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.