HeadedToTexas
Guru
Sheesh, I'll happily wait a few extra days for things to calm down when my turn at Waterford arrives.
Sheesh, I'll happily wait a few extra days for things to calm down when my turn at Waterford arrives.
So yesterday evening's docking choice wasn't particularly good.
…
So I survived the night and slept through the trains. In the morning the lock master needed to dump the chamber and asked me to back up through the tunnel. I was halfway back when he dumped the chamber. I needed to do a "back and fill move to get the boat straight, when the wall of water caught the boat and turned it sideways. Thankfully the tunnel was wider than my boat was long. Kept the boat perpendicular to the channel and the pulpit off the concrete wall. Got the boat turned around when I came out of the tunnel. The boat behind me got one of the best free shows.
Ted
Nice pics, I have heard the western Erie does have a lot of free walls and events during the season.
It looks like traffic may have let up?
That's the bridge on the Oswego Canal... the spur that heads north at 3 rivers to get to Oswego on Lk Ontario. I'm sure that has created a bottle neck for loopers headed to Lk Ontario, the TSW & Georgian BayLooks like your decision to jump to the front of the Erie pack was wise. O1 bridge is now down for 3 weeks, unless you clear 10ft.
Looks like your decision to jump to the front of the Erie pack was wise. O1 bridge is now down for 3 weeks, unless you clear 10ft.
I can suggest a few stops on the north side of the lake, but assume you'll stay in the US. Weather looks great.
Was that ultralight equipped with floats?So I was in Tonawanda last night. It's a very different place before boating season (this coming long weekend). Water at the power pedestals hadn't been turned on. Unfortunately, the park had some drug addicts hanging out. Not a comfortable experience. Apparently the local police have been reminding them that this weekend they need to start finding some places else to play. These aren't homeless people, just people hanging out and making others feel uncomfortable. I'm told Tonawanda likes and needs their tourism and the police will make sure the waterfront is family friendly.
Moved 13 miles today from Tonawanda, up the Niagara river, up the Black Rock canal, through the Black Rock lock (say that twice fast on the radio), to one of the long abandoned commercial ship basins on the Buffalo waterfront. The basins are protected by a breakwater and are ideal for an early morning departure down the south shore of Lake Erie. Weather looks good for the next few days. Only downside to the basin is width relative to depth. The basin looks to be about 300' across, but the depth is 30 to 35' in the center. Assuming you drop the anchor in the center, you need a very short scope. Wind has died down, so I should be fine.
View attachment 139139
View attachment 139140
Occasionally a small fishing boat would come in and fish for a while. And then there was this:
View attachment 139141
Ted
Was that ultralight equipped with floats?
Maybe skies under, but I wonder if it was a soft landing. I cannot imagine being in the water on purpose without floats, would it even have power to lift off. When I flew those it may have made 50 MPH (guess) on land take off.No, the body was sitting in the water. I would not have been comfortable sitting in it. From my vantage point, the seats appeared to be at about sea level. Couldn't imagine leaving the dock with the canopy open. One wave over the bow makes it a submarine.
I think they were testing some repairs as there was no cowling on the engine. Looked to be a 4 cylinder Rotax engine.
Ted
I agree with that, but it's going to back up the entire system from a docking perspective.That's the Oswego canal. Thankfully I went all the way across on the Erie canal. That's going to be ugly as a lot of the boats won't be able to clear 10' to get down to Lake Ontario.
Ted
Edit: somebody types faster than me.
Do your plans include Sandusky this weekend? Not exactly on a short route through Erie, but not a bad stop.
So I was in Tonawanda last night. It's a very different place before boating season (this coming long weekend). Water at the power pedestals hadn't been turned on. Unfortunately, the park had some drug addicts hanging out. Not a comfortable experience. Apparently the local police have been reminding them that this weekend they need to start finding some places else to play. These aren't homeless people, just people hanging out and making others feel uncomfortable. I'm told Tonawanda likes and needs their tourism and the police will make sure the waterfront is family friendly.
Moved 13 miles today from Tonawanda, up the Niagara river, up the Black Rock canal, through the Black Rock lock (say that twice fast on the radio), to one of the long abandoned commercial ship basins on the Buffalo waterfront. The basins are protected by a breakwater and are ideal for an early morning departure down the south shore of Lake Erie. Weather looks good for the next few days. Only downside to the basin is width relative to depth. The basin looks to be about 300' across, but the depth is 30 to 35' in the center. Assuming you drop the anchor in the center, you need a very short scope. Wind has died down, so I should be fine.
View attachment 139139
View attachment 139140
Occasionally a small fishing boat would come in and fish for a while. And then there was this:
View attachment 139141
Ted
Ol' Ashtabeautiful. Getting into my stomping ground now! I just got off the ship, otherwise I'd be keeping an eye out for you. You'll probably make it to Duluth before I go back to work next month. Maybe I'll catch you on your way south.
Have a great cruise! Enjoy the lakes
Looks like you’ll make Put In Bay. Hopefully the cool 63° weather (feels colder than that with 10+ knots of wind from the northeast) will mean your choice of mooring balls. The webcam shows plenty right now.
https://www.ozolio.com/explore/CISZ0000141B