The Cruising Adventures of Wild Blue and crew...

There went Jim & Joan off in the Wild Blue - Yonder !

We have had a very enjoyable visit with Izy, Joan & Jim. Snack is still not absolutely positive that Izy wasn't planning her next meal when they got nose to nose, but she, unlike Jan believes me when I tell her it is OK.

I'd post the phots of the stern of Wild Blue, but I'll leave it to Jim - I did the hard part - standing on the dock waving good-bye.

Safe travels friends and as the old truckers used to say - "keep it in the ditches" or maybe they said "between" the ditches.
 
Jim,
Thanks for asking. Yes, Sydney and I have been taking advantage of our retirement. :thup
When I bought Tee Ten the Honda hour meter read 60 hrs. with a 70 carb. engine. Traded that engine for a new Honda 90 fuel injected and the meter now reads just under 300 hrs. :shock:
I've taken Tee Ten to Lake Powell, Catalina, San Francisco Bay Cruise and this year (2009) Lake Mohave. After Lake Mohave came home, hooked up the Scamp 5th wheel and towed to the tip of Baja to Puerto Escondido. Came back to Tahoe for a week, hooked up Tee Ten and towed up to the PNW and joined the Friday Harbor C-Brats and stayed around a week and joined the group again at Anacortes. I met a wonderful group of C-Brats along the way and a few nice critters. One out standing little critter named Baxter who Sydney and I had met once before at Lake Powell.
The PNW is the most spectacular region for boats and cruising that I've experienced so far. Alaska was OK, but all-in-all the San Juans are hard to beat, and every one speaks english :lol:
I would enjoy what you guys are doing now seeing the back woods of the good old US of A.
If you get up to the PNW next season, maybe I'll run into you once again.
You guys be safe and keep the pictures coming...Thanks
 
Dave - Thank you for the great photos! He shot a whole series of Wild Blue while going through the lock - what a nice keepsake. These are just a few...

Entering...
EnteringLockE.jpg

Tying off...
TyingOff1e.jpg
TyingOff2e.jpg
OK, you don't really TIE off, you loop your line around their line or cable.

Going down...
GoingDownE_001.jpg

Heading out...
HeadingOutE.jpg

We also heard from Dave last night about 6:30... a line of thunderstorms rocked Fan-C-Dory pretty good and he wanted to let us know they were coming our way. We checked weather again before heading across Lake Oneida... no marine warnings. About half way across the lake, we got a weather alert on the radio for the convective activity. There was some pretty good chop by the time we got across the lake, but the ride was still decent. I kept looking back at Izzy to see how she was doing; laying down on the floor under the table... a good place with less movement. She's got this stuff down.

We tied off to a wall in Sylvan Beach and watched the sky get blacker... plenty of lightning, but just a bit of wind and rain. Checking the conditions on radar (another good reason to have a TV onboard, since many stations now have a channel devoted to local weather), it looks like the worst of it moved through just west of us.

Hope Mother Nature cut Dave and Jan some slack.

----------------------

Steve - great to hear that you are getting a lot of time on Tee Ten! :thup Sounds like that was a good move for you.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Jim,

Great pictures! Thanks for sharing!

Your picture of the rifleman silhouette with "No Wake" is more than black humor, but actually reflects a bit of Canal lore. I ran the Hudson and Canal from east to west during the spring flood stage on my sailboat in '89. The flotsam on the Hudson was so bad that I used all FOUR of my shear pins in one day! The Canal was closed due to flooding for the first time in its history and dozens of us rafted off (up to five deep) the town wall in Troy or Albany for five days and were often awakened at night by debris rolling along the hull. One night some locals, probably kids, cut loose two rafts of boats who undoubtedly had a big surprise when they woke up!

