Update from Waterway Cruising Guide

NEW YORK TO GREAT LAKES & GREAT LAKES UPDATES

23 September 2011

Erie Canal status - a first hand report

I received this info from a friend in the area.
"Jim drove by the canal today (Sept 22 Ed.) all the way to Albany. After lock # 17 there is no water in the canal, let's say two feet to 3-1/2 feet, and many complete dry spots in the middle and sides. I spoke to Lock 15 and he stated Lock 11, 10, 9, 8, & 7 all have damage. I asked if the lock system would open before November 15th the closing date. Lockmaster stated he didn't see how. Time will tell but it does not look good."
Robert L. Wilson
National Accounts Manager
Waterway Guide Publications

Affirmation we made the right decision.

Thoughts about Fellow Cruisers

We had a home to come home to. We met fellow cruisers who had sold their homes and cars to move aboard their boat for their adventure. They too were headed for the Erie Canal, now closed due to flooded and broken locks. Tonight we think about them as they have thought about us. For each of us, our excitement of the cruise was dashed by this turn of events. None of us gave up! One re-routed from the Erie Canal to go south through Chicago. One trucked their boat. One is waiting for the okay to truck their sailboat to the East coast. Due to the flooding in NY and PA, trucking permits are not being issued. They sit in Tonawanda NY waiting. It's a nice place to be but waiting for weeks is tough. Great people we met along our short journey! We think of them, wish them the best and look forward to meeting up with them again somewhere on the cruise next year.

Home

Arrived home early afternoon with everything in order on the home front. Unloading the rental car seemed like it took forever. Then came the unpacking: clothes, electronics, food, books, dog. Chester jumped out of the car and ran around happy to be independent once again.

The lists continue with things to "undo" since we are home again. Stop mail forwarding (we still chuckle that we had to rent a car in NY to get our mail), TV/Internet, trash pickup, reinstate auto insurance, etc. Here we sit at McDonalds in Holland for their wifi just as we did in Tonawanda NY! The good part is it involves ice cream.

Weary & whipped but ever so thankful to be home safe & sound.

total postponement

Well, I guess this really is on hold. Journey came out of the water late yesterday, Friday. Thought we were going to lose her. Had brought her back down to RCR marine in Buffalo. They put the straps under her and started lifting. Something malfunctions in the travel lift and the port/aft cable started slipping. The boat rolled about 20 degrees and the stern dropped. IF the mast had been stepped it would be all over. They did a great job of recovering it. After doing many adjustments and tests they tried it again. Fortunately, no problems
.
We have gathered the food, clothes and all the items we think we may need for a LONG winter. Spent most of the day winterizing and buttoning things up. Our rental car is packed!!!! A hard reality.

Over half the Erie canal is closed. The Oswego is starting to reopen. The Champlain has been open, closed open and re closed. The trucking companies can not get permits at this time to truck boats in N.Y. or Penn . Lots of people displaced. We have met many people who have sold their homes and are , take that back...WERE cruising south. This is going to take a lot of time to clean things up. Hope the funds hold out for the states involved.

Hurry up and wait

We are still sitting on the wall in the canal in Tonawanda. Today we picked up a rental car which we will drop in Grand Rapids next week. Now, in all our wisdom, last week we had scheduled to have our mail sent ahead of us so we could pick it up. Well it was ahead of us.....about 116 miles. So today we drove to Lyons, NY to pick it up. Really pretty on the canal up there.
Picked up oil and antifreeze to winterize. Oh Boy!!!! The boat comes out Friday.
One very positive aspect is we have met some very interesting people. Two other boats are sitting on the wall with us.....one is heading for Chicago, the other is being trucked to Annapolis. Met another couple from Austria who have been cruising for fourteen years. Good stories and good laughs.

Like pulling a bandaid off slowly

We still believe that leaving Journey here on the hard is the best decision. We can come back in the spring and have lots of time to explore the Erie Canal and the east coast, provided no new hurricanes come. There are always options and we will choose the best when the time comes

On to lighter news...learned something new here. We asked many people if there was wifi available by the boat. We got many answers like: whats wifi? or the best one---I think we have FYI over there! We finally found wifi..sorry, FYI at McDonalds.

Along the wall in Tonawanda where we are tied up, is the local hangout. Except for canalers like us, it is all small powerboats.Most are the really loud go-fasters. The bars are open til 4am in North Tonawanda and 3am in Tonawanda so it becomes quite loud in the middle of the night. Or at 20 bucks many stay. One bar directly across from us even has a live band. Starts at 10 oclock.

We are making the best of things and starting to pack up. Trying to determine what we need for the winter and also what food has to go.

Tonawanda

Tonawanda is the beginning of the Erie Canal. We have covered almost a quarter mile. This town is a great place to stop. There are tie ups all along the walls on both sides with electric and water, showers and restrooms. And the best part....$25 per night.

As everyone is aware of, Hurricane Irene has done quite a number to the northeast. Although we did not see any of it, the east end of the Erie Canal and the Hudson River are a mess. The damage is unbelievable. Now listen well....THE ERIE CANAL IS CLOSED....probably for the rest of the season. So our options are to : turn around and exit at Chicago to the Tomm-Tenn....
We could go out the St Laurence around Newfoundland....Have the boat trucked to the Chesapeake..... OR have it hauled and stored in Buffalo and continue next year.
We have contacted the marina that unstepped the masts and have arranged to leave Journey there. A hard decision!!!!!

More to come.