June 22, 2017 - Oswego, NY, USA to Riverside Heights, ON, Canada

We are officially in Canada and flying their flag over Independence as a courtesy to the country.  Yoohoo!

Hello Canada!

But let's start at the beginning.  It has been an adventure since we left Oswego, NY.  To start with, remember that inverter we replaced in in Brewerton, NY, well it's not working.  It knocks out the navigation electronics every time it is turned on.  Result is, we have to run the generator while underway to keep the frig cooling and the icemaker freezing that all important ice for dock tails! Working on getting it resolved but not there yet.

Next up, remember that perfect day we were waiting on to cross Lake Ontario.  Well it arrive and we headed out, but low and behold, the wind and current gods were having a laugh on us.  Not quite as bad as our experience on the Chesapeake Bay but a pretty close second.  Since I had not anticipated a bumpy ride, I did not secure anything so needless to say things were flying around the cabin.  I put Roofus in her life jacket and she promptly hid under the table.  There was nothing in the world that was going to get her to move, so I joined her.  Problem is, I couldn't see the horizon from there so kept my eyes glued to the clouds while hugging Roofus.  She was not a happy puppy!

No, her eyes are not green, that is just how pissed she was.

Once Lake Ontario was behind us we entered the St. Lawrence River and the 1000 Islands region.  Technically there are 1846 islands.  Some have beautiful homes on them, some with small cottages and some with lighthouses and others completely natural.  All along the way it was fascinating and beautiful to see.  We docked in Clayton, NY for a few days, to check out the Antique Boat Museum and enjoy the town.  The museum is full of wooden boats of all kinds from canoes to speed boats to a 106' 2 story houseboat 'La Duchesse' built by George Boldt (remember that name for later), basically a floating mansion.  We did a lot of walking around town.  Didn't do a lot of shopping other than for groceries (which they came and picked us up then dropped us back at the dock when we were done) but did enjoy a wine tasting (of course, had to buy a bottle or two) and a local micro brewery which was fabulous as was their pizza.  We even got to enjoy a dog distance jumping contest.  It was amazing to see how far they could jump, 22+ feet as we left the still in progress contest.  Our moments bad luck continued when our wifi booster crapped out.  Ken is working on that too.   All in all, this was a great stop but as with the rest of the week, hit a snag, literally.  As we were leaving the wind drove us into the dock so as we continue to move forward our starboard bow fender took out a power and water pedestal.  We immediately called the dock master and fessed up.  There wasn't any spouting water or electrical charges coming from the now prone pedestal so hope the damage is no more than putting it back in an upright positon (more $$ to come, I am sure). 

We left Clayton with hopes of docking at Heart Island where Boldt Castle is.  Unfortunately due to high waters, the docks were just about under water.  So we headed down the river to Dark Island and Singer Castle, where they had floating docks and though the wind was stiff we were able to tie up and take a tour.  This castle was built in 1905 by Fredrick Bourne, the fifth president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company.  It comes complete with a dungeon, secret passageways and portrait of Sir Walter Raleigh that tilts back to allow you observe the library from behind it, while inside one of the secret passages.  Just too cool.

Singer Castle on Dark Island

Singer Castle - A view of Independence from the ballroom.

Singer Castle - The view from behind Sir Walter Raleigh's portrait into the dining room below so he could spy on his guests.  Great host??!!

Singer Castle - One of the secret passages.  Notice the black bars to the left.  The passages could be locked to keep the servants from overhearing private conversations.

Singer Castle from the boat house where we docked up.

