These are the major players at Mooney Bay Marina, Jim, the owner, is in the middle. 
An old military friend, from Knoxville, TN was kind enough to come to Michigan and transport us and our stuff in his vehicle to Plattsburgh. Mark and his car remained with us for 10 days so we were able to travel around and see a number of tourist attractions. The boat was put in the water on May 28 and after preparing the boat for this year's leg, we departed Mooney Bay on June 15 and headed across Lake Champlain 20 miles to Burlington, Vermont. As we moved the boat, Mark took the ferry to Burlington.
Leaving Mooney Bay.
This is where we stayed in Burlington, Burlington Community Boathouse. The first attraction that the 3 of us visited was the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of it, but we did learn that there were many military skirmishes on the lake. There are about 300 known sunken vessels on the lake, both military and civilian, that are still being discovered and researched.
Our second stop was the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.
Our third stop out of Burlington was the Shelburne Museum. Approximately 50 acres of items that Electra Webb had collected throughout her marriage to James Webb, an heir of the Vanderbilts. Electra came from a wealthy family herself, an heir to Domino's Sugar. This museum is similar to Greenfield Village.
This is Colchester Reef Lighthouse, a lighthouse that was located between Plattsburgh and Burlington on Lake Champlain that was moved to her grounds.
Electra purchased the steamboat, Ticonderoga, without her husband's knowledge. It was the last steam-powered paddlewheel on Lake Champlain. It was originally built by the railroad company to shuttle people from the end of the railroad line to where it picked up again. Eventually, the railroad tracks were completed and these types of shuttles, so they turned into excursion boats. Mrs. Webb paid to have this steamboat moved 2 miles inland to her museum site.
This is the train station at the museum. The Webbs were wealthy enough to own their own rail car to travel in. It is here at the museum.
I especially enjoyed the blacksmith shop. There was an older guy forging some parts. This blacksmith shop had the ability to build wooden wagon wheels with many parts like spokes, hubs and the iron rings that were used as tires on the wheels.
An old military friend, from Knoxville, TN was kind enough to come to Michigan and transport us and our stuff in his vehicle to Plattsburgh. Mark and his car remained with us for 10 days so we were able to travel around and see a number of tourist attractions. The boat was put in the water on May 28 and after preparing the boat for this year's leg, we departed Mooney Bay on June 15 and headed across Lake Champlain 20 miles to Burlington, Vermont. As we moved the boat, Mark took the ferry to Burlington.
Leaving Mooney Bay.
This is where we stayed in Burlington, Burlington Community Boathouse. The first attraction that the 3 of us visited was the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of it, but we did learn that there were many military skirmishes on the lake. There are about 300 known sunken vessels on the lake, both military and civilian, that are still being discovered and researched.
Our second stop was the Vermont Teddy Bear Factory.
Our third stop out of Burlington was the Shelburne Museum. Approximately 50 acres of items that Electra Webb had collected throughout her marriage to James Webb, an heir of the Vanderbilts. Electra came from a wealthy family herself, an heir to Domino's Sugar. This museum is similar to Greenfield Village.
This is Colchester Reef Lighthouse, a lighthouse that was located between Plattsburgh and Burlington on Lake Champlain that was moved to her grounds.
Electra's father had a collection of carriages and sleighs that she eventually had a large barn erected to house them on the museum grounds.
One of the last attractions that we visited with Mark via the car was the Haskell Opera House/Library in Derby Line, Vermont, 3 hours north of Burlington on the Canadian border. On our way up there, we passed this covered bridge in rural Vermont. For some reason, I have no pictures of the Opera House and Library. Sometime over the past winter, I had seen on the History Channel, a program all about borders, both federal and state borders. It showed this library in Derby Line that was intentionally built straddling the US/Canadian border. The library is situated on the first floor and the opera house on the second floor. There is a black line on each floor that designates the border. You must exit the building from the same side that you enter or you will be in big trouble. Yes, you may cross the border while you are in the building. The three of us attended a play.
This picture is looking out from the marina in Burlington, just before we left to head south.
The next three pictures are of open waters of Lake Champlain as we headed south. Lake Champlain is 12 miles wide at its widest and there are not really that many touristy boat stops on the lake.