Anyhow, after the Canal opened, I saw many houses with water lapping onto porches without any wake action. Obviously, locals were VERY concerned abut wakes. I was traveling in company with two sailboats and one afternoon and we were all rocked badly by a three-plus-foot wake of a large powerboat traveling at speed. We watched his wake plow through the front door of a few houses, only to have an owner come busting out his front door and slog through the water to yell at us. We could only point out the offending boat in the distance.

There is canyon-like cut somewhere on the Canal (can't remember where for sure) east of either Cross Lake or Lake Oneida. Someone had climbed to the promontory on one side of this cut and put a .22 slug into the shoulder of a guy on a bridge whose boat was on plane! The word of this was spread on the radio pretty quickly!

I remember shortly afterward anchoring in Cross Lake on a rainy night. The feeling was so ominous that a short time after I put out a makeshift anchor light (masts are down when running the Canal) I soon lowered it to maintain a low profile. This happened right when the Canal opened for the season and because of the weather, marinas weren't opened yet (and there were fewer then) and once I had to walk over a mile to get gas lugging two six gallon gas cans.

That year was definitely an unusual occasion and I hope it is never repeated. Have fun! We're looking forward to the C-Brat cruise in less than two weeks.

Regards,

Nick
"Valkyrie"
 
Nope Jim, no "slack" but just another attempt at teaching me a lesson. We had the bimini up, and it acted like a spinnaker as it broke 2 x 1/4" HEAVY tie-wraps and folded over the cabin top. It then rolled my Danforth out from behind the sheet-pile wall and started dragging the grapnel thru the dirt like a John Deere plow. I made a dive for the wall and caught the grapnel B4 it made it over the wall ( it was on the mid-ship cleat) - I could almost hold it but was loosing, till Jan got her boat hook behind the wall. We got everything squared away, then had our own wet tee-shirt contest (SHE won). Then some of the local youth showed up and proceeded to drink and smoke their monthly allowance till the THC/beer levels reached the point that they had courage to have diving contest from the highway bridge. OHhhh WHAT a night !

Lyons tonight - a very nice FREE wall with power !
 
Jim and Joan (and Izzy),

Your trip on the Erie Canal is even more interesting to us than your usual adventures, if that is possible, since we are going to take that cruise in September.

Thanks,

Harper
 
It was a gorgeous day on the Erie Canal today. The water was like glass and Wild Blue glided along like a magic carpet...

GlassyWaterE.jpg

3 locks and about 25 miles today. We stopped early afternoon at Lock 20; there is a very pretty little park just outside the lock...

Lock20aE.jpg

Izzy got to go for a nice long walk; we carried our chairs to a shady area just off the dock and enjoyed the day.

I seem to attract kids and rednecks... no rednecks today, but plenty of kids. They ran back and forth on the dock for a couple hours; unlike Dave's crowd, these kids were young and pretty well behaved (just a LOT of energy). At one point, we did have to tell them to not throw rocks in the general direction of the boat and they complied. When one would see something at one end of the dock, she'd scream and the rest would come running. Then one would see something at the other end of the dock and they'd all come running... back and forth... clomp, clomp, clomp. We sat on the dock for a while and engaged them in conversation. Young enough that the boys think the girls are stupid and vice versa. :mrgreen:

KidsE.jpg

The commotion went on until well after sunset... and then peace and quiet again.

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
On to Ilion...

This part of the canal was mostly unpopulated; well, you couldn't see any houses from the waterway. There is a hiking/biking/jogging trail that runs alongside the canal for a portion. We came across quite a few logs and branches in the water today. The speed limit along here is 10 mph (we generally run at 6 knots for best fuel efficiency), so no excuse for not keeping a careful watch. Heavily wooded and very pretty all along here; occasionally you could hear the traffic on I-90 (runs parallel for a while), but with the trees, you almost never saw it.

Only 16 miles and two locks yesterday. We were due for a laundry and grocery stop, so we stopped early on the wall of the Village of Ilion Marina and Campground.

