The Sailing Club, Inc.

Erie Canal Macedon to Medina, New York August 7 - 14, 2023

Come join us for a trip back in time along the Erie Canal. We will be going through locks every day and enjoying the sights and sounds along the canal. In the Day 1 orientation, all crew will be taught how to start the engine, steer the boat and everyone is expected to be able to assist with lines while going through locks and tying up each night. However, Club skippers will be serving as canal boat captains on this trip and will have final say on any required task or decision. But there are no sails to manage and rarely a wave of any kind. There will be some cooking and cleanup required in the galley, but if we manage our arrivals correctly, every lunch and/or dinner will be out! In the tradition of the club, this trip is designed to balance the on-land time with time on the water. A canal trip offers opportunities to get off the boat and walk or ride a bike awhile; meeting up at the nightly tie-up or at a specified time and place The Erie Canal was originally built to be 363 miles long, four feet deep and 40 feet wide. Construction started in 1817 and was not completed until eight years later. It cut through fields, forests, rocky cliffs, and swamps; crossed rivers on aqueducts; and overcame hills with 83-foot lift locks. The project engineers and contractors had little experience building canals, so this massive project served as the nation's first practical school of civil engineering. Historians say 50,000 workers built the marvel of engineering and an estimated 1,000 people died during the construction, primarily from accidents using gunpowder to move rocks and mountains. Based upon the charter company’s advice and popular opinion, we have planned an eight-day trip, starting west, towards Rochester and Pittsford.   The float plan: Day 1. Macedon Landing - board at 12:30 p.m. Orientation takes a few hours and includes going through the first lock (lock #30), and how to safely use the boat’s lines to maneuver through the lock. Then it’s about 1½ hours to Fairfield for our first tie up. Points of interest: Slanted lift bridge and local restaurants for dinner that night. Day 2. Travel 3½ hours to Rochester. Walk or bike around the city which has sidewalks painted with Genesee River Trail markers. For more information, see Things to do in Rochester at tripadvisor.com. Day 3. Motor 3½ hours to Brockport. Walk or bike to town. Perhaps a group barbecue in Harveston Park. Day 4. Travel about 4½ hours to Medina. Stop in Holley. Explore Waterfall Park. For a special treat, take a walk along the Canalway Trail before or after dinner. Day 5. On the way back, boat 5½ hours to Spencerport. Stop at attractions missed, such as the Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum. Day 6. Motor 4 hours to Pittsford to visit more shops and restaurants. Points of interest include a brewery, and ice cream at the Pittsford dairy. See tripadvisor.com for the Best things in Pittsford. Day 7. Boat 4½ hours to Palmyra. Points of interest include Aqueduct Park and Historic Village. For more information visit https://www.historicpalmyrany.com. Day 8. Boat 1½ hours to Macedon and arrive by 9:00 a.m. THE BOATS Three Lockmaster 42-foot canal boats have been reserved from Erie Canal Adventures in Macedon, New York. These boats were designed for the Erie Canal. They have two private cabins, both with a double bed, along with cushioned benches in the galley and the mosquito-netted bow covered area. They are furnished with full kitchens, bathrooms with showers (hot running water), and air conditioning. The boats have been custom built to meet the unique needs of canal navigation. They come with fuel included in the charter price, anchor, plenty of lines, and bikes for all crew. If you’d prefer to bring your own bike, you need only inform the trip leader. If you prefer no bike; likewise, please inform the trip leader. Engine Speed: Engines have been tuned to maintain appropriate and legal canal speeds. Bow Thrusters: Each boat has special engines that move the boat easily in and out of docks and locks. Novices will especially appreciate this design. Plugs and Hook-Ups: Along the canal each town maintains docks. Our boats have power attachments and water hook-up to make these dockings convenient. Radio: While your cell phone is always an option, the boats have radios that make communications with lock staff or Erie Canal Adventure staff easy and convenient. This is not a normal Sailing Club trip. However, it still provides an opportunity to share the work and share the fun. This trip is also perfectly suited to those who want to reconnect with the Club, but whose active sailing days are behind them. Also, if you love sailing, but some family members are hesitant about going on a sailing trip, perhaps a leisurely canal boat trip is just the thing! It offers a chance to enjoy time on the water together and get to know some other club members. Or, it could be a chance to live a childhood dream, like it is for the trip leaders! Erie Canal Aqueduct at Palmyra The cost of this event is $975.00 per person. (Skippers and Trip Leaders $731.00). The price includes charter fees, fuel, and bedding and towels. Provisioning, tie-up fees and other incidentals are additional and will be handled by each boat’s crew. The deposit for this trip is $200.00. Please make your check payable to The Sailing Club, Inc. and mail it, along with your completed two-page Reservation/Release Form to Mary Ann Gordon at the address below. Reservations will be processed beginning April 10, 2023 with a random draw of those received by that date. All reservations received after that date are on a first come, first served basis. The balance of $775.00 is due on June 17, 2023. Cancellations made after that date will not be refunded unless a replacement is found. Travel insurance is NOT included in the trip price. Confirmed participants should make their own decisions regarding insurance that would provide coverage appropriate to their needs and that they feel best protects them in their individual situations. Two useful resources for comparing plans are www.insuremytrip.com and www.squaremouth.com. As always, read all policy terms and conditions carefully. A pre-trip meeting will be held before the trip, at a time and place to be announced. All crew members should make every effort to attend in order to meet your crewmates, plan your meals, and make travel plans.   Trip Leader Assistant Trip Leader Beth Jelinek 162 Dakota Dr. Lafayette, NJ 07848 973-222-2212 bajelinek@gmail.com Mary Ann Gordon 2714 Packer Ct. Bridgewater, NJ 08807 908-575-1457 maryagordon14@gmail.com   Please note that sailing conditions are dynamic, that your safety, and that of your crewmates, depends on your good physical health and agility.