Unlocked and Heading North: Fort Edward

Wearing his hard hat the First Mate of the Muriel June lines up for the ugly, rusty, low Railroad Bridge C-5 that we ducked to go under. We made sure no train was going across to flex the span.

Not only low bridges but also low flood gates. MJ lines up to see if she will fit under.

Champlain Sailing Canal Boat from the 19th Century.

What a great day and wonderful feeling to be unlocked from Lock 3!  All the lock masters and helpers were there at 7:30 a.m. to wave good-bye and let us through locks 3 and 2 on the Erie and back onto the Hudson River where we turned north up the Hudson and eventually into the Champlain Canal.  What a wonderful trip this was today with fall foliage, crew races, friendly lock masters and a bunch of dredges at Fort Edward doing chemical clean-up from a General Electric plant.  The feared low bridge at Mechanicville gave us plenty of height, a mere foot above our high point (16’2″).  Alan wore his hard hat during the entire trip in case of bumps from low bridges–or falling space debris.

We passed the American Revolutionary battlefield at Saratoga, the turning point of the Revolutionary War, and then as we passed Schuylerville their Regatta was just beginning with 4 shells with 4 person crews.  At Fort Edwards lots is happening.  Across the river there are tents set up for a Revolutionary War reenactment.  Parked in front of us is the famous Lois McClure, a replica of a 1862 sailing canal boat.    She sailed on Lake Champlain and then took her masts and sails down at Whitehall and became a barge boat.  The current Lois McClure is used to teach children about New York history and the importance of the canal transportation system.  Teachers can teach all subjects with their students on the boat from art and math to history and language arts.  We were privileged to meet Art Cohn who actually did the 1980 excavation of the original sailing canal boats that were on the bottom of Lake Champlain and have him sign his book.

Lock 7 on the Champlain Canal has a wonderful city park and for the first time in a month we have fresh water, electricity, and toilets!  Muriel June is finally getting a much needed bath and we shall get a hot shower tonight!   Tomorrow we will traverse locks 7-12 on the Champlain Canal and into Lake Champlain.