Rochester and Oswego, NY

August 16, 2017

We left Welland, ON, Canada, the northern terminus of the Welland Canal on Lake Ontario, at 6:45 am on our way to Rochester, NY. Due to the much higher than normal lake levels on Lake Ontario, many marinas were closed due to there docks being under water! It mean’t we would have to skip any plans of a closer stop today and instead head directly for Rochester, NY. We may have been bummed that we had a 90 mile transit today and possibly missed an interesting port but we felt worse for the marinas and associated towns because their livelihood was compromised. Many people we spoke to were very unhappy about the lake level saying it was a government decision as dams were used to maintain the lake level.

Making today less tolerable were the sea heights at 3 to 5′ with an occasional 6 ft. It was a shitty ride for a longer than our usual day’s transit!! We’re on vacation dammit! Gratefully, we arrived at the Port of Rochester Marina in Rochester, NY at 3:00 pm and we could finally set our beers down 😉 The marina and staff were great! It is a new marina with an innovative design!

We took an Uber to the Genesee Brewery and Brew House near downtown Rochester. The centerpiece of the pub is a 41-foot long bar, handcrafted by Genesee Brewery employees from vintage cedar brewing tanks that were part of the original brewery campus. An outdoor terrace and a rooftop patio offer scenic views overlooking the picturesque 96-foot-high downtown waterfall, High Falls and the Genesee River Gorge. We took a couple beers to the rooftop and enjoyed the High Falls view then relocated to the pub bar for a delicious dinner. A Lift ride back to the marina deposited us in the middle of a summer concert in the park, fun!!

August 17, 2017 We left Rochester at 6:00 am and arrived at Oswego, NY at 11:45 am. It was a great ride compared to yesterday!! And we are DONE with the Great Lakes and their ocean-like, unpredictable seas!!

We transited the first Oswego Canal lock from Lake Ontario (lock 8) and tied up on the east wall in a beautiful park-like setting. Just before and after the lock we experienced our first two of many fixed bridges on this trip through the Oswego and Erie Canals. Who Cares has an “air draft” of 19 ft, we hoped. The measuring process is not an exact science and our cargo – fuel, water, waste, provisions….all contribute to the varying “air draft” measurement. The lowest bridges on the Oswego and Erie Canals have a vertical clearance of 20 feet. Today’s 21 ft fixed bridge was a first and a successful passage. 🙂

The operator at Lock 8 gave us an Oswego walking map. We wandering the town of Oswego taking in the sights, stopping for lunch at the Old City Hall restaurant and bar with its outdoor, canal view seating. We had a couple beers and delicious lunch salads. On our way back to the boat we visited the compact but comprehensive John D. Murray Fire Museum.