We must be Canadians, the lock operators commented. Who else would be in the canals at this time of year? Who else, indeed. It was a challenging start to our journey.
Only two weeks later, while crashing through the north Atlantic’s December waves, no land in sight, we longed for the calm, contained waters of the New York Canal system that had brought us to this point. Since we entered the Canals, we had put 400-500 nautical miles behind us, and those miles had put us through a few rites of passage. We’ll share more about our Atlantic experiences in an upcoming Ariose Note. For this post though, we will turn the calendar back to that week in late November and our experience traversing the Canals.
The Canals are 524 miles of inter-connected waterways, and include the Erie Canal (from Buffalo), the Oswego Canal (short leg from Lake Ontario south to connect with West-East Erie Canal), the Champlain Canal (directly south from near Montreal), and the Cayuga-Seneca Canal (through Ithaca).
They opened in 1825, the grandiose brainchild of a Governor Clinton from an earlier era, to better access the American interior. Apparently, his plan was widely known as “Clinton’s Folly”. Some things don’t change. This water highway would allow settlers to more easily move west, and the resources from beyond what was then considered the western frontier, to move east. His vision was that the canals, and the commerce they allowed, would make New York City the economic capital of the US, and that they did! Costs of moving products along the canal were a tenth of the costs of overland, so the boom in trade was immediate. The advances in rail and the opening of the St. Lawrence to freighter traffic in the 1950’s spelled a decline for the Canals. Although there is still some commercial traffic, it’s primarily a tourist route, being developed as a “Greenway” to preserve the canal-related nature, history and culture.
For us, as with many cruisers, the New York Canal System offers an alternative to the St. Lawrence to get from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic. Although we’d love to do the St. Lawrence some day, the added miles to head north and around the Gaspe Peninsula, and demanding conditions of late-in-the-year Maritimes sailing, are beyond our means at this time. Our first attempt to make it across Lake Ontario to the Oswego New York entrance to the Canals was rather brutally thwarted, but a couple of weeks later, Ariose, proudly sporting a repaired keel and rudder, ferried us over. We were in a race against the November 20th closing of the Canals. On November 17th, we made it across to the start of the Canal, armed with personal assurances from management that even though it would likely take a us a week, they would ensure that we got through as long as we promised to get underway early each day. (Being stuck for the winter mid-lock, upper New York State was not part of our dream – so no dilly-dallying for us!)
Checking in with US Customs and Border Services was easy. We had heard stories of strict process, with cruisers enduring searches so we were a little nervous. We were pleasantly surprised when friendly agent at the other end of the videophone seemed more intent on chiding us for setting out so late in the year than relieving us of our home-made wine which remained stowed safely in our lockers.
What followed was an interesting but rushed week of cold days motoring along the waterways, usually setting out as the sun rose and tying up as darkness descended. As you know, we were successful in transiting the Canals, just in the nick of time, lock gates closing firmly at our stern. We’re told we hold the official honour of being the last recreational boat through. Here is a photo review of our transit.
