June 25-July 12 Flood on the Erie

The EMS Yacht Club at the EMS shelter- Bill,Mae, Wendy, Bob, Su, Jim, Jim, Donna, Sue, Joan, Mary Lou and Gill is at the front




















The flood makes the boats an island onto themselves, June 28


June 25- July 12



June 26, 2006 This is a quick update as I'm using a library computer. I did add pictures to the Shutterfly site so check it out. We cruised down the Hudson River with a stop in Kingston where we rented a car to see the FDR estate, library and gravesite of FDR and Eleanor at Hyde Park. We gained a new appreciation for FDR and Eleanor. We then stopped to to have a wonderful french meal at the Culinary Institute. 2400 students attend the Institute which is in a building that used to be a monastery overlooking the Hudson River. Lots of calories for lunch but delicious.We now are in the Erie Canal. We stayed for a couple days in Waterford NY before we started doing these locks. This is much more active crusing as we need to grab the lines to hold the boat in the lock where we are raised from 11 to 36 feet. We go through over 20 locks before we arrive in Three Rivers where we get the Oswego Canal to go to Lake Ontario. From there we will cross the lake over to Canada.

The Flood of the Century on the Erie Canal
July 1
Before I update you, I want you to know that we are and our boat are safe and secure. As you have heard on the news, record rains have fallen all along the East Coast and flooding followed. A state of emergency has been declared and yesterday, Hillary Clinton was here in Canajaharie to look at the damages. The river has now receded as of today (July 1). But this has truly been an experience of a lifetime. This is how the events unfolded. On Sunday, we arrived at the free dock at Canajoharie, NY on the Erie Canal before lock 14. There are 22 locks on the Erie Canal before we enter the Oswego canal that takes us to Lake Ontario. This is a nice floating dock here at a lovely riverfront park. Later Su and Jim on Palmetto Moon came in and rafted next to us. It started raining at about 4 and at about 6 we all went into town and had dinner at the local pizza place. We came here to see the Winslow Homer and Grandma Moses paintings at the local art museum but it’s not open until Monday. On Monday, we went to the library to use the computers and get on the internet and found out that the Art Museum is closed for the season as its being refurnished. We stopped at the local meat market (and furniture store) and bought some hamburger and steak. Later that evening we grilled some burgers with Jim and Su. It’s still raining. On Tuesday it is still raining so we decide with Su and Jim to go for breakfast at the Village restaurant. Will it ever stop raining? We determine that it’s too wet to try to go through the locks (as you must stand outside and hold the lines) so we’re just stay here another day. We did some shopping at the local stores and went across the bridge to the town of Palatine Bridge (and this is a very small town- the stores are Rite Aid and Dollar General). By the time we got back to the boat in the early afternoon, the river had risen dramatically. This isn’t looking good. We retied the boats and secured the lines. The water keeps rising and we disconnected the power cords as they will soon be under water. With us on the dock are Bob and Wendy on Pelican, Joan and Mary Lou on Catnip Too, Jill on Patience and Bill and Mae on Loon. They organized a watch for tonight. By early evening, we couldn’t get off the boat as the ramps are now under water although the floating dock is okay and above the water. On Wednesday we awoke before six when we heard a bang on the boat. Debris is floating and the current is very strong. Logs, branches and other items are floating by. Now the water is so high, not only can’t we get off the boat but the water is all they way up to the pavilion at the park. I do believe that we will be taken off the boats. Sure enough by 6 am, a jet ski and also a fire dept. water rescue boat are over by our boats telling us we need to leave. So I packed up a bag, it’s hard to know what to take – how long will we be gone, will we ever get back on the boat? So many questions. So I packed up some clothes, my jewelry, toiletries and the computer. Then I needed to be sure that Linus and Sneakers were packed up so they would keep dry and warm. The cardboard box of Sneakers was getting wet, I’m glad Su was able to help out as we were transported to high ground on the sherrif department’s airboat. Joan and Mary Lou each has a cat and Jill has a dog. The Mid County Volunteer Ambulance staff from Palatine Bridge took us back to their command center on their ambulance. We are in a large room with a kitchenette and a bathroom with a shower. we are provided us with towels and blankets. One volunteer brought me a cat carrier for Sneakers. It is difficult to concentrate. We’re worrying about the boats and whether the floating dock will hold. The officials here have concerns about the dam up river breaching. Also they are concerned about the bridge over the river as it’s old and rusty. They expect the river to crest this evening. Now we just keep walking over to check on the boats and are helpless as the river keeps rising. We have visions of our boat being smashed against the rocks further down river. The local news reports that this is the highest water level since 1913. The power was shut off to the town but this center has a generator so we are luckier than most. A group of people evacuated from their homes, and motorists stranded when the interstate was closed are at the local high school. We hear that abut 80 people are there without power. MacDonald’s sent over breakfast for us, Pizza Hut sent lunch and the volunteers made hot dogs and hamburgers for dinner. That evening we slept on cots. Every time someone rolled over and changed positions the cots crinkled. Every time someone goes to the bathroom, the hinges creak. When an emergency call comes in, the speakers are loud and ambulances are loud as the garage doors open and close. Some of the guys got up early and checked on the boats. They report that the water is starting to go down. Hurrah. By Friday, the water keeps receding and we are finally feeling that our boats are safe as the floating dock has held and the six boats are stil firmly secured. The town finally gets power restored and stores open again. Lots of local stores have been sending us food and other supplies. today we were able to get back on the boats to check on everything. We can’t stay on the boats since we don’t have any power or water. Once that gets restored and the area cleaned up a bit, I think we can move out of this shelter. However, when we can actually go anywhere is an open question. Canal authorities have to access the damage to each canal. In order to get to Lake Ontario, we will need to go through locks 14-22 on the Erie Canal. Then anohter eight locks on the Oswego. We are hoping the locks can be operational again but it may take another few weeks (and that may be optimistic). Our permanent address may become Palatine Bridge, NY. Sue, Jim, Linus and Sneakrs

