Hudson River Déja Vu

Groundhog Day. We began to retrace our route down the Hudson River from Albany to the ocean. The first encounter would be the Federal Lock in Troy, the last one of the voyage. Unfortunately, a tug and barge beat us to it and we had to circle above. Sally took the time to take some high shots of Salty Paws.

Allan was at the helm maneuvering in place and must have lost track of Sally.

Anyone seen Sally?

Albany is the northern terminus on the Hudson for most commercial traffic and the waterfront is full of large boats and industry.

So, we were surprised to see this sight across the way at the Albany Yacht Club; a throwback a few centuries to the days of Columbus and his ships the Niña and Pinta. These replicas are traveling museum projects of The Columbus Foundation, touring the western hemisphere. The Niña is the most historically accurate replication of this ship ever built. We were surprised by her deck length of only 65 feet. On the other hand, the Pinta at 85 feet is a larger version of the original and has a 40 foot air conditioned main cabin. It is available for private parties and charters.

We all agreed that Hudson, NY was a favorite stop. Moxie always attracted attention, particularly from Jack Russell owners. This admirer was a fashionably dressed landlubber, compared to the more casual and practical attire preferred by boaters.

These Hudson firemen enjoyed the sidewalk parade. Was the sign overhead an accurate depiction of their expertise?

It seemed that a lot of repurposing has gone on in this town.

Allan found an atypical hardware store with everything you could have possibly needed in the last 75 years. After an hour of browsing, Sally had to pull him out under false pretenses in order to make our dinner reservation.

Meanwhile, Jeanne was mixing with the locals at the Spotty Dog Books & Ale. She had to meet us at the restaurant.

Henry the VIII: 6 Wives-9 Lives

Moving down the river, we made a short stop to view the cats of Catskill. These are fundraising projects. Local artists are given blank flibreglas statues to decorate (which is an understatement.)

The Great Catsby

The cats are auctioned off and the proceeds given to local charities. Over the years, they have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars. Catskill was the home of landscape painter Frederic Church who was one of the principals of the renowned Hudson River School.

Another favorite port is Kingston, NY. We tied to the dock in front of the Hudson River Maritime Museum. It was a weekend and the waterfront was full of people interested in boats of all kinds.

Due to the dock configuration, Bob might have appreciated a megaphone to conduct LNVT information sessions.

Even though this was a weekend, the dock was bustling with activity by volunteers at the Riverport Wooden Boat School, part of the museum. They recently completed a restoration of the sloop Clearwater, the boat built by folksinger Pete Seeger in the 1960s which cruised the Hudson River on a mission to bring attention to the river pollution and clean up the waters. http://www.clearwater.org/about/the-clearwater-story/

From our tugs we had front row seats watching the building of this beauty, a ⅓ replica of the Woody, a Hudson River sloop also built by Pete Seeger ten years after the Clearwater, to further awareness of the cleanup project and make the river accessible to more people.

Kingston is the home of Lord Nelson Victory Tug Bodacious. It was good to see her cruising by.

Captain Jim Lanzarotta and friend Larissa stopped by to say "Hi".

Salty Paws passes this ship at anchor in the river near Hyde Park.

It was good to see that the history and heritage of the Hudson River are being recognized and preserved; just as the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum works to promote and protect the lake. The river is a byway for many types of watercraft. The shoreline houses many historic landmarks. We stopped in Hyde Park to visit the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site.

We arrived a bit late for the start of the tour and the ranger waived the $20 entry fee. Good thing! The mansion was undergoing a bit of cleaning and stabilization, leaving a lot to the imagination.

Would you have paid $20 to see this?

But that didn't stop Madge our tour guide of 35 years from painting a good picture of life during the  Gilded Age, between the years 1880 and 1913-14. We came away with mixed feelings about the lifestyle of the privileged during this era. It ended abruptly with the institution of income tax and onset of World War I. The Vanderbilt families had 40 mansions and reportedly spent most of their money.

But we did gain an appreciation for the work of the architects and landscape artists of the times. Frederick and his wife Louise had no children and left the estate to a niece. She was unable to sell it, and upon a recommendation from neighbor Franklin D. Roosevelt donated it along with most of the original furnishings to the National Park Service. It remains intact as the Vanderbilts left it.

This was our second to last day on the river and emotions were starting to surface; nostalgia for the many past experiences, and anticipation for the excitement of the waters around New York City.

But we still enjoyed the Hudson landscapes. This is World's End, a dog leg just above West Point. This tug was making a tricky turn with the barge to head north. Looks like he's headed for the shore; but he made it.

West Point sits just below that dogleg, the only complex of buildings in the otherwise pristine landscape.

More river traffic. We prepared ourselves for the busy waters of the sixth borough.

Champlain Canal in Reverse

Whitehall, NY

We spent the night here after exiting Lake Champlain. This town is at the north end of the Champlain Canal. There was lots of shipbuilding activity here 240 years ago when our forefathers were fighting for independence. Benedict Arnold's gunboat Philadelphia was built here.

In the background under cover lies the remains of the USS Ticonderoga, meaningful because it was built in a town we visited just days ago. 

Whitehall prospered during the time when the waterways were the primary transportation for commerce. When rail and roads developed, commerce centers shifted and many towns suffered economic losses too great for recovery.

