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Taken from the east end of Van Cleef Lake, we’ve now traveled less than 10 miles from Seneca Lakes/Stivers Marina.
C/S lock 2/3 is a double lock: you descend in lock 3 only to find that the lower gate of 3 is the upper gate of 2. In the photo below, we’ve exited the lower gate of 2 and looking back at the closed lower gate of 3.
Technically, the C/S Canal here follows the created path of the Seneca River. A dike along the left side here keeps the river separate from the Montezuma Swamp, allowing navigation of a vessel as large as Colonial Belle.
Cottages along the right side are mere inches above the surface of the water.
At the 3.5-mile mark, the right side opens: that 39-mile lake, averaging less than 2-miles wide and at deepest point 435′ deep, will get you to Ithaca. But Ithaca remains for another trip another day far in the future, as C. P. Cavafy would recommend….
In 1800 a wooden bridge traveled from the point of land to the left, and crossed 5412′ to the opposite side, to the distant right. It lasted until 1808, when the winter destroyed it. Two subsequent toll bridges replaced it.
We turn north into C/S 1, aka the “mud lock” because of the water there.
A few miles north of the lock, we approach the I-90 NYS Thruway Bridge.
Less than a half mile we arrive at a triangular island, carved off the NW corner of Kipps Island, that is the approximate midpoint between Tonawanda and Waterford.
The darker water here
comes from the Montezuma Swamp and Clyde river; to the right is the water that comes from Lakes Cayuga and Seneca.
Here’s a satellite view of the triangular island. In the next post, we’ll turn to the west, to the left here and toward Lock E-25.
All photos, except the satellite view, WVD.
Postscript: In the satellite view above, upper right corner, one the “Richmond aqueduct ruins” mark, below is one of my photos of it, although we’ll heading to the left, aka west. Getting back to the last three lines of Cavafy, referred to above and slightly modified: “And if you find her [in poor condition], Ithaca has not deceived you. Wise as you have become, with so much experience, you must already have understood what Ithaca means.”
Unrelated; As of this writing Friday morning, Grouper high bid is $150, Chancellor is $310, QB tugster clubhouse is $520, and bridge erection boat is $890.
Since I’m again on a gallivant-away from home, outside, and looking for scenes and boats and trucks to photograph-the next four days will be posts of this one-day trip. Below is my ride that day. It was an 8-hour ride the length of the Cayuga/Seneca Canal and then about 25 miles of the Erie Canal, and nine locks. Stating point was technically Waterloo NY and ending was Palmyra. In all we dropped over 100′ from Seneca Lake to the junction with the Erie, and then heading west, we rose about the same distance to the east side of Palmyra.
Below is my conveyance.
In the enclosed passenger cabin, this builder’s plate is proudly displayed. Since June 1961, this boat has worked on both US east and west coast; in fact, when the current owners bought this boat about 25 years ago, it was working in San Francisco and they decided to take the 60′ boat back to the East coast and onto the Erie Canal on its own bottom!! It did have a pilot house at that time. For photos of Colonial Belle‘s engine and more, click here on this report from tug44.
Before we go on this leg 1 of 4 reports, other 1961 products of the Blount shipyard include Las Cruces in Panama, Michael Cosgrove in the sixth boro, and Kasai, probably sunk somewhere in the DRC. Another 1961 sister vessel Martha Washington worked many years in Boston, and may be out of service. Any info?
The photo below was taken at the dock at Stivers Marina in Waterloo. Beyond the research vessel William Scandling ahead of the sail boats, Seneca Lake stretches slightly more than 35 miles southward to Watkins Glen. Four miles or less wide, it’s more than 600′ deep. A team plans to survey more of the lake bottom this summer.
From Stivers, we did a 180 degree turn and headed for the Erie Canal, putting us immediately under the first of many low bridges.
Really, there are lots of overhead obstacles that could not be negotiated with a wheelhouse. Note the bimini folder forward and the captain rising back up.
This is a typical scene along the top end of the Cayuga-Seneca Canal, although more trees are being cleared, including some for this summer’s idea . . . glamping.
The distance from Seneca Lake to lock C/S-4
is 5.02 miles.
As we head to Seneca Falls, we pass the Ludovico Sculpture Trail. The conception goes back over 20 years when a person of artistic interests moved from Buffalo to Seneca Falls, and installed two sculptures on her front yard, irritating some neighbors.
