New cruising grounds for us! We exit the Hudson River to travel the historic Erie Canal and all its locks to Syracuse. Then we turn onto the Oswego Canal and head north until we get to Lake Ontario, our gateway to the Thousand Islands. Along the way we see post-industrial towns and are joined by good friends Patty and Gary for a stretch of the Erie.
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Low bridge, everybody down
Low bridge, yeah we’re coming to a town
And you’ll always know your neighbor
And you’ll always know your pal
If ya ever navigated on the Erie Canal
— 1912 folk song attributed to Thomas Allen, with variations recorded by many including Pete Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, & Veggie Tales
After traveling familiar territory from Norfolk VA to Troy NY, we were finally about to begin a new adventure – cruising through the Canals of Upstate New York to get to Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands. This is a part of the traditional Great Loop route that we had not done two years ago. So while we aren’t actually Looping, we are following this section of the route along with the Looper Masses.
Erie Canal
Scotia NY -- Jun 21, 2024
Amsterdam -- Jun 22-23
Canajoharie -- Jun 24
Little Falls -- Jun 25
Sylvan Beach -- Jun 26
Brewerton -- Jun 27-29
The original Erie Canal opened in 1825 (making it 199 years old!). It led to New York being dubbed The Empire State as towns and industry quickly sprang up along its route linking commerce between the Great Lakes and Atlantic Ocean. Immigrants were a main source of labor, and they came from all over to help create this new Empire. Initially, the mule-drawn barges transited through 83 locks between Albany and Buffalo. Several expansions later, it is only 34 locks and about 50% of the original canal is used as it was routed more along sections of the Mohawk River.
As a commercial shipping route, it peaked in the 1850s, felt the effects of the railroad, and eventually was supplanted in the 1960s with the opening of the large-freighter capable St. Lawrence Seaway. The manufacturing industry along its route has all but disappeared and the once thriving towns have struggled as have so many post-industrial areas of the past. It is now exclusively used for recreational boating and managed by the state of New York.
Just upriver from where we were docked at Troy Downtown Marina is the Troy Federal lock, which is managed by the Army Corps of Engineers and technically not part of the Erie Canal. This was the very first lock we had done in ages. It went very smoothly, so I was feeling like we were back riding that bicycle. A few minutes after exiting Federal Lock, we took the left onto the Mohawk River to Waterford, where the first five locks come in quick succession (called the Waterford Flight). These would be locks E-2 to 6, because there is no E-1. (The original E-1 was bypassed with one of the expansions and too confusing to renumber.)
A few days before, the E-2 Lock had been down for an ‘electrical problem’ for a couple days. What we heard was that First Day On The Job Guy was given a powerwasher without adequate instructions and had shorted out the pump motor when he powerwashed the electrical panel. Oops. It had reopened the day before, but only the north side pump was working and so boats could only tie on the south side of the lock, limiting it to four boats in the chamber. We were the fifth boat. Watching the boats enter the lock, we were glad we were sitting this one out as a couple of the boats struggled to get in and secured, with the fourth being completely cattywampus at one point.
Thirty minutes later we entered the lock solo. The locks on the Erie have weighted lines hanging down along the sides. We pull up along the wall, and once I grab a very slimy line at the bow Dave goes out and grabs one at the stern, then we take in or pay out the lines as the boat locks up or down. The doors close behind us, and next thing we know the water is boiling on the starboard side and the boat is getting pushed hard against the wall as the water gets pumped in. Our fenders are getting crushed. We both were fighting to keep boat from snagging things as we rode up about 35’. All I could think of was “We’ve got how many of these locks on the Erie?!?’ The lockmaster came by to get our information, and I mentioned it had been quite a ride, and he responded “yeah, we have a valve problem and I’m having trouble controlling the flow of the water.’ That would have been much better information to have beforehand. For many Loopers that have come up the east coast, this might be their first experience with locks and E-2 would certainly have been a trial by fire. We had 145 locks under our belt and I think it was one of our more challenging ones. We entered E-3 girded for battle, but E-2 seemed to be a one-off and the rest of the locks were much smoother.
