Flooded in Waterford

logs coming down the river by our boat

The rain poured down all day yesterday. It finally let up for a short time in the evening.  There is so much water running down the system that they had to close the Erie Canal at around 12:00.  The Champlain Canal is still open so we could leave today if it was not raining. Who wants to lock through 7 locks in the rain. They are also calling for thunderstorms later today so we will stay put.
The water level was at 16 feet when we pulled in on Saturday and now it is at 20' 6'' according to the gage under the bridge. We had to walk to a walkway to get off the dock and now we simply step down to the wall from the dock. We heard logs bumping against the boat all night.

The floating dock is up to the top of the concrete wall

It is like home week here, we met up with a Canadian we ran across in Oriental North Carolina.  There is a french couple in front of us who came in at high speed because the current was so strong it was pushing them on us.  He cleared our boat bu a few inches and gave us a little bit of a scare. Very nice folks!
We just lay around reading and watching movies yesterday and it looks like that is what we are doing today as well.
We should be able to leave tomorrow if the current settles down.

The outside lock wall is under water

The concrete wall before the flood

The lock wall before the flood

Waterford

The spillway with the bicycle trail on the left

We had a nice relaxing day yesterday in the lovely town of Waterford.  We rode both bicycle paths, the one that runs along the Erie Canal and the Old Champlain Canal.  The weather was perfect.
We went back to our little breakfast place and walked around visiting second hand shops.  All we ever buy are DVDs but we like to look.
I read sitting in the sun for the rest of the day while Jerry worked on boat maintenance.

The Visitor Centre free dock

It rained all night and so far it has rained all day.  I made a nice hot pot of soup and we are just sitting around reading and planning our next few days along the Champlain Canal. There are free docks until we reach Lake Champlain.  The weather is supposed to be good tomorrow and then cool on Friday so I had to research docks with power so we can have a heater on. It won't be a problem, Fort Edwards is 7 locks away and 38 miles so we should be able to reach there tomorrow.

Waterford is at the Junction of the Hudson River and the Erie Canal

Nice church in Waterford

Taking a break in Waterford

Tug with cat's whiskers at Waterford lock

We had a very pleasant day of rest in Waterford yesterday.  The weather was perfect for pedalling around town.  We had breakfast at Paul and Don's, a small and very busy restaurant while we did our laundry. A great breakfast for $3.00, makes no wonder there was a wait of 20 minutes to be seated.

This town boasts of being the first incorporated village in the US. There are large wooden historic houses and a nice bicycle trail that borders the Erie Barge Canal. We had to run around from store to store to get supplies but today we should be able to ride for pleasure. We are going back to Paul and Don's for breakfast and to check out the second hand store. Jerry has some boat maintenance to do so we will stay one more day.

The water rose 8 feet in town during hurricane Irene

We were invited for happy hour aboard R&B Haven last night and ended up staying for dinner. Rob and Bev are from Brockville and they are travelling with friends from Carleton Place.  It is a lot of fun sharing our boating travel experiences.  They had a nice crock pot full of pulled pork and we made rice to go along.  Impromptu pot luck dinners are the best.
Everyone has gone this morning, they are going towards lake Erie and we are going the other way around.

Historic home in Waterford

War Memorial in Waterford

Waterford, New York

Lighthouse at our anchorage

Lighthouse in Hudson

Albany the state Capital

We are through the Troy Lock and are tied up in Waterford which is the beginning of the Erie Barge Canal. We are at the visitor center which offers showers, power and water for $10.00 afor 48 hour's stay.  We may stay here for 2-3 days. We are the first cruisers to arrive, they just opened today.  We need to be out of the US by the 15th so we are  little rushed.

Troy Federal Lock

We have decided to take the Champlain Canal and Lake Champlain route home.  We will be going through around 70 locks including some on the St Lawrence Seaway but it is preferable to crossing Lake Ontario so early in the season.
We are going out for dinner to night and have found a nice breakfast place.  It feels good to be out of tidal waters and big water.

