June 7th. Troy, NY to Schenectady, NY
In the morning we re-provision the boat and tidy up. So people didn’t think we were pirates. We put in 379.2 gallons of diesel at 3.14 a gallon. A little after noon Tony, the boat driver with local knowledge and experience arrived, while we were in the engine room servicing batteries, changing fuel filters, checking the oil etc.
Around 14:30 Mark was getting off the boat to catch a flight to Chicago. He helped us cast off. He just didn’t want to leave his big toy in foreign hands.
Ten minutes later we were leaving the “Troy docks” and headed to the New York State Canal System. 
Today the Erie Canal is 338 miles in length, averages 125 ft. in width, with a depth of at least 12 feet and has 34 locks. It has been renamed: New York State Canal System; which is historically significant for the many contributors it has establish New York State as an international center of commerce and finance, a leading port, a national identity that continues to be reflected in songs, legends and artwork.
The Erie Canal begins in Waterford, where the Hudson River meets the Mohawk River. The total lift is 572.4 Feet, twice as much as the total lift from sea level to the summit of the Panama Canal.
The New York State Canal System operates from May 1st to November 15th It has 4 Canals: Erie Canal (338 miles), Champlain Canal (60 miles), Oswego Canal (24 miles), Cayuga-Seneca Canal (12 miles). -Then to Ithaca (45 miles) and to Watkins Glen/Montour Falls (45 miles)-. NOAA # 14786
When approaching the lock we had to stop at a safe distance and call the lock operator on channel 13 or give three blasts of the horn. Lock operators reply with lights. It took an average of 20 minutes to go through each of them once they gave us the green light. Obviously the wait is longer when the lift is higher or when there is traffic. Upon entering the Lock chamber we must proceed under control at a safe reduced speed. We were equipped with adequate mooring lines and fenders.
During the lockage we kept the bow and stern close to the wall by looping a line to holding apparatus like ladders, cables, pipes or lines. They strongly recommend no to tie lines. So we had to hold them during the process with gets a little tedious after a bunch of locks, but being careful because serious injuries can result from using hands and feet to fend a moving boat off a wall. The walls hold all the bacteria from the river so is good to use thick gloves.
As soon as the water reaches the proper level, the gates open. After the gates are fully opened we shall cast off and proceed at a reduced speed to exit the chamber in order of entry.
www.nycanals.com
http://www.nyscanals.gov/maps/index.html
http://www.landfallnavigation.com/bj043.html
http://www.nyscanals.gov/faq/index.html
We could see the first lock in front of us:
At 15:07 we were going through the first lock called “Troy Lock” the only one with a name, the others are just numbered. After 12 minutes we were getting out.
After “Troy –US Lock” We turned west heading into Erie Canal. We were passing the 2nd lock at 15:37 and 9 minutes later we were out.
Lock # 3. At 16:00. Ten minutes later we were out of a 34.5 lift.
Lock # 4. At 16:43. Fifteen minutes later we were getting out of another 34.5 lift.
Lock #5. At 16:46. Fifteen minutes later we were out of a 33.25 lift.
At 17:02 we went passed Lock #6, at Crescent, NY and took us another 15 minutes to get through a 33 ft lift. 
We went under a couple of guard gates. And after passing “Brunswack Ferry Bridge” we run for a little while to get to the next lock. At 18:30 we went through lock #7, at Viscer Ferry, NY.
Today we went through 7 of the 23 locks that we are doing on the Erie Canal area and got lifted a total of 209.9 feet in just 22 miles and 4 hours approximately.
The Erie Canal was both the primary trade route from Albany to Buffalo, and was the gateway to the great western frontier. Many of New York's major cities, such as Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica and Albany grew long this route as a result.
The original Erie Canal took seven years to build and when completed in 1825 was considered the engineering marvel of its day. The original canal cut through 363 miles of wilderness with 83 locks and included a rise of 568 feet from the Hudson River to Lake Erie. Technology with no “engineering”. In the early 19th century the Erie Canal was so busy that there were traffic jams and fistfights at the locks as waiting boats jockeyed for position. www.eriecanalway.org
www.canals.state.ny.us
The canal was enlarged to three times to accommodate more traffic and larger barges.
There is also a 348 mile rehabilitated Erie Canalway Trail that when finished will be the longest continuous trail in the United States.
The long term goal is to link the Erie Canal Greenway with the existing Niagara River Greenway and the Hudson River Valley Greenway. The Empire State Greenway would stretch from the Niagara Falls to Albany, north to Lake Champlain and south to NYC!
We pulled up, safe, at “Schenectady, Yacht club” at 19:20.
Just before 22:00 Rick, Tony’s friend picked us up and took us to the only open place in town called the “Mansion”. The steak was delicious and the place was incredible.
Tomorrow we are expecting some weather rain and winds in the afternoon...
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