We've had bigger lifts on The Great Loop, but this one was exciting because of the way we entered it. In a rush. Why? Depends on who you ask, but if you ask me...it's because all horses want to follow a stallion. The "stallion," in this case, was a large and masculine-looking boat named Zeitgeist, … Continue reading Big Lock & Little Falls
They come fast, the locks on the Erie Canal, when you enter on the east end. Some were less than a quarter-mile apart. The first set of five locks as we left Waterford is called a "flight"... like a flight of stairs...because they collectively take up just a few miles. It took two hours to … Continue reading Nine Locks in a Day
We're about to enter the Erie Canal. Exciting! We're tied up tonight at a free wall/floating dock in the town of Waterford, N.Y., some 25 miles north of last night's marina. Mainship Many Moons is tucked in cheek-by-jowl with many other boats waiting to go west into the canal or further north up the Hudson. … Continue reading Gateway to the Erie Canal
Sunrise comes early on the Hudson in June -- and we are fortunate to have so much sun these days. It does require adjustment. (Indeed, underway life requires various biological adjustments--and emotional ones, too.) The sun rises now at 5:19 a.m. here in upper New York State. So it is that this Looper, who prefers … Continue reading Mornings on the Hudson
Yes! I've been eager to reach this segment of The Great Loop, as I know too little about this part of the country. We've arrived in the Hudson River Valley (aka Hudson Valley), where the river narrows and cliffs appear and the mind imagines Native Americans in dugout canoes and early settlers on small farms … Continue reading Up The Hudson Valley
There are days on The Great Loop when it's hard to even start writing a blog post because so much has happened or one's senses are overloaded. Yesterday was such a day. (Which is why I'm writing it a day late.) The story of this 75 miles is easiest told in photos and captions, because … Continue reading Milestones: NYC & State #17
Ah, to share the narrow waterways with hundreds of pleasure boaters in New Jersey on Memorial Day! "Hey, this is a no-wake zone!" hollered one self-appointed boating cop on the radio. "Oh, yeah?" came the challenge back. "Wha-a-a, wha-a-a!" (Whining sound.) "Welcome to New Jersey!" And after dodging hundreds of fast boats and their wakes … Continue reading Heavy Traffic & Cat Overboard
Today, we did 45 miles of ocean. Yesterday, we did the same of (mostly) bay. The bay was rougher. Surprised? We weren't. The Delaware Bay can be mean, which is why we waited in a river part-way down till the winds were right. The ocean can be kind, which is why we went right away … Continue reading Cape May & Atlantic City – Bay Vs. Ocean
On the 300th day of The Great Loop voyage, Mainship Many Moons is "parked" inside a boat lift on the Cohansey River and sitting in mud about three miles inland from the cantankerous Delaware Bay. This is weird, but it works. A boat lift is for putting boats into the water and taking them out … Continue reading Parked In a Boat Lift (Day 300)
Whew. Almost 12 hours under way, and a new record for miles-in-a-day! This is what I get for leaving the boat to gallavant across the Atlantic Ocean (see previous posts about Egypt) while Jeff stayed put. We are anchored tonight at the north end of Chesapeake Bay, having cruised past many destination spots. He's eager … Continue reading A New Record: 95 Miles
For Many Moons 