Tonawanda

We're headed for Tonawanda today; it's our last port on the Erie Canal. The waterway is glass calm. We are excited and relieved to be at this next step in our journey. It is bittersweet to be leaving the Canal behind though. 

As we pass through Medina, there are several spots where the canal becomes an aqueduct that sits above the town. The first is at Culvert Road with another at Orchard Creek. The waterway literally creates an overpass for the roads below. We wanted to photograph our journey through these areas, thinking it would make great pictures. In a boat, you couldn't really tell how high above the surrounding countryside we were though. 

Culvert Rd. Medina, NY (Maps)

Culvert Road view south of the Erie Canal

Culvert Road view north of the Erie Canal

Osimo passing over Culvert Road

Orchard Creek view north of the Erie Canal

Orchard Creek view south of the Erie Canal

Erie Canal spillway at Orchard Creek

Glass calm waterway

Red Barn Reflection

Northernmost point on the Erie Canal

Corn fields

Apple Orchards

The western Erie Canal - straight and narrow

Beautiful Hayfields

Weaping Willow

Medina, NY

Erie Canal mural, Medina, NY

Boiler 54 Beer Bar

Restaurant and Marina, Middleport, NY

Nautical playscape

Gasport Mural

Lockport building

Erie Canal Shop

River Paddleboats

Lockview IV

The last two Locks in the Erie Canal, 34 & 35 are in Lockport. They are unique in that Lock 34 leads directly into Lock 35. This is called a staircase lock. Boats exit the first and enter directly into the second. 

Each of these Locks will raise us 25 feet. As we were preparing to enter Lock 34, the Lock Master told us to tie up on the port side. The River Boat Ferry, Lockview V, would be in the Lock with us, tied to starboard. 

Twenty five feet is a long way up. There were a lot of people watching, taking photos and filming our rise to the top. As we exited Lock 35 we passed under the Big Bridge in Lockport. It was once the widest bridge in the world. It's now the second widest. The underside of the bridge was incredibly close overhead. We were immersed in darkness at first. It was like we were entering a cave with a light at the end of the tunnel. This was a very cool passage!

Approaching Lock 34

Inside Lock 34

Approaching the Big Bridge

Ready to pass under the Big Bridge

View exiting Lock 35
Under the 2nd widest bridge in the world

Exiting out from under the Big Bridge

Information about The Big Bridge:

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=other/bigbridge/

The Tonawanda wall had room for both Mystic and Osimo but we were not together. Tonawanda is a party town! Boats are rafted up to each other along the wall. Music is blaring, cocktails are flowing. It cost us $30 to stay one night. We heard that there were several boats that had been on the wall so long that they owed thousands of dollars. City dock workers tried to catch them to bill them and then chase them off. We were so tired that we didn't even explore the town. We sat on Osimo's patio and enjoyed a quiet moment with Bob and Sue before retiring for the evening.

We are focused on finding a place to raise our mast. Dave has been researching options. Many Loopers use Wardell's just outside Tonawanda. We'd heard so many negative reviews from sailors we've met along the way that we did not want to go there. 

Dave contacted RCR Marina who has received good reviews but they were pricey at $650. He tried Oversheimer's who could step our mast at Sail Buffalo for $275, but they had to schedule us out almost a week. In addition, they would not give us time at the dock to complete all our rigging. 

Dave heard Wolverine Marine in Erie PA was an option. When he called he found that the Pennsylvania Port Authority does all the mast stepping for the surrounding marinas. He called the contact, Tony, who said he could step our mast the following Friday at Perry's Landing Marina, right next to Wolverine. This gave us a couple days to get there, it was the cheapest option we found at $150 and it fit our travel schedule. This is not the first time that Dave's diligent research has saved us time and money.  

The infamous Wardell's

It was a relief knowing where we'd get our mast stepped. Now, we just have to get to Erie, Pennsylvania with our mast on our deck. Tomorrow we'll enter the Niagara River and begin our journey crossing Lake Erie; the first of three lakes we need to cover in order to complete our Looping adventure and make it to our winter haul out in Door County. It feels like we're almost home!