Ahoy All: Tricky guys, those canal people. There is no Lock 1 on the Erie Canal, it begins with Lock 2 at Waterford. BUT, as you approach Newark NY from the east in Central NY, you come first to Lock 28A, then 28B, which is in downtown Newark. Yesterday we left Ithaca and the Finger Lakes. Heading up Cayuga Lake we checked out two wineries with docks, but felt the docks were either too small or the depth was too shallow for us. Then we looked into anchoring behind the only island on Cayuga Lake, but again felt it was too shallow. Instead we went back to the Erie Canal and docked at Lock 26, just outside of Clyde. I asked the lockmaster how far the nearest town was, and he replied that Clyde was about 2 miles by car, but downtown doesn't have anything more to offer than Lock 26. We stopped at Lock 26 because just west of the lock there is an abandoned RR bridge that is the lowest fixed bridge on the canal (Low bridge, everybody down!). We got close to it and determined that we could just pass underneath if we lowered our bimini top. This morning we did that before leaving the dock and Shady Lady was able to pass below the bridge, with inches to spare. Keep in mind that each time a boat passes underneath that bridge they have to be careful because the pool level fluctuates due to rain or lack of it, dam openings, use of the lock, etc. A few inches in this case mean a lot. Three lock-throughs later and some other low (but not as low) bridges brought us to Newark, where we expect to spend two or three nights. The town welcomes boaters, as do many towns along the canal. They provide electric, water, showers, and even free washers and dryers. On the dock we met Penney and Hugh, a couple doing the Loop on their 36' sailboat. Nothing special about that, except that they first sailed across the Atlantic, going from England to the Canary Islands to Barbados, up to Cuba with stops along the way and then over to Florida. Another couple, Alex and Margie, are heading east and back to Florida on their motor sailor. Next week Ed Fare and two of his kids will visit. They've already downloaded discount tix for the amusement park in Sylvan Beach. Then towards the end of the month Gary from Texas will fly in and we'll hit the NY State Fair. Wade Ehlen MT Shady Lady New Bern NC