I Got a Mule and Her Name is Sal

Lake Erie was kind to us this morning with a smooth trip to Buffalo under sunny skies.   We entered the Black Rock Canal on the way to the Erie Canal.  Vick was nervous about locking through for the first time.  With her life vest, radio and rubberized gloves and  Rick maneuvering the boat within easy reach of the slimy line hanging down, it was a piece of cake!  

The Lockport Locks are staircase locks with cables that you wrap your line around.  The gate closes, the water goes out, the next gate opens, you move ahead, grab a cable and the process is repeated,The total drop for the two locks is 50 feet and took about 15 minutes.Three lift bridges later and at a speed of 8 miles an hour, we reached Middleport, NY,  our stop for the night.