These look very peaceful don't they. Well this morning at 7:00 am the Erie Canal seemed very peaceful and beautiful. We were the first through the first lock at 7:00 am (are you surprised) and proceeded to go up 150 ft. in a few miles. All was good except I noticed the flotsam in Lock 3. In fact, it was so thick, that my port engine stopped right as we were coming into the lock. Now you do not have to be an experience captain to know that when you lose an engine at a critical moment, things are not good.
I knew I had picked up a big stick that had jammed itself in my prop. Every time I would put the engine in gear, it would die. Not good. Instantly, I remembered this episode of Deadliest Catch, you know those crazy guys who fish in the Bearing Sea in 70 ft waves. In one episode they wrapped a line around one of their props. What did the captain do....he put it in reverse, and voila!!!! Whatever was jamming my prop cleared and we had a port engine again. Whew. Well that was just the beginning.
It rained last night south of us. It rained alot. What I did not know is that this basin drained into the Erie Canal (the Mohawk River) where it rained 5 inches last night. This was the source of our problem. Lots of water coming down the river and picking up tons of debris.
Would you think that Shelley and I would stop? NOooooooo. "Let's see what the next lock is like" Well Lock 8 had Class II rapids moving crossways to enter the lock. You know how to land a plane in 50 mile an hour cross winds? Yes, just like me in Colby Ks in 1984 trying to meet and interview Shelley. It is a hair raising experience. Well, today rivaled that. I am trying to guide Rock Chalk, with a 20 ft. beam, into a 40 ft. wide lock, with a cross current of class II rapids right in front. Rock Chalk is an amazing boat with these twin engines that can give me so much control when I need it and I needed every inch. One lock keeper actually closed his eyes as he thought we were about to crash really hard into the side of the opening of Lock 10.
But the WORST, was Lock 9. Horrible cross currents were coming from the water rushing over the damn right by the lock. I mean the current was 90 degrees to our opening into the lock. But the worst part of Lock 9 was the 50 feet solid of debris, logs as big as a house, and small branches just 8 ft. long, but deadly to my props. So here we are, committed to entering the lock, and having to keep my speed to handle the cross current, faced with ramming through the debris. First the port engine caught a piece of wood. A quick reverse, dislodged it again. Then I lost my starboard engine, just as I was needing to back it to avoid hitting a wall. I yelled at Shelley to "FEND OFF". Later we laughed about it, as I was hoping she could stop a 13 ton vessel going fast at a wall, with a little boat hook????
Somehow the water took me left, and I was able to dislodge the branch in my starboard prop, and we entered the lock shaking. Shelley always said that she wanted to do this trip for some excitement in her life. Well, baby here it was today!!!
Lock 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 were various repeats of cross currents and debris. My friend Jay Carey would be proud of how we handled the cross current. But nothing was as bad as Lock 9, and each one gave me an adrenalin rush that I have not had since I was 20. After Lock 12, the upper locks returned to what you would think, which is an idyllic waterway, with beautiful scenery. That was the only time we were able to take photos. We are in St. Johnsville, NY in a beautiful little dock with 72 degree temperature, and absolutely drunk. Opps, this is a G rated blog.
We start again tomorrow at 7:00 am as we head for Lake Ontario. We are determined to get into Lake Huron by July 20th. Come Hell or High Water. Marc
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