Loop Life with Greg and Reenie: BREWERTON to OSWEGO

With big smiles we had a pleasent first day and night aboard Thistle. Yes, pinch me, it's not a dream, this is home sweet home for the next few months :) Both of us were tired after traveling and unpacking, so we ordered "New York" style thin crust pizza and salad to be delivered to the dock. (FYI: Wine friends we paired it with SYNC, a decent red blend from the New York, Finger Lakes.) Before shut eye we checked the Marine Weather Forcast and saw a weather window on Sunday.

With one day to provision we hustled shopping all Saturday. Making the obligatory West Marine stop, grocery store, propane and Bed Bath & Beyond ( 20% off thanks Alice). Yahoooooo, finally ready to push off the dock tomorrow morning!

We departed Sunday morning under beautiful sunny skies. What a "Whirlwind" day (literally) .... We retraced our course from last Sepember to OSWEGO. We knew it would be a long day, with one lock on the Eire Canal and six locks on the OSWEGO Canal. Not only was it a long first day it was windy toooooo? A little crazy in Oswego lock 5, with a strong north wind gust Reenie lost hold of the lock wall rope line at midship ( leaving her line hook pole dangling from the lock wall - sorry no picture, too stressful). Captain Greg had to maneuver Thistle back to the wall, luckily we were solo in the lock! Learning later from fellow "Loopers" we weren't alone experiencing lock 5 issues. All is OK and the dangling line hook pole was rescued (with a snicker from the lock operator). A great reminder on the first day out that Safety is always first!

We are safely on the OSWEGO Wall with fellow gold Loopers ( Linda & Jim on Symentry) waiting to cross Lake Ontario. Three days here waiting in the rain and wind... It's a nice town :) Maybe we will attempt the Lake Ontario crossing tomorrow morning ? Good night to all XO.

Sunday morning departure from Winter Harbor.

All smiles :) :)

Along the Canal we saw a deer swimming to Pathfinder Island. This is location where James Fenimore Cooper's book, "Pathfinder" centers on taking a trip down the OSWEGO River in 1759.