Cruising the Erie Canal (with Video)

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June 13 – 18, 2024: I cruise the eastern half of the Erie Canal, taking advantage of the free lock walls for overnight docking and picking up some buddy boat friends along the way.

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In my last travelogue post, I covered my trip down the Champlain Canal, ending with the first stop on the Erie Canal, Waterford, NY. I was fortunate to get a spot on the dock at this very pleasant stop. I spent two nights there, enjoying the great Mexican restaurant, I Love Rosa, for lunch both days and the company of fellow boaters who bought me dinner at McGreivey’s because I’d helped them squeeze into a tight spot on the dock behind me. I also did laundry, topped off my water supply, went grocery shopping, took a long bike ride on Peebles Island, and got a good, hot shower. It was a great stop, and the two nights only cost me $10 because I only plugged into power one day.

But although I wanted to stay a third night — and apparently could have — I really needed to move on. I had a lot of miles to cover and only about two months left to cover them.

So at around 10 AM on Thursday morning, I pulled away from the dock and slipped into Lock E2 to start my westbound trip.

The Waterford Flight of Five

Other than being the first stop on the Erie Canal, Waterford is famous for its flight of five locks — that is, five locks that are placed so close together that stopping between locks is not encouraged. When you go through the first lock (Lock E2), you just keep going until you get to the last lock in the flight (Lock E6). It also means that whatever boat(s) you go through the first lock with, you’ll likely be going through all five locks with. That could be good or bad. In my case that Thursday morning, it was bad because one of the boats in my group of three turned out to be very slow.

I get it: not everyone comes to the Erie Canal as an expert on locks. But hell, there are enough resources out there that explain how to do it. It’s not rocket science. You pull into the lock chamber slowly, position against one wall, and grab hold of the hanging lines next to the boat. Because my boat is small, I can usually manage by holding just one line. But if your boat is 65 feet long, you’re going to need to hold two. You don’t cleat them off on your boat. You don’t even bring them aboard. (They are usually filthy and disgusting; I wear gloves.) You just hold on, taking up (or letting out) slack as the boat rises (or falls) in the chamber with the water level. Do your freaking homework before you pull into the first lock. Ask the lockmaster for instructions if you have to. But don’t let your boat wander around the lock as the water level changes. And depending on thrusters to hold you in position — as I usually do, to a certain extent — can be a huge mistake — as I learned later in my trip.

Anyway, the folks in one very large boat had some issues not only with knowing how to secure the boat in the lock, but getting under bridges along the way. You can see for yourself. I created a video of those first five locks with plenty of commentary. You can see my frustration, especially in the beginning. The only thing you’re spared is the sound of their boat’s thrusters growling on and on as the captain used them to keep the boat up against the wall in one lock after another. The video fast-forwards through each of the locks.

Thursday’s Cruise: Seven Locks and a Pleasant Stop

The cruise was otherwise very pleasant, with nice weather and light wind. The canal is part of the Mohawk River for the stretch from the Hudson to Rome, NY, which was still a few days away. The original 1800s canal was a narrow, hand-dug trench that, in places, originally crossed the Mohawk on aqueducts, some of which can still be seen as ruins along the way if you know where to look. But when the canal was enlarged in the early 1900s, they got the job done by making channels in the Mohawk River and then building canals with locks and often dams around waterfalls and rapids. That’s what we’d be traveling in for the first few days.

We left the large boat behind when it had to fit under a low railroad bridge and didn’t seem sure if it would make it. The other boat I was with through the locks was Lady in Red, an older Carver with two gasoline engines and a friendly couple on board. I tended to cruise faster than they did, but not by much. Each time I reached a lock, they’d catch up and go through with me.

Here’s Lady in Red as I passed it in the Mohawk River.

Along the way, we passed one of several dredging operations. This work is necessary to keep channels deep enough for Erie Canal users.

At just after 3 PM, we got to and through Lock 8 in Scotia, NY, and we both tied up on the wall beyond. Some of the lock walls have a distinct park-like setting with grass and actual park amenities like picnic tables. Lock 8 was one of those locks and it was exactly what I wanted. With no roads and few people around, could let my pups run, which I did.

Here’s Lady in Red parked behind me at Lock 8. The afternoon light, clouds, and reflections were amazing.

