On a beautiful calm morning, we’re off with two other boats, both from Canada.
High on a cliff is Stony Point Light.
The scenery is beautiful as we approach Bear Mountain Bridge, celebrating Memorial Day with Old Glory.
The surroundings become more mountainous, including Sugar Loaf Hill.
The Highland Falls are in a beautiful residential neighborhood.
Many of the geographic features are named after body parts, with this hazy view of Anthonys Nose being one. We also see lots of “necks.”
West Point is prominent on the left ascending bank.
There is minimal traffic on the river, with just a few boats passing us.
The bridge at Poughkeepsie is also celebrating Memorial Day.
These small Sunfish were racing off Poughkeepsie.
Lighthouses are of interest here, both esthetically and navigationally. Here is the Middle Hudson River Light.
And the Roundout River Light at Kingston.
Here’s the downbound tug Martin Bouchard, pulling an empty barge.
The train tracks run next to the river, the path of least resistance. There are many trains, both passenger and freight. We often hear the trains and their plaintive whistles, day and night.
We passed the Saugerties River Light.
We decide to anchor for the night off the town of Athens, New York, with a good Hudson River current to keep us safely on the hook.
Next morning, up early and underway up the Hudson, the Morton Bouchard was taking a load down stream.
We passed by the Capital of New York State, Albany.
Along the way, we saw lots of flotsam, some in the water, and some conveniently lodged against the abutments.
The first lock since our trip down the middle U.S. Rivers is the Troy Lock.
Shortly beyond, is the bridge that is “between the charts” not covered in most of the guides we reference, which requires our radar mast to be lowered. Last time by, we didn’t realize it, and had to throw the anchor over for a “Chinese fire drill” lowering. This time we remembered, and had taken it down the night before.
Which way do you go? We picked the Erie Canal.
The town of Waterford marks the eastern end of the Erie Canal, a wonderful cruising ground. We stopped for the night prior to entering the locks. The town’s name, Waterford, comes from Colonial times, when this area was a ford across the Mohawk River. This spot marks the gateway to the New York Canal system, of which the Erie Canal is a part.
Our walkabout took us around town.
The hospitable waterfront features 1600 feet of docking, along which we see the typical Erie Canal boat. These are available for charter by vacationers.
The long brick walkway adjacent to the Waterford docks has a brick pattern of the canal, with elevations and locks indicated. Quite a work of art.
We had thought of going out to dinner, but look what was coming from the west.
Shortly there was rain so heavy that visibility was severely restricted. We were glad to be safely tied up.
Before the rain, here’s the spillway adjacent to the first lock in the Waterford Flight of locks.
And after the rain, here’s the same spillway!
This is the lock we will pass through tomorrow on the start of our trip westward on the Erie Canal.
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