IlionE.jpg

Nice place. Joan likes train noise, so she was in her element... the trains run frequently right across the canal. 30 and 50 amp power, water, wifi, cable TV, fuel, good shower (clean), and nice grounds for cat walking. There's even a restaurant on the premises; well, more of a snack bar, but they do have air conditioned indoor seating. :wink:

There's a small, but decent grocery store less than 3 minutes away; note that they don't take credit cards. The Remington factory/museum is a big draw here, as well.

We were the first ones on the wall here when we pulled in early afternoon. We had only seen two boats all morning, but by late afternoon, 5 more boats decided to make this the evening's stop. $1 per foot and it includes all of the amenities.

At this pace, it may be a while before we make it to New York City. 8)

Best wishes,
Jim B.
 
Nice long showers, some breakfast, and then it was time to move on. This section of the canal could be best described as a construction zone; we passed quite a few state work boats... dredges, cranes, tugs, and more. There was also a lot of debris in the water. The canal intertwines with the Mohawk River in this area.

We covered 36 miles and went through 5 locks. We’re currently tied off just west of Lock 13. Our motor is mis-behaving... cutting out above 2500 RPM. Just before we got to the lock, I pushed the throttle forward to try to beat a thunderstorm that was sneaking up behind us. Yeah, that didn’t work. So, we tied off to the lock wall and we’ll spend the night here, amidst the lightning, thunder, rain, and wind. The lockmaster did come out to the boat to check on us and said that we could come into the pump house if the weather gets severe.

I checked over a few things before the rain really hit, but couldn’t find anything obviously wrong. While Joan and I hurried to get tied off before Mother Nature let loose on us, a half dozen Amish folks came over to admire our boat. They disappeared when the rain got heavier.
In the meantime, we do have an internet connection, so I’ve asked for some diagnostic help for the motor... we certainly have the time to research it. No TV reception (whoda thunk that in New York State?).

One of the locks we went through today (Lock 17) is different from all the rest... the door to this lock goes up and down, instead of opening from the middle; the door opens up and you go under it. It’s also the largest single step on the Erie, at 40 feet. It was impressive. Joan said she felt like she was in prison as we lowered into that tall lock.

Lock17aE.jpg

Lock17bE.jpg Lock17cE.jpg

I started another thread to try to diagnose the motor problem, and have already had several replies... what a great resource this place is!

Best wishes,
Jim
 

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Interesting night. The thunderstorms moved on, but the rain continued. We settled in... Joan made a great supper and we played some Yahtzee and cards. It was one of those rare occasions where I was winning... all the time.

The rain let up enough to get the log away from the back of the boat and put the motor down. In neutral, the motor surged as I powered up, then settled into a steady roar. May be some water in the fuel, but the filters seem clear. More to come on that later.

As the rain lightened, the temperature went up... and the humidity. We opened the center window and put a fan in it to keep some air moving through the boat. I turned on a small light so we could see to play cards... damn mosquito... and another... in seconds, we were embroiled in hand-to-hand combat with scores of those nasty critters. I've never seen them come on that fast! At first we were keeping score of our "kills", but the numbers grew fast and furious. We turned the fan around and put the light outside under the open center window to try to draw them out of the cabin. Izzy was in "hunter mode" as she did her part to eliminate the pests. Since I have asthma, I'm not crazy about spraying OFF, especially in a confined space... but, we were gaining on these little bastards; desperate times call for desperate measures. :wink:

If anyone had been outside watching, it must have looked like we were performing some odd tribal dance. In the end, good triumphed evil. Yes, I consider these skeeters evil... even these tiny NE versions... on the Gulf Coast, they're so big that we hit 'em with a club, then Joan takes the front legs, I take the back legs and we toss 'em overboard. But, I digress.

We closed up the front window, sprayed OFF on the screens we could keep cracked open and went to bed, exhausted. Between the clattering trains (which Joan loves) and the thumping noise of Izzy going after the last few survivors, there wasn't much sleep.

