Tony M Trawler: Off to the Erie Canal

We left Stratford May 31, 2011, almost a year after our Great Loop departure, for an exploration of the Erie Canal from end to end, 342 miles. We will be following the turn of the century Erie Canal that follows natural rivers and lakes. The original 1825 Erie Canal was a ditch filled with water that mules or horses could walk on a towpath and pull the boats through but the self-propelled boats eliminated the need for the animals. There are remnants of the old Erie Canal here and there. and plenty of museums that keep its presence alive. We hope to spend some time on the Finger Lakes too-they run off the Erie Canal and appear to be a boating destination.

Port Washington, Long Island sunset

Our first couple of days were relatively short. We spent the first night on a Port Washington, LI, NY free mooring ball. They painted them yellow so there's no mistaking them in their harbor. It's very difficult to find this kind of municipal generosity in Long Island Sound - we appreciate what they do for boaters! We stayed here because it made for an easier Hell's Gate crossing at 11:15 AM slack tide. We would have never made it in time if we had left from Stratford. We traveled down the East River to New York Harbor with LOTS of ferry and tour boat traffic, making our way to Liberty Park, anchoring right behind the Statue of LIberty. How cool was this! We anchored so that we saw the back of her head all night!

Our backyard view

NYC from the Hudson River

Mystic Whaler from Mystic, CT

Anchoring is difficult on the Hudson because there are few little coves and few islands. It's not impossible but it is difficult. We found a small cove in Haverstraw, NY and spent a quiet night there.

Tony M in Haverstraw


West Point - always an awesome sight from the Hudson River

We tied up to the Steel House Restaurant in Kingston for dinner and then for the night. Although it was a free tie up, we paid the price as we listened to the patrons partying until 4 AM...those NYers!


Albany-we're almost to Waterford

Waterford is the wonderful town from which cruisers stay before their departure either to the Erie Canal, the Champlain Canal or the Hudson River. We left Kingston early as we wanted to get to Waterford as early as possible since it fills up early. We were watching the web camera, eyeballing the spot right in front of the Visitor's Center all afternoon and were disappointed when we arrived and found a sailboat tucked into the spot we wanted to call home for the night. We found another spot and began to relax, knowing we were in the starting blocks for this adventure. We spent two nights in Waterford, taking in all it had to offer!