winds and 2-3 foot seas. I realized that I hadn’t given Dorito his seasick medicine. He really hasn’t needed it in the canal. So I crushed up a meclazine and put it in his food. We turned back to let Seaquance know about the lake conditions. They decided to stay in Sylvan and have a mechanic come look at their engine. We were sad to leave them behind.

We set off across the lake and poor Dorito threw-up. But he is such a good boy! He left the forward cabin and threw up right next to his litter box then hunkered down and slept the rest of the trip. Mid-lake, everything died down and we moored at a free pier in Brewerton. Northern Lights tied up behind us and the catamaran was to our starboard. We walked to a liquor store to re-provision then had dinner at the Waterfront Tavern. We secured Dorito in the boat, but left a port light open for some ventilation. When we came back from dinner, someone said, “Is that your cat on the pier?” And sure enough it was! So lesson learned, no hatches or port lights can be open because he is a naughty kitty! We turned in early, exhausted.

This morning, we woke-up and read the email. We had received a “Notice to Mariners” from the NY State Canal System that the Erie Canal was closed from Lock 24 to Lock 30 due to high water. We were between Lock 22 and Lock 23. Right after Lock 23 is a place called Three Rivers Junction where you can turn left and go to Buffalo or turn right and go through the Oswego Canal to Oswego and Lake Ontario. The rumor was it would be closed for a week. So change of plans, and Oswego it was. Since we would now have to clear into Canada, we decided to walk to the Brewerton Marina Yacht store. We needed a second boat hook to help in the locks and we got a quarantine flag and a Canadian courtesy flag.

When you enter another country, you have to hoist a yellow quarantine flag, then the captain is the only one allowed to go ashore for the purpose of clearing customs. Once customs is cleared, you hoist a “courtesy flag” from the country you are entering. We keep our American flag on the stern, which identifies us as an American flagged vessel.

When we made the right turn onto the Oswego Canal, the current was on our stern and ripping. There has been a lot of rain and that is why the Erie was closed. We were eager to get to Oswego before that closed down and we were stuck! Usually, in slack water, if our engine RPMs are 1800 we would be making 5.5 knots. We were making 9 knots at that RPM! It was crazy and a little scary. It would be hard to stop if we needed to. We had 7 locks to traverse. All going down so beside them were dams with water pouring over the side. It seemed like we could get sucked right over. It was beautiful though and we made it to Oswego in record time.

Through the whole Oswego Canal we locked alone and missed our little flotilla. Then in the last lock a trawler pulled in next to us. It was a couple with 5 children and a dog. They are doing the Loop and had started from Kentucky, now that’s brave! They were going to cross the lake to Canada and then down through the Trent-Severn waterway and Georgian Bay.

We thought we might continue on to Little Sodus Bay where we are going to have our mast put back up or “stepped.” But the radar picture once again was looking very bad so we made a last minute decision to pull over and moor on a wall at the mouth of the Oswego River adjacent to the Best Western Hotel. Right now, there is a micro burst coming through. Definitely back in the Great Lakes. Chris doubled up the mooring lines and we are rocking and rolling at the pier! Luckily we are pointed into the winds as they are about 30 knots. I think Chris is getting some good pictures so I will post them.

We have come a long way since Groton and DAVALI is in the Great Lakes!!!!!!