1-Leaving Kingston Nov 17th in the early morning twilight for our 2nd attempt at 70 m crossing Lake Ontario.2-There’s a line across Lake Ontario on our GPS – looks like we’ve crossed the Canada-USA border.3-Made it to the previously elusive Oswego. “High hopes” – how fitting!4-Official check in with US Customs & Border Protection.5-Ready to transit the locks: all fenders tied on (9 in total!), fender boards, boat hook to grab line or cables, & long paddle to keep Ariose from the walls.6-Here we go, our 1st lock. Each is 328 feet long and the cavernous “box” felt intimidating. The 1st operator, used to novices, gave instructions and reassurance: “You won’t feel a thing.”7-1st lock a success. No boat or relationship wounds. Now sitting 10.4 feet above Lake Ontario. 10 more uphill, then 20 downhill.8-The locks themselves were a highlight for us of this engineering marvel that is the NY Canals.9-Protocol was to contact the operator in advance on channel 13 to prepare for us (empty or fill the lock for us).10-Sometimes the call worked, but at this time of year, there’s a skeleton staff- at times we had to wait – usually less than 1/2 hr, but once for 4 hrs – for an operator to drive from another lock. 11-Once the lock was ready, permission to enter granted by vhf or a green light, and off we would go into the cavernous box. 12-Character-filled buildings adorned each lock, housing the controls and keeping the operator warm. Each was unique, but always sporting cheerful white with blue trim, and yellow accents.13-Each would have an sign posting the lock’s statistics.Most were in the range of 10-20 foot elevation, but one was a dizzying 41.5 feet!14-Once in, we secured Ariose. Some locks had ropes hanging from the sides to grab with our hook fastening bow and stern as moving by (easier said than done); others had vertical pipes to wrap our lines around (even less easier said than done).15-Then, hold on as water rushed in or out, often in the upward journey, with lots of turbulence. Preventing our solar panels from hitting against the walls was a battle. We usually managed to protect Ariose, although she is sporting a few souvenir marks.16-After a few locks, we felt like veterans, and had the system down pat, allowing us to enjoy the ride.17-As the locked filled, we were often surprised to peak over the edge and see what lay beyond, whether massive bridges and dams, or grassed parkland.18-Here’s a shot while descending. We tried not to think about the forces behind that gate. Here, the Mohawk River is trying its best to get through.19-Hey, this is getting easy.20-Then, as we hummed the theme song for the Friendly Giant, the far gates…21- …would swing open or lift up guillotine-style, and we’d emerge. Onward to the next. Some were several hours apart with ample break time. 22-The last series though, known as the “Waterford Flight”, has 6 locks only minutes apart, so in less than 2 hours, we dropped over 180 feet … quite demanding! 23- Warned of how “dirty” the canals would be, we equipped ourselves with the stylish rubber gloves you may have noticed us sporting to protect from the hard-to-clean orange goo.
24-Between each lock, the waterway varied. There were long swaths of cut canal, straight runs connecting natural waterways….25-The largest body of water we needed to cross was Lake Oneida, on the Oswego portion. We’d heard intimidating stories from other cruisers who encountered larger seas here than on the Atlantic. We had a great crossing.26-Much of the route meandered through woodlands and towns,27-with barren late November scenery,28-under bridges large and small. In case you were wondering why our sailboat was really a motor boat along the canals, the lower structures along the way require the mast to be down.29-Because of the Canals history of moving goods, there’s quite a few industrial structures along the way, some still functioning, and others ghosts of an earlier time.30-Modern-day “canals”, aka railroads, often paralleled the waterway.31-We had the waterway to ourselves. For the entire week, the only other vessels we encountered were 2 sport fishing boats…32-And some of the State barges, tugs, and …33-…Ariose looked rather petite compared to other vessels.34-Most of the way was peaceful. Beautiful scenes, like flocks of Canada geese flying alongside, went unphotographed – too hard to bear baring hands to operate the camera.35-Long stretches could feel lonely. Unless we were approaching a lock, one of us was at the helm, and the other …36-…below , getting or staying warm & dry.37-Time below framed perception of the scenery by our port lights. Here, we’re passing through one of many industrial areas. Canals opened up the NE states and beyond to industry. Lots of active and derelict industrial along the way.38-As dusk set upon us, each day would end, often tied up alongside shoreline facilities. (This photo is at Phoenix, NOT Arizona.)39-A few months before, we’re told, it would have been hard to find space along the walls for overnight.40-At times, if we had energy, we would take a short walking tour of the nearby sites. (Oswego’s courthouse here) Almost every major city in New York State is along the Canal route. We got a glimpse of some, but in our necessary rush to get through, we didn’t have the luxury of time to be tourists.41-Some of the smaller towns, like Frankfort in this photo, were already decked out for Christmas. This was a jarring reminder of the ridiculousness of our “southern cruising”.42-On the rare occasion that we lucked into free wifi, we would get information needed on the next leg of our journey, and enjoy connecting with family and friends.43-Most facilities were closed for the season, causing us a bit of anxiety about re-provisioning, so when we did find a place to dock …
44-… on drinking water..