I visited with the folks in Lady in Red, Alan and Renetta. As we were chatting, a lean man in jeans came up and joined us. He turned out to be a long haul trucker who had been camped out in the lock parking area waiting a few days for a job to be ready. I think he was lonely and I suspect he came down to the lock wall regularly to chat up the folks coming through.

Other than that, we were alone until much later, right before the lock closed for the evening. Another boat came through with a couple and, instead of tying up to the wall, which had limited rings and bollards, they tied up to a Canal Corporation work barge. Before nightfall, they walked into town — or maybe got an Uber — and came back with groceries. I wondered what the workers would say when they arrived in the morning.

I let my girls run, then walked back to the lock around sunset to photograph the lock and bridge. The water was glassy smooth and the reflections were amazing.

Lock 8 near sunset on a calm summer morning.

Friday’s Cruise: A Delayed Start for a Missing Body

It started raining not long after a cloudy dawn. The boat that had docked along the work barge pulled out and continued up the canal before the workers arrived. When they did arrive, they got right to work, using a crane on board to pull logs out of the dam spillways adjacent to the lock.

This motorized barge with a crane is used to remove debris such as large logs from the spillways at the tops of dams along the Erie Canal.

I can’t remember if it was on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning that I learned about the closure of Locks 10 and 11. Unfortunately, a fisherman had fallen into the canal just below the Lock 11 dam. He had not been rescued and they were searching for him or his body. That closed a section of the canal to traffic while search and rescue teams worked.

I settled down at my table to work on a blog post and was fully prepared to spend the day at Lock 8. But then I saw Lady in Red prepping to leave. The closed section of the canal had reopened at 10 AM. It was now 10:20 and they were heading out. With no reason to stay, I prepped for departure. Within 15 minutes, my pups and I were leaving the wall at Lock 8 behind.

It didn’t take long for me to pass Lady in Red. Alan and Renetta cruise at a fuel conservation speed of 6 knots; I cruise at 7 to 8 knots in canals. I’d get out in front of them and call the locks as I approached them. By the time I was entering the chamber to tie up on the starboard side, they were coming up behind me to tie up on the port side.

There wasn’t much of interest along the way. The canal wound along the path of the Mohawk River for a few miles before reaching Lock 9 at Rotterdam, NY. There was a park and a bridge there, but not much else. We locked through and continued on.

Lock 10 was Cranesville, on the port side. It had a park and a free dock wall. Again, we were the only boats locking through. As we drove away from the lock, two Coast Guard boats passed us going the other way.

Were these boats part of the search and rescue team looking for the fisherman’s body? I suspect they were. If so, they’d given up.

This is where I started feeling a little weird. They still hadn’t found the fisherman’s body and I just hoped that I wouldn’t. I feel bad for the guy’s family and want them to get closure, but I certainly didn’t want the nightmarish experience of seeing a dead guy floating past my boat. So I was pretty much on edge all the way to lock 11.

Along the way, we passed Amsterdam, the stop where I’d had my first really unpleasant taste of what poor planning can do on a Great Loop trip back in 2021. The big boat that had struggled with locks and bridges the day before, Journey, was there. We kept going.

At Lock 11, there was a bunch of activity. On the starboard shore, which overlooked the waterway just below the dam and the parking area used by fisherman across the channel, there were a few news reporters, including one with a big camera on a tripod. There were two police boats rafted together in the turbulent water. I’m not sure, but I think they could have been dragging for the body. Back in the parking area were more uniformed police. A handful of lookie-lous were also on hand, although why someone would want to see a hook bring up a dead body is beyond me.

I was grateful to lock through and continue on our way.

My destination for the day was the free dock at Canajoharie, NY. It looked like it was close enough to town to walk around and see stuff. And the Arkell Museum of Art there featured paintings by Homer Winslow. Seemed like a good destination. We made our way through two more locks without passing much of interest. Lady in Red dropped back behind me; they were headed for the same place.