From here we cruised back up the river to Alexandria Bay, NY to dock up for the night.  Since we couldn't actually dock at Boldt Castle, we decided to take the ferry the next day over to Heart Island.  I have been looking forward to seeing Boldt Castle for a long time.  Besides my obsession with castles, this one has a tragic love story behind it.  During the Gilded Age, George Boldt made his fortune in the hotel business.  Louise was his adored wife and partner who also shared his passion in the hotel business.  In 1899 he began construction on a six story castle that he intended to present as a gift to his beloved, Louise.  As the construction neared completion, he decided to present it to her on Valentines Day of 1904 but a month before that Louise suddenly died.  George immediately stopped all construction and never returned to Heart Island.  The castle as well as the rest of the island structures were left exposed to the elements and vandals for the next 73 years.  It wasn't until 1977 that the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority acquired the island and restorations began.  Over the years the 1st and 2nd floors as well as some of the other structures have been restored.  The restoration continues today.  It would be neat to come back later and see what else has been completed.  Love, Love, Love this castle.

Boldt Castle on Heart Island - lite up at night and our view from the stern of Independence.  Awesome!

Boldt Castle - From back side of the island.

Boldt Castle - Hearts are everywhere from the landscape to embedded in the stone of the structures to stained glass windows and even in the Boldt family crest.

Portraits of George and Louise Boldt

Following are just a few of the many pictures Ken took for me.  In order, from the main entrance to the castle, the wrap around porch at the main entrance (the wood ceiling is massive and gorgeous), Boldt initial B in a heart in the grand foyer, the dining room with original furniture of the Boldts donated by family, the grand stairway and the library. 

The 3rd and 4th floors have not been restored.  Some of the rooms have been cleaned out from years of debris and made structurally sound before starting restoration and others look exactly the way they did in 1977 when the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took over. 

Boldt Castle - Exposed terra cotta tiles in the ceilings on the 4th floor.

Boldt Castle - 3rd floor room in condition as found by the Authority in 1977.

Boldt Castle - Griffiti all over the walls on the 4th floor.

Boldt Castle - Alster Tower currently under restoration.  This was a recreational structure and this view is of the 2 lane bowling alley which is back under the stairs.

Boldt Castle - Restored Power House.  Had 3 turbines that supplied the electricity and water to the castle and grounds.  Really wanted to see inside but it was closed due to high water on the river.

Ok, I'm done.  Can you tell I am fascinated with Boldt Castle.  Highlight of the trip so far for me.  With this fabulous stop completed we headed down the river to Morristown, NY for the night.  Our last stop in good ole' USA before we cross into Canada.  Very quiet little village but had a great restaurant where Ken got his steak fix and we saw a beautiful sunset.

Morristown, NY - Sunset on the St. Lawrence River.

The next day we went through the 1st of 7 locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Iroquois Lock which in Canada.  We officially checked in when we got to Riverside Heights, Ontario, Canada.  Went very smoothly, meaning we have not seen anyone from the Canadian Border Patrol.  :)  We plan to stay here for a few days before heading to Montreal. 

Post script from Roofus:

I found a new buddy, Rhonda.  We met in Clayton, NY at the village municipal docks (the same docks where my humans tried to take a power and water pedestal with them).  She gave me treats and lots of hugs.  Rhonda has dachshund too.  How lucky for me.  She even made me a goodie bag of treats for the trip.  Based on what has happened since we left Oswego....bad weather, leaving me alone on a rocking Independence while my humans explored Singer Castle, then leaving me all alone the next day to go to Boldt Castle, I wish I could have stayed with Rhonda.  She is a great human!!!  Thanks for everything Rhonda. 

June 14, 2017 Little Falls, NY to Oswego, NY

We are by no means experts on locking but I will say that with 29 locks behind us, we are feeling a bit more confident.  So far we have traversed the locks mainly by ourselves and with the exception of one barge (that was not in the lock), have only dealt with pleasure craft.  Ken informs me that once we get in the St. Lawrence Seaway that will all change.  Oh, joy..... 

