The day began with overcast skies and ground fog that floating past us. We have to keep a sharp lookout for logs and debris so we don't make contact. The canal runs parallel to the New York tollway, I90. It feels like we are running in the slow lane.
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Marker with debris |
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We're starting to see farms along the canal |
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Approaching Lock 8 with a fog drape |
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Snag boat along the canal |
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Shack on shore |
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New York I90 alongside us |
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Canal alligator! |
We arrived at Canajoharie, NY on July 18th at the exact moment that the Erie canal Locks 2-18 closed due to high water. One by one, five boats slipped into the creek off the Mohawk River and sidled up to the park wall. Each boat was sent to this spot by the Lock Master of Erie Canal Lock 14. The town park is nice but there are no boat services available here. We are stuck; we can't go back east, we can't move forward west.
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Lock 14 right beside us |
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Mystic arrived first |
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Osimo slipped in next |
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Take-Two Heading back to Canada |
Five boats at the Canajoharie city park
We all checked in with each other to ensure everyone was settled and secured, then everyone began to venture out of the park. Laundry, bowling, and Jim's Irish Pub are in town to the south. We had to go over the Palatine bridge for ice cream, Subway, groceries, Big Lots and the pharmacy. Everything was only a short walk away. But we didn't have access to water or electricity.
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Our home in Canajoharie |
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Dave in the park at sunset |
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Osimo sharing ther generator power |
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Jim's Irish Harbor Pub |
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Dave visited this bar in 1982 He said it looks exactly the same today. |
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Van Alstyne Homestead Est. 1749 |
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Palatine Bridge over the canal |
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We had beautiful sunsets at Canajoharie |
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View of our fleet from the Palatine Bridge |
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Veterans Memorial |
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It was steamy hot during our stay |
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Palatine Bridge Stone Gazebo |
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The "Dummy" light, sitting in the middle of the road in Canajoharie |
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Dummy light |
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Cool Historic Canal Sign |
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Arkell Museum |
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Lee's Christmas Corner |
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Historic Canajoharie High School designed by Archimedes Russell Built 1891-1893 |
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Royal Purple Smoke Tree
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Tom and Julie Hoffman off of the powercat Next Adventure rode their bikes from Lock 15 back to our little commune at Lock 14. They told us to come visit them and to make sure to stop off at the Amish Store nearby. We made two trips to Lock 15 and the Dutch Country Market, which felt like a step into the past. The shelves were filled with every kind of flour you could imagine, in huge plastic bags. They had a wonderful deli where you could buy meats, cheese and sandwiches. They were stocked with an odd collection of staples but their bakery was amazing. The sign said they only bake on Friday. Every other day, the baked goods were marked down. We bought moon pies for fifty cents that were huge and so sweet that our teeth hurt! The Amish were gracious and friendly to us.
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Fort Plain Trading Post on our bike route
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'On your honor' farmer's market |
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Beautiful Garden Mural |
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Old Factory Antique Store |
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Antique Store Fort Plain, NY |
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Next Adventure at Lock 15 |
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Lock 15, water is rushing east |
After three days on the wall, we were running our of fresh water. The Fire Department stopped by to fill our tanks and told us to call them if we got low again. The locals adopted us and checked on us each day. There were twelve of us at the wall in the park along the river. We are The Boat People of Canajoharie.
Water delivery photos by Crystal Brown
M/V Take Two
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Mystic taking on a few gallons |
Our Canajoharie Family
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The teens on vacation with Heath and Joy from NY State |
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Joy - it's really not all bad here! |
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Crystal from Canada |
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TJ from Canada making the best of things Joy from NY State in the background |
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Heath, from NY State and Dave |
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Scott off Mona Gee and Beth in front of a debris pile at Lock 14 |
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Bob and Sue - Osimo |
Canajoharie is a Native American word meaning Boiling Pot. We walked up river to the magnificent rushing creek and visited the Boiling Pots which are circles worn into the rocks by the rushing water. The Pot That Cleans Itself, a section of the creek that flows and churns and swirls and flushes a whole lot of water is nearby.
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Hiking to the Boiling Pots |
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Dave at the Boiling Pot |
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Boiling Pot |
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The Mohawk Creek Dam |
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Scott and Shelly from M/V Mona Gee |
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Mohawk Creek Dam |
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Boiling pots flowing toward the canal |
It was very quiet in the canal park but the trains barrelled past north of us and the semis zoomed by to the south making it a noisy spot in a quiet river town. We are all trying to get somewhere. Three Looper boats, a Canadian boat heading home and a power boat on vacation. Together we are making the best of our situation. As we lament our misfortune we quickly agree...this is going to make a great story!
On day four, we got the news that the Locks would reopen. Mona Gee, Take-Two, and the power boat on vacation prepared to depart. We waved them off with safe travel sentiments, happy to know we'd escape Canajoharie but a little bittersweet about saying goodbye.
Osimo and Mystic would wait one more day to let the churning water and debris subside. Later in the day our friend Brian on Serenity came around the corner and onto Canajoharie park wall. We were last with him in Waterford; it was good to see him again. Our fleet became three.
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Osimo and Mystic, after the other boats went west
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Brian arriving at Canajoharie |
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Bob and Brian talking Locks |
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Bob, Brian and Dave early morning pow wow |
2 comments:
The best part of Canajoharie was meeting all of you. Thanks for blaogging about it. Safe travels!!
Oh YES!!! We sure made the best of it! It was such a nice surprise to run into you at Sylvan Beach too! Happy Travels! Beth & Dave
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