Albany

We departed Waterford to enter one last lock, this one operated by the feds. The dimensions and designs were much like those of the state's system but there were no flower beds or friendly banter with by standers or waves from the lock tender here. The feds did plaster their lock with cautions warnings and "do nots" though. When the massive steel doors opened, they released Titania onto tidal water. She didn't seem to float or behave any diffferently even if we were excited to be going with the flow. We chugged past Albany's massive state capital mall and its considerable oil terminals at the port just below. It looks a like a lot of diesel and home heating oil comes up to Albany by barge to then be distributed across the state. About noon we pulled into the Castleton Boat club to check out their do it yourself mast stepping crane. Alas, a weekend steak roast had filled up the dock with visiting boats so we couldn't use the gin pole until Sunday afternoon. While we decided what to do next the tide quietly ebbed away as tides do and Titania's cast iron keel settled gently into the mud alongside the dock. Oops. We were stuck but good and tight for two hours until the water came back and lifted her up again. None the worse for her first experience with tides Titania motored on down the river to find a very pleasant anchorage along shore in behind a large forested island.