INNTW adventures

Stats for June 26, 2019

Origin: Waterford, NY Free Wall

Destination: Whitehall, NY

Distance: 61.2 miles

Speed: 7.2 mph

Time on the Move: 8 hours and 29 minutes

Now that we are back in rivers, our schedule is controlled by locks once again. The good news is that there isn’t much (any?) commercial traffic through here, so we don’t have to worry about long waits, just coordination with other pleasure craft. Also, the locks open at 7 am and close at 5 pm, so traveling within those hours and finding a good place to stop before the locks close is our new challenge. We tend to like to travel until almost dark sometimes, and we don’t really like to be on someone else’s schedule, but we don’t have much choice here!

This was our view in Waterford along the free wall. Several of these boats were starting the Erie today, some were hanging out for another day, one was headed south, and we were the only ones heading north. We pushed Parrot Bay off for their planned 7:00 arrival at Erie #2 and then fired up the diesels for our departure.

So the story with the clearance of bridges is that the posted clearance is 15’4″ for several of the bridges along the Champlain, and the lowest we can get is 16’9″ with our anchor light down. When Mike called the locks the day before, they said the pool (depth of water) was down a bit so actual clearance should be closer to 17′ 6″ to 18′. It was still pretty close for our liking, and nerve wrecking that the printed clearances were well short of what we needed, but several lockmasters agreed that we should be fine.

There were no posted clearance boards like there are in many other places, so that left us to completely trust the documented clearances and our own guesstimates based on what we saw. This first bridge sure looked low, but it wasn’t even the one in question.

Just before 10:00 we neared the LOW bridge (apparently–spoiler alert: many of them seemed this low!!)….and it looked really, really low. The kids and I went on the bow. Grandma took a prime seat right up front. Mike pooped his pants and then held his breath…

Mike put the boat in idle as we approached the bridge so we would just glide underneath (hopefully) OR not hit with much force (if something was miscalculated and we actually hit)….

On the other side….WHEW!! Of course we didn’t hit it!! Plenty of room to spare–Mike guessed 11 inches or so!!

Minutes after that drama we were all tied up in another lock. From one adventure to the next around here!! The report from Grandma on locking is that it is much calmer and easier than she anticipated. However, she did give big credit to the amount of communication needed between captain and crew for the “easier” part. She could definitely relate to any tense parts (ie: the captain yelling from the helm “talk to me! talk to me!” because he can’t judge how close we actually are to the wall, so he needs some numbers from me.).

We pulled up to the wall in Whitehall with a little extra excitement as we were surprised to see our friends on Ceci Kay already docked there. Rain was threatening, but we were ready for dinner, so Mike grilled in the grassy area next to the boat and we had a great meal at a picnic table there. The kids played in the grass, explored, and wrote with sidewalk chalk.

As soon as we got done eating, the skies opened and it started to pour. We opened a bottle of wine that we saved from the marina in Cape May and enjoyed happy hour while we waited for the rain to stop. In the meanwhile, Jan and Stacy from Ceci Kay came back to their boat and paid us a little visit. While we were chatting, the rain stopped and we decided we should get off the boat and explore before it got dark.

We went venturing over the bridge and through town. It was pretty, but the town wasn’t much to write home about. We actually had a run in with some kids who I think were carnies in town visiting (no lie–they almost ran into my mom on their bikes!). Then there was a big brawl across the river from us, which was a bit unsettling and caused us to call the police. On a good note, we had friends nearby, we stopped and bought fresh strawberries from an Amish family in town, and we had ice cream on board. Focusing on the positives, we can’t complain!!

Thanks for reading and following along on our grand adventures!!

Stats for June 25, 2019

Origin: Albany Anchorage

Destination: Waterford Free Wall

Distance: 8.3 miles

Speed: 6.3 mph

Time on the Move: 1 hour and 18 minutes

A few weeks ago we set dates and made plans to have my mom, Kathy, fly in to Albany on 6/25 and out of Burlington, Vermont on 6/29. Of course setting a schedule and making plans when boating is always a gamble, but so far we’ve been pretty spot on, and this time turned out to be no different!! Still, it was a relief to know we had just a short run today to make it to our meeting spot.

Happy to meet a deadline, however, not quite mentally prepared for some of the excitement the short trip would bring us. First of all, there was a lock!! We weren’t 100% aware that there was a lock, so we were kind of surprised to see it up ahead and even more surprised to realize we were back into locking territory. We’ve had 7 1/2 months with no locks, so it was a scramble to remember our roles and remember what kind of communication was necessary to get us through. Regardless, we did pretty well.

