We leave Oswego for the 31 mile 8 lock day to our winter home, Brewerton, NY, a suburb of Syracuse. We plan to be there 4 nights to prepare Island Hopper for her winter stay. More on that tomorrow. We turn to port out of the marina and enter the Oswego River (canal). A lock is 1/2 mile away. WE buy a lock pass for two days (the minimum) for $20. The paperwork is handled while we are tied up in the lock. The Oswego Canal is 28 miles long, it dead ends into the Erie Canal. Hang a right and the Erie Canal takes you to Buffalo, NY or hang a left and your final destination is Troy, NY at the Hudson. We can not pass further west as the bridge height is 15 feet, IH needs 19 feet.
Every lock has an associated dam. Some are visible as this one is and others are not. Many have a hydro electric generating station, especially in Canada.
Link to Oswego Canal Map
Link to Lock 7 Overview
Another visible dam and associated waterfall.
For 30 years I have kept a knife handy when locking through in case a line hangs up when the boat is rising or falling. I used it today. I eased the line as the boat rose in the lock but the line was jammed in the cable on the lock wall. IH began to list so before damage was done I touched the taught line (it was like a bango string) with a knife and WHAM it thankfully parted.
We spotted an ice cream shop along the canal at a small town. Also a city dock was available and Bryce needed a stretch so out came the docking lines and we tied up for an hour to walk around and check out the town.
The only lock we passed today on the Erie Canal was number 23. Nice lock wall for an overnight.
When the deck boss is busy on her duties Bryce is secured on the bridge complete with fan.
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| Erie Canal |
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