This last week has been another fun adventure – complete with transiting through 23 locks on the eastern end of the Erie Canal. Whew! The Erie Canal winds its way from the Hudson River near Albany, NY all of the way to Buffalo, NY on Lake Erie, over 350 miles with an elevation change of about 563 feet. It was initially conceived in the early 1700’s, as a faster and more economical way to transport bulk goods and passengers between the eastern coastal ports of the U.S. and the Midwest. However, the concept incurred much political opposition and not until New York’s Governor DeWitt Clinton spearheaded the political effort, was the canal built. Construction began in 1817, opened on October 26, 1825, and was incredibly successful (until of course, railroads were built and carried most of the canal freight at a much faster pace). Now mainly used for recreational watercraft, it is steeped in history and has been designated the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor.
Our travels along the canal began in Waterford, NY where you enter the first lock in a flight of 5 locks (meaning 5 locks fairly close together). The process for each lock is the same, the captain (or crew member) of the vessel wanting to transit hails the lock master and lets them know you are ready for passage. The lock master will give an update on the lock, for example, he/she will be opening the gates soon, or there is a vessel currently inside, etc. Once the lock is ready, a green light is displayed and you slowly enter your boat in the lock. Prior to transiting locks, many fenders are placed on the side of the boat to protect the boat from the canal wall. Once in the lock, there are lines to hold onto or some locks have a cable you can throw a line around and hold while the water in the lock goes up (or down). For the large majority of locks when you head west, you are being raised in the lock. So far, we have only gone down twice. The locks are 328 feet long and 45 feet wide. The sidewall height varies, ranging between 28 and 80 feet high. Little Falls has the highest sidewall height, and currently is using a crane to open its eastern gate due to a mechanical failure. Depending on the size of the boats transiting, several boats can be locked at once.
As you transit the canal, there are many towns (or cities) which have docks to tie up to for the night. It just depends on how far you want to travel each day and if there are any towns you want to stop and visit. Some towns have free docks, with or without electricity, some charge a small fee for electric, and some may charge a bit more and have full facilities including bathrooms, showers and laundry. Oh boy…Laundry! There are also marinas along the way as another overnight option. After leaving Waterford, NY, we overnighted at Scotia, Amsterdam, St. Johnsville, Utica, Sylvan Beach, and Brewerton, NY.
We are now close to an area known as “Three Rivers Point” where the Oneida, Oswego, and Seneca Rivers meet. Here is where most loopers make a decision – head north on the Oswego Canal to Lake Ontario or travel south and west, continuing on the Erie Canal to Buffalo and Lake Erie and then north through the Great Lakes. Typically, loopers head north to Lake Ontario and onward toward Canada. However, with COVID-19, Canada’s borders are still closed, so we will be continuing west on the Erie Canal heading over to Lake Erie. There are some bridge height restrictions to contend with, which we will share in next week’s blog.
Thanks for following along our adventure.
Dave, Brenda & Murphy
You are doing a great job taking us along on the journey. Your adventure is simply amazing!!❤️❤️
History of the canal and locks is just so fascinating. You’re on an amazing journey, for sure!
Wow, does this entry bring back some good memories.
So I had to pull out Wings old logbook, and, – just to set the bar, on 4 April 1990, between Villegusien and Champagne-sur-Vingeanne we covered 40 Km and transited 27 locks! (locking down is easy;-) Previous record day was 31 Mar from Chaumont to Langres, 40 km, and 22 locks (locking up). Total elevation change was about 1000 ft. Of course brother Wayne was aboard to do the grunt work. Great times.
Your description makes me want to get another boat 😉
Very interesting to learn about the locks. What an adventure you guys are having!