CODA Bahamas bound cont.

 CODA completes the Champlain Canal

16 September 2024

Waterford Visitors Center, Waterford, New York

Waterford is the place where decisions are made (The Waterford Welcome Center docks are at the begining of the Erie Canal).

Our friend Sal was there to greet us on arrival.

Marc-  08:00 Timely departure from Lock # 5 Park dock for passage through the lock and beyond.  Once through the lock we encountered poor visibility in fog for the first hour of travel and then full sunshine for the rest of the day.  We met up with two powerboats at Lock # 4 and went through several locks with them (our first multiple boat lockings of this trip).  Note that you have to proceed at 7.1 knots in order to arrive at Lock #4 in time for the 10:00 lockage.  This was not a problem for CODA with its powerful Yanmar 100 hp diesel.  We soon discovered that our powerboat traveling companions would speed away for the next lock once the gates opened only to wait for us to arrive some time later before being locked through (Sort of like the "tortoise and the hare" ).  It also helped that Brian would call the next Lockmaster to let him/her know that we were coming along.

Soon after Lock #1 we turned the corner and went West on the Erie Canal a short distance to reach the Waterford Welcome Center and docks.  This is an excellent and almost entirely free facility with floating docks, power and water.  The village of Waterford is right next door making this an excellent stopover.  We were assisted in docking by a couple from Ontario who had come down the Erie Canal and were headed for the Bahamas.