July 12, 2006
I loaded more pictures on the Shutterfly site, and also check out this website for pictures of the flood taken from an airplane. http://www.nielsengraphicdesigns.com/canajoharieflood.htm Well, we are still in Canajoharie, NY at the free dock. The good news is that we are no longer at the EMS emergency shelter but were able to return to our boats yesterday. The canal authorities brought us a generator so we have power to the boats and today we also have water. It’s hard to believe that we have been here eighteen days. with thirteen of those days spent in the emergency shelter. We have made lots of new friends, not only the folks at the Ambulance center but also many of the other locals who have been so kind to us. Even Linus and Sneakers have new friends. Joan, a Canadian woman on the sailboat, Catnip Too, has practically adopted Linus. She’s teaching him new words- Eeh, and carries him around on her shoulder for hours each day. Sneakers stayed in one of the small rooms at the shelter with the two cats from Catnip Too – Toby and Genny. I think Sneakers and Toby are now an item! So we’ll all going to miss our new friends when we get out of here. Eleven of us on six boats stayed at the shelter. We took turns cooking dinners and we all dined together. Even with all the stress, everyone remained good natured and I never heard a harsh word from anyone. We even kept our sense of humor and formed our own yacht club; EMSYC , Evacuated Motor and Sail Yacht Club, our motto is "Don't Flood On Me" The EMS group took us on July 3 to a chicken barbeque and fireworks in nearby Fort Plain (the 4th on the 3rd celebration). They also have been most kind is lending us a car to do errands and also running us around to the local stores and laundramat. From a press release, we learned that “the New York State Canal System experienced record flood levels, forcing the closure of 45 of the Systems 57 locks along 297 miles of the 524 mile waterway during the worst of the flooding. The Director, Carmealla R. Montello said that the Canal System was designed and built to withstand extreme weather events, but the last few days have redefined just what extreme is. “ Fortunately we had already passed Lock 10 in Cranesville, NY. Restoration of the infrastructure at this location is likely to take 2 months. We hear that the Erie Canal will be closed for the season and this is a major blow not only to the Canal Corporation during the height of its summer recreational boating season, but also to the communities that depend on the canal system as an economic engine.This area has been devastated so we understand how very fortunate we are that our boats are safe and sound. From a press realease: “Canal Corporation personnel have been working nonstop throughout the flood and since waters began receding. The most critical task at hand is removing debris from the moveable dams along the Mohawk River so that gates can be lowered into position. In addition, Canal Corporation employees have been assisting boaters aboard the more than 35 boats which remain stranded at various Canal locks and terminal walls.” (that’s us) word is that we will leave on Friday morning.