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We Enter the Erie Canal | |
 At Oswego, NY, you enter the Oswego Canal, which joins up with the main Erie Canal. Both are part of the New York Canal System that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. We leave ourselves 1 week to get from Oswego to New York City, but you can do it faster if you push - or are in a powerboat. Since the bridge clearance through the canal system is only 20 feet, you have to take the mast down at Oswego and strap it securely on deck. The crew at Oswego Marina are quick and efficient at this job since they raise and lower masts constantly. Here we made use of a stand someone had left behind to prop up one end of the mast, and bought more wood at the nearby lumber yard to build another stand and props. On our first trip, we thought it would be safer to keep the mast high (as shown in this photo of Sheryl) so we wouldn't hit our heads or be restricted in our movements on deck. Wrong! Having the mast too high makes the boat top heavy so it rolls dangerously in waves and wakes. On the open waters of Lake Oneida, we thought we were going to loose the mast over the side and end our big adventure the first week out!  This photo was taken on our second trip south in 1994 and shows a much more sensible way to tie down your mast - low to the deck and secured to as many solid structures on the boat as possible. At the bow, we lash the mast to the bow pulpit and amid-ships tie lines to the chain plates either side. We also use lines to restrict the potential for forward and backwards motion. Note the fender boards we have hung alongside to protect the hull from rubbing against the lock walls. Some sailors use old car tires or bags of hay instead. (You may click on the image for a larger size view). |
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