Welcome Home

Another successful trip. Steve and I had another really calm day running the boat. We pulled out of New York City at 6:30am, came through Cape May, NJ at noon and arrive in Annapolis at 6:15pm. The seas off the Jersey Coast were near flat. The Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay were calm as well. We covered 273 miles today and the boat ran great. After we topped off the fuel tanks and did a pump out, we had Linda Vista tied up in her new slip. Steve's wife Joyce and his 2 beagles were there to welcome us to Annapolis.

We covered a total of 1,022 miles on this trip and went through 38 locks in 7 days.

We got the boat washed up and it then it was off to a fantastic Italian meal at Maria's in downtown Annapolis. The perfect ending to a perfect trip. Thanks to all who have followed along. Until next time...


Ellis Island


She needs no introduction.


One of the great experiences while boating. To captain your own boat past Lady Liberty.




Looking south as we were coming in the inlet at Cape May, NJ




Lots of sail boats as we came into Annapolis.


Home. Our final destination.

Beautiful Hudson River

Another great day!!

This may have been the best trip I have had down the Hudson River. What a difference between early spring and late fall. It was truly beautiful and the conditions were perfect. Again, it was a little cool to start the day, but pure sunshine and moderate temperatures made for just a spectacular day coming down the Hudson River.

We covered over 155 miles today from Waterford to Jersey City, NJ. We are staying at Liberty Landing Marina tonight with a fantastic view of the City. We would have traveled further down the NJ coast today, but the seas off-shore were not good. So we stopped for the day and are expecting better sea conditions tomorrow.

Steve and I have made some reservations for dinner and are just getting caught up on email and odds and ends. We are expecting a bit of a bumpy ride tomorrow, but given how well the weather has been so far, we are not complaining.

Here are some pictures from today.



Lock #2 before we left Waterford, NY this morning.


Waterford town docks


Linda Vista ready to leave this morning.


Some last minute engine room checks before our departure.


The last lock of the trip; Troy Lock. Our 38th lock of the trip.


Inside Troy Lock.


Downtown Albany, NY the state capital.


A ship all the way up the Hudson River.


Lighthouse on the Hudson River.


Bear Mountain in the distance.




One of the many CSX and Amtrak trains we saw today along the Hudson River.


West Point, NY


West Point Military Academy


West Point


Midtown NYC


Downtown, NYC


The new World Trade Center

Good-bye Erie Canal

So long to the Erie Canal...

Steve and I had a small delay this morning due to fog. I hate fog. Anyone who has boated with me knows how much I hate fog. Luckily the fog didn't stay around long and we were underway at 7:30. We made it to the first lock at 8:05 and things went pretty much on schedule from there. Believe it or not, it was actually a bit cold this morning. In my t-shirt and shorts I was looking for a windbreaker or sweatshirt, which I didn't have. Who would have thought I needed to have cold weather gear for the beginning of August.

The trip down the Erie was uneventful. We arrived at a few locks today and had a brief wait because the lockmaster was MIA. After radio calls, calls to the lock office and finally a call to the Erie Canal superintendent, magically the lockmaster appeared and the gates opened. Good to know phone numbers of people in high places... The day was almost perfect until the last 10 minutes. We were in the last lock of the Flight of Five heading into Waterford, NY where the Erie Canal connects with the Hudson River. We were 10 minutes from docking the boat for the night when the sky opened up and we had a solid down pour of rain. It has been raining for over an hour and doesn't look like it will let up for awhile. Otherwise, the boat is running great and we are right on schedule.

Steve continues to do great with handling the boat. He drove all day and did all 14 locks. In addition, he dodged lots of sticks and logs in the canal today from the rain that we have had over the last couple of days. He will be well prepared when he arrives in Annapolis on Friday. Not a lot of pictures today. We will head down the Hudson River tomorrow and spend the night near New York City. All is well on Linda Vista. We are thinking Chinese take-out tonight for dinner??

Sorry about the pictures. I didn't take very many today. So I cheated and used some pictures from my last trip in May. Sorry!


A simple shack on the Erie Canal.


The spill way at Lock #7

Slow & Steady

Another day in the books!

Steve and I had another great day on the water. We left out of Brewerton this morning at 6:30 and made the hour run across Oneida Lake. Then we hit the speed limits on the Erie Canal for the rest of the day. The speed limits were between 5 and 10 mph all day long. We were able to cover 82 miles today and go through 7 locks.

We started this morning with overcast skies and some very light rain. But by around 10:00 am the skies cleared and we had beautiful weather. Sunny, bright and no humidity to speak of with temps right around 80. We left the lower helm station and went to the fly bridge for the rest of the day and enjoyed the sights and tranquility of the Erie Barge Canal. There was very little traffic to speak of on the canal today, but we did see a few pleasure boats along the way.

We tied up tonight in the little town Saint Johnsville, NY. Its claim to fame is that it is supposed to be in the “absolute” middle of NY State. I cannot confirm or deny this claim, but will take it at face value.

Once into St Johnsville we took on 356 gallons of diesel fuel. Linda Vista was a bit thirsty after covering 291 miles since we last fueled on Friday in Port Colborne, Ontario. After a quick boat wash and a clean up of ourselves we were treated to a concert in the park next to the marina. The band was actually quite good and many folks from the local community came out to enjoy the perfect summer night and free music.

We walked into town for dinner at Cosmo’s; a local bar and grill. Steve and I both had hamburgers. They were excellent and very big. We made small talk with the bartender who was not only the bartender, he was also the cook and bottle washer. He did it all. No complaints on our end. The food was good and the beer was great.

We needed a few small items to finish out the trip so we took a short walk over to the Cumberland Convenience store to restock the beer, engine oil and some ice cream. Now that is a good convenience store. I also picked up a scratch off ticket which I am saving for tomorrow morning to see if I can afford a bigger boat.

That’s it for tonight. We expect to finish the Erie Canal tomorrow and end up in Waterford, NY at the northern end of the Hudson River. We keep our fingers crossed for more good weather tomorrow.




Lock E-22 in the light mist this morning.










The most activity we have seen the entire trip.


Tied up waiting to go through lock 18.


Going through the town of Little Falls, NY


Some rock climbers on the side of the canal.


Lock 17; the highest drop on the Erie Canal at just over 40 feet.








The concert in the park next to the marina.