| We spent the week of 5/1703-5/25/03 bringing the Lady Jane from Rochester to Buffalo via Lake Ontario and the Erie Canal. We also took a side trip to Ithaca, at the end of Cayuga Lake. For the most part, we had great weather and good cruising. Day 1 - May 17th We launched the Lady Jane on Saturday, May 17, and planned to leave right away from Eagle Creek Marina in Kendall to Oswego, about an 80 mile run. However, we had some electrical problems that caused the motor to keep stalling. We bought a multi-meter to diagnose the problem and Rob and I thought we had found the problem, since the engine now seemed to run OK. . We didn't get under way until around 2 pm. Once out in the lake, we were fighting a good 3-4 chop, east winds so we were taking them on the bow. We decided to cut our trip short today and head to Braddocks Bay, bout 20 miles east of Eagle Creek. Engine died twice on the way into the channel of Braddocks, making for a scary time. Once safely at dock, we determined the actual problem with the engine was a faulty kill switch. Once we fixed this we had no further problems on our trip. We had a great dinner that night with all of our old dockmates at Braddocks, and planned on leaving at 6am for Oswego. Day 2 - May 18th We awoke at 5:30 am to sunny skies and no wind. We were underway by 6am, and the Lake was like glass. We hit the Port of Oswego at around 9:30am, a great cruise. Once in Oswego, we took on about 70 gallons of fuel and headed to the first lock of the Oswego River. We bought a season pass for the Canal here, a great deal at only $75. A 4 day pass on the Rideau in Canada cost more than that! We were soon on our way passing through the 8 locks on the Oswego River. As we approached the lock in Fulton, we could see a huge fire ahead of us. Once the lock rose us up, we could see the blaze, it was a Tool Company and a mini-mall going up in smoke. We found out later that it was a 5 alarm blaze and took over 75 firefighters to get it under control. Once that excitement was behind us, we continued down the river. The Oswego River is very scenic and the houses are gorgeous. After lock 1, we continued south to the Three Rivers Junction. At this point you can go East to Onieda Lake or West to Syracuse, Rochester, or Buffalo. We headed west. We made it to Baldwinsville (lock 24) and caught the last lock through. Actually, the lockmaster did us a small favor by staying a few minutes after closing time to get us through. Once on the up-side of the lock, we tied up for the night at a very nice park. They have a new band shell with new restrooms and showers. No power, though, so we ran our trusty honda. Barbequed some tasty steaks for dinner, watched some TV and turned in for the night at around 10pm. Day 3 and 4 -May 19th- 20th Today was my sister's birthtday, so our plans were to visit her in Ithaca. We would continue west and then go south on the Cayuga-Seneca Canal to Cayuga Lake. From there is is 44 miles south to Ithaca, which sits at the end of Cayuga Lake. We headed out at around 6:30 am, to a beautiful sunrise. Canal was glass smooth, just like a mirror. Our travel this morning took us through alot of wilderness and across one lake, Cross Lake. We hit the Cayuga Seneca Canal at around noon. Only one lock to do today, that was right before the entrance to Cayuaga. Once through, we headed out the channel and then into the Lake. Cayuga is a pretty lake, over 40 miles long, but only about 1-2 miles wide. We stopped for fuel at Castelli's Marina on the east side of the lake. The whole marina is filled with big Carver's, talking to the gas attendant he told us that at one time they were the biggest Carver dealer in the Northeast. Leaving the Marina, we headed south on calm water and settled into a 20mph cruise. We saw many wineries on the west side of the Lake, but decided we would keep going and hit a few on our way back. A little over 2 hours later, we were approaching Ithaca. We went to Allen Treman State Marina and got a slip. This marina is top notch set in a beautiful park, and at only $19 per night, a real bargain. