THE START OF THE LOCKS

I got up early this morning. My new friends, the Karen Ann and the Potest Fieri wanted to catch the first opening of Lock #2 at 7:15, so my CATs (Caterpillar diesel engines) were brought to life about 7 AM.  We were first into the lock, but Karen Ann pulled in next to us so she could pull out of the lock first and I would follow.  The lift of about 35 ft went without much happening.  As I went into Lock #3 Carol grabbed the cable that should be bolted to the top and bottom of the lock so she could hold me against the wall.  Carol would loop a line around a cable and Rich grab a line at the stern.  Rich stopped in the right place and Carol looped her line around the cable.   Surprise,   the cable was not attached at the bottom.  Rich and Carol scurried around and I was proud of them as they found another cable and held me against the wall. 

Coming out of Lock #3 we encountered this east bound tug.  There is still some commercial traffic that uses the Canal.

To the left is a picture of Karen Ann going into Lock #5 as you can see; it’s a long way up.

There are two guard locks west of Lock #6 that control the water float.  This picture shows Karen Ann going under one of them.  The second one must have just been raised because as I went under it I got a dirty water shower.  But that is Rich’s problem, with all the dirt from the lock lines he had to wash me later.  The lock walls and lines are really dirty and it all seemed to come off on me.

The Erie Canal follows the Mohawk River here and the scenery is pretty, but not as pretty as the New Jersey Palisades.  The side of the river has some very steep embankments.  I ended the day early at the Schenectady Yacht Club.