I arrived just after 4 to find a suboptimal docking experience. There was a wall with about a 80° angle in it. A boat was parked along the part of the wall parallel to the river, filling that part of the wall. The rest of the wall went up the Canajoharie Creek. I got a shallow water warning in the middle of that creek’s mouth, but the water deepened up as I maneuvered into position, facing in, on the outside end of the wall. There was plenty of space for Lady in Red to dock up in front of me and, after a few minutes they showed up and did just that, pointing at my bow.

The first big drawback I noticed about the spot was the climb to get off my boat; the top of the wall was considerably higher than my side entrance steps. But there was a park there and I was able to let my pups out to run around a bit.

And that’s when I discovered that my dog Lily wasn’t feeling well. She was shivering and could barely walk. I wasn’t sure what was wrong with her, but I suspected she was in some pain, possibly with a stomach ache. While her sister Rosie romped around as usual, visiting everyone she could, I had to pick Lily up and carry her around.

Of course, by this time it was too late to visit the museum, which closed at 5 PM. It didn’t open until noon the next day — on a Saturday?

I did get to meet the folks in the other boat, Child Play. They were two of three owners, if I have this right, and not related.

I was tired and worried about Lily so I retreated back into my boat to relax instead of exploring the town. There’s nothing more frustrating to me than walking around a town where everything except the bars and restaurants are closed.

But that’s about the time I realized that the elevated highway that crossed the creek not far from where we were docked was going to be a never-ending source of noise. It was hot enough to keep the windows open so there was nothing from stopping the sound of cars, trucks, and downshifting semis from getting into the cabin. It was a far call from any of the other free docks I’d stayed at. At least they had been relatively quiet.

But I was there for the night. I spent the evening working on a video before turning in.

Saturday’s Cruise: Frustration and a Birthday Party at Little Falls

I woke up early. The noise from the highway really bugged me.

Lily hadn’t eaten her dinner the previous night and wasn’t interested in breakfast. I think Rosie was starting to realize that her sister was sick because she stayed close to us when we went for a walk in the park. Lily wanted to be carried, which is really unusual for her. (Rosie is the one who likes constant human contact.)

I decided that I really didn’t want to stay there until afternoon to see the museum. I wanted to get to my next stop, Little Falls, early in the day so I could walk around town before everything closed. I also had no desire to spend two nights there since I suspected everything would be closed on Sunday anyway. So I left with Child Play and Lady in Red pulled in behind me. We were all going to the same place.

We passed through locks 15 and 16 together. Somewhere along the way, I got in front of Child Play. Yes, driving slowly saves fuel, but it’s really hard for me to drive as slow as they and Lady in Red were. Lady in Red peeled away from us to stop for fuel. So when we got to the huge, deep, guillotine-gated Lock 17, it was just Child Play and me.

I passed Child Play early Saturday morning.

Lock 17 raises boats a total of 40 1/2 feet. The chamber, which is very deep — well, at least 40 1/2 feet, right? — takes a long time to fill. The mechanisms make a lot of noise. It’s almost scary to be in there.

When the gates opened after the lift, I departed at no wake speed to the Rotary Park Dock, which was about a mile further on.

When I got there, I found the dock full. Or at least “full” because of the way some really inconsiderate boaters had parked, leaving just enough space between them that no boat bigger than a dinghy could get in. I cruised past and asked one boater to move his boat back so I could squeeze in and he totally ignored me.

Angry and determined to spend the night there, I dropped anchor across the channel, launched my dinghy, and slipped into one of the big gaps between boats. I went in to talk to the dockmaster. He claimed he wasn’t allowed to ask people to move. (Some “master,” eh?) But another boater who had just arrived and docked in the “last spot” agreed to move his boat back a bit. That would make it possible for me to slip my boat in in front of his, half hanging off the dock but parallel to a walkway. The dockmaster agreed to this solution.

I hurried back to my boat, stowed the dinghy, pulled up the anchor, and glided back across the channel. With the help of two folks at the dock, I was able to squeeze in and tie up. Success. Many many thanks to Brian and Ellen in Perfect Choice.

In the meantime, Child Play had cruised through while I was negotiating with the dockmaster. They would not have fit in the spot they made for me. (This is probably the biggest benefit of having a smaller boat for cruising — I can squeeze it in almost anywhere.) They were going on to the next dock and wound up at Ilion.

