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| The gates open on the last lock. Lake Ontario just on the other side. We are getting close now! |
Kerry started up the engines at 7am...ready to head across Lake Oneida. Brewerton Lock is just on the other side and then we leave the Erie Canal to enter the Oswego canal. The crossing of the lake often makes sailors nervous who have their mast attached to their deck as this mast may end up at the bottom of the lake if it isn't tied down well enough. Luckily the lake was relatively calm and we weren't rocked by any other passing boats. We arrived in the last lock at 3:00pm. This lock was different as the wind had really picked up and was pushing us off of the lock wall. Just after we grabbed the lines at the side of lock wall, the boat started too be quickly pushed away. Kerry was at the 'end of his rope' (literally) and needed someone to start the engine and put it into reverse. (if he lost his rope we could be sideways in the lock....not good!) I 
couldn't do it as I was doing all I could to hold onto the line at the bow. Kerry called Connor out to the cockpit. He told Connor to start the boat and put both engine into reverse. I was trying to scramble and think of another way that would work. Kerry said in an even commanding voice. "Connor do it NOW!". Connor, very calmly, turned on both engines, put both throttles into reverse and brought the boat back to the wall. He stood at the helm and continued to put the boat into reverse every time the boat was pushed off by the wind. After we dropped about 3 feet in the lock...we were out of the wind and Connor (again very calmly) turned off the engines and went back inside. I was just so impressed at how he handled himself under pressure and how he handled the boat in that time. He has definitely learned a lot and grown so much on this trip. We were both very proud of him.
We arrived at Oswego marina at 3:30pm, fueled up first and then headed for the docks. They had already stopped doing masts so we would have to wait until the morning to start ours. We pulled out the hammock and found a nice shady tree to tie to to pass the time.
couldn't do it as I was doing all I could to hold onto the line at the bow. Kerry called Connor out to the cockpit. He told Connor to start the boat and put both engine into reverse. I was trying to scramble and think of another way that would work. Kerry said in an even commanding voice. "Connor do it NOW!". Connor, very calmly, turned on both engines, put both throttles into reverse and brought the boat back to the wall. He stood at the helm and continued to put the boat into reverse every time the boat was pushed off by the wind. After we dropped about 3 feet in the lock...we were out of the wind and Connor (again very calmly) turned off the engines and went back inside. I was just so impressed at how he handled himself under pressure and how he handled the boat in that time. He has definitely learned a lot and grown so much on this trip. We were both very proud of him.We arrived at Oswego marina at 3:30pm, fueled up first and then headed for the docks. They had already stopped doing masts so we would have to wait until the morning to start ours. We pulled out the hammock and found a nice shady tree to tie to to pass the time.
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