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. While in Ithaca, we went to dinner by boat to the BoatYard Grill. Great atmosphere, food was OK. We also did some bike riding on the great trails in the park, as well as stocking up on provisons at a nearby Wegmans. The Lady Jane also got a much needed coat of wax on her topsides while we were at dock. Day 5 - May 21 - We awoke this morning to rain, fog and cool temperatures. After the last 2 days in the high 70's, today's 60's seemed downright chilly. The plan today was to head north on Cayuga Lake back to the Cayuga Seneca canal and then westward on the Erie. We stopped at a local marina and took on about 30 gallons of fuel and purchased a new wiper to replace the starboard side wiper which was shot. Heading out to Cayuga lake we were faced with 20 knot winds out of the north. This made for about a 2' short chop, which was not real comfortable, but nothing to worry about. We settled into a 16 knot cuise and made the trip to the north end of the lake in about 2.5 hours. We did our one and only lock of the day, and it was back to canaling! I was driving from the lower station, since the wind made it feel pretty darn cold. The sun was out now, but we stayed in where it was warm. At around 5pm, we pulled into Lyons, where we decided to stay the night. Another really nice little town, they have a wall right in the middle of a park with free mooring and power. However, we found that most of the power was 20 amps, and of course, I have no 20 amp adapter! Being the creative soul that I am, I strung together about 200 feet of extension cord and found a 15 amp outlet within reach on the Lyons Fire Department deck. Thank you Lyons Fire Department! We cooked burgers tonight on our grill. While I was cooking, Rob landed a nice size carp. See the photo album to check out his catch. He used bologna for bait! Day 6 - May 22 - We awoke today to nice weather. Clear skies and cool temps. Our plan today was to make it to Fairport, which we have heard is one of the nicer ports on the canal. Easy cruising today, we were just puttering along at around 7mph. Our trip today took us thorugh much wilderness intermixed with cottages and shall we say "shacks". We also saw much evidence of an ice storm the area expirienced in late winter. At some points there were literally trees down all over. Much debris in the water as well. We went through 5 locks today, all without incident. We stopped in Macedon at a new marina for fuel. While there we checked out the packet boats that they rent. These are really neat, 30-40' boats that were designed specifically for canaling. Powered by a small diesel engine, they only do 6mph, but the accomodations looked very suitable. $2,400 for a weekly rental - not too bad if you split it between 2 or 3 couples. We pulled into Fairport at around 2pm and got a nice spot on thier wall. Nice little town with plenty of craft shops and boutiques. However, there is no nearby grocery store. Also, we found the trains to be a bit annoying, they seemed to run non-stop through the village. Once settled, I went in search of the dockmaster. I soon found out that the village doesn't offically open it's boater facilities until the Tuesday after Memorial Day. Great. After talking with a local resident, he suggested I pay a visit to Town Hall, which was just a few steps from where we were moored. I went over and found the building inspector,who went looking for someone who could help me. I ended up in the mayor's office, who was nice enough to give me the combo to the restrooms. The crew and I all enjoyed hot showers tonight, and I have to say that the restroom/shower facilities in Fairport are top notch. Rob caught a few more carp today, including one that probably went 20lbs! Too big for our net, and he got off right at the boat. Later that evening, a 4788 Bayliner docked in front of us. I talked with the owner and found out he was on his way to Grand Island, not far from our final destination. We had a beer and shared a few stories before we had dinner. Day 7 - May 23 - We left Fairport today at around 8:30 am after coffee and a light breakfast. We went under the first of many lift bridges that dot the western end of the canal. These are a piece of cake compared to locking, most of the bridge operators had them up and ready for us by the time we got there. A short call on channel 13 is all that is needed. We did 2 locks today, both in Pittsford, within a mile of each other. These are the last locks we will see until Lockport, about 50 miles away. We cruised through the city of Rochester, and crossed the Genesee River where the canal intersects it. Very scenic area, however, it would have been nicer if the sun was out. Mostly overcast today, with a raindrop now and then. Our voyage today took us through Greeece, Spencerport, and to oour final destination of the day, Brockport. Brockport is almost like