This one celebrates Gould Pumps, founded by Seabury S. Gould in Seneca Falls in 1848!!
The former Seneca Falls Knitting Mills, which made countless pairs of white socks, is now the Women’s National Hall of Fame. When I first saw the building, it was windowless and derelict.
All photos, WVD. In the next mile . . . tomorrow’s post, we’ll travel across Van Cleef Lake to C/S locks 3 and 2.
This post (number 4650+) may stay front and center for a few days because I’ve left my desk, seated myself, precariously, on an unmotorized bike, and am (I hope) making some speed from the western end of the Erie Canal to the eastern one. I started pedaling Sunday morning from Tonawanda, not Saturday as I’d initially planned. I expect I’ll see some morning fog as is often to be found in the corridor this time of year. Yes, I’ll be taking photos along the way. Some photos I’ve posted on FB directly from my phone, or put up later if there’s wifi. An observation though . . . when you’re biking, trying to maintain a steady speed, it takes much more motivation to stop that momentum to get the camera out of the bag and take a photo.
The October 14, 2020 calendar photos I took in Amsterdam NY. It turns out that we tied up facing the Riverkeeper boat, R. Ian Fletcher on the wall just above lock 11, which, had it been clear, you’d easily see.
No matter what time you’ve planned a morning Canal departure, you might not actually move until the fog lifts, of course unless your have working radar.
Grande Mariner‘s radar had to be folded down during a Canal transit to clear the low bridges.
In the landcut portions of the canal, in autumn mornings you see scenes like these. I have to write it . . . eerie canal.
Sentinels with lethal force work the locks and
keep watch from the dead trees.
Once I can from a technological perspective, I’ll put images on FB, maybe even here. This is “making it up as I go along.”
Beef on weck, white hots, tomato pies, ghost bread, and other blandishments along the Canal Trail will be devoured with thanks. Today I’m in Syracuse area on plan to get some greens even though I’m not yet in Utica. My goals are as follows: Rome tomorrow, Little Falls Friday, Amsterdam Saturday, and Waterford Sunday . . . but that’s ambitious!
All photos, WVD, who hopes to be back at this desk in less than two weeks.
For context, let’s look back here. And last year among some of the great photos shared by Harry Thompson, here (scroll) was a crowded harbor photo I really liked.
Last Saturday saw threatening weather; even so, lots of small boats and crowds braved the possibility of rain to see the races.
Vigilance prevailed and I heard of no incidents.
And yes, I paid a lot of attention to the Bath Maine-built 1906 Mary E, but that’s because I haven’t seen her in 9 years . . . obviously I was looking in the wrong places. Click here and scroll for a photo of Mary E in Greenport almost 9 years ago.
Harvey was there. Scroll here for one of my favorite photos of the 1931 Harvey, cutting through the pack at the 2013 tugboat race.
The 1885 Pioneer was there. Click here for a sail I did on Pioneer a few years back.
A raft of small boats clustered yet kept orderly.
The 1935 Enticer . . . well, enticed, spectators as a platform.
as did a range of people movers.
including the 1983 Arabella.
The captain of the heavyweight out there, the 2014 Eric McAllister, treaded lightly through the crowd.
Of course, out in the mist along the Jersey side there are more heavyweights, a Moran tug and its huge NCL gem.
And as for my ride, Monday morning it was earning money going for a load of scrap.
Another tall old ship that might have been present–the 1928 Bivalve NJ-based A. J. Meerwald had other missions to perform.
All photos by will Van Dorp. And for photos of some of the people on the boro who were working during the race, check out NYMediaBoat’s blog post.
I’m moving eastward from yesterday’s post with my very subjective dividing of the NYS Canal system into zones. Very subjective, we then move into New York State’s third largest city–Rochester, which also happens to be what I learned about as “the city” as a boy. If someone worked “in the city,” that meant Rochester. In the photo below, technically in Greece, you can see the junction lock, the gates leading to a lock on the original and possibly the enlarged canal. Those iterations of the Erie Canal went straight here, the Barge Canal (the early 20th century iteration) forked off to the right, bypassing the city of Rochester.
