August 21, Ilion, NY to St. Johnsville, NY 19.5 miles

We had a great send off from Ilion with pictures being taken and goodbyes from our kind hosts from Herkimer HFH, Harriet and Roger Haines. Our time with them was too short. We had clearly found people with similar interests and kindred spirits. They told us about their plans to go to the Grand Canyon and ride burros to the bottom. Roger had made numerous long distance bike rides across the country. There was much more to talk about and we hope they will accept our invitation to visit us in New Hampshire this winter so we can continue where we had to cut it off.

This was to be another long day. But we knew we had a good place to stop at about 20 miles. We came to Lock 18 after about seven miles and needed to wait for it to be filled up.  But soon the gates opened and three powerboats came out. We pulled in and the jaws closed behind us as we felt that familiar feeling of being swallowed.  Soon the water level started to drop and we descended into the welcome shade of the dripping walls of the chamber. These are good times. I get off my seat and give my butt a break and usually a bottle of some antioxidant liquid is consumed.

Gatorade or equivalent has played a large role in our survival. Seldom do I see less than six or seven large bottles of the stuff rolling around in the bottom of the boat. It also serves as ballast to give the stern enough weight to keep us tracking well. Not enough weight in the stern makes our boat tend to veer and cost several corrective strokes which tire one arm more than the other.  Occasionally a Red Bull or Rockstar is mixed into the hydrating menu. These power drinks really do give us an energy boost that helps us get several more miles on a day when we are tired and thinking of stopping early.  In North Carolina last year a TV cameraman focused in on the cans of Red Bull in the boat and it turned into a Red Bull commercial.  I think we deserve to be sent a few cases of this expensive stuff for the publicity and testimony we have given it!

We came to lock 17 with some anticipation because we had been asked how we liked it by Bill Almy who thought we had already been through. As we rowed into its wide mouth Heather read the sign which told us the drop was to be over 40 feet!  That’s a big swallow.  As we descended we noticed that the out going end was not a set of swing gates as usual but a lift gate.  As we waited for it to open deep in the chamber out of any sun and wind we heard an unusual rumble as the wall started to lift up. Water drained off this wall creating a curtain of rain that we would need to row through. This was a great test of our canopy! Very little of it entered the boat and I did not need to pump any of it out. Six kayakers had entered the lock with us. We waited to see them come through the water curtain before we rowed away. I think Heather could sell quite a few canopies like ours if she wanted to start manufacturing them!