But, it's a new day. No rain for now, just a fog over the water and in the valley to the west. No sign of the buzzing, biting pests, but that may just be a retreat while they gather up for the next round. We both have some fresh "wounds", but we dispatched many of them... they brought it on by drawing first blood.

-----------------------

In another vein, I am getting tired of having the same conversation over and over... "Great boat you have there. Love those Cape Dorys."

Me: "It's a C-Dory. Not the same thing as the Cape Dory boats."

Them: "Oh, I think they're made by the same company. Great boats."

Me: "Yeah, we were sailors. The Cape Dorys are nice sailboats; they even made a 28' trawler, but this boat is made in the Northwest. Not the same company. C not Cape. They've been around since the 70s."

Them: "Well, the name looks the same. Even the same logo. I'm pretty sure that's made by Cape Dory."

Me: "We went to the factory in Washington State when we order this boat. Definitely not the same company, but it sure is a great boat."

It goes on while we try to educate each other. :roll: I've had that same conversation several times a day since we came to this part of the country. Cape Dorys are part of the culture here, just like C-Dorys are in the PNW. But, you know that. I'm now taking a new tack...

Them: "Nice boat you have there. Love those Cape Dorys."

Me: "Thanks!"

:mrgreen:

Best wishes,
Jim
 
:mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Good call..... Thanks and a grin is often a good answer....but hard to stop there aint it.

Safe your energy for the insects.... you can truly express yourself with them Jim...

Hope your motor issues ran smooth Thursday... You must be sleeping in today.

Gone to Nashville to enjoy the Farmers Market with Mamma Byrd and the Brigner's (C-Pearl)... should be a fun day...even without our boats.

Safe Travels...

Byrdman
 
Rain, Rain, Rain...

Friday, July 31st. The motor ran smoothly yesterday... and today, for that matter. We stopped for the night last night between Locks 8 and 9. 25 miles and 7 locks today... of course, there is a flight of 5 locks... once you start through one, you're going through them all. We had the interesting experience of locking through 6 of those 7 locks with a couple of larger boats from Canada... I'm guessing that their skippers must have been only children, 'cause they didn't know how to share; they barely left us room to squeeze Wild Blue in at the very end. They had room up front. Not to denegrate our friends to the north, but these guys seemed to have trouble pulling their boats alongside the lock wall... if they could snag a line (ANY line), that's where they'd stop.

In my best friendly Texas twang, after that first lock, I politely asked on the radio, "Say, can you two big ol' Canadian boats going through Lock 6 give this little boat behind you enough room to tie off?" That was a 35' drop, and Wild Blue got a pretty good shower from the lock gates on that one.

Next lock, "OK, now I asked nice. If you boys could pull forward just a teensy bit, there'd be plenty of room for all of us."

They finally got the hint.

Oh, and it was pouring down rain... all day. I gave the Blonde the choice: stay a night in a marina here or move on to Waterford. What a trooper. She rode the bow through that whole flight and never missed a beat. :thup :hug :love :hug2

Fortunately, it was just rain; no wind and only an occasional rumble of thunder. I had radar on much of the day, as the visibility lowered then raised... didn't need it, it remained marginal VFR the whole day.

Joan jokingly said, "It'll probably stop raining when we get through that last lock." It did. We pulled up to the dock at Waterford and snagged the last spot... not really big enough for Wild Blue, but the Harbormaster said we're fine hanging over a bit on the front. :wink: And wouldn't you know it, the guy who was a pain in the butt through the locks drifted around, hitting the boat behind us... then the guy right behind us pulled out, leaving a large hole. Yep, ol' pain-in-the-butt is our neighbor. I did give him a hand with lines as he came in (self-preservation on my part), but I took the only 30 amp plug-in between us. It's OK, he has 15 amp, so he's not going without. :twisted:

We are down for a couple nights at Waterford. Shortly after we got tied off, the rain came back... good timing on our part.