In the past week and a half we have mainly only been in a couple of locations.  Brewerton, NY was the longest stop over as we had work done on Independence.  The starboard engine alternator needed to be replace, which would have been a simple repair as we already had a new alternator (one of many spare parts that Ken has crammed into the many nooks and crannies on the boat).  It turned out that the alternator was not the issue but rather with the inverter.  For those who do not know what that is (I was one of them), the inverter converts the batteries' DC output to AC power needed for key critical functions when Independence is underway like the frig and the icemaker (can't have of cocktails at the end of the day without ice!!!).  Our 2 day stop turned into 5 so we took the opportunity to re-provision, do a little laundry and fix my shattered cellphone screen.  But the most fun was the maiden launch of our dinghy 'Sparkler'.  It was a beautiful sunny day with warm temps and a baby cruise on the canal was in the cards.  We got her launched, quite a feat and one I would not attempt without Ken.  Her throttle needs adjusted when in idle but other than that, we headed up the canal into town and decided to dock up at the town pier and had lunch.  Great fun. 

Sparkler launched and ready to go.

All smiles as Sparkler is handling great.

View from the restaurant.  Notice the small white vessel between the blue covered boat and the boat at the end of the pier.  That is Sparkler.  She is so tiny looking.

Our trip back, getting ready to pass under the railroad bridge.

Hello home!

Lifting Sparkler back to her crib on the fly bridge.

With the repairs behind us we continued west on the Erie canal till we got to the Three Rivers junction where we turned and headed north up the Oswego Canal.  Still part of the New York canal system but now heading toward Lake Ontario.  We went through 7 locks before deciding to dock on the lock wall between locks 7 and 8.  There was no service so ran on the generator.  We stayed here for 3 days.  Each day was warmer than the one before so ran the generator though did not run it all night.  Felt a little like camping but being able to shower, have ice and cook on the boat was so much better than camping and the generator got a good work out.  We got a chance to talk to other loopers who also docked up.  The neat thing was there were 2 different water streams here.  We were in the lock waters which were very calm and on the other side of the lock wall was the Oswego river that has rapids from being shallow, a descending flow as well as the water flow from the lock 7 dam.  We got a great pic of that below.

Oswego, NY Lock 8 in the upper right of pic taken from the walking bridge over the canal.

For the next 2 days we moved to a marina to wait for our 'projected' ideal day for crossing Lake Ontario.  We have power and water at the marina so I feel human again.  Of course, having my hair colored and cut helped a lot.  :)  Today we decided to explore Fort Ontario which is very close to the marina and on the shores of the Lake Ontario.  Fascinating place.  Originally built by the British in 1755 during the French and Indian War.  Over next 60+ years, the fort was attacked and burned and rebuilt several times by the French, the Americans and the British.  Yes, the British burned their own fort in retaking it from America.  With the War of 1812, America re-captured it one last time. 

Oswego, NY - Entrance to Fort Ontario

View of Lake Ontario from one of the bastions at Fort Ontario.

 Postscripts from Roofus:

Enjoying the warmer weather.  Lots of sunny spots to sleep in and though I still do not like the locks, have decided they aren't so bad when the doors are left open enough that I can really see what is going on.  And best part is barking at the lock masters!!  And they don't ignore me like my humans.  They talk to me and smile a lot.  My humans could take a few lessons from them.  Only down side is I am getting my ears cleaned a lot then ear drop medicine.  Golly, a little bit of judicious rubbing and scratching, all of a sudden the sky is falling down and my humans get worried.  Can't an old dog just enjoy being a dog.....

Stats so far

This is Ken and wanted to do a post of our stats so far. No fancy photos, post scripts from Roofus or anything like that.

We are currently sitting in Brewerton, NY waiting on a part that is due today. Not a big problem since the Oswego Canal is closed due to high water flow from all of the rain over the last several days and will not reopen until sometime this weekend, we hope. We would be at the Oswego Canal in just 8 miles so we would be here anyway.

So far below are our stats on our trip:

Miles traveled              771
Days traveled                 13
Hours traveled               90
Fuel consumed             552 gal
Ave speed                       8.5 MPH
Locks traversed             22
Bridges crossed under   64
Tunnels crossed              6
Days lost to weather      12
Days lost to repairs          2


We are having a great time and still on schedule in spite of the days we have been delayed for weather and repairs. We have seen some wonderful sights along the way including thousands of ducks, baby ducks, geese and baby geese, hundreds of dolphins, one whale surfaced about 20 feet off the side of the boat, snakes, fish jumping, museums, homes, boats, sunrises, sunsets and all of the things that make life great. The people we have met along the way have been fantastic and very helpful. Can't beat it, especially getting to share it with Linda and Roofus.

