What was intended to be a 2-3 day side trip on Cayuga Lake has turned out to be what may be a two week delay in our forward motion to the Great Lakes.
The water level in the Erie Canal is controlled with a series of dams and guard-gates. A spillway between Lock 29 and Lock 30 failed catastrophically and emptied the dam, which in turn, lowered the water level in a 2.8 mile (4.5km) section of the canal. The normal depth of 12′ (3.6m) is currently only 6′ (2m). However, there is also a 1000′ (300m) section with silt deposits where the depth is reduced to 5′ (1.5m). The draft on Aurora is 5’9″ (1.85m)… 😕
More to come on how we solve this problem, in the meantime, we are capitalizing on our time here in Ithaca, NY.