44- near the services we needed, we would take a mid-day break, like here, in Utica, to stock up on fuel…45-.. and the occasional treat of a restaurant meal to fill our bellies in warm & dry surroundings.46-Some tragedies along the way … like Tim breaking his special coffee mug:47-No more ceramic for you!We also had to deal with a few other more significant “crises”, like engine battery issues, 48- …and another grounding (soft one this time).We had a couple glorious, unseasonably warm days in the low teens to start.49-But then awoke a few days into the journey to this view through the companionway.50-Wondering why there’s no other boats here?51-We brought a windshield scraper to keep barnacles off Ariose. Never thought we’d need it for its actual purpose!52-There were many “what are we doing moments” but overall,…53-… we could see the humour in the irony of our “southern” cruising through below freezing conditions.54-This little snowman survived a couple days beyond the snow, causing comments from lock operators along the way.55-We saw no choice but to press on, spurred on by thoughts – however distant – of tropical breezes ahead. The days blurred together.56-On the first shift of the day, we were often treated to a peaceful sunrise …57-… that filled us with hopeful anticipation of the day(s) to come.58-By mid-afternoon, we’d scour the charts for suitable docking for that evening, ….59-.. and by day’s end, we were usually exhausted to the core by the demands of staying warm and navigating.60-A week after entering at Oswego, we reached the Hudson River. Hard turn to starboard here and we’re southward bound. Really!61-One final lock, and open river to the sea! New York City, here we come.
I hit ” publish” this morning with numb fingers while huddled under a restaurant balcony stealing their Wi-Fi… Maybe that had something to do with it?! I’ve just read published and it seems to be working now. Enjoy. ( i’m sure my father enjoyed the chat with two lovely ladies. )
It’s hard to believe that years have passed since our great conversations as we drove together between offices, sharing both the day-to-day happenings in our lives and our dreams. Setting out on a sailing adventure was just a seed for me then. Really nice to have you join us virtually now that that dream is being realized. Today, we had a wet, grey day cruising in near-freezing temperatures again, so be grateful that you are just along virtually! 😉
Hi to you both – what an interesting read. Can hardly believe you made it through this late in the season. A pattern has developed, leaving the reader hanging, waiting anxiously for the next chapter. While I wouldn’t dream of trading places in a million years, I so admire your tenacity, bravery & CRAZINESS!!!!!
Hmm… I guess our photos are just heeling now, rather than doing a full turtle. Thought we had that technical glitch fixed, but guess we still have some straightening up to do!
Yet another great post- so exciting to read your adventures and learn about what you’re finding along the way. I can basically hear your voice as the stories unfold. Nice to think things are getting warmer for you- we’ve been skiing for almost a month at the club, and there’s a cold spell coming. -17 this morning. Brrr! Stay safe & Happy birthday Tim!
Skiing! We had ice on board this morning (again!), so the notion of skiing isn’t so foreign to us after all. We’re near where the gulf stream comes close to land, though, so are told we are about to experience what will feel like summer temperatures. THAT, we are looking forward to. Enjoy your winter!
Hey Kevin, just making up for lost time! Although, not a day goes by that I don’t recall some of the adventures that we had as younger lads! Looks like you’re having great adventures as well. Keep em coming and maybe we can have another adventure together one day…..cheers!
Yes. Lots of good times still to be had!! Looking forward to the future. Vancouver is on the list. Apparently, a stop over in Hawaii is in order to make it up the coast. You never know! Tim
I’m a solo sailing Autistic adult who is exploring this fantastic world on a beautiful 1969 Alberg 30. Come and share it with me for musings about sailing solo and what it’s like to do it on the Spectrum.
