JACKIE B III Going Loopy

  We got a late start today so Mike could change the oil in the new generator.  We are only making a short trip today. Someone sent us this photo in Nebo.  It’s an app for staying connected with Loopers.  I love going into a lock and waving at the people who wave to us. There was another looper at the dock in Canajahare. Carmine from the vessel Calm Seas. He told us all the restaurants in town were closed because it was Tuesday so we had hike over for dinner.  I love collecting new friends.   After dinner we tried to find some ice cream.  Mike ended up walking to McDonalds.  The fire boat show was amazing. Our Journey “We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.” ‭‭3 John‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

This is the day we had to say goodby to our friends and the best crew to learn how to lock through with. So this is the first day I am handling lines all by myself.  My confidence level has gone way up.   I must say, Mike handles the boat like a pro.  He can use the remote control bow and stern thrusters to help me out tremendously. We loved the wall in Amsterdam.  There is a waterski school that puts on a show on Wednesdays during the summer months.  We weren’t there on a Wednesday but we got to enjoy the practice.   After dinner we took a walk on a  lovely, trail across the river with beautiful artwork along the way. It was a beautiful day!! Our Journey  For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.   John 1:16  

In case you didn’t read yesterday’s blog, today is Waterford Flight day.  There are 5 locks in the  Waterford flight  which raise the boats up 169 feet in 1.5 miles. I got up early and went up to the lock to watch the first 3 boats lock through. We decided to hang out for the farmers market since we were only going to Schenectady. This was strangely reassuring for me to watch what was actually going to happen when we got into the locks. I returned to the boat and the much smaller farmers market here.  But they did have live music.  We were able to enjoy it for several hours as Lock 4 gates got stuck and they delayed us until it was repaired. This is the boat behind us; PiVOT, as we finally went through the locks.   I was pretty busy with the locks and did not get many photos, but Mike had the GoPro running and made this video: The day was really beautiful…and HOT. This is a waterfall from the dam next to one of the locks. I had no idea how beautiful the scenery would be along the Erie

  Another peaceful day on the water. These two swans caught our eye as we set out.   We continued to pass ships and barges as commerce on the river appears to be doing well. We made an impromptu stop in Troy, New York after hearing about an incredible farmers market from fellow loopers on “Liberty Call.” There were more than 150 vendors set up going down the streets from this architecturally interesting town square.  We’ll worth the stop! This was our first lock on the Erie Canal System. We really didn’t know what we were getting into and it turns out there was only one “hold” in this lock. I was exhausted afterwards.  I had a lot of “encouragement.” Waterford is the entry to the “real” Erie Canal, as in we would be leaving the Hudson River.  The Jackie B III is way in the back. Once we arrived at Waterford, Donna and I explored the first lock to get a sense of what we were getting into. First we came to the spillway. Then we looked down into the lock. There are 5 locks in the Waterfor

  The cruise from Poughkeepsie to Shady Harbor in Baltimore, NY was enchanting.  We had beautiful views of the Adirondack Mountains. The Hudson River is still a major shipping lane.  We passed barges and ships that were heading downstream. The light houses were adorable. And the company was fantastic.  We all took the opportunity to ride on the bow as the weather was phenomenal. Shady Harbor is a fun little marina. Thought you might like to see the fuel prices we are enjoying. There were chickens running everywhere and Mike happened onto a cock fight on his morning run. Donna and I hiked up to a little water fall.   Check out the pollywogs (tadpoles with legs) It’s so pretty up here. Our Journey “There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small. There the ships go to and fro, ….” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭104:25-26‬ ‭NIV‬‬

So exciting to have our first guests on the Loop. Duke and Donna are longtime sailors we met in New Bern over the winter.  They were a great help as we navigated up the Hudson River and learned how to maneuver the locks ( next blog.) This is us at Trophy Point where Mike was our personal tour guide on campus. But first some photos from Day 1 with the new crew. We decided to leave Half Moon Bay Marina because we couldn’t get a rental car and we really wanted to show our friends West Point. Mike had gone on a field trip to this nuclear power plant while a cadet at West Point. It brought back memories. We saw this really cool retired fire boat at the fuel dock.  This was one of the many NYFD vessels to rescue passengers off the plane that went down in the Hudson. We were told they also we’re working the river on 9/11.  Even though it was a cloudy day, the trip upriver was beautiful. You can see why the Hudson River school of painting style developed. Brought back memories for both of us a