home to us, we used to live just 5 miles noth of here. Of course, Rob had his night planned, he was going to meet with some of his former friends. As soon as we were moored, he took off on his bike. We didn't see him until around 7 that night! My good friend Jeff (see his boat under Rochester Boats link) stopped by for a bit and showed us some photos of his project car that he was currently working on. We tried to coax him into having dinner with us, but he said he had to get going. So Jane and I enjoyed a dinner out alone, we went to Jimmy Macs, which is a little restaurant right on the canal. Very casual, we both had great burgers and frys with a few beers. After dinner , we went back to the boat and relaxed while Rob showed up a short time later. Rob and I decided we were going to the movies tonight, but Jane didn't feel to hot so she decided to stay on the boat. We saw Matrix Reloaded, which Rob thoroughly enjoyed, but I thought was kind of dumb. It was nice to have a theater nearby, Brockport has just about everyhting you could ask for. Quite a few restaraunts, a grocery store within walking distance, and even a Wal-Mart about 1.5 miles away. We turned in for the night at about 11 - another great day on the canal! Day 8 - May 24 - We awoke today to gray skies and rain. After a nice breakfast aboard, Jane and I took a short walk to the nearby Big-M grocery store. We got some provisions and headed back to the boat to prepare for the day's voyage. We cast off at around 9:30 and headed towards our next destination - Middleport. Even though it was raining, we were all snug inside, including your captain who was driving from the lower station today. We passed through the towns of Holley, Albion, Medina, Eagle Harbor and Knowlesville before reaching our destination. Each town had at least one lift bridge to deal with, but the bridge operators on the canal are just fantastic. A quick call on the VHF when we were within sight of the bridge, and they were up when we got there. It was kind of neat watching all the cars wait for us, although I am glad I was in the boat! We made Middleport by about 2 pm, and by this time, the sun was out and it turned out to be a nice day. Rob's first order of business was to start fishing, and in no time he was landing huge catfish! See the photos of one of his catches. We got our bikes out later and took a ride into town. Not a heck of a lot in Middleport, but we did find a liquor store for some wine and a Wilson Farms that rents videos. The town itself was very neat and well kept. They have 30 amp power and restrooms with showers for boaters. All for free, which of course, is a great deal! We enjoyed a pasta meal aboard the Lady Jane tonight with a bottle of red wine and some Texas Toast grilled on the Magma. We found out later that Middleport is home to a great restaraunt, The Basket Factory, which we plan to try on our next trip through. After dinner, we watched "Star Trek Nemisis", which we rented. Great flik, much better than the Matrix movie we saw the night before! Day 9 - May 25 - Last day. Our journey today would take us to our final destination, the Niagara River. It was a beautiful morning, so we took our time in getting ready. I took a bike ride and returned the video, while Rob got some last minute fishing in. We cast off at about 10 am and headed west. We went throught the village of Gasport and then on to Lockport. Lockport is the home of two very big locks! At one time, there were four, but today they boost just two, and they were the biggest both in length and vertical height that we have seen on our trip. We passed through without incident, and continued on our last leg. The canal after Lockport was literally blasted out of stone, the walls tower up to 25' above you. Very impressive, considering this was built in 1817. Soon the rock walls gave way to a winding river, the final part of the canal is actually Tonawanda creek. The Tonowanda area is very scenic, with many parks, beautiful houses, and as you approach the Niagara, a village of old boathouses. As we left the Erie canal and headed out on to the Niagara River, the water turned a pretty shade of blue, which was the water of Lake Erie, headed towards Niagara Falls and Lake Ontario. We made our Marina at about 2 pm. The Lady Jane was home in her new slip, and we have another great trip behind us! Be sure to check out our photos by clicking on the link at the top of the page. Hope you enjoyed the trip... -Ron and Jane |
| 2003 Canal Trip |