Erie Canal - Day #3

We spent another night at the top of a lock.  Yesterday at Lock #18 and today at Lock #10, the lock lowers us  down.  So, Distant Horizon was tied to a wall at the lock, but we had not gone through yet.

Distant Horizon tied above Lock #10

We were ready to go through the lock at 7:00am. The lock's water level was set to the lower level. So, we had to wait for the lock to fill. Once we received the green light, our day of locking began. Just as we were set inside the lock. The operator came over and told me it would be another minute, another boat was approaching.

It was a big trawler. A trawler today, is what used to be called a cabin cruiser. Instead of pulling in behind us, they passed us and went to the other side of the lock. It was obvious, they wanted to exit first! Sailors find it hard to believe that motor boaters can always be in such a hurry! Where is the relaxation in that!? For me, it's all about the journey.

A trawler on the other side of Lock #10

By the time that boat was in the lock and set, two more boats were entering the lock. Four boats! This was the most crowded lock of our trip so far.

Two more boats behind us in Lock #10

We began descending the Waterford Flight a little after noon. The Waterford Flight is a series of 5 locks. It is the largest lift in the shortest distance, only 1.5 miles, of any canal system in the world.

Altogether, we transited  9 locks... a busy day!

The good news is we made it from Baldwinsville to Waterford in just three days!

We spent one extra day in Waterford to relax, recover, and do some more work on the boat.

The new flight locks, were built along side the original Erie Canal locks. Here is a photo of the remnants of three Erie Canal locks along-side  Lock #2; the first lock in the flight.

Original Erie Canal Lock remnants

These locks are now used as a spillway for the Waterford Flight when water levels get too high. I was told these are completely original locks and only the doors have been removed.

By comparison, here is a photo of Lock #2.

Erie Lock #2 in Waterford, NY

Many boaters' paths meet in Waterford. Boaters returning home from their distant travels, and boaters just starting their adventures tie to the wharf on the Waterford waterfront. I had the pleasure of meeting Pete, a young man just returning home with his family after a four-year circumnavigation of the globe. We had some great talks, and he had some very useful tips for me since our boats were very similar in size and configuration.

Waterford Wharf

If you don't recognize Distant Horizon as the fourth boat back. Here is a closer view; still with the mast down. We need to traverse one more lock to the Hudson River. That would be the Troy Federal Lock, operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. Then, we will travel about half a day south of Troy to have the mast stepped (put up).

Distant Horizon on the Waterford Wharf

Erie Canal - Day #2

We got up early to prepare the boat. We had time to have breakfast first. After all, it is the most important meal!

We were just 100' from our first lock of the day. I wanted to be ready to transit through Lock #18 at 7:00am when the canal system starts operations. We were. However, the lock was set-up for westbound traffic. So, we had to wait for the operator to get the lock ready for us; eastbound.

This would be the start of a very long day. After getting through our first lock, it wasn't long before we had our first disappointment. Last night, when the operator said he would put us through with the cruise boat, I declined. I was too tired to go through another lock. When Grace and I brought the boat to Lake Ontario, through the canal system last summer, we stopped at Little Falls. I never stopped there before, but we both liked it. ...and they had great showers there!

Little Falls is just two miles east of Lock #18. We were both a little sad watching the town dock slip away to our stern.

Lock #17 is the behemoth of locks! Before reaching the lock, there is a stream coming down on the right-side; creating a cross current. Distant Horizon has a full keel sticking down 6 feet below the water. The keel is nearly two-thirds the length of the boat. Cross-currents, even small ones affect the boat; twisting the bow one way and pushing the boat sideways. Just to ensure we have all the excitement we were looking for, there is a power dam and waterfall on the left side just after the stream. The current changes from this have an equal effect on the boat's movement.

I had great plans of videoing the process. However, I was in too much of a hurry in the morning and did not have the cameras ready. In truth, this one little error; if you want to call it that, had a trickle effect for the entire day.