Continuing along the Mohawk River after the Waterford flight, it was lush, pretty, and dotted with occasional homes on the shores but no real towns until we reached Schenectady. We tied up at the Scotia Landing Municipal dock. We watched the water ski team practicing for their weekly show right in front of the boat as the sun set (who knew that was still a thing?) and capped off the evening with ice cream from the nearby Jumpin’ Jacks, complete with vintage walk up windows and outdoor picnic tables.
Amsterdam was our next stop after three more locks the next day. This had been a major manufacturing center in its heyday, most famous for producing carpets and rugs. From the park wall where we were docked, there is a pedestrian footbridge across the Erie incorporateing art, beautiful landscaping, great views, and a historical timeline of the city. We walked across it to the south side of town and stumbled into a unique encounter. Set back from the road a bit was the Sweet Canal Store, an old-looking brick and stone structure. The door was open and string lights on across the door frame, so we wandered up. We could see tables and chairs, and a big old-fashioned bar – with a lone older gentleman sitting there. When we uncertainly poked our heads in, he chuckled, said ‘I’m hoping to be open someday’ and invited us in to look around. Niles then proceeded to tell us the history of this relic of the original Erie Canal, where barges were loaded and offloaded, turned around in the basin, and goods transferred. He had rescued it from the wrecking ball, then spent the last 25 years slowly restoring it single-handedly. You could still see the charred beams from a fire a century ago. Additionally, Niles had all sorts of antiques and vintage stuff scattered throughout, and loved holding something up and asking, ‘What do you think this is?’ He even took us up to the attic where he had even more stuff. (Dave later confessed that when he had us go up the narrow, steep staircase ahead of him he briefly wondered if this was going to be like a Stephen King novel and we would never be heard from again.) It was really a delightful hour. Niles is now in his 70s, and I doubt he will ever finish it but it is a labor of love. (Hey Bezos – how about sending Niles a couple hundred thousand to restore this piece of history? That’s just one less toy on your mega-yacht – you won’t even notice it missing.)
Venturing into a deserted downtown Amsterdam on Sunday (not sure it gets much better on a weekday), it looked like so many post-industrial towns we’ve seen – struggling to find a new purpose, once-beautiful buildings now run down. There was a small park in honor of favorite son Kirk Douglas, with worn playground equipment but neatly kept. (Hey Michael Douglas! Sure would be nice if you’d send the town a check to spruce it up a bit in your dad’s memory.). We wandered into an old mall, and it was really creepy – not a scared-for-our-safety creepy but more of a bad-post-apocalyptic-scifi-movie creepy, with the stores having been converted to office space and a lasertag arcade; it was very 70s in style and very empty of signs of life. Amsetrdam
But the best part was that our friends Patty and Gary from our Loop buddy boat Inconceivable met us in Amsterdam to ride for a few days, and we were very excited to have them join us. We left the following morning with a little trepidation at the high wind forecast, but the extra hands it would make it easier in the locks. We quickly fell into a routine of me manning the bow line and Gary taking the stern, which allowed Dave to stay at the helm. Between locks, Gary and Dave talked boats and boat toys at the helm, while Patty and I hung out in the back chatting, reading, or whatever.
At E-13, the current the lockmaster warned us about pushed the bow one way while a gust caught the stern, and Dave had to spin in a circle as the gates opened to line back up to enter. Met at E-14 with an unresponsive lockmaster and a ton of floating logs in front of us, we decided time to call it a day and turned back a few hundred yards to the free wall at Canajoharie. We headed into the small town – another post-industrial struggler – and found an Irish Pub with a German server (also the cook) who actually sat down at the table with us to make recommendations and take our order. The beautiful homes in town were sorely in need of preservation and maintenance, and there was a majestic historic old school now abandoned up on a hill. All kind of sad. (Hey Mr. Bejillionaire – spare some change?)