Hudson River

Wow! What a beautiful day on the Hudson River.

High speed ferries churning up New York Harbour

We left New York city at 6:00 this morning to capitalize on the tidal current coming up the Hudson River. It was foggy, then the rain came down in buckets and we even had thunder and lightning to make things more exciting. I thought New York Harbour would be less busy early in the morning and I was wrong for the first time on this whole trip.  There were high speed ferries coming and going in all directions and creating a bouncy rocky wake. The Queen Mary 11 was docking, and tugs and barges with their confusing lights were everywhere. I was trying to take in all the sights and take pictures while staying upright. Oh and I also had to watch for traffic and all this before my first cup of coffee. Oh the joys of pleasure boating. The Captain thinks that New York Harbour was great, I was never so happy to say goodbye to Lady Liberty and get out of dodge.
We then proceeded up the Hudson river at a break neck speed of 10 to 12 miles per hour.  North Star usually cruises at 8.  The fog cleared, the sun came out, we opened the windows and doors for the first time in a week and enjoyed the spectacular scenery. This river rivals he Jackson River in beauty. It is nice and deep so we didn't have to worry about depth for the first time in a week.  There are cliffs and mountains which is a nice change from the salt marshes and mud flats.

Looking back at New York city and the Gearge Washington Bridge

We travelled for 11 hours and covered 104 miles so we should be inWaterford New York on the Erie Barge Canal tomorrow. We have been there before so in fact we have completed the great circle but not in one continuous trip,

The Catskills

Beautiful homes along the Hudson River

A Tall ship!

Navigational light on the Hudson

Esopus Creek anchorage

We are anchored in Esopus Creek out of the fast current.  We can sleep in tomorrow because the tide won't be favourable until 11:00. Somehow I can't see the Captain being able to wait this one out...we shall see.

New York, New York

Manasquan Inlet Bridge

We are anchored behind the Statue of Liberty thus have completed the Atlantic Ocean jaunt. 
We left early this morning to catch the right tide but still managed to reach the Verrazano Bridge with the wrong current.  This 35 mile stretch of ocean, from Manasquan Inlet to the Verrazano Bridge in New York Harbour, was the part of the Great Circle that I dreaded the most.  As it turned out it was no worse than Lake Michigan.  We had 2-4 foot rollers on the beam with some good 3-5 foot chop when we arrived in New York Harbour.  The harbour is really busy with tugs and barges, ferry boats and ships. You have to stay alert.
Once you get used to the new motion  of the ocean, you realize that it is not so bad.  Neither one of us got seasick but we did take motion sickness medecine before we left.

New Jersey shoreline on the Atlantic Ocean

We are just relaxing so we can get up early tomorrow morning to catch at least two hours of the right tide.  There is a 3 knot current to fight in the Hudson River when you are on the wrong tide.  It will be a long day travelling at 5 knots.
We hope to be in Waterford on the Erie Canal by Sunday.

Fishing boats at Sandy Hook Light

Verrazano Bridge entering New York Harbour

Rollers on the ocean

Statue of Liberty

View from our anchorage

Bay Head New Jersey

We are anchored at Bay Head New Jersey waiting to cross from Manasquan Inlet to New York city tomorrow.  The winds should be favourable so hopefully we will be anchored behind the Statue of Liberty tomorrow.

Empty Beach Haven Yacht Marina

We had a nice quiet afternoon in Beach Haven yesterday.  All the restaurants are closed because it is not summer yet.  The marinas are empty and the boats are still wearing their winter shrink wrap garb. They don't go in until the 15th we understand. It was like walking through a deserted town. We did find a grocery store that was open.
Today it is rainy, windy and cool.  I guess we are too far north too soon.  Yesterday was warm so it is bound to warm up shortly.

Today's anchorage is in a cove surrounded by marinas

Museum in Beach Haven-it was also closed

We are at the Point Pleasant Canal so it will be a short sail out of the Manasquan inlet and into the Atlantic for about 30 miles early tomorrow morning. We will only have lake Ontario left of the big water after tomorrow.