Transiting the Oswego Canal to Minetto
Trip Start
Jul 21, 2001
1
15
45
Trip End
Apr 22, 2002
Minetto,
New York,
United States
Tuesday, August 28, 2001
Up early so we wouldn't have to rush and then they called us 40 minutes early because a storm was coming. The crew really pushed us because we could see lightening in the
distance as we finally got the mast down and secured on the deck just as the rain hit and drenched us in a downpour.
We went to several lectures in Toronto last winter put on by the World Cruising Club. Different speakers gave their opinions on the best way to store one's mast once it was taken down. Some opted to bring mast cradles made at home and store it high above one's bimini.. This would be fine for Lake Ontario sailors but wasn't an option for us. Others stated that one should store it as low as possible because while the high storage was great for the canal, unfortunately, there is a four five hour crossing of Lake Oneida to endure in the middle of the trip. Sudden storms have come up and have caused damage to boats and masts as sailors fought the waves of the shallow lake.
Our mast is secured on the deck. It runs under our bimini and dodger so we have protection. It is stored on the port side of the boat so that we are free to work on the starboard side where we have our fenders, a five foot 2x6 fender board I brought from home, and our lines for docking. We were able to work the mast under our solar panel and the dingy can still be lifted into the davits, so we're as pleased as one can be with a 47' aluminum stick hanging over the ends of a 30' boat. It made for some challenging docking and our first locking wasn't pretty. Fortunately, more due to luck than good seamanship, we managed to come up the dirtiest, slimiest walls in the world without damaging the boat. We went through the first three locks today and have stopped in a small town called Minetto. Our lock skills improved but the condition of the locks didn't. We thought the Welland was dirty but it is pristine compared to the scum on these walls. In fairness, the concrete walls are in better condition than the Welland and the fenders will not be rubbed raw by the broken
concrete.
Minetto is an example of the initiative and effort put forth by small communities to attract tourists to stop and visit their area. We are at a brand new dock, equipped with electricity, a washroom, shower area and small park nearby, all FREE. Apparently there will be more of these areas in the miles ahead.
Tips for sailors
Fender boards - a 2x6 or 2x8 fender board 5-6 feet long is a necessity if you want to save your fenders. I screwed eye bolts into each end and tied to these as I read that people who just tie around the board itself sometimes wear the lines through from the friction of running up the rough walls.
Gloves- we learned from going through the Welland that the best gloves are rubberized work gloves so you can keep washing the guck off.
Mast protection - we put a rubber pail over the back of our mast to protect it is case we hit a wall as we pull away and we put a 4' 2x4 at the front of the mast to protect it in case of problems as we enter against a wall. So far neither protection devices have been needed but this suggestion from other veteran canal cruisers seemed a good precaution.
Boat hooks - have two. We also kept an old deck brush on board to fend off the walls. This is another suggestion that has worked well and provides more push against the slime than the boat hook which easily slips.
