6:00 AM
I woke up before Mia. Throughout this trip I always woke up before Mia, and I tried to be as quiet as I could while I was going about my business; making coffee, writing in my log, and taking Fender T. Dog for his morning constitutionals. At home, Mia wakes up several times a night. It takes hours for her to go back to sleep. On the boat she sleeps like a rock through the night.
Because Mia had stowed all of the supplies — and I had no idea where she put anything — I had to search the entire galley for coffee. I found one tiny Rubbermaid container that had enough for about two pots.
Sure enough, although Mia packed enough supplies for an army, she didn’t bring any coffee. She and I had both assumed that there were a couple of pounds on the boat. But that little Rubbermaid container held every precious bit of the grind that was onboard.
Those who are old enough to remember the TV commercials where the airplane had to turn back because they forgot to bring enough of Juan Valdez’ Colombian Coffee will get a kick out of what happened over the next few days. Morning coffee became a quest!
Mia woke up around 7. We sequentially visited the facilities for our own morning constitutionals. While she was gone I checked the engine oil levels: Both were okay.
While the engine hatches were open I also inspected the bilge to look for Things That Shouldn’t Be There, such as water, sewage, gasoline, and doggie treats. (Fender T. Dog likes to hide some of his treats and save them for later).
The bilge was clear of the above foreigners, but I noted that it needs a good cleaning to get rid of the previous owner’s Do-It-Yourself carpet job. We’ve owned this boat for two years, and we gave it a thorough cleaning when we took possession. Yet, we’re still vacuuming pieces of that carpet out of the bilge. And I found dog hair in the flame arrestors. Fender T. Dog doesn’t shed. These hairs belonged to the previous owner’s 8-pound yip-yip dog. The other mechanicals also checked out okay.
For some reason we didn’t eat breakfast. I guess because we were both excited to get moving.
8:06 am
It’s been six minutes since we left Medina. One thing we found out in a hurry: NOAA Weather Radio is a great storm-tracking resource, but they can’t predict the weather any better than I can. The weather forecast was for thunderstorms all day, yet the winds were calm, the skies were clearing, and it was turning out to be a perfect day.
I wish I could get a job as a meteorologist. It would be nice to get paid for guessing what will happen. In fact, the long-term forecast was for “Partly cloudy skies with a chance of precipitation.” That pretty much covers every possibility: Could be sunny; could be cloudy. Might rain; might not. As a consultant, my fee for that would be about $80,000 a year. The temperature prediction left just enough margin for error that they couldn’t be wrong for a summer’s day in western New York State.
8:15 am
Culvert Road is the only place on the Canal System where the road burrows under the canal. In fact, it’s in Ripley’s Believe It or Not.
Built in 1823, the block-lined tunnel leaks like a sieve and is only wide enough for one car at a time.
With a 7-foot, 6-inch clearance a horse and buggy may have made it through the tunnel, but a rider would have to dismount and walk.
Today’s cars can make it through one at a time. Fortunately it’s not a heavily traveled road because the sightlines are very limited.
A sign on the towpath reads, “Directly under your feet is the Medina Culvert, built in 1823. It’s located about 1 3/4 miles east of Medina and can be reached by the towpath or via Culvert Road. A culvert was chosen as more economical than a bridge because the canal crosses a valley here on a berm, and the surrounding land is some 20 feet lower than the canal.”
Somewhere Between Culvert Road and Knowlesville — There’s a Moose?!?!?
It had to happen. Last time I checked with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation there were no moose here.
However, plywood and black paint are widely available. We liked this much better than “Man Leaning Against Tree Smoking a Pipe”.
It’s shaping up to be a perfect summer day!
The lift bridge at Knowlesville is away from it all. There is a very small wall on the east side of the bridge. No power, water, or facilities.
The lift bridge operator travels between this bridge and Medina so there may be a wait while he drives from one to the other.
Coordinate with the lift bridge operator prior to Eagle Harbor (or ask the Knowlesville/Medina op to call ahead) because the Eagle Harbor operator also travels to the two bridges at Albion. There is a very short wall south and west of the bridge. No power, water, or facilities. It is a good stop for a doggie walk and a cold lunch, but not for us. Heck, we’ve only been moving for an hour!
Albion has two lift bridges. The Main Street bridge is east; Ingersoll is to the west. The bridge operator handles these and the Eagle Harbor bridge, so there may be a wait while (s)he drives from one to the next. There is definitely a wait between Main and Ingersoll, but it’s usually no more than five minutes; Just enough time for the bridge operator to travel from one to the other.
Between the bridges is a wonderful little canal front with plenty of wall space, power and water. The facilities are south of the Main Street bridge in the rear of a building that faces toward Main Street. Shops, restaurants, and a small convenience store are an easy walk.