Familiar Haunts

Schodack Creek,N42 26 W73 47(10/17/05)For nomads, Libby and I seem to like familiar places. We lie at anchor tonight in Schodack Creek, just off the Hudson River. At this place we had diner with Pete Lemme and Glen Kaatz, and we went swimming with John and Grayson Undrill, and where we went swimming with John, Cheryl, Nick, Sara, Katelyn and Victoria.

We enjoyed the sail today. We started at lock 4 in Stillwater. The air felt cold and clear, but the wind blew less than yesterday. The flow of water in the river looked very high. We saw every power dam spilling water as fast as it could. Since water means money they must have been forced to spill. The river is full of logs and debris and many of the buoys are half submerged.

In Waterford there is a supermarket on the shore with a dock for customers. We took the opportunity to buy a couple of week’s groceries. That must be the most convenient place for boaters to shop on the whole east coast.

At the Troy lock we had to tie up to the wall to wait for the lock. I made the error of tying too close to the end. On the other side of the wall there was a powerful current as the river spilled over the dam. The end of the wall was only 10 meters behind us. When it was time to move a powerful eddy of the current held us pinned. It took all our strength and some more scrapes on the rub rail to get off the wall. If I had moved another 30 meters forward to tie up we would have had no problem.

When one exits the Troy Lock there is a wall of rock to the left and open water to the right. The water is very turbulent, being just downstream of the dam. If we had tried that yesterday when the wind was blowing so powerfully from the right, it might have blown us right onto those rocks. I’m glad we decided to lay-up yesterday because of the wind.


As we passed Albany I used my cell phone. I called farewell greetings to my friends Norman and Celia. Then I called Rollie, our attorney. The sale of the house seemed at risk again as we heard signs that the buyer may be getting cold feet. By the end of the day I think we surmounted the problem. Libby and I will both rejoice when the deal is closed. Ownership of the house is the last remaining apron string tying us to land life.