Day 3 Spencerport NY – Newark, NY

 Ontario Loop  No Responses »
Jul 142012
 
  • The weather man was wrong, again.  Sun and a nice breeze made it easy to navigate the canal today.  No rain in sight.  We did, however, have to run the canal flagless.  Someone cut off our Canadian Flag sometime during the night leaving us with an empty flag pole this morning.  We feel naked now.   Two nights out and two nights with some sort of issue.  Oh boy!

Moving out of Spencerport and heading towards our goal of Newark, NY, we pass many little towns.  Most have public docks with amenities and think a stop would be considered for another 10 day vacation.  One little town after another heading toward the Finger Lakes area,.  Life doesn’t get any better. 

Today we did 4 locks all going down.  It is so much easier down locking compared to up locking.  As we sit in Newark having just enjoyed a pasta dinner, and finished a game of washer toss, Aiden is doing the dishes.  I wish I had a picture of that.  No really…. he has been doing the drying the whole trip and helping with lines in the locks.  He is double digits now and has so much more responsibility.  LoL.   I figure the complaining will stop soon. 

Tonight we have a game of mini putt planned, feeding fish under the disco lights of the boat and sitting on the shore with a bevy.  Apparently tomorrow they call for rain.  What does the weather man know anyway?

 Posted by at 2:06 AM

Day 2 – Lockport – Spencerport, NY

 Ontario Loop  No Responses »
Jul 132012
 

 

We are safe and sound in Spencerport, NY.  A strong wind and T showers are on their way but we’ll be fine. 
It’s a canal remember.  No open water. 

Our day would be boring for some but we are loving it.  No special reports for today.  Just a hint of down time, full sun and great company.  Went through the locks in Lockport around 10:00 this morning and headed east towards our next destination.  Found this gem of a place with WiFi, showers, hydro, water, and even ice cream.  My first in 3 months. 

It has everything you need here.  The best part is that it is free, totally free.  Just pull up your boat, use their facilities and leave.  Now that is hospitality.  Boys are playing xbox games and I sit writing to all of you, waiting for the rain to start.  Lightening is all around, wind has just gotten calm and temps are perfect.

Tomorrow the destination is around Newark, NY, but they are calling for rain and 90 degrees.  We’ll see how far we can get.  Not looking forward to doing at least 4 locks if the rain is persistent.  Oh well, it’s just another adventure. 

 Posted by at 1:27 AM

Day 1 – Home to Lockport, NY

 Ontario Loop  No Responses »
Jul 122012
 

….and so our adventure begins.   We left with a late start.  Scott had to work a bit later than expected.  I had most things packed and ready to be loaded into the boat with the exception of those mandatory items that boys like. 

Travelling to Tonawanda to get gas and pick up our new collapsible bicycle so that at least one of us can get groceries and beer, we headed down the Erie Canal to Lockport.  Love this place.  The lockmaster let us know that hydro was available (didn’t know that last year and ran the gen all night for the A/C), as well as water.  He gave us tips on locking to our destination.  These folks are so friendly.  We had the pleasure of a mosquito free night for the first time this year and a visit from the police at around midnight.  Apparently some kids decided that our boat should be a place to visit and someone saw them.  We heard them on the dock but didn’t think a whole lot about it.  I got up to investigate and was told the story of the kids on the boat.  We don’t always put up the full tarp just so that we can air out the cockpit but I decided that I had better after this minor incident.  Nothing was taken, just a bit of lost sleep on my part.  Woke up at about 7:15 and straightened up the place.  Today we are told that Fairport is a good 8 hours away and it could be done.   We set off around 10:00.

 

 

 

 Posted by at 1:13 AM

6 weeks, 5 days to go

 2012, Ontario Loop  No Responses »
May 292012
 

I wonder how much preparation you have to do to have a trip like the one we are planning this summer.   Get the list and check it twice, maybe three times.  This past weekend we were at home checking things off the list.  Spring cleaning, check, new Smart TV check, even downloaded a movie to try, check, new shelf for the Xbox, check, made cockpit cover, check, made TV cover, check.  Slowly we are getting things ready.  I think it is the never ending list that is overwhelming.

This coming weekend the weather man says rain.  Although well needed I don’t like rain on the weekends.  Rain all you want during the week but leave my weekends dry and humid.  Scott is looking at changing out the transmission fluid but has research to do on exactly how to do it.  The generator is still winterized and that needs some work.  Then there is the completion of the wax job I started on the lower half of the boat.  Scott has to compound the upper deck to give it that factory shine and then there is the wax for that.  Whewww, I’m tired just thinking about it.  Also there is a bug netting that we are trying to make so that we can enjoy those summer nights on deck and not have to go into a canvas cave just because of a few mosquitos.  The list goes on and on.

I am still waiting for a surgery date.   Scott is off to Mexico for a week somewhere between now and then and a birthday party for Aiden too.  It is going to pass by quickly.

Pottahawk is only 6 weeks away where 6 guys will be camping out on Lake Erie for 2 nights.  And that, my friends, is a whole other list of things to do!

 Posted by at 6:22 PM