Hopefully Mother Nature will cut us a little slack so we can wander around town without our rain gear. And it would be nice to dry out the stuff in the cockpit; plenty of rain came in while we had the sides open to transit the locks.

Sunny and warm forecast for tomorrow.

East end of the Erie Canal... heading down the Hudson River next.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Some of the locking through photos today...

Lock1e.jpg

Lock2e.jpg

Lock3e.jpg

Joan in the rain...

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Well, it was a warm rain...

JoanRain2e.jpg

A few other highlights of today’s cruise: we saw at least a dozen waterfalls; not sure if they were supposed to be waterfalls or if something is just overflowing because of all the rain.

WaterfallE.jpg

Also, there were lots of pretty homes along the river today. And this sweet romantic gesture that Joan made: she carved our initials with a heart into the slime of a lock wall with her boat pole. What a romantic!

InitialsE.jpg

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Watching with envy.

Judy commented on the fact that Joan was on the bow in the rain and you were in the nice dry cabin....sorta like our setup.

I told her were both trained by the most chauvinist skipper we could find....and she said that she would rather holler at me for chipping the gelcoat than to have me holler at her.

We both loved the romanic gesture on the slim wall of Love.

Enjoy the Big Apple and watchout for trash in the Hudson after all the rain it might be a bit cluttered. But at least it will be going in the same direction as you.
 
Hi Mike,

While both of us can handle any jobs on the boat, Joan would rather not do the helm in close maneuvering situations. I offered to do the bow work today, but she said, "No thanks." She did take my good rain coat, though. I felt bad that she was on the bow through that whole flight of locks, but she said it was no big deal. You can tell Judy that I got plenty wet in the cockpit, even with the camperback on (the sides were open while we transited the locks).

Izzy sat up on the v-berth and had the audacity to say, "You people are stupid. Wake me when we get somewhere interesting."

Regarding stuff in the water... this section was FULL of floating logs, branches, and debris. We heard on the local weather that this is the wettest July since they started keeping records 186 years ago. I don't doubt that one bit. We were surprised by how high the water was on some of the spillway locks; we had to lower our fenders to the waterline... don't know how the big boats would deal with that. On a couple occasions, I had to reach under the water to put a line on the cable in the lock. The water was definitely high on the banks, so all the downed trees at the shoreline were moving on. It was especially crappy right at the spillways after the locks, with stuff swirling around.

And regarding the Hudson... the Indians called it "the river that moves both ways"... tidal swing on the river, so we may to see the same junk coming and going! :shock:

Give Judy a big hug from us, and take one for yourself.

Best wishes,
Jim
 
Thanks for your posts and pictures. Sure wish we were on the canal with you. While in Waterford be sure to go to the restaurant in town, with the names of two men. Good food and low prices. Also try to visit the Supermarket with the dock just upstream from the canal mouth. Docking your boat and going for groceries is pretty cool. Stay safe and post some pics of the Hudson light houses on your way down river.

Mr. Grey slept thru many a lock. He never even asked if he could help. All cats must be the same.

Fred, Pat, and Mr. Grey(the cat)
 
:oops: :amgry
Darn those Canadians
Jim & Joan
Many times I have dreamed of heading east and traveling trough the locks.
Maybe some day,
Three trips to Texas & Arizona & we were treated great so we hope you run in to more considerate folks in the days ahead.
Love your pictures & stories.
Ed & Colette
 
Jim and Joan,

We are enjoying the posts on your grand adventure. Just do not stay up there too long. I understand they drain the canals mid November.

http://www.tug44.org/canal.winter/scenery/

This is a link to some great winter shots of the canals. You can refer back to them when the weather is hot. A cat picture also.

We are back in Port Isabel. The TIFT is this weekend. Scarlet is trying to rescue a dolphin tangled in fishing line. No rain and Hwy 48 is becoming a long sand dune.
 
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