Sailing South- The New York Canals

Tuesday Sept.22,2009 - The Oswego Canal

We entered the Oswego canal in the early afternoon and Mary was introduced to the art of “locking up”.

Once into the lock chamber, the operator closes the large lock doors and starts to flood the chamber. As the water rises it eddies and forms currents that want to move the boat around.

The lock walls are wet and covered with a greeny-brown film. You would be too if you were dunked in river water several dozen times each day.

The locks operate from 7am to 5 pm in the fall and spring. We were able to get through 4 locks by 5 o’clock. There are 7 locks on the Oswego system – numbered 1 to 8. Now you math wizs may have figured out that should be 8 locks. There was a plan for 8, but while constructing the locks, it was decided only 7 were needed. Rather than re-number locks already in use, the builders just omitted lock 4. The Erie has a similar numbering anomaly with no lock 1 or 31.  

Tuesday evening we tied up in Minetto, a very small town that has a free dock. (They do look for donations). They provide good docking, clean washrooms and nice showers. We donated $20.00.  

Wednesday Sept.23, 2009 - The Erie Canal to Oneida Lake

Wed we made really good time, completing the balance of the Oswego canal and past lock 23 on the Erie system.The locks on the Erie Canal locks number from the eastern end of the canal at the Waterford flight. You can Google “New York State Canal System” for more detailed information.Wed evening we stopped at Brewerton on the west bank of Oneida Lake. We crossed the 20 mile lake on Thursday morning and tied up in the early afternoon. We docked on a free dock right outside the Crazy Clam at Sylvan Beach. Dinner was seafood. It cost less than we would have had to pay to dock in one of the marinas.

Thursday Sept. 24, 2009- Locks 20-17

At Rome, NY we reached the summit of the Erie Canal. We had been locking up. That means we motored into an empty chamber and grabbed a rope or put a line around a secured pipe. As the chamber filled, our job was to keep the boat off the wall and keep our mast, which overhangs 9 feet on each end, from smacking into a lock chamber. After Rome, we pull into a flooded chamber, grab onto a wet rope or reach down to a secured pipe and hold on while the chamber empties, locking down.

Friday Sept. 25, 2009 - Little Falls, NY

We got an early start on Friday making it all the way to Little Falls, NY. What at beautiful place! The lock after Little Falls (Lock 17) drops 40’ and is the largest change on the Erie system and one of the largest changes in the world. 

When we left Little Falls it was cold. 40 degrees. The mist on the river made us wonder if we should go. We were able to pick the buoys out of the mist far enough ahead that we decided it was safe to continue.

By the end of the day we were through Lock 11. We tried for Lock 10, but after pushing the engine (remember this is a 1981 boat) we decided for 2 reasons to turn back to Amsterdam, NY and complete Lock 10 in the morning.

The first reason was our temp gauge was starting to rise. The second was something a speaker said at the Port Credit Boat Show. It is important to have a plan, but not a schedule. Lock 10 will be there in the morning and we will get to the Hudson River – maybe a day later – but without added stress and added problems with our 1981 boat and its motor.

Mary and Rob MacLeod
rob@InformedBoater.com
s/v Sojourn
En route: Bahamas

In theory, theory and practice are the same thing.
In practice, they are not.