In the lock, however, the lockmaster asked us about our route and we told him we were taking the Champlain straight north to the St. Lawrence Seaway. Most loopers turn west at Waterford and take the Erie. Our plan has always been to continue north and take the old historical canals through Canada. The lockmaster said no, we actually weren’t. He was pretty sure we couldn’t clear some of the bridges heading north considering the high water, and I’ll be honest, he probably had a much better idea of what he was talking about than we did. We’ve gotten a tad lackadaisical in our planning (ahem…considering this lock surprised us).

We were quite taken off guard and had a moment of panic. We tried to ask as many questions as we could to gather information and knew we would have a day or so to do more research to make our decision. However, our minds were set on heading north, and my mom was flying out of Burlington, to the north, so we definitely had some planning to do.

See those rain clouds in that picture of the dam? That was our next adventure. It was supposed to pour buckets any minute, and we had about a 7 minute ride to the free wall. The free wall that is known to be overcrowded and packed with boaters, all arriving on a first come, first served basis. Oh boy. Would we get wet? Would there be room for us? What would we do if there was no space? What would we do if we couldn’t take the Champlain? So many uncertainties!

With the help of Nebo, a boat tracking app, we were able to communicate with other boats already on the free wall. They relayed that there were about 3 open spots. Our buddies on Parrot Bay out of Bay City, MI came to help catch our lines (they must not have wanted me to precariously dangle off the side of the boat to dock ourselves). The rain was just starting to come down in huge drops. For ease of docking, we pulled behind the last boat on the wall which put us right under a bridge. I’m not sure if it was a genius plan to keep us partly shielded from the rain or crazy because we had to listen to the car noise, but it was the easiest spot. Several other boats nearby came to make sure we were all set, even in the pouring rain. Boaters are the best and of course, we return the favor, helping others dock and sharing info on Nebo with others headed that way.

Later that morning we helped 3 other boats in to the dock in the pouring rain and waded through puddles along the sidewalk each time. It wasn’t pretty. It wasn’t a picture perfect boating day. But what can ya do?! Keep your foul weather gear close, I guess. Everyone was just thankful to have space on the wall. We did have to do some space shuffling to have enough room for everyone. And there was a near miss of 2 boats that almost collided right in front of us, but it turned out all good.

We hunkered down and hid from the rain for the rest of the morning hours. Mike also did some research and made some phone calls, and it sounded like we could clear the lowest bridges on the Champlain by mere inches. It would be close, but we could do it. We called a few other lockmasters, just to make sure they were all in agreement. Champlain was a go for the next day.

Shortly after my mom arrived in the early afternoon, the rain cleared and the sun came out. It was HUMID! (Funny how we don’t think to take pics of the nasty, rainy days, but get the camera right back out when it’s sunny?!) We headed out and about to check out Erie Canal Lock 2, right in front of the free wall. This is the first lock most loopers head through on the Erie and construction started in 1907. This lock is also the 1st in a flight of 5 which means back to back locks to cover steep elevation changes in a short amount of time. Nobody wants to go over the rapids seen here, so they built a flight of locks instead.

After walking past the locks, we walked through downtown and browsed an antique/pawn shop (don’t touch, look with your eyes, hands to yourself….ya know, lots of fun!!). We were hot and hungry, but nothing in town seemed like a perfect fit, so we went back to the boat and ordered pizza. Let me tell you, pizza delivery to the boat is always a great idea!! While we waited, the kids fished and we had cocktail hour.

This was our beautiful reward for the ups and downs of the day. Another great day on the water, despite all the obstacles to overcome.

Thanks for reading and following along!! More adventures to come!!

Stats from June 24, 2019

Origin: Athens, NY

Destination: Albany Anchorage (with a short stopover at the Albany free dock)

Distance: 30.7 miles

Speed: 7.1 mph

Time on the Move: 4 hours and 17 minutes

Creativity abounds! After all the fishing we’ve been doing, Colin was inspired to create his own lure and line system. Thank goodness for tape, paper clips, and some kite string!

We arrived at the dock in Albany for more fishing, grocery delivery (thank goodness for instacart when you have no car and 5 people to feed!), and some exploring in this beautiful, historic downtown before heading out to anchor for the night (no overnight dockage at this free dock).

I was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful buildings.

Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!!

Stats for June 23, 2019

Origin: Kingston

Destination: Athens Free Dock (I love free docks!!)

Distance: 26.5 miles

Speed: 7 mph

Time on the Move: 3 hours and 47 minutes

After sleeping in, we left our quiet little anchorage near Kingston, NY around 9:30 am. It was a much calmer day to travel and we had a short trip planned.

