Only 88 Miles to go on the Canal

We have discovered that wireless internet service is spotty at best. About one or two stops a week have it. That's one reason we have not updated this blog in a week. The other is this Google app is a pain to work with and it takes twice as long to post than it should.

We are now in Ilion, NY. It's a quaint little town that has the Remington Gun Works as its sole industry. It's a little scruffy on the edges but the people are warm and welcoming. Big re-provisioning stop for us - meat, vegetables, scotch. The marina was built with grant money from the state, private investment and volunteer efforts. It now contributes positively to the economy of Ilion. Here's a case where government investment has paid off. I wonder what the place would have become if that investment was never made.

Lock 25 in all of its remote splendor

When last we posted, we were in Fairport. We left there and proceeded on Tuesday to Newark (NY that is) but could only spend one night. Marg got her hair cut and colored for $50 and it looked beautiful. If her hair doesn't fall out, I say "up yours Dino Palmieri". After Newark, we went through 5 locks on our way to Lock 25 where we spent the night. Lock 25 was interesting. It was in the middle of nowhere, in a park-like setting. The lock keeper said that it is so quiet there that city people can't sleep at night. We were tied to a wall, all by ourselves. Very peaceful.

Crossing Cross Lake

One of the many man-made cuts 

Go straight for Lake Ontario, turn right
to stay in the Erie Canal

The following morning we departed Lock 25 for Baldwinsville. We promptly dropped a fender into the canal and spent the next 15 minutes trying to fish it out of the water. I really appreciated the solitude of the place. Otherwise, we would have been the entertainment. Everyday, the canal is different. Today the canal was a mix of rivers, lakes and man-made cuts. On the rivers we twisted and turned through marshlands, woods and small towns. We arrived in Baldwinsville in the early afternoon. What a pleasant surprise. Beautiful docks with water and electric, a great visitor center, a liquor store in walking distance, and a great restaurant next to Lock 24 aptly named Lock 24.

Friday, August 19th, we depart for Winter Harbor Marina in Brewerton just west of the dreaded Oneida Lake. We are still having issues with the alternator however, I don't think it's the alternator. It's intermittent so I think it's a gremlin thing. Hopefully, we can get it fixed at Winter Harbor. They have a full service marine repair facility. We arrived at Winter Harbor around two in the afternoon and Jim, the service manager, stuck his head under the hood to see what was causing the alarm to go off. He tightened up some connections that were loose and fiddled with a switch that turns the alternator on and off and pronounced the switch as the gremlin. We haven't had a problem since. Now we are ready to tackle the crossing of Oneida Lake.

The mighty Oneida Lake

Departing Brewerton on Oneida Lake

Bright and early Saturday morning, at 9:15 we headed out of Brewerton to Sylvan Beach. The lake is 22 miles across and has been known to be very rough with waves up to 6'. Today was not one of those days. A very pleasant crossing. Kind of like going from Sandusky to Put-in-Bay. We arrived at Mariners Landing in Sylvan Beach at 1 in the afternoon. Mariners Landing is operated by the Oneida Indians. They charged for everything, had poor electrical service (constant tripped circuits) and the bathrooms were like something out of Deliverance. We had to pay a $5 deposit for a key to get into the showers only to discover that once in the showers, you had to pay to take a shower!! The town itself is a scruffy resort town with loud people and bad food. It was Bike Week when we arrived. Not too successful. We counted about 20 bikes making a lot of noise. Sylvan Beach was a one night stand.

Our latest "Oh shit moment". We decided to spend Sunday in Rome (NY that is). It was hyped pretty good in the cruising guides touting it's restaurants, groceries and hardware stores. Plus, Rome is the home of Fort Stanwix, an authentic reproduction of the famed revolutionary war fort from the 18th century. On approach to the town docks, we ran aground 75 feet offshore in water that was supposed to be 8 feet deep. WTF. In fact, all along the dock wall, there was less than 5' of water making it impossible for us to dock. Plus, the docks had no way to attach a line. How did they think we were going to tie up?! Rome doesn't get it. Too bad, we would have spent some money there. Instead, it was on to another destination.

Lock 20

What a great place to hang out

We decided to go to Lock 20     about 10 miles further along. What a neat place. Low floating docks, electricity, water, bathroom facilities, a picnic pavilion, and a park-like setting. All for the incredibly low cost of $0. 

Rome, you lose.

It's Monday and we are in Ilion. More about our journey next time.