I’m stopped for the day at Lock 30. Tied up to a crumbling old wall next to a park, but nothing else close by. I thought all locks operate until 10 pm but after finding this one all closed up I checked the web site, and the more remote locks like this one close at 5. Guess I’ll call it a day! I could back track to Fairport but it’s a couple of hours back.
I left Brockport about 1030 and noodled east. Before leaving I asked to borrow a bike to go get oil a mile or two away but the on-duty volunteer insisted I take her car. Nice folks.
Passed the intersection of the canal and the Genessee River, which runs through Rochester and empties into Lake Ontario. Navigation to the lake is impossible because there are a couple of dams right in downtown Rochester. When I came through last year I followed the river right up to downtown Rochester, about an hour’s trip one way. Didn’t see any evidence of pleasure boats apart from a rowing club. There are a couple of big clubs/marinas on the lake side of the city – I’ve sailed out of the river to race on Lake Ontario – but I guess the locals don’t have any interest in the canal side. It was weird to be a few miles as the crow flies from the port but a couple of hundred miles by boat. The canal along that stretch is very industrial, passing under expressways and pretty much all old concrete. Nowhere to stop.
Stopped at Pittsford for a late lunch. Pittsford is very nice, I spent lots of time there last year and left the boat there for a week. Today I docked right in front of a very nice Greek restaurant and had a good feed.
Didn’t stop in Fairport. That’s another town that’s really done up the waterfront. Leaving Fairport I met four rental canal boats. Guess Monday is check out day, as the rental outfit is between here and Fairport.
The local geography really varies. There is a very long pool between Rochester and Lockport. In some cases the canal has been dug through shale rock and is slightly below the surrounding area. But in other areas it’s above the surrounding area. Near Fairport the canal is 70 feet above the valley it travels across. Essentially the builders created a giant berm across the valley and the canal is cut into the top of the berm. I couldn’t get any good pictures, but a couple of times caught glimpses of rooftops through the trees. Now I’m in an area where the canal is level with the surrounding area, and passed through some wetlands. More of that ahead.
I still haven’t finalized plans for leaving the boat and returning to London this weekend, but have some options. Rather than trying to make it to Kingston I am inclined to stay in NY. Now that I’m here I don’t want to leave in a hurry. I haven’t checked distances, but think I can get down to the finger lakes area tomorrow. Maybe Seneca Falls. Getting there is via an offshoot south from the main canal.
Just started raining hard, so I’m not unhappy stopped anyway.
Boating Adventures 