Posted from the Lock 12 Marina Whitehall NY. We made it through the locks! The boat has just a a very good scrub down and I am going to do the same. What a dirty yucky job it is to clutch those lines hanging down the sides of the lock walls and guide up or down. My clean jeans are again disgusting and the gloves! They deserve to be burned - but not until we make it back down the river. Watson is right about the DAMP. I suddenly remembered why I gave up camping so long ago..... Now for the Marinas:
Shady Harbor Marina New Baltimore NY **1/2 A bit remote. A bit desolate. A bit spooky at night. Amenities pretty good: Decent Italian restaurant on premise (Water's Edge) - which in good weather with its deck and view of the river, could be fabulous. Our night there: there were 3 occupied tables in the restaurant and 2 occupied bar stools in the bar. And to be honest, I have never really seen a bar before that has the Weather Channel running on all its TVs. But I digress. On prem was a ship's store (meaning boat soap) but nothing else. Bathrooms decent. And a pool on site. Wireless worked fine - but had trouble actually charging the PC's batteries with the electricity. But the docks need significant work and the lighting was dim at best. I am not big on stumbling around a boat yard with Watson at night in the dark with a little flashlight. No access to town and really not a distance to walk. Since we hit it just before the skies opened, we were not in a mood to go anywhere anyway.
Schuyler Yacht Basin Schuylerville NY ***1/2. Charmingly rustic or rustically charming. A very pleasant and helpful Phil and Judy Dean own and operate it - have done for 25 years. Decent bathrooms and showers and a good laundry (got to know it well as I was trapped there with Watson for 3 hours in the afternoon when the hail came down.) The docks, however, need some serious work - like replacement. And the dockage was under a lot of overhanging trees that dumped their bounty on the boat all night. And we have spent the last 24 hours picking it off. The Marina is within walking distance to town and groceries and restaurants. A BIG PLUS. They also have HBO if you have TV on your cruiser. And wireless. The flowers were fabulous - Judy is clearly proud of her garden. The astible and bee balm were gorgeous. They have an expansive deck with a screened in gazebo overlooking the river - a nice place to spend a summer evening - if one ever comes along.
We had planned to walk to dinner in town - but with the monsoons, opted for a cab. They don't exist in Schuylerville. But the Deans lent us a car and off we went to buy groceries and then to dinner. Dinner turned out to be a challenge: The DoveGate Inn, our choice, was in a block cordoned off by police and fire - I guess as the motel across the street burned up. Undaunted, we parked down the street in a private lot - suitable for towing and umbrella'ed our way to the DoveGate. Joel, Jim and I opted for the meatloaf special. I think if you weighed the 3 servings they brought, you would be at 10 lbs. HUGH portions. Sue had shrimp that looked great. It was a lovely setting in a B&B that has been restored. Of course when we got back, we had to jump to get onto the docks, as even here, there is a high tide. And with all the rain, we were close to flood conditions. The RVers who were also staying at the Yacht Basin had to move to higher ground. We of course were already floating... fortunately. Early night. Not much reason to hang out in the gazebo in the rain. All in all - a nice place run by nice people.
So now we are at Lock 12 Marina in Whitehall. It also is within walking distance to town - but even though the rain has suspended for a few moments, it does not look good for clearing any time soon. Jim, Watson and I are holed up in the boat waiting for the dinner hour. Amenities here - docks in reasonable shape. Great wireless and a well recommended restaurant on prem where we are planning dinner tonight: The Finch and Chubb. Whatever that means. The flowers here are mostly daylilies - but out in their glory right now. Bathrooms, showers and laundry all clean and fine. Business along the river has been abysmal this year - no transient traffic to support these places and the weather certainly not helping. Tomorrow on to Westport NY in Lake Champlain. Am so glad we are stopping for 2 nites there. It has been quite a grind pushing as we have. And everything is just so damp... but that is where we started.... But since the rest of the east coast seems to be suffering the same weather - guess it would not help to be home!
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