Later in the day, Grace took the helm. I went below. After a while I heard an "Ooooh". Her tone did not warrant an emergency, but it was not her usual tone. I rushed to the cockpit and arrived just in time to see Grace's hat hit the water. I watched the hat as she explained what had happened. The hat was staying afloat! So, I asked if she wanted to go get it. She responded, "Can we?" I told her it's still floating. She immediately said, you take the helm. We proceeded to execute a proper man overboard drill to rescue the hat! It's always good to practice this. You never know when you will need it. When we rescued the hat, we were close to the edge of the channel. If we were any slower, the hat would have been lost, or we would have been aground in our attempts.

All-in-all we had a good day; locking through 8 times in 10 hours and covering over 42 nautical miles. The down-side... no pictures. I was busy all day and never really got caught up. I'll do better.

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.

First Move

With Distant Horizon on the Great Lake Ontario, there are a variety of ways to cross the ocean. Actually, there are three ways to reach the ocean.

The simplest and most direct route to the ocean would be to sail down the St. Lawrence River and depart from St. Johns, Newfoundland. With the highest water levels ever recorded for Lake Ontario, much of this route has wake restrictions. This doesn't affect Distant Horizon, as she doesn't put out more than a ripple. However, the big ships are affected and are traveling very slow; backing up shipping traffic. This may create extended waiting times at each of the locks.

Also, St. Johns is known for its fog and June is a foggy month. However, I am able to navigate through the fog using radar. You would think there would be a clear path to Ireland once reaching the ocean. However, the top tourist attraction for St. Johns in June is going out to see icebergs! That would be very cool! I can imagine some great photos of a behemoth iceberg... then I realized I would most likely have to navigate through the fog using radar and dodging icebergs, day and night for several days. I would not be dodging just a couple icebergs either. The International Ice Patrols reports:

"As of 17 April 2017, 648 icebergs have been sighted south of 48° N in the transatlantic shipping lanes. On average 212 icebergs drift south of this latitude by the end of April based on data collected between 1900 and 2016."

I am the adventurous sort... just not that adventurous. So, I ruled out going that way.

The next way was never given a lot of consideration. It consists of going down the St. Lawrence to Montreal. Then, heading south through the Champlain Canal to the Hudson River; and taking the Hudson to New York Harbour. I would still have any associate problems with shipping traffic along the seaway.

The third way to the ocean is by transiting the Oswego Canal to the Erie Canal, traveling east to the Hudson River. Then taking the Hudson to New York Harbour. That is the route I will take.

Due to low bridges along the New York State (NYS) Canal System, Distant Horizon will start the journey with her mast down; powered solely by her diesel engine.

Configured to travel along the NYS Canal System

The first leg of the journey will started by traveling along the south shore of the Great Lake Ontario from Fairpoint Marina in Little Sodus Bay, to Oswego.

Navigation Chart for Lake Ontario

Although this is a short journey, it must be done with extreme caution. With the mast being carried horizontal above the deck, the boat is top-heavy. The best weather window will have winds with a southerly component (from the south, south-east, south-west). In this way, with winds blowing from shore to the boat, there is very little distance for waves of significant size to develop. We would motor along in smooth water.

As we slowly motored into the Oswego Harbour, we couldn't help but notice the how the Oswego Lighthouse's condition had deteriorated since were last there. If you look close at the lower portion of the light and the grey area at the bottom, you can see the much needed repairs have started.

Oswego Lighthouse

In Oswego we will start our transit along the Oswego Canal transiting through Oswego Lock #8. We are heading up the Oswego River; against the current. When I hailed the lock operator on the VHF radio, he already had the lock ready and waiting for us. He saw us coming in off the lake.

As we motored past the Oswego Port Authority and the Oswego marina, Grace readied herself for the first of eight locks that will be going through today. I slowed the boat; using the current to help. Distant Horizon slipped past the Lock doors and into what seemed like a small cavern as the lock walls rose above us.

View from the top of Oswego Lock #8

We went through seven locks on the Oswego River as we headed south towards the Three-Rivers Junction.

Then we headed west to our home town of Baldwinsville, NY. Distant Horizon will remain above Lock #24 for a few days. This is where we will provision and prepare for the rest of the journey.

Distant Horizon (center) at the B'ville town wharf.

The high school graduation ceremony is this weekend. So, the marine traffic was very light. You can see in the picture above, there were few boats at the town wharf.