In Whitehall, only relics remain as reminders of better times.

Too far gone? It appears that nothing can save this old beauty, bowed in the middle. And for what purpose? There aren't enough residents and businesses in Whitehall to fill the space.

But we did find this gem high on the hill overlooking the canal. The owner was happy to talk about the restoration and her love for the neighborhood wildlife. As we chatted a pair of cardinals took turns perching on her side door knob waiting for peanuts.

On the bright side, the breakfast, coffee, and bakery trade seem to be doing well. Jeanne and Bob scoped this out. 

We all enjoyed a nice breakfast with a boating couple, Vickie and Chuck, from Alabama. They are a fascinating pair, career FBI folk, Chuck turned professional biologist. They are cruising the Great Loop. We were so engrossed that no one thought to take a picture.

Shrimp Parmesan at The Tavern

Just like Yelp, Open Table and other restaurant guides, there are those specific to boaters with reviews of eateries on the waterways. One must always be careful when reading any reviews. Some are too good to be true, as we discovered.

Moxie found the town interesting. She studied this sign and in a rare moment opted to celebrate being a dog.

The Champlain Canal

The Champlain Canal marks the beginning of the Hudson River  connecting Lake Champlain to the lower Hudson. It was completed several years after the Erie Canal opened, allowing great growth north of Albany.

The trip is a pleasant two day cruise, beginning with very bucolic settings.

The 11 locks are open from 7 AM to 5 PM. You shouldn't attempt the whole canal in one day. Sometimes it's necessary to wait before entering a lock and can eat up precious time.

We stopped about halfway in Fort Edward for the night. It's yet another struggling town, but full of historical reminders.

Before entering the canal, it's necessary to study all bridge heights and lower your superstructure. The minimum stated clearance of any bridge is 21 feet. BUT, like restaurant reviews, this can't be trusted. This bridge was a nail biter. With high waters from recent rains, one has to be very cautious.

A guard gate

In some instances, when a boat's clearance is 15', the lock master can "lower the pool" to allow for just enough extra clearance to squeak through. We lowered our masts to achieve a 13 foot above waterline height. Peace of mind.

 One of the final locks. For Jeanne and Bob, this was approximately their 100th locking experience.

A short time later, back in Waterford, NY we celebrated Salty Paws's completion of the mini loop. The moment is called "crossing the wake."

The two tugs tied nose to nose and Sally recorded the happy occasion.

Lake Champlain Final Chapter

Moving South Down Champlain

The weather was relentless; another day of threatening thunderstorms and south winds. We chose to hole up in Westport, NY across the lake and a bit farther south.

Once more, tied at the hip, we set out to perform periodic pesky perfunctory tasks - with great care. Allan and Bob changed engine oil and filters.

Jeanne scrubbed the weeks of muddy water stains off the bootstripe. 

Bob succumbed to Jeanne's pleas for an external water connection and spent the afternoon sputtering. Now how hard could that be? Pretty darn hard actually, ... and frustrating ... BUT HE DID IT! And from now on whenever they tie up at a dock they can wash dishes using copious amounts of water and take proper showers.

Jeanne played Cinderella (with kneepads) and scrubbed the main deck under Allan's tutelage. He swears by Oxiclean powder and lots of water; never scrubbing with the grain. (Well ... almost never.) Sally took pictures and polished the bulwarks.

Applying Jeanne's and Bob's methods of rating a good town, we searched for coffee, baked goods, and ice cream. Fortunately, we found Ernie's, the only game in this small town.

Coffee had to be pumped, but the bakery fare made up for it. Ice cream? No hat trick here.

But Jeanne made some interesting observations. Note the curtains on the exterior side of the windows. What would Martha Stewart say?

Every yard needs a parade-ready legendary lake monster. Champ is Lake Champlain's version of Nessie, with over 300 reported sightings dating back to local native American tribes.

  
And Allan liked this statement of days gone by. We checked and found a dial tone.  Is there anyone reading this blog who does not know what this is?

Westport had a nice town beach. It was hot. We had finally made it into summer and Moxie took to the water like Champ. As a puppy she learned to swim in the salty Atlantic. In Champlain she soon learned she could both swim and drink the fresh water. It came in handy while stick fetching.

She also likes wrestling sticks away from her owner ...

... and digging halfway to China to bury them.

Westport provided a nice respite. Nice marina, nice people, and nice sunsets.

We spent two weeks exploring this beautiful lake, cruising the entire 125-mile length. Had we not been with Bill and Keefer on that very first day and we cruised into a tiny harbor to find Art Cohn aboard the CW Churchill we might never have developed an avid interest in the history and heritage of the lake, visited the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and learned of the 300 historic boats sitting on the floor. It was with a tinge of sadness as we passed under the Champlain Bridge and headed for the lower reaches.

Still technically the lake, the lower end became a skinny channel lined with marshes. The hills receded while farms and the railroad remained along the winding route.

And suddenly around the last bend the first lock of the Champlain Canal appeared, marking the end of the lake. We locked through and tied to the wall for the night. Stay tuned.

But one more Moxie moment. The dog days of summer had finally arrived and Moxie proudly show ed off her doggie paddle.