Hopefully, we will be to Lake Ontario early next week and if the weather cooperates, maybe into the St Lawrence Seaway and the thousand islands area the middle of the week. Then it is on to Montreal and the Canadian canals.

June 4, 2017 Erie Canal, NY - Locks 2 thru 17

We are traversing the Erie Canal heading west.  We went thru 16 locks in 3 days!  Talk about a crash course in how to lock through (dealing with currents, other boaters, using our fenders correctly), the different ways to lock up (lines, cables, pipes...) and probably most important, what NOT TO DO (dealing with currents, other boaters, using our fenders correctly, as well as how not to get dirty when handling the lines and communicating with each other).  The couple of OOPS we had were one timers, thank goodness, and we made it so far with only a couple of minor bumps to Independence and our nerves.  I have to say the locks are a blast and the scenery along the canal is gorgeous.  Weather has been better too, mainly in the low 60s and cloudy with periods of rain and sunshine.  The one thing missing has been the high winds we experienced on the Chesapeake Bay.  Don't miss it!!!

We caravanned the Waterford Flight (Locks 2 thru 6) with company.

Dam and lock 8 to the right.  Beautiful sunset and reflection.

Another beautiful day on our way to Lock 17.

Lock 17 is the only lock that you enter under the gate.  Like going into a tunnel.  Also, a 40 foot lift.  Next 3 pics, all Lock 17.  First one, is a view of the lock exit.  Note that lock doors are not the full length of the lift.  Second and third pics are Ken and I manning the lines to keep Independence on the wall.

This year the Erie Canal is celebrating 200 years since construction began.  The eastern canal rises from Lock 2 thru Lock 20 to 420 feet above sea level.  We plan to be on Lock 20 tomorrow.  After that we will be descending down toward Lake Ontario. 

Flags are the state of NY and the New York Canal System celebrating 200 years since construction began.

In the background is a Guard Gate.  These are used to help control the waters and debris along the Erie canal.

A portion of the remaining 1917 aqueduct.  Used to bridge creeks and feeding waters to the Erie canal.  This allowed the mules to continue pulling the barges on the canal without interruptions.

We have been Little Falls Canal Harbor for the last few days just west of Lock 17.  The town of Little Falls is my favorite place so far.  It's a sleepy little town now but used to be America's number one cheese market established in 1861 and saw its demise in the 1920s when motorized vehicles started transporting the dairy milk directly to city centers.  There is a lot to see here.  We rode our bikes to Lock 17 and got a totally different view.  Today we walked up the side of hill (literally, so steep)  to see the DH Burrell mansion.  He was big in the cheese business.  :)  The farmers market was nice and there are lots of geese with their baby goslings and saw a wedding right here at the harbor. 

8 babies!!

DH Burrell mansion.  It's now a B&B.  We want to come back via land and stay here.

Our walk to the top of Lock 17.  Not sure if I like it better from this view or from inside it.  :)  This was my favorite lock.

First major injury.  Though not because of anything to do with cruising and everything to do with my being a klutz.  Thank you for insurance.

PS from Roofus:

I do not like all these locks.  I just get comfortable and into a great nap and my humans are waking me up and putting on the floor, sometimes with my life preserver on (adding insult to injury).  They leave me there, by myself, while they go outside to hang on to lines that appear to serve no purpose, except to annoy me.  I stick my head out the tiny gap in the sliding door and bark at them to come back in.  And what do I get for my efforts, they either tell me to hush or just wave at me and smile.  How rude!! 
I will admit that once we docked up, I got to go for long walks, sit in the sun (like in the pic) and get lots of snacks and hugs.  But really over the locks.