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Whitehall to Essex, NY
Posted by contessanada


The starts of as a rainy day with light clouds over the marina. It has rained earlier too and the boat is wet and damp. New challenges we are facing while entering the lake region and going into the Canadian waters. Our sewer system is not allowed in those waters so some adjustments need to be made to accommodate these regulations. We are also using the pump out station of the marina to prepare ourselves for the protracted period of time while navigating in those waters.
Our friend and dock master is very helpful in accommodating our needs and supplying us with some needed adapters for the new process of discharge. All is set and we are on our way through some prestine


Now we are in areas where there is no house and no boat in sight, just water, trees and mountains in the distance. The water level is so high that all the trees along the river are standing in water. With the fog lifting and the clouds subsiding the calmness of the morning presents itself in mirrors on the surface of the water around us.
We pass by Ft. Ticonderoga standing proud on top of a hill and cliff looking over the oncoming traffic from south and north. Good strategic point, I’d say!
Slowly but surely as the canal widens we are closer and closer to lake Champlain. As we approach the lake we go under the bridge connecting the two states, NY and Vermont at the Crown Point Ft where the beaut6iful statue of St. Frederick overlooks the magnificent lake Champlain.





The afternoon has become a bit choppy and windy on the lake as we push our way through towards Essex. The scenery is beautiful and the air smells so clean, not to forget the clean waters of the lake. It is so refreshing to be in such a serene setting! Just about lunch time we have reached our destination and are surprised to see what we see. Most docks of the marina are under water and the navigation to our designated dock is very tricky to say the least. It’s like threading the needle through the eye. Capt. Tom succeeds in getting us docked safely and soundly. These pictures will give you an idea of what we had to encounter in this marina.



A lovely lunch was a great reward that followed all the troubles of the day! The Essex Inn is quite a pleasant surprise in this small town of Essex.




A nice walk after lunch and after dinner as well gave us a better idea of this quaint small town and it’s inhabitants.




Statuesque trees crown every street and each property while the blooming ones fill the air with the sweet scent of their blossoms. The wind has laid down and it is a peace filled night.
May the next day arise even more magnifiscent than today!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: Essex, ft ticonderoga, lake champlain, Locks of NY state, navigation on the Hudson, ny, whitehall
Kingston, Albany up to Troy, NY and beyond
Posted by contessanada
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On the third day up the Hudson we are starting an early day of adventure in order to reach our destination for today, being Schuylerville, NY. It is a gray and fogy day with a slight ray of light in the distance. I seem to see such a day as magical filled with opportunities not yet visible.
Our trip takes us past some pretty country of rolling hills, quaint little towns and marinas, as well as by the powerful city of Albany, the capital of NY state. In it’s vicinity is a well known university second to MIT named Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.







As we get closer and closer to lake Champlain we have to pass through a number of locks which are bringing us up to higher and higher grounds, meaning that while resting in each lock the water level rises starting with anywhere from 10-19 feet taking the Contessa up with it. What an ingenious idea this was in creation and making this waterway easily navigable. Each lock is affiliated with falls and rapids, actual spillways that would make the navigation impossible otherwise. The spillways are control methods to the level of water rising or falling at each level. Thank you to the inventor and all those that tend to the functionality of each lock!
As I understand we are to pass through 10 lock all together in order to reach our destination. Interesting, challenging, yet invigorating!






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We have gone through 4 major locks today and are on our last leg to the resting point for tonight, being Schuylerville, NY state. Each lock had it’s own characteristics and layouts making it an interesting adventure. The first challenge was with our 1st lock just north of Troy where a barge making repairs was located at the entrance to the lock making it a challenging one after all. I wonder how are the rest of them going to be?
At Lock C4 we had to wait for beautiful Bernadette to arrive and make the same crossing with us. She certainly was a beauty and worth waiting for. 

Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: Albany, climate, Locks of NY state, navigation on the Hudson, ny, transportation, Troy