Our second attempt at E-14 the next morning was again met with radio silence. Eventually we saw a guy with a weed whacker walk over to the booth and the doors starting opening. He was the guy who taught me to correctly pronounce Canajohairie (CAN-a-joe-HAIR-ee, for those wondering themselves). It was the nicest day we had on the canal, as we followed the meandering route of the Mohawk. The last of four locks for the day was E-17 at Little Falls. This is a ‘guillotine’ lock – meaning that instead of two doors swinging open at each end, it’s a single large panel that slides up and down like a guillotine. There were two other boats in there ahead of us, and when that gate slipped down it felt a little like some medieval sport where only one of us would be exiting!
The town of Little Falls, while still a victim of the loss of manufacturing and the Erie Canal as a commerce route, seems to have come through a little better than the others we saw. It has a more vibrant Main St. (where scenes in the movie A Quiet Place were filmed) and some beautiful parks, restored homes, and buildings. After an early afternoon walk up and down the hills, we enjoyed a little downtime in the park right near the boat.
We left Little Falls as the lead boat with three other Loopers. Sylvan Beach is right where the Erie meets Lake Oneida, more ‘vintage beach’ vibe as opposed to the ‘historic old’ of the other towns where we had stopped. There was an amusement park with rides that looked like they were out of my childhood. It was not quite yet open for the summer season, and a lone older gentleman was busy sweeping leaves and eight months of detritus from the grounds with a simple household broom.
The next day we were to cross the open water of Oneida Lake, and winds were predicted to pick up as the morning progressed. We could have chosen to depart at first light. But the Shorebreak Bakery beckoned and we were at their door shortly after they opened at 7 am. Some things are worth throwing caution to the wind – in this case literally – and fresh pastries for breakfast while cruising fast across the open water of the lake is definitely one of them. The short crossing actually was not bad at all, and by mid-morning we were docked at Ess Kay Yards in Brewerton, a Looper institution.
Brewerton was the stop closest to the Syracuse Airport where Gary & Patty would be flying back home. It was also where we had arranged for Roxy to see the local vet for a follow up blood test she needed. So after walking into town for lunch and back along the railroad tracks like kids, we picked up a rental car. Since we had wheels, we took advantage of the opportunity to fulfill the one challenge we had not completed during our time Looping together: a round of miniature golf. It was an awful lot of fun – Patty won, Gary hit the ball off the course three times (one into the water), and both Dave and Patty had holes in one.
We reluctantly dropped Patty and Gary off at the airport the next morning; having them aboard had been so nice. But the day kept us busy with Roxy’s vet appointment and provisioning – even found a Trader Joe’s near the airport! After a day of driving we were surprisingly beat — Life With Car is tiring! But we returned to the boat to find Seneca docked next to us, a nice surprise. We spent one more day in Brewerton, with the best part being finally meeting Rick and Sue on Oysterland, another Maine Cat. We had corresponded with them frequently over the past couple years and finally had a chance to meet. They are both former Army helicopter pilots, and over breakfast at a local diner we compared notes on the boat, military careers, and what lay ahead for them as they took up the second half of their own Loop.
Oswego Canal
Phoenix -- Jun 30
Oswego -- Jul 1
Into Lake Ontario -- Jul 2
Seneca joined us as we departed Brewerton and did our last lock on the Erie, E-23. From there, we turned onto the Oswego Canal toward Lake Ontario. Opened a year after the Erie, it further linked commerce between the Great Lakes and cemented New Yorks empire building. Like the Erie, it has been periodically updated. There are areas along the way where you can see the walls of the old canal and abandoned industrial buildings and structures – even an old tunnel to a former brewery. From Brewerton, we would be going down in all the locks to reach Lake Ontario.
Phoenix is a little town right before the first Oswego lock and bridge and is famous for the Bridge Brats, a program started a generation ago that trains youth in hospitality and community service. These kids will help you dock, run and pickup restaurant takeout orders or other simple errands, keep the park where the docking wall is clean and maintained, distribute tourist information, and work the special events that periodically take place. We arrived on a Sunday when they aren’t there, so didn’t see them in action. But they were there bright and early Monday morning, a couple dozen middle-schoolers and teens in matching tshirts, getting their training and marching orders for the day. It’s like a summer camp based in community service. What a cool program.