Lots of people have asked how we manage to fit school work into our routine. Let me tell you it has changed several times over our trip, as we learned what worked for us and what didn’t. We have a different schedule every single day, so whatever our school plan is, it has to be equally flexible. The thing that has worked the best for us is giving the kids a list of their weekly responsibilities and letting them choose what activities they do each day. I usually encourage them to complete 2-3 tasks each day we travel, but other days we are off adventuring and never do typical school work outside of reading. Likewise, travel days could be long or short, easy or stressful–so my availability varies. Flexibility is key!

Colin and Hayley are generally responsible for doing 3 math lessons, writing 3 times, reading daily, and 3 “extras.” Extras could be keyboarding, cursive practice, other school books we have on board, or other academic tasks that appeal to their interests (for example, Colin made a book all about the Bahamas). The reading part is kind of a joke, because Colin reads for hours at a time. Hayley isn’t quite as enthusiastic about reading, but she’s coming along and reads more than I would require her to. I give Tobin a similar list of things to do, like writing his letters or numbers, writing his name, writing journals for his boat school binder, and now he is loving a math book with basic facts. I give him these tasks mostly so he feels like he fits in with the big kids and their school work. Luckily he has become much more interested in academic tasks and is building his stamina regularly now. He’s going to be a great kindergartner!!

Other than this traditional learning, we cover geography, history, weather, budgeting, cooking, problem solving, flexible thinking, team work, and risk taking like gangbusters. And don’t even get me started on the amount of maritime museums we’ve been to!! I like to say real-life experiences are the best teachers, and we’re getting plenty!!

I gotta say, our trip up the Hudson was pretty magical! Check out all the amazing history we passed by!

We are getting pretty good at docking on our own at these free docks (there are no dock hands to help you, like in marina!). In situations like this, Colin waits in the cockpit in the back with a line and tries to loop a cleat to hold the back end in. Since there are no obstructions here (like piles or power pedestals) I hook on that white side step and stand on the bottom step with line in hand. If communication is good enough between the Captain and I (and wind/weather/waves aren’t interfering), I can usually just step off right onto the dock and tie a line from the front of the boat. If conditions aren’t perfect, we just try and try again until we get it right. It isn’t always easy, especially if it is windy or there are tight spots, but we have become pretty darn good at it!

We headed to the local brewery for dinner and then chatted for quite a bit with a young family who lives in the area. They were amazed to hear about our adventure and offered any assistance we needed which was so nice! We ended up at the playground for some playtime before heading back to the boat. And what in the world would we possibly do back at the boat?!

Go FISHING!! Of course!!

We were treated to a beautiful sunset and a quiet night on the river. Luckily, we stopped at the gas station on our way back from the playground, so we were treated to some ice cream, too!! Life is good!

Thank you for reading and following along on our adventures!!

Stats for June 22, 2019

Origin: Croton-On-Hudson, Half Moon Bay Marina

Destination: Kingston Anchorage

Distance: 54 miles

Speed: 9 mph (with current and against the wind)

Time on the Move: 5 hours and 59 minutes

We pulled out of the marina just in time for the wind to pick up, as predicted. And I mean really pick up! We pushed against the wind and waves for a while, but the sky looked beautiful and the sun peeked out at us plenty along the way. It just wasn’t a day to have the windows open on the flybridge because it was windy.

We went under this cool bridge and happened to notice this train tunnel right through the rock. How cool. Lots of trains headed south towards NYC! And also a big freighter, coming around the bend, heading our way. Thank goodness we always know what’s around the corner with AIS!!

Tobin needed a repair done on his sock monkey and Colin offered to sew it up for him. That led to all the sewing stuff out, all the old “donate clothes” getting cut up into bits, creative thinking, and lots of new “stuffed animals.” Great practice for the kiddos and a quiet trip for Mom and Dad!

We also passed by Bannerman Castle, a simulated Irish Castle, built in 1901 on a deserted island, as a safe place to store surplus stock, ammunition, and equipment from government auctions. Originally, the stores were kept in Manhattan, but as the business grew, the Bannermans were forced by NYC laws to move their wares out of the city limits. Weddings, tours, and events are still held on the island today. What an interesting place!!

Gotta love dinner (tacos!!) underway at 8:00 PM. Pushing to get to the perfect anchorage after a late start. Luckily it stays light forever this time of year!!

Finally, we dropped the hook at about 8:15 with 2 other boats sharing a large anchorage at the side of the river. We had a beautiful sunset overlooking another ancient lighthouse. Another great day on the water!!

Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!!