Tuesday 9th September
Woke up to high winds and torrential rain which went on and off until the afternoon. We decided to stick around another night and I worked on making a mount for our Garmin GPS Chartplotter.

Wednesday 10^th September
Beautiful morning to start moving again, so it’s round to the fuel dock to get a pumpout and fill with diesel and off we go to transit our first lock in the Oswego Canal. We were the only ones in there and it went without a hitch and here we are docked on the other side.

We are actually facing back the way we came towards the lock, to face into the prevailing wind.

This was prime opportunity to do the head (toilet) replacement we never got to do in Waupoos, plus move the BBQ to the other side of the boat to make room for an outboard motor mount for an outboard we don’t yet own. Plus the Garmin got hooked up to power and is now fully functional and reports that we are on land in Oswego(?)

Carol did lots of food shopping and various bits and pieces I needed to get things working.

We fired up the BBQ for the first time and had great supper of salmon, stir fry and potatoes sliced with onion and BBQ’d, all washed down with a Cabernet Sauvignon that came in a 5 litre box that cost $14.95(???).

Tomorrow we hit the locks again and hope to get to Lake Oneida and maybe across it.

Thursday 11^th September
8:30 am and we’re heading for Lock 7. Here’s what locks look like before you go ‘up’:

Here’s Carol doing the lock thing:

Coming up is ‘Battle Island’ where the French fought the British sometime in the 1700’s.

Here’s Buddy looking a little more concerned:

We stopped in Phoenix for lunch and a leg stretch (mostly for Buddy), lovely facilities for anyone transiting the canals:

Whoo Hoo! Bought an outboard motor on the phone. To be picked up in Schenectady.

Lots of motoring with sometimes Carol at the helm (with a disinterested Buddy):

Sometimes Lynton – who is not growing a beard but hasn’t had the motivation to shave:

At about quarter past five we arrived in Brewerton, after exiting the Oswego canal and entering the Erie Canal and transiting lock 23 on that canal. The same place that we tied up on a free dock 7 years ago with Geoff and Bunkey when we went as far as New York City with them.

We are at the West end of Lake Oneida and should cross it tomorrow.

Friday 12th September
About to leave Brewerton to cross Lake Oneida and stay in Sylvan Beach.