Our last day of locking took us through the six locks of the Oswego Canal with Seneca. A couple of these locks were complicated on their approach or exit by cross currents from adjacent creeks or spillways – never fun in a narrow channel but we made it through without any drama. We docked at the Oswego free wall between locks O-7 and O-8.
Oswego was our ‘pleasant surprise’ stop, and I think one of the most underrated on the whole Great Loop. It was much bigger than I expected, and has a vibrant downtown. We walked up to historic Ft. Ontario State Park, which was closed on Mondays but a worker let us in to look at the inner fort briefly. We then hoofed across the bridge to find restored government buildings, parks, and old churches. There was a couple blocks of restaurants, galleries, and shops in the 100+ year old commercial buildings. Crossing back over the canal via an old train-bridge-turned-pedestrian-walkway, we had a great view of the three fingers of the canal: the fast rushing and turbulent river, calmer flow from the lock spillway, and the still water between locks. Beyond that was the open water of Lake Ontario, where we witnessed a fiery sunset followed by the light show of the city’s bridges and buildings along the canal.
We could easily have spent a second day in Oswego exploring, but the weather was going to be near-perfect to be out on the big water, and you’ve got to take those days when they come along. So the following morning we waited for the initial wave of like-minded cruisers to depart and lock through, and then we did the final lock Oswego lock on our own, having said good-by to Seneca as they left early to cross over to Canada and we would no longer be sharing a route with them. When the gates opened, we made our way past the lighthouse on one side and the old fort on the other, and we were out on a very flat Lake Ontario bound for Sackett’s Harbor, NY.
Final Thoughts
Experiencing the sense of history of the Erie and Oswego Canals by boat is unparalleled, and it is exactly this kind of experience that spurred our cruising adventure. The US was less than 50 years old when they were built ‘with vision, ingenuity, determination, and hard work’ that would become a hallmark of our national identity. We came across constant reminders of these waterways of yore, such as a crumbling piece of original lock wall, old bridge footings, or a bike trail that you could envision as an old mule path pulling a barge laden with goods. And then there were the towns themselves.
Seeing the once bustling towns in various states of economic struggle was sad; I guess it’s a by-product of ‘progress’ and inevitable that as economies evolve, one town’s gain is another town’s loss. But the people we met still showed pride in the community and its link to the canals, such as a program like the Phoenix Bridge Brats, now with some second generation members, welcoming visitors and showing off their town. Or Veterans Memorials to local heroes, and markers honoring a famous past resident. And of course there was Niles, with his love of everything Erie Canal in the town where he grew up, toiling away for 25 years to preserve his own small piece of it.
I can only hope that each of these towns finds some way to reinvent itself while preserving its heritage. The Erie was declared a National Historic Corridor in 2000, providing resources to preserve the historical context, promote recreational use, and help revitalize the communities. There is now the Erie Canalway, which besides the waterways includes a multi-use trail from Albany to Buffalo for bikes, runners, and hikers. Various festivals take place in the summer. The focus seems to be on tourism as the economic salvation of this corridor. But I have to wonder if that’s enough? And after seeing so many megayachts and mansions in our other cruising grounds, I can’t help but wonder what the impact might be of just a very small percentage of that money being donated to help towns find a new, sustainable economic focus.
In the meantime, we’re headed to the Thousand Islands, in search of American castles. How’s that for irony?
Pops’ Stats Corner*
- No of Days: 11
- Travel Days: 8
- Miles Traveled: 187.8 (163.3 nm)
- Locks: 30
*Pops is the family’s affectionate name for Dave’s dad. He had a mind for sports statistics, earning him the nickname Numbers from the coaches of several Stillwater teams with whom he worked. This regular section of the blog is in his honor, because it’s the kind of thing he would love.
Crazy range of experiences in the locks! I felt cattywumpys keeping up with the harrowing surprises. Love the details of these travel vignettes. Dave and ice cream!!!