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| Nellie Waits on the Wall in the Black Rock Canal |
Cruising is all about learning. Sometimes the process is painful. Sometimes it's frustrating. Most times it's fun. Today we got a sample of all three.
Getting from Buffalo to Tonawanda requires Nellie to traverse the 3.5 mile long Black Rock Canal. Two bridges and a lock are contained within the Canal. The Army Corps passes north bound pleasure boats on the odd hour starting at 9 am. Miss the opening and you get to cool your heals for two hours. Standing between Nellie and the lock are two low bridges which must open to allow us through. Fortunately, they both are manned starting at 8 am and open upon request.
Working with these constraints Bicki plans, with military precision, our arrival at each bridge and the lock. Things were going swimmingly until we arrived at the first bridge, Ferry Street. Our 8:30 am request to open was greeted with "No". Well, not actually "No", but that was the gist of it. We were told that since the lock doesn't open until 9 am they weren't going to pass us until then. Explaining to the bridge operator that that would make Nellie 15 minutes late for the lock's opening held no sway. So, we waited.
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| Looking South at the Peace Bridge. The Calm Waters of the Black Rock Canal on the Left. The Churning Waters of the Niagara River on the Right |
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| The Ferry Street Lift Bridge |
At 9 am on the button I again requested a bridge opening. This time we were greeted with a friendly voice that said, "Good Morning. Bridge going up".
The next bridge opened without us having to do anything. And, although we were late arriving at the Lock, they passed us through without comment.
Much of cruising is like this. You learn all you can about the obstacles between you and your destination. You form a plan to overcome the obstacles. Then, along the way, invariably, the best laid plans are painfully and frustratingly blown asunder. All you can do is laugh because this is part of the fun of cruising.
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| Welcome to the West End of the Erie Canal. Only 339 Miles to Albany and the Canal's Eastern Terminus |
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| Ever Wonder Where Carousels were Made? Five Such Companies Operated in North Tonawanda. The Allan Herschell Company was in Business from 1883 to 1955. |
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| 16 Miles From Buffalo, NY to Tonawanda, NY |
On the Tonawanda town wall. DBH
