Croton-on-Hudson (Half Moon Bay)-Newburgh-New Baltimore-Waterford-Amsterdam-Little Falls-Utica-Sylvan Beach-Brewerton (Winter Harbor) NY (260 miles)
We were a little apprehensive as we returned to Croton-on-Hudson on Sunday, September 29. Lock 13 on the Erie Canal had been closed for a few weeks, due to scouring damage, but it was going to be opened temporarily during the following weekend. If we didn't make it through during that window, we wouldn't get to our planned storage at Winter Harbor and we'd be screwed! We absolutely had to cover the 160 miles to Lock 13 before the Lock was closed again. Our plan was to head out of Half Moon Bay just as soon as we could be ready.
A complication arose when son Stew surprised us with a birthday gift for Rowland of tickets for the Sunday afternoon performance of Wicked on Broadway. Couldn't possibly turn that down, so we drove to the boat from Newark airport Sunday morning, found everything to be in surprisingly good shape, jumped on an early afternoon train to Grand Central...
...and joined the show at intermission!
Then, after tapas at a Cuban restaurant off Broadway, we strolled through Times Square, caught the train back to Croton, made a late-night provisioning run to the local supermarket and, on our way back to the boat, picked up a take-out order of ribs.
We were ready to cast off early Monday morning and head up the Hudson River valley. Who says you can't do it all!
The Hudson Valley was beautiful, with fine weather and the leaves just starting to turn. Very different from anything we had seen in Florida, along the ICW, on the Chesapeake and Delaware or along the Jersey coast. Lots of interesting sights along the way, such as West Point...
...this castle on a hill...
...and even the occasional lighthouse.
On our first morning out, after spending the night at Newburgh, we were enveloped by thick fog, reminiscent of our early boating days in Nova Scotia. This time, however, we were ready with our trusty radar. The repair to the radar display that we had had done at Atlantic Yacht Basin paid for itself in one morning!
We always eat well, even when underway. Here, while keeping a watchful eye that the skipper is not straying off course, Alex snacks on leftover smoked ribs from our favorite BBQ take-out in Croton-on-Hudson.
On our third day after leaving Croton-on-Hudson, we reached the Troy Lock...
...and then made a port turn into the Erie Canal...
...which begins at Waterford, where we joined a few other boats that had been delayed by the closure of Lock 13 and were waiting for the temporary opening scheduled for the upcoming weekend.
Next morning, we all headed out in a flotilla, still under beautiful skies and with the fall colors blooming more and more each day.
After spending a night along the way at Amsterdam, we finally arrived at Lock 13 on Friday. It was a bit of an anti-climax, but we were still glad to have it behind us, knowing we could relax a little for the rest of the trip to Brewerton.
At Lock 17, we encountered a different gate system where, instead of opening like a door, the gate is raised and you enter the lock by paassing underneath the gate. Very cool.
The lift in most of these locks is very high, as much as 40 feet. This is inside Lock 17. The walls are covered in slime and gloves are essential. Surprisingly, after the first day out of Waterford, we were the only boat in most locks.
Next stop was Little Falls, where we stayed two nights. A very pretty town, although, like much of the Hudson Valley, there were signs all around of a past when this part of the States had a thriving milling industry. We had a fine meal at the Canal Side Inn (www.canalsideinn.com), probably the best pork we've ever had anywhere.
Then on to Utica. There is a "destination" restaurant in Utica, The Tailor and The Cook (http://www.thetailorandthecook.com/), but unfortunately closed on Sundays and Mondays. So, we phoned for an Italian take-out and this was the salad for two that came with the meal!
The Tailor and The Cook sounded too good to pass up, however, so we drove back to Utica from Brewerton a few days later. Well worth it.
The Tailor and The Cook sounded too good to pass up, however, so we drove back to Utica from Brewerton a few days later. Well worth it.
Meanwhile, we continued to enjoy the Erie Canal scenery as we headed west.
At Lock 21, we began the downward descent to Lake Oneida.
Our last stop before crossing Lake Oneida and arriving at Brewerton was Sylvan Beach, a beautiful, protected marina. No more locks to Brewerton, so we took the opportunity to start cleaning up for winter storage.
More cleaning.
And at last our destination at Winter Harbor. We couldn't quite believe that we were one of the smaller boats lined up to be hauled inside the heated sheds for winter storage. What an amazing facility.
A bit more cleaning...
...and TOSCA II was ready to go into hibernation for the season.
Our trip wasn't over, however. We then drove back into Canada to spend Canadian Thanksgiving with our friend Stuart McCormack at his new home in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Before returning to Brewerton, a day of touring the wineries of course. Alex enjoys a taste, while Stuart's daughter Perry looks on.
Stuart, Alex and Rowland.
And then back to Brewerton/Syracuse to fly home to Calgary. A last supper at Kitty Hoyne's Irish Pub, as featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.
Our Great Loop Adventure will continue next spring. Nearly 2100 miles have now passed under the keel since we left Gasparilla Island on September 19, 2012. We're a third of the way around!
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