Erie Canal Exploring - Part 2
There's something special waking up on a boat early in the morning in a crisp fall day in a town you've never been to. I Woke Up in Baldwinsville ready for the adventure ahead. I love exploring small towns and Baldwinsville was a great little place to watch wake up. The docks are located close to the downtown area and so I got dressed and wandered into town in search of coffee and a shower. The town is built around the canal and in the middle of the village it has a small amphitheater in which they host concerts and events throughout the summer. Inside the amphitheater are located bathrooms which are left open for boaters from 8 a.m. to 8 pm. After a quick shower and clean up in an Immaculate bathroom, I headed out to find a cup of coffee in a local store. There are several great little tiny restaurants including one that overlooks the canal locks. It is amazing how many towns along the Erie have embraced the boater economy and welcome transient travelers to their town. Many of the towns along the Erie Canal have been gutted as industry has left the area. the State of New York is putting a significant effort into bringing visitors and economic support to the Canalway. I hope that it will pay off for the towns being supported.
This being September there were only three or four other boats on the free public docks but I can imagine in summer time that this place is very busy. Baldwinsville has a a great little amphitheater in the middle of town on Paper Mill Island which is sponsored by Budweiser who maintain a bottling plant in the town. It looks like a great little town in the summer and locals told me that it can get busy during the high season. I looked at the website for the amphitheater later on and found that they have lots of great little local concerts that are very popular. I think it would be neat to be on a boat while they had a concert and sit there watching the music and having a beer. The canal guide states that boats raft up 3 deep in the summer here when there are concerts. Today I had it almost all to myself.
Refreshed by good breakfast and a cup of coffee I headed out on my boat for the first full day on the canal. Over the last few weeks before my trip I had purchased Skipper Bob’s Erie canal guide. This is a great resource for anyone who is taking on a trip on the Erie and has great information on the different towns along the way. I am fascinated by maps and guides and this one is perfect. It has the mileages, information about each lock, and all the marinas listed with their associated amenities provided including Fuel and maintenance. Each day I would look at the guide and plan the day. I would try to plan a few hours for the morning with a lunch stop somewhere. Then an afternoon few hours with a planned stop for the night. Mileage planning is key to a canal trip as there are very few anchorages along the way. You can stop along the way and anchor in wider areas but its discouraged. There exist a number of marinas also should you wish to stay at one. Most locks do allow docking but they do not have services and are sometimes a distance from towns. I found it good to make a goal for the day and then plan around the distance. Since the Ranger 21 is not a fast boat and the canal has speed limits along the route this took a little bit of planning.. For this day my plan was to make it to Lyons. It was to be a 40 mile day which I though was ambitious but I got an early start.
Canal cruising alone can be both lonely and enjoyable. The tug is easy enough to single hand through locks and docking. The views along the canal are interesting and ever changing. The solitude is nice but it always leaves me wanting to share the cool things I see with someone. Invariably when it starts getting boring it is time to pull up to a dock and have some interactions with others. The weather was good and I set out for the day. There is always something new to see along the canal and in some areas there are lots of nice houses too. At the 201 mile maker I passed the entrance to the Cayuga-Seneca Canal which I would head down on my return trip. The day was pleasant and warm and the boat ran well. This stretch of the canal has a number of fixed bridges but no locks so it was easy to keep a good pace. Depending on the amount of boat traffic and the time of day, I learned that each lock can slow your trip by 30 mins so I would plan the days accordingly. I ate lunch underway and kept a steady pace.
I arrived in Lyons late afternoon and found the docks empty except for one other hire canal boat that had arrived earlier. There is one section of low dock area with the remainder of the docking options being along a high wall. I chose the docks because they had power outlets - but the other areas on the North End of the canal looked a little more secluded.
Shortly after arriving I was met by a local greeter who gave me some menus from some local restaurants as well as answering any questions I might have. This was to be theme at each town I stopped out where a group of locals greet boaters. It was such a nice touch and it reminded me how small towns can be such a special places. Free (immaculate) showers were offered at the fire station just up the hill and now refreshed and clean I headed out to see the town. Its always nice to see a town early in the morning and in the evening. I walked a few miles up and down side streets with no destination in mind I ended up grabbing a bite to eat at a local bar EB Gators which was great. As the evening cooled off I sat on the boat and settled in for the night. I was happy with the progress that I've made I'm looking forward to another day tomorrow.