Day 3

Early day again today with 07:30 am start.  We were through our 1st lock of the day by 08:30 and traveled on to Lock 7 and on to the free municipal wall in Fort Edward.  Many opportunities for me to climb on the summer kitchen to check our clearance under the bridges!    

Jerry pilots the boat at the lower helm when we enter a lock so that he can step out and grab one of the hanging lock lines at the bow of the boat.  My job is to catch a hanging line at the stern.  Once I have snagged a line with a boat hook Jerry guides the boat forward (turns off the boat) and gets one at the bow.  The lock operator closes the lock doors and then raises or lowers the water level, depending on the direction you are traveling.  We just hang on and keep the boat away from the lock wall!

Leaving the lock is another story!  Jerry starts the boat at the lower helm while I keep holding the stern lock line.  Once the boat is started and I make sure we are clear of the lock wall I head to the helm at the fly bridge.  Jerry drives out of the lock and then puts the boat in neutral.  I take control at the upper helm and drive until he comes up from below.  IMAGINE THAT!  It will be a while before I'm courageous enough to drive into the lock or dock...

NO problem with that bridge clearance.  Radar mast and antennas are lowered to give us more space.

Approaching a lock.

 We wear "marriage savers" to communicate when we travel through the locks and dock the boat.  We can't hear each other without them.

Entering a lock.

Real Estate going cheap! 

Fort Edward Yacht Basin Municipal wall.

Check out the welcoming committee!!

Ate here almost 18 years ago, last time we traveled to the Erie Canal!  Just as yummy as we remembered!!

Tomorrow's weather is for rain all day...ugh.  Hope to make it to Mechanicville or Waterford (the beginning of the Erie Canal.  We shall see....