Bushnell's Basin / Pittsford

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 back to port in Pittsford.

One of the lift bridges. This one had a particularly nice control tower.

The lift bridge coming into Brockport. This one was up due to construction on the bridge and Main Street that goes over the bridge.

A look back at the Brockport lift bridge.

The canal and lift bridge from the restaurant on the left.

The boat tied off down stream of the lift bridge and restaurant.

One of the canal boats that you can rent.

Rear view of the canal boat. It steers with a tiller. You can sleep below and sit on top.

Passing under an Interstate.

The second barge carrying bridge parts for Buffalo. We saw the first one a couple of days ago. People were lining the banks near Tonawanda to see the barges. Several of them missed the first barge and were going to have to wait quite a while for this one.

Entering Lock 33.

After having been lowered 25 feet.

The gate through which we entered on the high side holding back 25 feet of water.

Leaving the lock at the bottom.

Approaching Lock 32. We had to wait for a tour boat on the low side to enter and be lifted.

The tour boat exiting and we're entering.

The tour boat turned around and entered behind us. It must have been a tour though a lock for the tourists.

Along with the tour boat following us, we had to navigate through at least a half dozen rowers. Including the oars, these boats were pretty wide. They stopped to get instruction from the coach and we'd pass, then they'd start rowing and pass us back. It was a little annoying especially with so many of them so close together on a relatively narrow canal.

Docked in Bushnell's Basin, just past downtown Pittsford.

View of the dock as we left.

We stopped for lunch in Brockport at the Custom House Bar and Grill, right on the canal by the lift bridge. I had a Blue Point Brewing Hoptical Haze which is a New England IPA that was OK. I also had a Rohrback Brewing Scotch Ale that was very good. We spent a little too long in Brockport which made us about an hour late. We had a late "happy hour" beer at Aurora Brewing's tap house. I the The Cut which is a New Zealand Pale Ale. It was OK, more like a New England Hazy. For dinner we went to the Basin Pub as Aurora did not have food. I had Green City by Other Half Brewing, which is a NE IPA. It was OK. It seems no one makes West Coast IPAs any more. I can't find anything bitter/hoppy. I had a beef on weck in Buffalo/Rochester tradition. It was very good.