Waterford NY to the Border of Canada

Tom was our bridge height meter

The four boats left on June 17th heading up the Hudson to Lake Champlain and on to Montreal.  The requirement for going this way is your boat can not be more that 17 feet high from the water.  We had several fixed bridges to go under that were very close.  Navigator would go under the bridge first because they were 15 feet and Tom would hold up his hands as he would go under to give us a good estimate of the height.  Average Looper and our boat are 16 feet high and we cleared all the bridges with no problem.   Our first stop was Mechanicville NY at the city free dock that had power and shower/bath facilities.  We all stayed two days and went into town to get groceries and adult beverages for boat supplies.  Next stop was Fort Edward and another free dock with power.  You gotta love the New York canal system.  We had to pay fifty dollars for a ten day pass to go thru all the locks in NY.  We left Fort Edwards the next day for Whitehall also known as the birthplace of the U.S. Navy.  After we tied up we all walked up this hill and went on a tour of this house called Skene Manor and then we all went out to dinner.  I think from Waterford we went thru 11 locks to get to Lake Champlain.  Leaving Whitehall takes you into Lake Champlain.  On one side of the lake is Vermont and on the other is New York.  First destination on the lake was Converse Bay where we all rafted up for the night.  No one had ever rafted together at anchor and since that's all we did in the California Delta I volunteered to put it together.  We had a nice relaxing night before heading to Burlington Vermont.  The marina in Burlington was overtaken with boats from Quebec and everyone was speaking French.  You would of thought you were in another country.  Burlington was very nice and Navigator rented a car.  We all went to the sight of the Ben and Jerry's factory and toured the facility.  Everyone gets a free sample.  We did have to stay an extra day because of weather but left on the morning of the 25th for the last marina in the U.S. before crossing the border into Canada.

Heading up the Hudson from Waterford

This is how it looks from the bridge when I'm driving, cleared by a foot.

The free dock at Whitehall

Whitehall, the birthplace of the U.S. NAVY

Heading into Lake Champlain

Skene Manor

Taken from Skene Manor looking down on our boats

Peek a Boo!

This is at the free dock in Mechanicville

All having breakfast in Mechanicville

Some of the obstacles we had to go through

Fixer upper

Looking out from our anchorage in Converse Bay

Ben and Jerry's

New York lock going to Lake Champlain

Standing by her Captain

Kingston to Waterford

The next day after the kids left, we kept the rental car to visit the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park New York.  Ross & Barb (Attitude Changer) and Jan (Navigator) went with us.  This incredible mansion has 54 rooms and was built between 1896 and 1899 and was the spring and fall home for Frederick Vanderbilt.  It is now owned by the National Park Service.   The 211 acres of that the mansion sits on were amazing and provided the Vanderbilt’s the ability to be self sustained with their own hydroelectric plant and farm animals for fresh meat!

We left Kingston on Thursday, 6/12/14 with Attitude Changer and headed to Albany, NY.  On our way to Albany we passed West Point.  We pulled into the Albany Yacht Club later that afternoon.  While there we rented a car so Jan could get her hair cut and visit Wally World to get provisions.  When Jan was getting her haircut by the owner of the salon she invited Valerie and her husband to join us at the Yacht Club for dinner that night. Ross, Barb, Jan and I had a nice dinner with Valerie and Paul.  They live in a house that they designed and built themselves overlooking the Erie Canal. 

We ended up staying in Albany for 4 days because of heavy wind and rain. The downpour of rain caused the rivers to rise and cause flooding.  The high waters shut down the Erie Canal and all boats had to stay put in Waterford which was our next destination and there was no room for us to dock.  On the morning of 6/16 we were advised that the Erie Canal would open the next day so we took off to Waterford and side tied to one of our buddy boats, Average Looper.  Waterford is the place where boaters make a decision to either go west through the Erie Canal or north up to Lake Champlain.  We had a bon voyage party that night with all of the looper boats we had been traveling with on and off since Norfolk.  All of the looper boats except for Average Looper, Navigator, Limelight and us were going the Erie Canal route.

The Fredrick Vanderbelt Mansion in Hyde Park NY

This was their seasonal home on the Hudson

Some of the ceiling work

Looking down into the entrance of the home

The back of the house

His bedroom

Some of the lighthouses on the Hudson

This was on an island we passed, there is a tree growing from the top

Fireworks in Albany for Fathers Day

Albany NY the capital

Troy NY

Decision time

Loopers having cocktails

Panacea side tied to Average Looper

That way to the Erie canal

Heading up the Hudson with Mike, Jess, and the boys

Left Liberty Landing going up the Hudson on June 7, 2014.  We saw the upper part of NYC passing Harlem to our final destination of Croton on the Hudson for the evening where we met up with Attitude Changer.  Not much to say about this brief overnight stay.  Early the next morning we left, heading north, for Kingston, NY and stayed at the Rondout Marina.  Here we met up additional looper buddy boats Navigator, Limelight and others. The warm weather at the marina was perfect for Carter and Dylan as they had a swimming pool and play ground for them to enjoy.  The next day the weather was cool with occasional rain. In spite of that, Mike took Jan, Jess and Carter on a dinghy ride to tour the small town of Kingston.  Later that afternoon we got a rental car and had a wonderful farewell dinner before taking Mike, Jess and Boys early the next morning to the airport.  I think Mike and Jess had a great time experiencing NYC and how we travel on the loop.  We really enjoyed our week with our kids and Grandsons.

Empire State Building

Captain Carter

Captain Dylan

West Point

Bannerman's Island Castle (Google it)

Coming into Rondout Marina in Kingston NY

Lighthouse on the Hudson

At Rondout Marina

Mike at the Museum

Carter splashing in the puddle

Kingston waterfront

Last dinner before they head home

We miss you!!!