Distant Horizon at the town wharf in Baldwinsville

Distant Horizon

My wife, Linda, chose the boat name: Distant Horizon. While I was struggling to find a simple, descriptive and unique name, Linda would just smile and shake her head at each attempt. One day she just roller her eyes... I knew I failed again. However, she followed that up with, "What about Distant Horizon?" I liked it immediately. I asked her how she came up with the name. She replied with some of my favorite paradigms, including:

"Keep things as simple as possible, just not any simpler", Albert Einstein.

"The simplest solution is usually the better one.", Occam's razor. ("Suppose there exist two explanations for an occurrence. In this case, the simpler one is usually better.")

Then she added, "A little is enough by Peter Townshend... seems to fit".

Peter Townshend is best know for being the guitarist for The Who. In 1980 he released his first solo album Empty Glass. Buried midway down the playlist of that album is a song called A little is Enough. I'm not going to explain the depth  and meaning of this love song. That role would be best suited for my friend M.C. Antil. If you like to read about music or sports, well baseball. Go to M.C.'s blog: http://mcantil.com. You will enjoy his thoughtful, eloquent prose.

So, Linda played the song and told me to listen carefully to the third verse.

Just like a sailor heading into the seas

There's a gale blowing in my face

The high winds scare me but I need the breeze

And I can't head for any other place

Life would seem so easy on the other tack

But even a hurricane won't turn me back

You might be an island

On the distant horizon

But the little I see

Looks like heaven to me

I don't care if the ocean gets rough

Just a little is enough

Besides the obvious metaphor, that verse has a literal meaning for our lives. Linda explained that all she can envision is a sailboat struggling through high winds and big seas when she hears this song now; rather than the depth of love the song truly portrays. Linda went on to explain how she believed that Peter Townshend isn't given enough credit as a poet.

"Life would seem so easy on the other tack, but even a hurricane won't turn me back." She explained that was me... driven to make this sailing dream come true.

The name Distant Horizon was simple. It certainly described where the boat was intended to be sailing. I searched the U.S. Coast Guard Registry for boat names. There were no boats named Distant Horizon. Even a search today would show just two boat's with that name. Both are registered to me. Needless to say, Linda's boat name passed the uniqueness test! I would expect nothing less from her.

Introduction (Part 3)

While in the Air Force, I was lucky enough to have a special assignment in Great Britain. I was there for just a short period of time. On one weekend we were free with no missions.  I rented a car and drove to Glasgow with SSgt Brown "Brownie". It had been 10 years since I last saw uncle Edward. It was a great reunion. The Rosalie was on the hard (on land). The maintenace was too much for uncle Edward to keep up with. That was to be the last time I would see him.  Still, I think back to that time and feel happy. Uncle Edward got to know me as an adult.

For more years than I can remember, I dreamed about sailing across the Atlantic. I dreamed of what it would have been like on the Rosalie with uncle Edward. Then I dreamed of sailing on the Atlantic in my own boat. It seemed to be a fitting way to honour the man who ignited my passion for all things nautical.

Linda and I talked about all the details of this adventure. First we needed a boat. Then I needed to fill the voids in my sailing skills. Most importantly, We had to follow a simple creed; one which was drilled into me by my first flight instructor, Jim: "Safety First". As usual, Linda was completely supportive.

It had been many years since I stepped on a sailboat. So, I started looking for a small 24-26 foot boat. Linda came home the next day from work and asked what I thought about this boat and handed me a printout. It was a 32 foot boat!

This was to be our first Distant Horizon; a Columbia Payne 9.6. We sailed this boat on Seneca Lake for one season before moving her to the Great Lake Ontario. This was a more fitting body of water for the boat and preparation for my dream.

Distant Horizon anchored in Carlton Island's South Bay

Our tentative plan was to use Lake Ontario as a proving ground for the boat. Then, I would sail her to Bermuda as a sea trial to test the boat and myself for the transatlantic voyage. While talking with the head of the US Coast Guard's cartography group, he asked why I was sailing on Lake Ontario. I explained to him the plan. He just laughed, then told me about his Coast Guard adventures, which started with a 6 year tour on Lake Ontario. His advice was to go to Bermuda, it would be a good sea-trial for Lake Ontario!

