The Lower Place: A few more days on the Erie Canal

We are still plodding along the Erie Canal. No need to be in a hurry and since the weather dictates our travels…it’s been nice to be tied to a wall for 2 days/nights.

The Lower Place-first boat behind bridge abutment (orange fenders)

We (Sanctuary & The Lower Place) were one of the first boats to leave Canajoharie Dock Sunday morning…there were 12 more behind us! It was a nice day for cruising; partly cloudy, warm & a little humid. The canal looks the same from lock to lock but each town has its own personality. Of course we didn’t stop at each dock but I can understand why it might take 3-4 weeks to complete this portion of the loop!

Lock 17 on the Canal - some say the most intimidating - I'm just glad it's not raining!

We had a surprisingly short cruising day and stopped at Ilion Village Marina. Given the weather forecast we knew we were staying at least 2 days. Ilion was a great stop with restaurants and a grocery store just blocks away from the water. Also, the Remington Arms Factory was open to the public!

I didn't do a lot of touring in Ilion - but I'm getting better everyday!

SEVERAL other loopers came in over the next 2 days; Southern Cross, Moon Shadow, Gypsies Palace, One Eye Dog, Sandy Gal II, Pali Lani…it was like a reunion!! What a fun time!

Tuesday morning as planned we headed west to complete the final locks of the eastern side of the Canal; passing through Frankfort Harbour, Utica and Rome. Luckily we departed around 8:30 am under partly sunny skies and I was tuned into the dark clouds on the horizon as well as the location of the weather alerts we were receiving.

Bow to Bow with Sanctuary in Ilion NY

The dark clouds were swirling all around us throughout the day but we stayed DRY!! By 2:45 pm we were safely tied to the wall at SylvanBeach NY – the last stop before we cross Oneida Lake!! Then the heavens opened and the rains came forth!! WOW!! Thank you Lord! We are on the wall with Sanctuary, Last Call, Pali Lani, Cynjoy & another boat (I can’t read the name right now). We will be here at least a couple days; the weather is not favorable for a 20 mile lake crossing until Thursday. That’s fine-we have friends and fun, even in the rain. And shelter during the predicted storms!!

I hope the weather allows a little time for exploration – this looks like a fun spot!