We must be Canadians, the lock operators commented. Who else would be in the canals at this time of year? Who else, indeed. It was a challenging start to our journey.
For us, as with many cruisers, the New York Canal System offers an alternative to the St. Lawrence to get from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic. Although we’d love to do the St. Lawrence some day, the added miles to head north and around the Gaspe Peninsula, and demanding conditions of late-in-the-year Maritimes sailing, are beyond our means at this time. Our first attempt to make it across Lake Ontario to the Oswego New York entrance to the Canals was rather brutally thwarted, but a couple of weeks later, Ariose, proudly sporting a repaired keel and rudder, ferried us over. We were in a race against the November 20th closing of the Canals. On November 17th, we made it across to the start of the Canal, armed with personal assurances from management that even though it would likely take a us a week, they would ensure that we got through as long as we promised to get underway early each day. (Being stuck for the winter mid-lock, upper New York State was not part of our dream – so no dilly-dallying for us!)
Hi I am not able to pull up your last blog. Help please!! Irma and I stopped to c
hat with your dad yesterday after our snow shoe up his way.
I hit ” publish” this morning with numb fingers while huddled under a restaurant balcony stealing their Wi-Fi… Maybe that had something to do with it?! I’ve just read published and it seems to be working now. Enjoy. ( i’m sure my father enjoyed the chat with two lovely ladies. )
Thanks for sending this link out!
Happy to be reading about your adventures!
It’s hard to believe that years have passed since our great conversations as we drove together between offices, sharing both the day-to-day happenings in our lives and our dreams. Setting out on a sailing adventure was just a seed for me then. Really nice to have you join us virtually now that that dream is being realized. Today, we had a wet, grey day cruising in near-freezing temperatures again, so be grateful that you are just along virtually! 😉
Hi to you both – what an interesting read. Can hardly believe you made it through this late in the season. A pattern has developed, leaving the reader hanging, waiting anxiously for the next chapter. While I wouldn’t dream of trading places in a million years, I so admire your tenacity, bravery & CRAZINESS!!!!!
Hey Nancy – we figure there are a lot of adjectives to describe us and what we’ve undertaken!
This is a huge improvement and only half scary now. I’m sure a nautical term applies but half way upside down instead of over she goes….
Hmm… I guess our photos are just heeling now, rather than doing a full turtle. Thought we had that technical glitch fixed, but guess we still have some straightening up to do!
Hi Guys,
Fabulous update ~ keep them coming and happy birthday Tim!
Thanks Maurice! It was a fabulous birthday…..even had choc. chip cookies baked in the oven of our new Force10! Better facilities than home!
Yet another great post- so exciting to read your adventures and learn about what you’re finding along the way. I can basically hear your voice as the stories unfold. Nice to think things are getting warmer for you- we’ve been skiing for almost a month at the club, and there’s a cold spell coming. -17 this morning. Brrr! Stay safe & Happy birthday Tim!
Skiing! We had ice on board this morning (again!), so the notion of skiing isn’t so foreign to us after all. We’re near where the gulf stream comes close to land, though, so are told we are about to experience what will feel like summer temperatures. THAT, we are looking forward to. Enjoy your winter!
Happy Birthday, Tim!
The first 50 have been quite an adventure…but the next 50 are clearly starting off with some drama, too!
You stay warm, and I’ll keep reading.
Hey Kevin, just making up for lost time! Although, not a day goes by that I don’t recall some of the adventures that we had as younger lads! Looks like you’re having great adventures as well. Keep em coming and maybe we can have another adventure together one day…..cheers!
I would dearly love that.
Maybe you can cruise around to Vancouver and pick me up?
Yes. Lots of good times still to be had!! Looking forward to the future. Vancouver is on the list. Apparently, a stop over in Hawaii is in order to make it up the coast. You never know! Tim
Great photos and commentary. Almost gives me the impression you are old hands at this……………almost!
Well, after the canal, I must say that our hands DO feel callused and old… if that’s what you mean!