Messing
About in Boats, Boots, and Byways:
Archive of Erie Canal Journal entries for 2002:
09 August 02 |
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One
of our favorite destinations is the Erie Canal,
which originally began in downtown Buffalo, and
later when the canal was widened and renamed the
Erie Canal Barge Canal, the canal began, and still
begins, at North Tonawanda on the Niagara River
where Tonawanda Creek empties into the river.
We have biked in five-mile bites from Lockport
to Brockport, and we've rowed a time or two, too. |
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This
is Heidi, a mommie dog that we saw at the ramp
a few weeks ago. This was our second meeting.
Heidi's human likes to park it on the dock and
fish. Heidi jumped in the truck as soon as my
wife opened the door. She was a sweet little
thing for sure.
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We
see dogs and ducks ... and a very odd crane
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There
were a few dozen yearling ducks that circled
the boat while we were at anchor, and even
the heavy equipment on the canal bank look
almost alive. A trick of the light makes
the mirror image in the water sharper.
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Piece
of Medina limestone shows quarry drill marks.
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09
August 02: We took the Harmonica out for its
second voyage. Again, we went to the ramp just outside
of Middleport, on the Medina side. And this time,
we went to Medina instead of toward Middleport,
as we did on the Harmonica's maiden voyage. We were
out for about four hours, and used about 40 percent
of the battery's power, which is as much as we would
want to draw down before recharging, to promote
battery life. It was a hot day and there was a bit
of breeze but not constant. The boat did OK in the
breeze, though the breeze exaggerated the touchy
steering. I'm thinking about adding a skeg to get
some tracking going. As it is, I have to correct
the course every 10 or 20 seconds to avoid getting
off course. We tried out the anchor, which was a
success, too, and on the way back the sun went down
and it was very dark. A beautiful day and evening
on the boat!
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Herkimer
&
Perkins
Welcome
to Our
Corner!
Index:
The Log
Pond
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