July 11
We slipped our lines at 830am and continued north along the river.
It was another hot and sunny day. We cruised at 14.5 knots. The river is very calm and feels so different from the ocean. We are now in freshwater. Up to Kingston it is considered brackish.
The river area is pretty with rolling hills. The train runs along side the river and there are so many bridges joining the two sides which are both New York state. New Jersey is only on the other side across from Manhattan.
We cruised up to Albany where we arrived around 1215. After fueling the boat I walked into town to get groceries as there won't be much along the Erie canal. Sterling and Noah played soccer and enjoyed some time off the boat.
By 230 we were off again heading for Troy lock and the start of the Erie canal. Troy lock is the gateway to 2 canal systems, the Erie or the Champlain. Given our height at 18 feet we cannot do the Champlain canal which takes you through Vermont. So into the Erie system we go.
Our goal is to get the first 5 locks done tonight before they close at 6pm. There are 23 locks in total so this will give us a good start. The 5 locks are very close together and take 2 hours to complete. The climb on these 5 locks combined is 130 feet.
It was smoking hot so I was in the blazing sun on the bow for 2 hours. Noah did the first lock with me and then he went up top to get some shade.
We finished up just before 6 pm and found a spot on the wall just past the second guard gate. We were near the town of Waterford and there was a new subdivision right behind us.
After freshening up and a BBQ supper we went for a walk to stretch our legs. Back to the boat for movie night and sleep over Happy Feet 2. Thank goodness for the generator we are very self sufficient and have air conditioning. Very comfortable.
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