Leaving Burlington, we traveled approximately 50 miles south to where the lake narrows to between 1/4 and 1/2 mile wide. Passing Crown Point which are the next 3 pictures. Crown Point is where a major bridge was imploded last fall after the authorities had discovered its foundation to be bad and closed it. They have already started construction of a new bridge.
The next three pictures are of open waters of Lake Champlain as we headed south. Lake Champlain is 12 miles wide at its widest and there are not really that many touristy boat stops on the lake.
And put in place a temporary ferry.
Our next stop after Burlington was 1-1/2 miles past the town of Ticonderoga. We stayed 2 days at Chipman Point Marina, a little mom and pop marina run by a mother and her 35 year old son, Chip. The mother lived on the 3rd floor of the clubhouse that was built of stone in 1824. We think the stone for their building came from the ruins of Fort Ticonderoga. We had arrived here on Saturday, June 19. Mark departed our company in the morning at Burlington. After Deb did the laundry, we rented the marina's car to visit the town and fort at Ticonderoga. They were only 1-1/2 miles north by boat, but 10 miles by car. We had to take the Fort Ti cable ferry established in 1759. We took some pictures of town and visited the restored fort. At some point the fort was abandoned and locals removed stone for their buildings.
Mike and Marge Kovacic ("Grand Escape"-Grand Banks at Ellenwood Landing) joined us for a week on Sunday. They have most of the summer off and had driven to Florida for a week, then on up to us. Amtrak follows the shorelines of the Hudson River and Lake Champlain from New York City to Montreal with a stop at Ticonderoga. So Mike and Marge left their car at Chipman Point Marina with hopes of catching the train somewhere down south to return to their car.
Fort Ticonderoga
You can see how narrow Lake Champlain gets on the southern end. The Amtrak train stop is right at this ferry landing.
The town of Ticonderoga.
Fort Ti Cable Ferry established 1759. This is the Vermont side of Lake Champlain. It has been proven that stone from the fort built this home.
You can see how narrow Lake Champlain gets on the southern end. The Amtrak train stop is right at this ferry landing.
The town of Ticonderoga.
The entrance to Fort Ticonderoga.
The French originally built this fort in 1755 and named it Fort Carillon. Later, the fort was captured by Ethan Allen and renamed Fort Ticonderoga.
The French originally built this fort in 1755 and named it Fort Carillon. Later, the fort was captured by Ethan Allen and renamed Fort Ticonderoga.
A view south from the fort of Chipman Point.
The picture below is the southernmost end of Lake Champlain near Whitehall, New York.
This is Whitehall, New York which is the northernmost end of the Champlain Canal system. There are 11 locks in the system-the southernmost lock in the system is at Waterford, New York and is where Lake Champlain water meets the Hudson River.
We stayed 1 night here at Lock 12 Marina and had a great dinner with Mike & Marge at the Finch & Chubb Restaurant located on the 2nd floor.
The biggest attraction in town is Skene Manor built by the local judge 100 years ago and now owned by a non-profit organization.
This is Whitehall, New York which is the northernmost end of the Champlain Canal system. There are 11 locks in the system-the southernmost lock in the system is at Waterford, New York and is where Lake Champlain water meets the Hudson River.
We stayed 1 night here at Lock 12 Marina and had a great dinner with Mike & Marge at the Finch & Chubb Restaurant located on the 2nd floor.
The biggest attraction in town is Skene Manor built by the local judge 100 years ago and now owned by a non-profit organization.
We were told it was only open on the weekends for sandwiches, but I rode the motorcycle up there to try to get a better picture and a lady came out of the house and invited me in to take a tour. I took a bunch of pictures so everyone else on the boat could see what I had seen.
Dining room.
Entering the first lock the next morning at Whitehall.
Buying the 2 two-day passes at $20.00 each.
Buying the 2 two-day passes at $20.00 each.
The maximum air draft on the Champlain Canal system is 17'o". We were 16'4" with our radar off. This bridge and all of them looked lower than that, but we made it. Someone had suggested that we mount a fishing pole from the bow pulpit as a gauge when approaching a bridge. I found this quite helpful.
Approaching one of the locks.
Mike at work in a lock.
Approaching one of the locks.
Passed a bunch of barges and tugs. Learned that GE was charged with dredging for PCBs.
Once we left this lock, we made a 160 degree turn to starboard which took us up the Hudson River a half a mile to the town of Fort Edward. The fort has long since vanished.
Our first view of the Hudson River heading upstream.
