And, We're Off...

Wednesday, July 22nd. Fresh fruit and pastries for breakfast, a hot shower; I put the truck in long term parking, and we are ready to head out. It is a gray morning, with a bit of fog. We untied the dock lines and shoved off.
Coming out of the marina, a right turn puts us immediately in the Cayuga/Seneca Canal, a branch off the Erie. We are not planning to go far today... just want to get a feel for it, go through a lock, and stay at a free dock with power and water. That’s the plan.



This canal has homes along one side and is mostly undeveloped on the other.
About 5 miles down the canal, we came to our first lock. We called the lock tender on the radio, and he told us it would be about 15 minutes before we could enter... no problem; we pulled up to the wall and tied off, waiting for our turn.



That post you see in the photo above is called “the blue line” - you can also see the blue line on the seawall... it’s where you line up to go through the lock. Shortly after we tied off, we were greeted by a couple feathered folks - ducks.



I thought it was odd that they didn’t seem spooked by our presence. It soon became very obvious why they were hanging out there. Yep, a nest full of eggs. Seems like a rather public place for them to leave the kids.



In no time at all, it was our turn to enter the lock... no photos because we were concerned that we’d have our hands full. As it turns out, it was very easy: pull up to a line, wrap your line around it, take a wrap on a rear line. Then wait for the water to raise or lower. Heading this direction, we are going down. Within minutes, we were 15 feet lower.

When the lock doors opened, we motored out, heading towards the free docks at Seneca Falls. Four miles later, we picked out a spot on the dock with power. We tied off, hooked up and fed Izzy... it was just lunch time.


Then it was our turn; we took the bikes off and rode around town. One of the first things we came across was a small farmers market. We picked up some cheese and fresh fruit... no problem with provisions on this tour!



We stopped for lunch, then rode back to the boat; sat on the park bench in front of the boat, checking out the cruising guide for tomorrow’s route.



Izzy got her turn out of the boat, too. Joan put her on the leash, but this was different for her - the boat is NOT in the same place, so it’s a whole new scary situation.



After that time outside, Izzy needed a nap.



Come to think of it, I could use a nap, too. It has turned out to be a beautiful day - a bit warm, but the sun is shining and very little breeze.