Old Hands

So we've now transited 17 Locks -- and we're finally starting to feel like old hands at this.  The Erie Canal is particularly difficult this year as over the last two weeks they've had huge storms that has risen the regular water height by nearly two feet.  What that means is the "flow" is enormous and every time we reach a lock with a corresponding damn there is a tremendous amount of water flowing over the damn.  We get rocked with enormous water eddies as we enter every lock. It only took one huge swirling eddie which tossed our boat against the wall to teach us what these meant and how powerful they were.  We were cautious before, we're now cautious beyond cautious.  The last two days have been majestic.  No other way of saying it.  The cruise along peaceful scenery interspersed with a highway next to us or a railroad on the other side is surreal.  We've met lovely people from a couple tonight who is doing their second loop to a couple we have been traveling with for several days who came from Turkey across the Atlantic only to do the Erie and Great Lakes.  Go figure!  Wonderful people, wonderful stories.  Today's highlight was Lock 17.  As texting would say -- OMG!  The Lock is over 40 feet in hight -- pictures to follow.  We literally motored in under the lock gate!  Not sure how to describe it -- but the water height is so high that the gate is at the bottom of the lock and raises up to let you in.  We're now nicely tied to a lovely town wall with another Looper -- the one doing it for the second time -- and three sailboats.  One of the sailboats is so old and done this so many times (he's single handling his transit) that his mast is literally a long tree -- just as if it were out Hornblower!  Delightful days, cool nights.  Needless to say -- we're a happy couple.  And if it's Nan reading -- yes, it's Brian's voice!