11:23 ET 5/14/09

Yesterday, Wednesday, we departed Castleton with a crisp spring breeze and bright blue sunny skies. A beautiful day on the Erie Canal. We went through the "flight of five" locks which are within a quarter mile of each other, and it's a busy trip. It's about two hours between Lock 6 and 7 and the same between Lock 7 and 8, where we stopped for the night. I trolled all day and casted in the evening but no luck. So we had grilled pork chops instead of fresh fish. Heading north, then west through the locks has proven to be a bit more difficult than last September. We're not sure if it's the direction the water enters the lock to fill it up, but it forces Tessa right up against the wall, bumpers groaning under the pressure. Quite a workout fending off with the boat poles. Today it's dreary and rainy but not unpleasant. We should arrive in Amsterdam NY at Lock 11 early afternoon, hopefully with enough time to get this disaster down below in order for Tom and Sheri's arrival this evening. It appears that Gary and I will be in our bunk snuggled up to the Garmin Radar tonight. It's either that or the teak dinner table. Or maybe we lay on the table and hold the Garmin..... Speaking of the dinner table...During the mast unstepping, my job was to do the cranking up and down of the masts. Up up up first, until the mast clears the deck. Then down down down to the dock to wrap everything together. Before beginning the up process, George checked with Gary to be sure everything was unattached down below. "OK, Babe, start cranking!" Gary shouts and away I go until it became really strained to crank any more. "Wait a minute! There's a table attached to the mast down there!" Gary remembers. George decided Gary was getting tired at that point!! All in all, we are quite a team and pat ourselves on the back for what we've accomplished so efficiently. George was such a tremendous help and made it all possible. We just can't thank him enough. It will not be the same without him on board, but I suspect we will miss him more a lot more than he will miss us once he gets back home safe and sound.