I hadn’t considered what “bypassing Rochester” would look like, and my zones 1 and 2 were portions of the canal I’d never seen from the water. What it looks like is lots of bridges, with signs to places I knew but otherwise no traces, no familiar skyline.
Approach lighting system for the airport I took my first flight from,
but otherwise bridges, some beautiful . . .
some footbridges . . .
and others very serviceable vehicle and waterway structure . . .
with some people in view
as well as some current commercial buildings
and bridges some complete . . .
and trafficked
Certainly there are vestiges of industrial marine usage
not used in decades.
The creation of a kayak park and boat house is one of many transformations that make recreation the current Erie Canal’s industry.
Another transformation . . . silos into new uses. The tour boat in the foreground is Sam Patch, named for Sam Patch, of course.
I have a personal connection with the Pittsford canal front: as a boy, I harvested pickles for a neighbor, and one Saturday night I got to ride the farm truck to the piccalilli plant, right near the Schoen complex. If only time travel were possible and I could take that truck ride to the pickle factory again . . .
All photos by Will Van Dorp.
Photo thanks to John Skelson . . . it’s not a bird . . . it’s not a plane . . . it’s NY Media Boat, one of the recent recipients of the Life Saving Award from the Marine Society of New York for a February 2014 rescue from a sinking tugboat.
So . . . what might you see on a customized adventure sightseeing tour of the sixth boro aboard NY Media Boat? Well . . . if you’re interested in fireboats or firehouses . . . they’re near their Pier 25 pick up site.
A bit farther north . . . you can see Chelsea Market or Pier 66 Maritime from the water, a perspective quite different from experiencing either of them by land.
You never know what private boats might be docked at the passenger terminal . . . this one obviously wanting proximity to
the car wash. Thanks to Phil Little for this unique perspective from the cliff at Weehawken.
You can see the newest NYC scalloper port. F/V Endurance was back there yesterday.
If Alice is in town, you can meet her up and personal. Alice Oldendorff, aggregate carrier, was the focus of the very first tugster post over seven years ago, as well as many since. Use the search window.
The East River offers unusual juxtapositions . .. like the UN and the WTC.
You might see remnants of industrial Brooklyn riverfront like Havermeyer’s sugar mill, or
demolition happening to IER 17.
You can see classic architectural icons of NYC like the 1929 Chrysler Building or
1976 tramway. But if you’re like me, you’ll be hoping for
unexpected sailing vessels like Halie & Matthew or all manner of work boats like
Long Island built Maryland.
How about the “interior” side of Red Hook Container Terminal?
Of course, then there’s nothing that beats close-ups of wherever you want on the sixth boro by open boat. Book a tour here. By the way, the boat offers warm, waterproof gear and PFDs.
Here’s an article on Bjoern Kils and the boat from a publication of Willard Marine, manufacturer of the boat, which formerly lived on a US destroyer. Also, here are some recent NY Media Boat clients.
All photos here by Will Van Dorp, except the delightful one of the private boat at the car wash by Phil Little and the lead photo by John Skelson. Thank, Phil.
The foto below is Nellie Crockett, a 1925-6 Tangier Island “buy boat” that may never have cleaved sixth boro waters, but–used with permission here from the FB page Chesapeake Bay Buy Boat–certainly conveys the notion of a workboat decorated for the end-o-year holidays.
The rest of these fotos come courtesy of Justin Zizes, taken earlier this week in the Hudson off the west side of mid-town. Circle Line does lights this way. Here’s how you could get on board.
Nearby, World Yacht does it this way. And although you can’t get on for the end-o-year holiday, there are many other events.
Notice anything interesting about this arrangement? Look to the left side of the foto.
It’s Sea Bear aka Sea Gus as the red-nosed draft animal.
Here’s that same small tug without the Rudolphian accoutrements.
Many thanks to Justin Zizes and to Chesapeake Bay Buy Boats for permission to use these fotos.
In the next week or so, if you take a foto of a workboat–or mariner– with colored lights a la Christmas, please send it to tugster. I could possibly even come up with a gift for what we deem as the best foto. By the way, I’m still mildly obsessed with finding a foto of the 1997 transport of the Rockefeller Center tree down the Hudson via tug Spuyten Duyvil and barge.
And what is the story of Sea Bear aka Sea Gus? It looks to be cut of the same plans as 8th Sea.
tugster: a waterblog 
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