A 0730 departure and we were on our way. There were no locks along our route today, but there were 14 lift bridges that needed to be raised for us to pass through. A single operator usually mans more than one bridge, once they let you through a bridge, they drive up the road to meet you at the next bridge or call ahead to the next operator. That was working well for us for most of the day through ten bridges. When we got to Knowlesville, no operator answered the VHF even though the previous operator told us one would be waiting our arrival. As we have an phone app with all the phone numbers of the locks and bridges, we called the Medina bridge and asked if they would come down to Knowlesville to let us pass. The operator apologized to us saying there was a trawler a few miles ahead of us that took longer to get to Medina than they expected and they would come to Knowlesville as soon as possible. It turns out the trawler ahead of us was Gorfrog, a Canadian vessel that we have been leap frogging ever since we came into Atlantic City. We could hear them calling bridges ahead of us for openings between Cape May and Atlantic City when we were coming up the inside route. We have passed by them a few times and seen them pass by us occasionally, the last time was a few days ago when we were at the dock in Canajohrie.
Typical lift bridge on the western portion of the Erie Canal. Clearance is 16 in the up position as shown.
Once we were out of “phase” we were going to have to have a short wait at every other bridge, but it really isn’t that much of an inconvenience.
Waiting at the wall at Middleport for the operator to return to let us through.
While sitting at the dock we noticed a Dufour 35 sailboat docked on the wall opposite us. Our good friends at the EYC had once owned one of these boats and we had sailed a fair number of miles aboard making multiple trips across Lake Erie. The name on the transom was L’esperance, with a home port of Erie, Pa. Sure enough, it was the exact same boat even though it had left Erie many years ago. The Mate had even crossed the lake aboard her years ago although she really doesn’t remember the trip.
An old friend, still going although somewhat worse for wear.
We tied up at the marina here as it is close to where our son Arron lives. They want $.50/foot here but there isn’t anybody around to collect the fee and the power and water aren’t turned on yet. This is another place that doesn’t come alive until Memorial Day. I got out my hammer and pounded in all the nails that were working loose on the dock after the winter (before they could ruin our fenders). I guess we will call it even.
These characters had a six wheel ATV that they stuck an outboard on. Watching them we were surprised they didn’t go swimming as this “vessel” doesn’t appear to have much stability.
Another “crowded” dock at the marina.
We had dinner this evening at our son’s house with his girl friend Bethany and her parents Jim and Sue. It was nice to see the progress they have made fixing up Aaron’s house as he bought a real fixer-uper a few years back.
We also visited with his chickens, they are more pets than anything although the chickens do supply them with fresh eggs.
Today: 42 nm in 7.4 engine hours. 14 bridges, 0 locks.
Dave
Life aboard LIBERTY 