Leaving Canajoharie

Saturday, July 15 was a day of celebration.  We woke up and looked out over Water Dancer and saw a banner hanging on the pavilion saying “Best Wishes Boat People”.  The Mid County volunteers brought coffee along with boxes and boxes and more boxes of doughnuts from the local bakery.  Although everyone was sad to leave, everyone was also anxious to get moving again.  Amy and Laura were very excited because they were riding with us on Palmetto Moon to Little Falls, NY.  Tug #7 arrived and each of the boats fell into line behind him going a slow speed as the sailboats don’t travel very fast.  Every train that went by us blew its whistle at each boat and the engineer waved to each of us.  After all, they had stared at our boats for weeks.  Slowly we made it through the locks with the canal personnel driving from lock to lock.  Lock 17, our last lock of the day, is the highest lift on the Erie Canal – 40 ½ feet.  This is a greater lift than any single lock on the Panama Canal.  All boats lock on the port side and all of us needed to get in for one lift.  Water Dancer rafted off Palmetto Moon, what a change.  The Little Falls newspaper carried our travel as the headline with the title, “Eleven Boaters Stranded in Canajoharie Finally Set Sail”.