We made it to Winter Harbor in Brewerton, NY on May 20 and the boat was launched from storage on May 21.  Because she had been stored indoors in a heated unit, we did not have to winterize her last fall and she came out very clean.  We could board her, do basic cleaning and load supplies.

One of 2 storage units

Waypoint being launched

The facility is very busy at this time of year.  They store roughly 300 boats of all sizes.  The Erie Canal opens on May 15, and of course everyone wants his boat then.  The yard is pretty efficient, and I doubt that many are disappointed in the service.  However, there is very little dock space.  Since we had a few projects to complete, they moved us to the "annex" - a private home neighboring the boatyard.  We had a beautiful spot where Sophie could be off the leash - a no-no in the boatyard - and where we could work on the boat without worrying about taking too much time at the dock.  We also were lucky in the fact that the homeowner is a very interesting man who is a retired tugboat captain and bargeman who has a wealth of knowledge regarding the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario.  He showed up in his golf cart each afternoon and announced that it was time for a break - usually a beer and an hour or so in which he regaled us with his stories.

Sophie's playground

     We had quite a bit of rain - including hail and some fog which slowed us down; however the biggest drag on our time was the persistent running of our bilge pump.  We searched for leaks but could find none, so we called in the mechanic at Winter Harbor who identified leaks at the rudder post and right trim tab.  We were hauled the next day, and six hours and several $$$$ later we were quietly back in the water.  

     We spent our days adding a new anchor and installing 2 solar panels on the cockpit cover and our evenings altering our itinerary.  We now plan to cross Lake Ontario and head up the Trent-Severn to Georgian Bay in Canada and perhaps home via Lake Champlain.  

Afternoons with Morris

Mist on the canal after a storm

Our last look at Brewerton

     In fact, we started out on Sunday and travelled from Brewerton to Oswego, NY via the Oswego Canal.  The Oswego Canal, opened in 1828,  connects the Seneca, Oneida and Oswego Rivers to Lake Ontario.  We cleared 8 locks and dropped from 363 feet above sea level to 245 feet above sea level at Oswego on the shores of Lake Ontario.  It was a beautiful ride.  We passed under a RR bridge that featured in one of Morris' stories.  He had taken his tug and barge to the site on a Friday, lifted the old bridge on the barge, moved it off to the side and moved the new bridge in place.  All was completed so the first train could run at 8am on the following Monday.  Quite a feat.  

1st lock of the season -

Erie #23

    Other than a few canoeist and fishermen, we were alone on the canals and always in the locks - a rare occurrence and one we have been told not to get used to as the Canadian locks are very busy, especially after their holiday begins on July 1.  The locks are usually not difficult to navigate.  You basically enter, move to one side or the other, grab a hanging line fore and aft and wait on the water to rise or fall.  All of ours were "downers," and we found that we fell into the teamwork that we had developed last year so that we had no problems.  The only unusual lock of the 8 was Oswego number 1.  It is a lock followed immediately by a lift bridge.  The lock master instructed us to wait after he opened the lock gate before exiting as he had to stop traffic and raise the bridge so we could get under.  We were happy to comply!

Exiting Oswego Lock 1

RR bridge that Morris replaced

 We finished the last lock and arrived at the Oswego Marina at 1pm.  We made great time and beat the bad weather headed our way except for a small downpour we got caught in on our way into town.  The winds remain high today and tomorrow, but weather looks good for a Tuesday departure and crossing into Canada.  We are still trying to work out our internet plan - data roaming is very expensive - so we are not sure when we will post again.  However, there are lots of Tim Horton's - I take it the Starbucks of Canada - and we have been told that we can get wifi there.  We will have voice and text and hopefully the opportunity to set-up our own hotspot.  Either way, please keep checking!