Erie Canal - Day #1

This saying is often incorrectly attributed to Confucius. Laozi was a writer and philosopher. He is thought to be a contemporary of Confucius.

This is it! 

This is the first step of my journey. This is where it all begins. After a life-time of dreaming and years of planning, it is finally going to happen!


All repairs  are done. All my gear is onboard: clothing; navigation tools; photographic equipment; and of course, sails. The primary provisioning (food & drink) has been completed. and... most importantly, everything is in its place.

We are ready to start the trip toward Ireland and Scotland. That would be Grace, Distant Horizon, and myself. Although I will be single-handing the transatlantic leg of this journey, Grace will be onboard to help get Distant Horizon safely through the locks so her mast can be stepped (put up). After that, I am on my own.

This chapter describes the proverbial "first step"; starting in Baldwinsville ending in... well, read on to see how far we traveled.

Distant Horizon along the B'ville Wharf

We finished provisioning Distant Horizon and loading our gear by 3pm. We were on the Baldwinsville wharf above Lock #24.  After checking whether Lock #23 would be open when we arrived... we set-off!

We departed B'ville around 4pm. After transiting through both locks, we arrived in Brewerton with Oneida Lake ahead of us. With the slight possibility of thunderstorms, and a stiff breeze coming off the lake, we decided to stop and get some dinner in town. After a simple dinner and some needed hydration, I was back at the boat; calculating the time to cross the lake and comparing that to the latest weather forecasts. There is a warning on the Oneida Lake chart, stating the lake can go from flat calm to 6 foot waves in 10 minutes! I've see it happen many times while Jetskiin at my good friend Don's house.

I did not want to wait. Friday was going to be pretty lousy from a weather stand-point. So, I decided to take a nap and depart at 1:30am. Crossing the lake at night is not a fun prospect. Oneida Lake is relatively shallow with several shoals. However, by leaving at this time, we would be able to enter the Sylvan Beach channel at dawn, before the sun rose in our eyes.

The winds were forecasted to be 5 knots from the south after midnight. I knew when we departed this was not the case. We still had 10 knot winds from the east. The waves were not too bad, I wondered how they would be after I pass the islands. It was just an hour later when I was passing the islands that Distant Horizon's bow started to gently pitch up and down. Everything on deck seemed secure. The cradles holding the mast above the deck was solid and secure. Thanks Tom and Tom for helping to secure the mast!

The winds never did veer south, but they did ease after a while. We had a few sprinkles, but no threat of a thunderstorm. Although, the horizon to the north was lighting up for over an hour. So, I guessed the eastern end of Lake Ontario and Tug Hill received the thunderstorms.

Arriving in Sylvan Beach at dawn was perfect... except the first breakfast place opens at 7:30am! For a vacation spot, it is a sleepy little village. We walked to the Nice and Easy for coffee and walked back to the boat. Lock #22 doesn't open until 7:00am. So, Grace made breakfast. As we ate in the cockpit, we watched other boaters leaving; heading out onto the lake to make their crossing too Brewerton.

We stopped for about an hour below Lock #20 for lunch.

Erie Canal Lock #20

The forecast for thunderstorms never came to be. However, the forecast for heavy rain did. Grace was at the helm. I was resting below. When I heard the rain, I jumped out of my berth and scrambled to close the open portlights. Then, I grabbed the foul weather gear. The rain would alternate between heavy rain and a light drizzle for most of the afternoon.

This stretch of the canal has many long narrow sections. It's easy to get caught up in your thoughts.

We made it as far as lock #18. The operator said the lock was closed, which we knew. It was after 5:00pm. We tied up along the wall above the lock for some long-needed rest. The lock operator came by and said he had a commercial vessel going through in about an hour. If we wanted to get below the lock, he would put us through with the tour boat. I was too tired to check the charts and declined. One more lock was too much.