Monday & Tuesday June 9-10, 2025
We decided to leave our spot at the marina and anchor out for a couple of nights. The forecast? Rain, rain, and more rain. Not great news considering the major delays in opening the Erie Canal this spring. Our original plan was to make it to Brewerton, NY in time to catch our flight home from Syracuse on June 19th—our long-awaited visit to see family and friends. Now it’s looking more likely that we’ll need to rent a car in Albany and drive to Syracuse instead.
Thank goodness we made backup plans a couple of weeks ago with an alternate marina—just in case something like this happened. Yes, honey, this is why I’m a planner. 😉
The real bummer is that we were supposed to have new cushions made for the helm and outside seating areas, along with a few other maintenance items while we’re off the boat for a few weeks. We had someone lined up in Brewerton, but haven’t had any luck finding anyone available near Albany. Oh well—
Most Loopers seem to be in the same boat (pun intended): either crawling their way toward the canal openings or all stacked up in marinas waiting for updates. The record snowpack from the winter led to spring flooding, which damaged Lock 17’s embankment and caused issues at Lock 16. Today was supposed to bring an update on those repairs, but instead, they announced the closure of Locks 7–15 and postponed the Lock 16 & 17 update until “later this week”.
The only other option is through the Champlain Canal, which takes you up to Montreal before heading down the St. Lawrence Seaway. The catch? There’s a 17-foot fixed bridge that can be a dealbreaker for some boats trying to make it to the Great Lakes. Montreal is still on our minds—so maybe that conversation isn’t over yet.
One bright spot in all the dreariness: a sweet pair of ducks that paddle out to greet every new boat that anchors in the area, clearly hoping to be fed. They quack in these soft, short little conversational noises, looking completely adorable. It was so tempting to give in—but I promised I wouldn’t feed them. That was a tough promise to keep.
Both days were rainy, but finally, the skies cleared, and the sun came back. It’s amazing how much that little shift can lift the spirits.
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