Brockport

We took our time leaving Bushnell's Basin; throwing our lines by 9:30 and quickly passing through Locks 31 and 32. These locks were the first we'd seen with wire tubing instead of ropes to hang on to. Each lock lifted us 25 feet. Lock 32 opened up to a dark and dreary rock cut with nothing to look at except an occasional fishing boat. We passed under many guard gates on this section of the Erie Canal. They remain in the open position when conditions are good and are closed to protect the canal from high water flow coming from swollen rivers. At times, boats can be stuck between guard gates but are allowed to tie up along the canal walls. It's a safe place to wait for conditions to improve. 

Approaching Lock 32

Osimo in Lock 32

Beth holding Mystic to the Lock 32 wall

Locking through at 32

Guard Gates

Good Morning Sunshine

Lots of stationary bridges to slip under

Tow Path Gazebo

So many unique boats on the canal

So many places to stop and explore - Pittsford

Friendly people, excited to see boats passing through

After the ugly rock cut, we popped out into suburban Rochester where the scenery improved. We crossed the Genesee River which we'd heard was shallow but there was plenty of water for Mystic to pass. The canal sits above the houses here, giving us a view of roof and tree tops. We heard there were homeless tent cities along the canal but we only saw bicyclists camping. We passed under a series of beautiful arched bridges. Kayakers paddled beneath them and pedestrians stood in the center of the span to watch us pass below. Everyone on the Loop takes photos of these bridges, including me. 

Still a lot of debris in the canal

Wildlife along the tow path

Sign visible from the canal

Dredging

Guard Gates looking pretty low

Beautiful Arched Bridges

Genesee River work boat

The Guard Gate at the other end

Tight quarters

Grand Erie Yacht Club

Erie Canal Bridge Mural

Organic Farmstead

We encountered many lift bridges along the western Erie Canal. Usually the Bridgetender would let us through immediately, however, at Spencerport, the tender works two bridges and happened to be at the second bridge when we arrived. We had to wait for him to return to the first, so we tied off at the free wall and chatted with Loopers and cyclists. The Bridgetender returned and called us on the VHF and instructed us to get back on the waterway ready to pass under the bridge. We waved goodbye to our new friends and prepared to continue our journey. 

First bridge in Spencerport

Osimo waiting for the Spencerport Bridge to open

Locals fishing along canal in Spencerport

Mystic Passing under the Spencerport Lift Bridge

Brockport also has two lift bridges. We only needed to pass under the first one to get to the free wall with electricity available for $15 a day. Brockport is much quieter than Fairport and Spencerport. Mystic and Osimo settled in along the wall with several other boats. We were delighted to discover Stoneyard Brew Pub, only a few blocks away. We stopped in and tried the Vanilla Cream Ale and the Chocolate Almond Stout. Both were great!

The western section of the canal is heavily traveled by bicyclists and kayakers who camp along the tow path. In Brockport we had several groups of bikers camping beside our boats. We heard them chatting quietly, late into the night. Harvester Park is an Erie Canal traveler's paradise. Maybe one day we will bike the canal tow path.

We met a couple traveling on a Down East style lobster boat named Minerva. It's much like my brother-in-law's boat, Izzy, only with a lot of custom teak. I took photos to show Mark this beautiful custom made vessel. We helped Mark deliver Izzy from Reedsville, Virginia to Mystic, Connecticut. Down East boats are full of character!

Brockport was a really nice stop. It was busy but not crowded. We enjoyed our brief stay there. Our next stop is Albion.

Welcome to Brockport

Ivory Soap

Brockport Welcome Center

Brockport Carving by Ted Rogers

Bushnell's Basin - Perinton

We woke to a chilly morning with light showers off and on until the sun popped through in the afternoon. It was very cold whenever the sun slipped behind the clouds. This is a beautiful area of the canal; it's more narrow, not like the wide river section. For the second day in a row, we saw tons of wildlife. People on shore waved to us as we passed. Dog walkers, runners and bikers flow along the canal tow path. There is so much to see.

Locals, so excited to see us pass

Blue Heron

Osprey

Green Heron

Eagle on fence

Eagle on tree stump

Eagle on treetop

Deer getting a drink from the canal

I spy...

Crane pair

Great Blue Heron

Buck with rack

The things you see on the Canal

These saucer flowers are everywhere

Calm waters, impressive reflections
Note the high water line

We entered Lock #27 in Lyons at 9:15 with Scandia and Osimo following behind us. We had four more locks, including the low spot between numbers 29 and 30 to navigate. We were told that 29 and 30 were one way travel on the half hour so we had to time our arrival for 1:30. We were running a few minutes behind but called ahead on the VHF to see if they would wait for us. The Lock Master told us he had a boat in the chamber but they were willing to wait. We were anxious and ready for trouble but everything went smoothly. The Lock Master at #30 instructed us to stay away from the temporary green markers on our port side. Following that direction we never saw depths under 8 feet. We made it! As we entered the Lock we saw that it was Manatee tied off and patiently waiting. 

Osimo following Mystic

Happy to get through the low spot at Lock 30

There are 16 vertical lift bridges on the western Erie Canal between Fairport and Lockport. We  request passage to pass under each one. The Fairport bridge is a through-truss mechanical lift constructed in 1913-1914. It is famous for not being level and for having no two angles the same. It crosses the Erie Canal at a 32 degree angle with the south side higher than the north. There were a lot of boats tied to the wall on both sides of the canal. Fairport is a popular stop, but we are set on getting to Perinton.

Very calm canal

Side crossing train bridge

Newark, NY Mural

Newark, NY Mural

The first Fairport lift bridge

Fairport wall

Fairport Wall

Going under the first lift bridge in Fairport

Very busy place

Popular stop for cruisers

River cruiser Dragonfly

Beautiful boats

The famous uneven Lift Bridge in Fairport

We arrived at the Bushnell Basin Landing floating dock, tied off, then ran to grab Osimo's lines. All of a sudden we heard loud slamming and looked up to see Mystic dancing and twisting at the dock, all her lines straining against a powerful wake. We had no idea why; there weren't any boats passing by to cause such a wake. Later we heard that the pair of locks, numbers 31 and 32, sitting two miles west of us, cause these rogue wakes. The power of the water is funneled down the narrow channel and builds speed and power. Mystic's rail took a beating! The pull on our lines ripped the varnish down to bare wood. I was not happy about this!

We took a walk through town grabbing coffee and donuts for the next morning. Perinton is quaint but lovely. Seven Stories Brewing is just west of our dock. They have a floating stage with live music. We walked over and grabbed a lovely SSB stout and sat on the high patio, listening to the music. Cool river boats were hanging out near the stage. It was a great evening of relaxing after a long day on the water.

Mystic at Bushnell Basin

Seven Stories Brewery

The band at Seven Stories Brewery

Travel on the Erie Canal can be difficult but we're starting to enjoy easier days! We try to keep our travel to about 30 - 40 miles per day. Sometimes we have to go further in order to have a place to stay. Tomorrow we'll explore Brockport. We're looking forward to it!