The Welland Canal exists for commerce. Pleasure craft can use it but have lower priority to commercial vessels. Here is a ship that our flotilla had to allow to pass. These ships are unbelievably big.
It was a comfortable cruise down the Erie Canal. We went through two more locks, 33 and 32, and several lift bridges. You have to call ahead for the locks and bridges, which can slow you down if the operator isn't ready. Some see you coming and when you call they just say to maintain speed and they'll have it open. We saw several of the rental canal boats that you can sleep on, a tour boat or two and a rowing team practicing. It was a little dicey getting through the rowing team as there were at least a half dozen boats. With the oars, they are as wide is our sailboat. When they stopped to get instruction from the coach, we'd pass them, then when they started rowing, they'd pass us back. It was a little annoying but was short lived. A tour boat was behind us and we wondered if it wanted to pass but it stayed behind and eventually turned around. It was probably out of Pittsford and took the customers through a lock then back through, then a little downstream and then bac...
Sunset at Geneva on the Lake marina. We had a very good day sailing from Geneva on the Lake to Cleveland. We started with no wind but that changed quickly. At first we had a nice breeze coming over the stern pushing us along. We had full sails up. The winds picked up to the way they were previously when we struggled tacking into the wind with high waves and strong winds. The difference was today the wind was coming from behind us and the waves were pushing us along. This time the bull ride was more like body surfing. The 4 foot waves would come up behind the boat and the back would rise and the boat would slide down the slope until the wave passed. It was a bit rocky when they didn't come straight on. There was quite a bit of rocking side-to-side. We had the foresight to keep the reef in the mainsail so when the wind picked up it was no problem to reduce the size of the sail. We went faster with the reduced mainsail and no foresail than with both fully deployed in the morning. Thi...
We left Buffalo on a cold drizzling day. The day before we thought we'd have to stay a whole day due to lightning being predicted. That prediction changed by the next day so we left. Winds were supposed to be light so we thought it would be motoring day. After we got going we detected a light tail wind so we hoisted the foresail to help the engine. It might have given us an additional half knot. Our destination was Dunkirk NY. Buffalo marina and skyline We arrived at Dunkirk Yacht Club and were invited to their social hour which also happened to be new member initiation night. We had a great time meeting the members of the club. They had a nice pot luck meal that we were able to take part in. Dunkirk Pier Our transient (affectionately known as the illegal alien) slip at Dunkirk Yacht Club
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