Day 12 and 13: Brewerton to Oswego

Day 12: July 30: We awoke to a beautiful morning; clear skies and comfortable temperatures in the 70's. Compared to yesterday's foggy, overcast skies and torrential rain today is glorious. This is a picture of our view from our tie up. Once we pass under this bridge we will head to our eventual destination, the town of Phoenix. We are still on the Oneida River which flows 18 miles from Oneida Lake's outlet to Three Rivers Junction. 

 

We took a quick walk to a local convenience store to pick up milk and eggs. We thought we would walk around a bit more but there isn't much to see in Brewerton so we headed back to the boat and got ready to get UW. We headed to Winter Harbor Marina about one mile from Brewerton to take on fuel and water and pump out. I highly recommend this marina. It is a America's Great Loop Cruisers' Association (AGLCA) sponsor, offering members excellent service and prices. The young man handling the dock could not have been more attentive, helpful and kind. What an asset to the marina. I told John we will be sure to call the marina tomorrow to tell them how pleased we were with the dock service. At $3.29/gallon, the diesel price wasn't hard to take. 

I couldn't help but snap a picture of this beauty. Old boats like this always intrigue us. Kind of like old wine or well crafted antique furniture, these beautiful old vessels always attract our attention.

We passed through Lock E 23 ; the last one we will pass on the Erie Canal. We came upon Three Rivers Junction where the Seneca and Oneida Rivers form the Oswego River. At this split, anyone taking the western part of the Erie turn to port and those heading toward Lake Ontario turn to starboard. Folks can lock straight through the Oswego Canal or stop in Phoenix which is the last stop before the Canal. The route of section of the trip took on a different character than all the other sections we have traveled. A segment that was less inhabited, full of logs and sometimes huge trees and surrounded by woods transitioned into a more manicured, pristine area. Where there were no properties extending to the Mohawk, ending with docks on the water, here on the Oswego River people have taken advantage of living on the water, creating beautiful landscapes and peaceful spots from which they obviously sit and enjoy life. 

Here is a beautiful picture of our view as we exited E Lock 23. The river was narrow and we had to maneuver past an eastbound boat waiting to enter the lock. The river water on our starboard was a bright green, indicating it was quite stagnant; yet the colors were incredible. Many people were fishing along the canal. All reported nothing was biting when we asked as we passed by. My guess is they really didn't mind; just sitting, watching boats float made for a fabulous day.

Free walls are available in Phoenix which is a canal community located within the Town of Schroeppel in southern Oswego County. Sitting here tied up to a wall we are looking at Lock O1. We walked into town and purchased a few items including ice cream LOL! We also stopped at a farm stand selling gorgeous flowers of all kinds as well as vegetables and fruit. I snagged some fresh yellow beans, tomatoes, zucchini and nectarines. I am always a happy camper when I have fresh veggies! 

Another looper boat came in a bit later and tied up on our wall. We got a kick out of the name: Bonny Days as my name is spelled the same. I have had to alert people to the fact that my name does not end with ie but y for my entire life. It was fun seeing this on a boat! We chatted with the owners Craig and Susan from Delaware and discovered they are first time loopers also. 

While walking we stopped to watch several boats cruise through Lock1 heading south. We were already crossing the bridge above the lock when the Lockmaster asked us to get off the bridge as it was about to open for the oncoming boats. In the picture you can just about see John sitting off to the side.

And as night is falling here are a couple of shots. I'm not certain if the moon is full but it sure looks like it. As I was taking the pictures a great blue heron landed on the stones in front of us just long enough for me to snap the shot! Moments like these are what it's all about. 

Day 13: July 31: Woke to a chilly morning once again. When I say chilly I'm comparing to the very hot temperatures we've had on previous days. Of course the 95 degree or so the day John was in the engine room replacing the alternator. We got underway about 8:00 a.m. and were the first boat to hail Lock O-1. We traversed the lock and then waited until the lock tender lifted the bridge. This was the first tine we had to travel under a bascule bridge; every new day brings a unique experience. 

The shallow water on the outer edges of the channel along the Oswego River are sometimes filled with what looks like light green lettuce. The contrast in colors from the main channel is actually quite pretty.  As we traveled along the river we were being followed by some very nasty looking clouds. We were hoping the dark storm would just swirl around us and head south. As luck would have it we survived any downpour that the ominous clouds were promising. Although storms are not usually wanted when you are on the water I must admit the sky becomes stunning! "Storm front coming!"

The Oswego River is the second largest river flowing into Lake Ontario. It is 23 miles long from its beginning at Three Rivers to the city of Oswego. The name Oswego is a Mohawk name that means flowing out or small water flowing into that which is large. 

Here a few more shots of the river. While it is similar to the Mohawk, it is different. The middle picture looks like someone needs a bilge pump. The picture on the right is showing how a dam run off flowed into the area where we exited from a lock. The current was quite strong; we have not felt such a current as this one for miles and miles. Hmmmmm maybe we are becoming spoiled. 

The Oswego Canal has 7 locks numbered 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8. As the canal was being built, it was discovered the elevation of the river did not require a lock 4. Rather than reconfigure numbers the builders just kept going eliminating a number 4! The canal has a depth of 14 feet with the seven locks spanning 118 feet in elevation. 

We entered Lock 2 where a friend to the American Great Loop Cruising Association works. Carl Metz has been a Lockmaster for a very long time and he certainly has befriended the AGLCA. He posts on the Great Loop facebook page quite often, alerting loopers to lock closures and openings and more. When we entered the lock and up until the time we descended the 17.8' , he stood by the wall and spoke with us about his job with the locks, where he lives, his cars and more. What a gentleman and friendly soul who absolutely loves chatting with folks traveling through. 

We passed through Lock 8 which was also manned by a very friendly Lockmaster and headed to the harbor of Lake Ontario. We poked our nose out into the lake, cruising by the Oswego Harbor West Pierhead Light. We did see some whitecaps but nothing we haven't seen on Buzzards Bay. 

We thought we might tie up for the night at a wall that was located just after Lock 8 but it was pretty busy and rocky; quite a bit different from the calm waters we have had so far. We decided to head back through Lock 8 and spend the night tied to a wall between 7 and 8; a much better decision, if we expect to have a calm night. We did see a few other loopers tied up in front of us including Bonny Days. Perhaps they will all be heading out onto the lake in the morning, 

Boating life opens up a whole new world. People are not hesitant to help someone trying to tie up; there is always someone ready to grab a line. We have also had folks poke their head in our open door to ask about the boat name or where we are headed. One particular couple stopped to ask about Slàinte Mhath as they had been to Ireland and figured it had something to do with Ireland but didn't know what it means. We ended up in a long conversation about the Great Loop as they had recently heard about it and were dreaming about what it might be like. John also helped another boat tie up. It's all about paying it backward and forward as we cruise along. 

As the sun began to set, the bridge in front of us lit up, reflecting off the river and the sky turned to a stunning pink behind us. Another peaceful end to a glorious day. 

Our NEBO log indicates we were UW for 3.25 hours although the trip duration of about 18 miles took about 4.25 hours. The difference in time reflects idling while waiting for locks to open.