Date: July 31, 2013
Day on the Cruise: 107
From: North Tonawanda, NY Town Wall
To: Wolverine Marina, Erie, PA
Statute Miles: 93.9 SM
Time: 10.25 Hrs
Cumulative Miles: 2,375.9 SM
On Board: Susan, Chuck, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut
Yes, we are finally out of the State of New York! Tonight we are on Lake Erie at Erie, PA.
We hit New York harbor on June 22. We left New York today, July, 31.
First, some pictures from yesterday in Tonawanda.
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| "Blue Moon" with Bimini up and curtains installed |
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| Beautiful wildflower garden at the North Tonawanda wall |
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| This is the North Tonawanda wall from an adjacent bridge |
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| "Blue Moon" on the North Tonawanda wall with bimini re-installed |
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| Wall at Tonawanda NY |
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| Looks like a home made fiberglass canoe. Hello Monty!!! |
We left Tonawanda this morning at 6:15 to get to the Black Rock Lock at Buffalo when the first "upstream" Locking takes place at 7:30 AM. We were traveling South on the Niagara River, but this River flows North and goes over Niagara Falls, so we were going up river. The Lock is at the Northern end of the 3 mile Black Rock Canal that bypasses a set of rapids in the Niagara River that features a 6' drop and current as high as 15 mph!
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| It was a beautiful morning, shortly after Sunrise |
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| Cruising "up" the Niagara River with Buffalo skyline in the distance. We are actually heading South! |
We got to the Lock at 7:15 and they locked us through for the 6' lift. We had to have two bridges open for us after the Lock. We saw early morning rowing on the Canal in crew boats.
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| In Black Rock Lock at Buffalo |
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| Coming down the Black Rock Canal at Buffalo |
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| Rowing Club in the Black Rock Canal |
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| The rowing "shells" are very light |
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| Launch are at the rowing club. Note how the floating docks are very close to the water to facilitate entry and exit on the shells. Rowing or "Crew" is very big in the Northeast. |
At 8:20 we entered Lake Erie for our 79 mile cruise to Erie, PA. We decided to go all the way to Erie after we saw that the Lake was very calm today. We took advantage of the good weather much like we did in the Atlantic from Cape May to New York.
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| Buffalo harbor with the break walls from Lake Erie on the right |
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| The Buffalo skyline in the distance |
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| This is the inlet from Lake Erie to Buffalo harbor |
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| The substantial break walls at the Buffalo Harbor inlet and a light house on the point |
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| Here we are in Lake Erie |
The trip was very routine. We saw a bunch of people out in small boats fishing for Perch (I think). These boats were everywhere, and they were right on the route from Buffalo Harbor to the entrance to Erie, so we had to deviate around them.
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| View out the front door this afternoon |
The Lake was very calm. We called the marina at Erie about noon and got a reservation. When we got to Erie we went through an inlet from Lake Erie into a protected bay called Presque Isle Bay. We then found the marina which is behind a new Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center on the Bay. We had to dock ourselves with no help on the lines from the marina. Hmmm. Susan did a great job jumping off the boat and tying up the boat. Who needs a dock hand anyway???
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| Approaching Erie, PA |
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| Going through the inlet from Lake Erie to Presque Isle Bay at Erie, PA |
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| Going into the Marina fairway between a new Sheraton Hotel and the Convention Center at Erie, PA |
We are both tired tonight. It has been a long day. Tomorrow we head farther West. Not sure how far we will go, depends on the weather and wind and wave height.
Thanks for Reading!
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