Independence Day on the New York Canals

The staff at Riverview Marine Services who took down our mast were fantastic.  Very efficient and they loan power tools and provide scrap wood that south-bound sailors have left behind so we had everything we needed to secure the mast.

Not pretty but it works. I thought it
looked a little like we were planning
a crucifixion!

I'm always very nervous about this part!

This is why we had to lose the mast.
Bridge deck is only 17' above the water

I like when they let me help.

Shortly after heading north from Riverview Marine Services in Catskill, NY we reached our first lock in the NY canal system at Troy. On the way we passed a sunken Jetski tied to one of the navigation buoys.  I would love to know the stories behind some of the odd things we’ve seen on the American waterways.

 Speaking of odd things we’ve seen on the American waterways:

 Just past Troy we had a decision to make:

If my admittedly half-hearted job search had borne fruit we could have headed west on the Erie Canal to get home faster.  Since I am still an unemployed bum lady of leisure we have the time to head north to Lake Champlain, Montreal, Ottawa, and Kingston.

One of the great things about being back in rural inland rivers is the return of free town walls to dock at.  Some even have free power and water. We took advantage of this at Waterford, Mechanicville, and Whitehall.  Add in a couple of nights at anchor and this has been a very cheap part of the trip - a good thing after spending a week in the New York area! The town walls have also made it easy to keep up with the World Cup.  We’ve spent a fair amount of time in café’s, bars, and town marina lounges to watch.  We are usually the only people watching with the exception of Ed and Shannon on Darwin.  In the lounge at Waterford we caused quite a stir because the women who volunteer wanted to turn off the game at half time to watch The View! I always wondered who watched those crappy shows and now I know – little old ladies in upstate NY.

The other benefit of being back in the rivers is fresh water.  The salt is so hard on everything metallic on the boat.  That has meant a few extra chores this week:

Cleaning and adjusting brake cables.

One needs replacing but that

is a chore for another day.

Giving all the non-stainless tools some TLC

Speaking of cleaning, This is the best stuff to clean the slime of the ICW and rivers from the waterline.  Oxalic Acid is the active ingredient in many fancy marine cleaners.  Buying it at the hardware store and mixing it myself saves a lot of money. Be warned - it is tough on the gelcoat and wax so it needs to be thoroughly rinsed and not left on very long.