Linda had cancer. Each year, the doctors would discover a mass, always in early May. Linda would have treatments and when she felt better we would go sailing. Our sailing seasons were growing shorter.  I would use the time we weren't sailing to do work and make changes to the boat.

During the winter of 2013 Linda asked how long would it take me to finish the work I was doing on the boat. I told her I needed 3 months starting with warmer weather. The next day Linda told me that we needed a new boat; one that was ready to sail. I told her we could get a small boat, but she wanted to get one that could also fulfill my dreams.

In the spring of 2014 we had another boat and named that Distant Horizon. Most people serialize their boat name with a roman numeral. I did not like Distant Horizon II as a name. Linda came up with the name originally and I wanted to keep that name. The official name identifying a boat is the name plus the port of call. The Columbia was Distant Horizon, Fair Haven, NY. So, the new boat became Distant Horizon, Syracuse, NY. 

Distant Horizon at dock in Annapolis, MD

I know uncle Edward would approve of Distant Horizon. He loved teak, and Distant Horizon is adorned with lots of teak on the outside as well as the interior.

Introduction (Part 2)

During the summer of '67, I was on an amazing adventure. I had just crossed the Atlantic Ocean on an ocean liner. After which, I was living in Scotland with my grandmother at her youngest brother's house... my Uncle Edward's house.

Over the summer, mostly on weekends, we travelled to Edinburgh, Sterling, Inverness, Loch Ness, and the Scottish Highlands. I was learning some of the history of Scotland: wars that were fought; and buildings built before Christopher Columbus came to North America.

One such weekend trip, my grandmother took me to Skerray. A small village in northern Scotland. There we visited with my grandmother's best friend's family; that of my Aunt Jean. While there, it was decided I should dress up for church. At it so happened, they had a kilt, jacket, sporran, et al. that fit me. So, I dressed in the clan MacDonald colours, as shown in the photo below.

Kevin, dressed in the traditional Scottish Highlands manner for Sunday mass

During the week, we stayed close to Glasgow. Uncle Edward and I would take a bus and then, walk to his mooring in Clydebank. We would row out to his mooring to work on his boat: Rosalie.

The Rosalie has a story of her own, which is worth telling. During World War II, the Queen Mary was used to transport troops across the Atlantic. In the process, she had been shot up by German U-Boats (submarines). Thankfully, she was never torpedoed. At one point she was sent back to the John Brown shipyards in Glasgow, Scotland. There, she was repaired and refitted. This work included the replacement of the old lifeboats with a newer design.  The older lifeboats came with oars and a short mast. The newer lifeboats had a diesel engine.

The Queen Mary was originally built in the John Brown shipyards. These famous shipyards were the birthplace of many great ships: Lusitania, Empress of Britain, Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, Royal Yacht Britannia, Queen Elizabeth II (QE2). Many naval ships were also built here.

Uncle Edward was working in the shipyards at the time. He purchased one of the older lifeboats. Over the years, he converted the lifeboat into a cabin cruiser/motor sailer and named the boat Rosalie; after his wife.

It was on the Rosalie that Uncle Edward taught me what it meant to be a seaman. I learned to tie knots;  work on diesel engines; the care of wooden boats; reading tide tables; coastal navigation; and among other things, sailing.

During this time, we spent many days working on the Rosalie, and also spent several nights on her. As I looked off the stern (back), I could see the River Clyde and the John Brown shipyard on the far bank. At night, there were lots of lights and all kind of activity. They were building the Queen Elizabeth 2, simply referred to as the QE2.

Construction of the Queen Elizabeth 2 at the John Brown Shipyard, Glasgow, Scotland

QE2 Departing along the River Clyde

Uncle Edward's dream was to sail the Rosalie across the Atlantic to New York. In those days, you could count solo sailors on one hand. He would not take that voyage alone. After working together for the summer, he decided that he and I could do it together. Aunt Rose was concerned, but Uncle Edward addressed all those concerns. My grandmother trusted her brother's judgement. My mother, also trusted uncle Edward's judgement and that was reenforced by her mother's approval. So, why didn't we do it? My father answered with an emphatic "No!".