{"id":775,"date":"2022-08-19T01:45:23","date_gmt":"2022-08-19T01:45:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cincinnatiprime11.com\/?p=775"},"modified":"2022-08-19T01:45:24","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T01:45:24","slug":"erie-canal-medina-ny-to-north-tonawanda-ny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cincinnatiprime11.com\/?p=775","title":{"rendered":"Erie Canal – Medina, NY to North Tonawanda, NY"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Today’s journey is 35 miles, with 5 lift bridges, 2 gates and 2 locks. It will take us 6 hours.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We start the day bright and early and get to the Medina Lift Bridge at 8 am, the agreed upon time for the opening with the bridge tender. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It looks to be a beautiful day!<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The bridge tender is a bit late, so for 20 minutes we idle beside the bridge and watch some women in the canal park participating in a boot camp fitness class. Once through, we make our way down to Gasport and their lift bridge, the site of a hydraulic failure leaking gallons of oil into the canal causing a closure for several days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is that magical just right number? 1,306!<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The work crews are still at it, even on a Sunday.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Faithful since Albany, the Erie Canal Way Bike Trail follows us along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Erie Canal Way Trail<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Again we see old buildings, old houses and old trees flanking an old, and sometimes crumbly, stone canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We arrive to Lockport and pass through two more bridges until we encounter locks 34 and 35. The end is near! We are informed it will be about an hour wait to lock through. Lock 34 leads right into lock 35, so it basically is one big lock but you pass through in stages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The gates on the left are the two locks, 34 and 35. The locks on the right are the “flight of five” used prior to 1918, when the two newer locks were built (34 & 35).<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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A closer view of the flight of five<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Locksport definitely possess a touristy vibe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Museum, bike path, underground cave and zip lining! This town has it all!<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Since we are sidelined for a while, we tie up to a wall. I walk up to the lock and check out all the attractions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I spy Prime 11!<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Flight of Five from above<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The original 1897 photo of 12 Lockport lock tenders (and one of their daughters) is above and the sculptures memorializing that photo of those men that labored 12 hours a day, April – November, moving vessels through the Erie Canal is below. They are still in the process of fundraising to finish the entire crew.<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Finally, it is our turn to lock through. We are not the only ones waiting. One other boat will lock through with us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Hooray!!<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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I am so ready to get this done!<\/em><\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you notice the picture above, Prime 11 is well prepared for the lock through. I have my gloves on and am holding the line through a cleat for extra support while Prime 11 is wearing four fenders over her rub rail. Tom is in the stern with the same set up. For 33 locks, all goes smooth. Unfortunately, the boat behind us has her fenders misplaced and a few are actually deflated. You wouldn’t think this is a big deal. But… it is. As the water starts flowing and churning into the lock, the boat is suctioned against the wall. It should bounce off the fenders, and move away from the wall. This repeats over and over. If you don’t have your fenders to hold the boat off the wall, then you resort to pushing against the wall yourself to prevent damage to the boat from the very rough concrete walls. The force by which the boat is pressed against the wall is virtually impossible to stave off, especially if you are older and have no gloves on. Slimy walls make slimy hands. Slimy hands lose lines that are holding the boat in place within the lock. This is what happens to our lock mate. They lose their lines and their hold on their boat. It is now free floating in a whirlpool, pin balling from one side of the lock to another, hitting whatever is in its path. Captain Tom calls for the lock tender to come help grab one of their lines. He does try, but their dog is so eager to see him that she tries jumping onto the platform of the lock. Now they let go of whatever little control they had of the boat to control the dog. We untie ourselves and move further up in the lock, trying to get out of harms way. They are now sideways in the lock. I felt awful for them and awful for myself that we didn’t film it as we could have earned a qualified captain t-shirt. \ud83e\udd2a Thankfully, we were towards the end of the lock through when all this occurs! The gate opens and we quickly exit our final eventful lock through. The puzzling part of this whole story is that we are on lock 35. How in the world could they be this incompetent at this point? Like the captain always says, “You can’t fix stupid. I think he has proven his point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the locks, we pass through several tunnels and head to North Tonawanda where we will stay for the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n