Our first view of the Hudson River heading upstream.
Stayed here on the wall at Fort Edward municipal town dock for free. It includes power; a maximum of 2 days stay.
A look up the Hudson.
Above and below Fort Edward.
The neighboring boat needed fuel and arranged for this delivery, so we topped off at $2.87/gallon.
Above and below Fort Edward.
The neighboring boat needed fuel and arranged for this delivery, so we topped off at $2.87/gallon.
All water pools were supposedly maintained to guarantee 17' clearance under bridges. But at this bridge they were preparing to sandblast and had installed 8 cables hanging 3 feet beneath the bridge so they could lay corrugated sheet metal as a work platform. 17 feet minus 3 feet equals 14 feet - not good. We approached with the fishing pole and it looked like we might clear. We decided to put Mike up on the hardtop with the dock pole thinking he could lay on his back with the dock pole extended and possibly push up on all 8 cables in order to clear all the hardware on the hardtop. We were fortunate enough that we cleared without him having to do that, but he did lay up there until we were through.
Notice the corrugated steel they are starting to lay across. These construction workers were not friendly at all, in fact downright rude; so we mentioned that at the next lock and the lockmaster said that we were not the first to complain and that they had contacted Albany and Albany was going to have a conversation with the contractor.
This is Lock 3. Between Lock 3 and Lock 2 is the lowest bridge on the Champlain Canal system, with a normal clearance of 15'0". Last year, before heading to Lake Champlain, I checked with the New York canal system to make sure I could make it under all the bridges; they said there was only 1, this one, that would be a problem, but they could lower the pool of water by 2' if we gave them 24 hours notice. This is not quite true - we did not have to give them 24 hours notice; the lockmasters communicated with each other and the pool was ready when we arrived. We did ask this lockmaster how this was done and he said they call the power company that controls the dam and they can lower the pool 2 feet in 45 minutes. That amazed me because it is 1 mile between locks and 1/2 mile wide.
2' lower water level.
The bridge.
Mike is praying.
The bridge.
Mike is praying.
I think that reads 17'2".
Ray is happy he didn't have to turn around and go back to Oswego.
Ray is happy he didn't have to turn around and go back to Oswego.
Next stop Mechanicville.
Stayed here, again for free.
Stayed here, again for free.
Entering the last lock on the Champlain Canal system.
Arriving at Waterford, New York. We are through the Champlain Canal; we are on the Hudson River, but have 1 more lock to go which they call the Federal Lock. Once past the Federal Lock, we will be in tidal water even though we will be 160 miles north of New York City. Here at Waterford is where the Erie Canal meets the Hudson River. Waterford is 20 miles north of Albany.
We made a 90 degree turn and headed west up the Mohawk River toward the entrance of the Erie Canal to Waterford's town dock on the right. Again, you can stay 2 days free with power.
This is the city dock and the first lock of the Erie Canal.
City dock offices and restrooms.
This is a picture at the top of the first lock of the Erie Canal looking back toward the city dock.
In the above picture, you will notice the intersection of four different water routes. The two to the left and right are part of an old Champlain Canal system no longer used. The next series of pictures are all of canals no longer used here at Waterford.
Notice this path. Horses used to draw wooden barges along the canal on these paths.
What is left of a lock.
Found this GE Silicone products plant at the end of the abandoned canal.
Thought this was interesting. They had devised a system to weigh the goods being shipped by the total amount of water displaced and based their locking fees on that weight.
City of Waterford.
City of Waterford.
From the other end of town.
We walked to the grocery store. We made Deb and Marge push the cart back to the boat.
Sky, I got to thinking of you. This boat was about to enter the Erie Canal the morning we left.
Sky, I got to thinking of you. This boat was about to enter the Erie Canal the morning we left.
The Hudson River looking south from Waterford.
The Federal Lock. Once we are past here, we are in tidal waters.
New York's state capitol building.
Mike, Marge and Deb on the South side of state capitol building faces Empire State Plaza.
Picture of Troy, New York just north of Albany.
Arriving at Albany. These two pictures are of the old Delaware & Hudson Railroad headquarters. Now it is the home of State University of New York Administration.
New York's state capitol building.
Mike, Marge and Deb on the South side of state capitol building faces Empire State Plaza.
Empire State Plaza.
View looking east from Empire State Plaza toward the Hudson River.
