Life on Zingara

Just when we thought we were making up for lost time ... An Interlude in Ilion, NY, (you'll have to Google it yourself) along the Erie Canal. Zingara is stuck here with a bunch of other boaters.  It seems that they closed the next lock, due to a double barge coming down from the other way. Originally, it was just for 2 hours, --- now, it looks like we're spending the night.  

Saturday, June 10th. We pulled up the anchor at 7:10 am – We were trying to see if we could go 50+ miles today. In advance, I'm sorry if today's post is a little boring. Along the Erie Canal, two towers usually guard each lock.  Inside one of the towers sits the lock-master, a US-government employee who controls the lock.  Surprisingly, each lock-master we talked with seemed to really take pride in his lock, and was very helpful and friendly.   Once Zingara was about a mile away from a lock, we would get on the VHS radio and call  “Lock # (whatever lock it might be), Lock #, this is a westbound trawler.  When is your next opening?”   We would get info/timing from the lock-master.  Once the lock was in view, a light near the top of one of the towers would confirm our directions – it was mainly a traffic light – red means >> don’t enter; either the lock was being used by an eastbound boat or filling up, OR the light was green >...

The Erie Canal!     We left Coeyman Landing around 11:00.   Per the internet, the Locks #8 – 20 would open at 1:00 that afternoon.  So we headed north up of the Hudson River.  I never knew there was so much large ship-traffic on the Hudson River! And then we came to Albany :  Now I really want to visit this city on land!  It really looks like a cool place! A little bit north of Albany is the town of Troy   >>> and  Lock #1    A lock is a way for a boat to go up/down along a river/canal to a different elevation.  The concept is basically easy.  A boat(s) motors into a big cement & metal trough that has gates on both ends.  The far gate is closed, holding back the waters of the different elevation. The “close” gates close behind the boat(s) and water is pumped in to raise a boat(s) or pumped out to lower the boat(s) so that it/they can continue on their voyage. So...

As we’re stuck here south of Albany, we had our first lazy morning in two weeks – showering, laundry, catching up on emails, very exciting!  LOL According to Rick, the Canal will be opening tomorrow – Friday.  We’ll know for sure then. Now --- to go try that infamous Calamari --- it's almost Happy Hour!

Wahoo!  It’s partly sunny and already 52 degrees.  We left the dock around 8:30, traveled out of the channel, and continued on north on the Hudson River. Along the way, I checked out the Cruising Guide, to get some tips about travelling the locks of the Erie Canal.  We called a marina in Troy, NY, about 5 hours up the river, and the town that marks the beginning of the Canal.  Said the woman who answered the phone, “Oh no, you can’t stay here.  We’re replacing the docks in the whole town.  Why don’t you call Waterford”. Said the man in Waterford, “Oh no, you can’t stay here – we’re filled up.   Haven’t you heard?  The canal is closed between Lock 8 thru 20, closed due to high water, and everybody is backed up to here. Try in Albany.”  And so went the morning. Luckily, we found space to dock here at Coeymans Landing – about 2 hours south of Albany.                        ...

RAIN! Cold!  More RAIN! To ensure we took the best advantage of the tides, we left Liberty Landing @ 6:10 AM. For the first hour, we were in rush hour – on the Hudson.  There were water taxis/ferries crossing in front of us, behind us, along side of us.  It was crazy!  Sorry, no pictures of that frenzy. Once we went under the George Washington Bridge, the water traffic subsided and we just had to navigate up river in the rain. Other boat-people that we’ve met, have exclaimed how beautiful the palisades of the Hudson River are.  Unfortunately, due to the weather, most everything was grey.  We tried to use our imaginations as what the scenery would look like with blue skies and sunshine! You’ll have to use your imagination, too. the new construction (replacement bridge) of the Tappen Zee Bridge -- photo from underneath! West Point I kept Rick awake and amused, and I kept myself warm (only 61 degrees in the main salon), by reading/chee...

Mondays are Captain Andy’s day off, so he agreed to ride with us for the day!  Side point: I’m learning so much about this “boating world” every singe day.  While sailing, I know how important it is to know the speed & direction of the wind.  While moving a large power boat along the East Coast, I’m learning that the winds, tides, and currents combine to make or break your travel plans. So Sunday evening, once we returned from the city, Rick sat down with his charts, tide table, and wind app to predict the best time to leave the harbor.  The biggest concern/obstacle for our trip into Liberty Landing was a place called Hell Gate – the section of water where the Long Island Sound, the Harlem River and East River collide -- 3 different large waters, each with it's own way of flowing. This combination makes for rough waves, weird/instant currents, eddies, inconsistent depths .... just not easy water to get through -- hence the name. In addition,  lore ...