Our day was a busy one...
9:47 Left Holmes Marina -went over to Sylvan Beach Canal area to finish loading things. Bob Houle walked over to help us...Judy came by at noon and we said our
good-byes..
12:30 PM- Joyce (Ken's sister) came by and took us to lunch...she left at 2 PM
after hugs & kisses good-bye..
2:30 PM- Grand-kids came by for a short boat ride..Kim and I took my car to a Park
in Rome, NY...along the canal...then back to the boat where the kids were
getting anxious and hungry...fed them, then all boarded and we took off.
5:15 PM- Left the dock and headed East..towards our first lock #23-then a while
later, we went thru Locks#22/21 and finally got to Rome where we dropped
the little buggers off...(Kim,Megan,Andrew and Marco) Steven couldn't
make it -he had to work..
7:40 PM- After getting hugs & kisses, we said good-bye to kids..we decided to try
to get to the Marcy Lock to spend the night as safer area,etc. so after
going a while, it is starting to get pretty dark...we only have about 1/2
mile to the lock..Ken went below and got 2 large flashlights..I was at the
helm...I decided I would go more towards the middle of the canal and it
would be safer so as not to get too close to shore and get hung up on trees
that had fallen and other floaties near shore...when THUMP! I went hard a-
ground and it stopped the Gypsy Wind on the spot..The boat hit so hard the
stern (back) of the boat raised way up out of the water....scared the _____
out of me..Ken kept his cool and never yelled at me...He laughed at me..I
was not in the mood to be laughed at -especially as we were stuck and
could not even rock the boat 1"...we tried and tried...no luck..He laughed
at my going aground at the start of this trip as he went aground at the end
of the trip last year...still not in the mood to join in his laughter.
9:00 PM- I bought the towing insurance with BoatUS...so I dialed the 800#..guy on
other end got all our info plus our location on the GPS...he said, we had
no one in the area that could help us...he had to find a local tow service
and have them come out (we would have to pay,then send the bill in to get
reimbursed)..great just great...at least between $200 to $800 min...we had
no choice, yes find someone...he said he would call back.
9:25 PM- No callback so I called them back...got a gal this time..she said we don't
have anything in the computer on you...so of course, I had to give her all
the info again N 43 deg, 09.498 min, W 75 deg. 18.725 min.-you know all the
info...It's dark, the mosquitos are biting and we are stinkin stuck and hot
So Ann Marie says, I will call you right back...fine...so a few minutes
later, she did call back...we had a 3way...with the NYS Troopers...they
could not help..need to transfer us to the Thruway Authority...fine...got
them on the phone...could not help us...wanted us to call the local 911
I said what...call 911...the Thruway people had called them and they were
waiting for my call...so I hung up and called 911..got a very nice officer
that said he could make a few phone calls, but thought noone tonight....I
said...we were ok, and would try in the morning....so I hung up...fixed our
bunk...Ken slept there...I slept in the salon, cooler...no fans, nothing
to cool us or the situation down....I was just praying I didn't damage the
boat...I was not ready for the trip to end...only been going 4 hrs....
10:52 PM-we were sitting there..neither one of us was tired enough to go to sleep
when flood lights were coming thru the window...I thought yeah,we got help.
Wrong...it was the nice Sheriff on shore on the bike path -he yelled over
for our cell#..then he called us...wanted to make sure we weren't taking on
water and that we were safe...yep, all was well...said he would go make
some calls and see if he could help....we said thank you, and away he went.
12:00 AM-We finally decide we were not going to get help until morning, so we go to
bed. Actually slept a couple of hours.....
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