We had a pretty good night for our first night “on the hook” so to speak.  The first time we have not connected to a 50Amp receptacle.  Thank goodness it was a very cool night.  We opened the windows and allowed the cool 60’s breeze waft through the master cabin.

Waterford Visitor Center Sign

We were able to move Always Home down the concrete wall and get one of the spaces with power as yesterday’s boaters left the wall to continue their journey.  We easily tied up and were grateful to be able to re-charge the batteries.  We gladly paid our $10 for the use of electricity.   We walked up to the Lock 2 and paid for our season Erie Canal pass.  The charge is based on the length of the boat.  We chatted with the Lock Master who gave us a couple of pointers.  Very nice gentleman.

Afterwards, we decided to go to Hannaford’s Grocery store that is about a half mile away from the Visitor Center.  We wanted to get there and back before the afternoon rains were going to descend on us.  We were told you can take the cart from the store and wheel our goods all the way back to the marina.  The grocery store comes and picks up the carts from the marina once a week. Isn’t that the best? We didn’t have to get our little red cart wet.

City sign on the side of the canal as seen from the bridge

I saw this sign just randomly on the side of the road.  Ethelda Bleibtrey?  The first woman to win 3 gold medals at the 1920 Summer Olympics.  I had to look her up in Wikipedia.  How fascinating!!  Truly a pioneer in her own right.  The most remarkable is:

“She was born in Waterford, New York.  She started swimming to help recover from polio, which she contracted in 1917. In 1919, she was arrested for “nude swimming” — she removed her stockings at a pool where it was forbidden to bare “the lower female extremities for public bathing.” The subsequent public support for Bleibtrey led to the abandonment of stockings as a conventional element in women’s swimwear.”

I can’t imagine wearing “stockings” while swimming.  Can you?

Ethelda Bleibtry 3 – Gold Medal Winner for Swimming

Memorial Park

Waterford, NY

There was some hubbub going on today along the Waterford Visitor wall.  The first bridge we need to go under tomorrow, 4th Street Bridge (E-2), had some construction going on reducing the overall height of the bridge.  It is posted to be at least 25ft clearance.  The Lock Master was uncertain about the clearance because the water was higher than “normal”.  Just what was the new clearance?  Some thought it was 19ft.  There were several boats that actually stopped along the wall because they were approaching the 19ft height.  Oh dear.  We need at least 19 feet.  Maybe the water will recede over night and this will be a non-issue?  Who has a tall boat that wants to be first tomorrow??

Sunset at Waterford Visitor Center, Waterford, NY