At Little Falls

After taking my dogs out for a walk — Lily seemed to be feeling a little better — I took my bike out and rode into town. That meant going over a tall bridge that crossed the Canal and Mohawk River and dropping back down into the downtown area. I took the bike to explore downtown first. I saw a supermarket and a lot of main street shops and businesses that were closed. Then I found my way to the waterfront area, which was pretty much exactly as I remembered it from 3 years before. I walked into a few shops, got an ice cream cone, and explored the big, factory building that had been repurposed into a multi-story antique mall. I didn’t buy anything other than the ice cream.

Before going back, I crossed a smaller bridge over the river to follow the path to Lock 17. On my way, I saw Lady in Red leaving the lock and heading toward the marina. I had already texted them that the place was full so they’d be prepared to find other accommodations. I rode my bike along the canal and waved to them. They wound up in Ilion, too. I’d catch up with them later in my trip.

I watched boats coming through the lock for a while — including Journey and two other very large boats — chatted with a regular who walks there every day, and talked to the lockmaster about the mechanisms, which were old and creaky. When I left, I stopped at the supermarket for a quart of milk, some bread, and some veggies. (I am absolutely paranoid about running out of milk and always have two quarts in my fridge.) Then back to the marina, where I plugged my bike in using an outlet on the building’s porch. My space at the dock did not include power.

I showered and put on the casual dress I’d bought in Burllington the week before. It was getting warmer every day and my boat does not have air conditioning; loose fitting clothes were definitely the way to go. I made a lazy girl’s dinner: packaged beef stroganoff that I’d bought back in Waterford.

I’d just finished eating when another boater came up to my boat and invited me to a birthday party for his wife. I joined about a dozen loopers at some picnic tables where I ate cake and chatted with a bunch of them about their travels. Boat cards were exchanged. Here’s a shoutout to birthday girl Laura and her husband on Sparkling Star, Andy and Kim on Sweat Equity, and Joe and Sue on Never Say Never.

Back at the boat, I was ready to wind down for the day. Lily was doing much better; she’d even eaten dinner. But she wouldn’t jump and needed to be carryied off the boat. It was still light out at 9 when I turned in for the evening.

It got cool overnight, which was really welcome given how hot it was getting during the day. There was some mist on the water until after sunrise. About half of the boats left before 10 AM. Now there was plenty of space on the dock.

I flew my drone, getting shots of the marina and Perfect Choice heading down to the lock. Unlike the rest of us, they were eastbound, although I can’t remember their destination.

Here’s Perfect Choice heading east. There were two open guard gates between the marina and the lock.

By 9 AM, most of the boats had left the dock. Now there was plenty of room. Can you see my boat adjacent to the ramp and its railing? I’m only half on the dock. Perfect Choice had been right behind me.

I put my drone into its case and loaded it onto the back of my bike. I headed out on the bike trail, making a stop at the lock to do some more drone photography. I shot video of the guillotine gate opening and Perfect Choice coming out of the lock with the drone. I also got a weird view of Perfect Choice looking perfectly tiny inside the lock’s massive chamber.

A view of Lock 17 from the downstream side. The metal gate at the bottom of the door lifts up behind the concrete barrier. Boats enter and exit beneath it, getting dripped on every time. That’s Perfect Choice all alone in the chamber.

I continued down the bike path, all the way to the Herkimer Home State Historic Site. There was only one person in sight: a young man in 1700s period dress stoking a forge. Another man came along the path in a golf cart and I flagged him down. He told me that the place opened at 10 AM — it was before that — and they were having a big history event that day. I was welcome to walk around and stay as long as I liked.

I walked around a bit, visiting a neat old cemetery and chatting with the young man at the forge. He showed me the decorative items he makes to demonstrate blacksmithing to visitors. But although I probably would have enjoyed the event, I really didn’t want to stay in Little Falls for a second night. I wanted to get on with my trip.

The Herkimer Home, looking from the cemetery back toward the Eire Canal.

So I got back on my bike and heading back to the dock. It had been a 6-mile round trip ride.

Less than an hour later, I was under way again — this time, without any buddy boats.

Sunday’s Cruise: A Narrow Canal and Another Lock Wall

I cruised slowly, not in any hurry. I planned to stop for the night at the lock wall for Lock 20 in Whitesboro, NY. The canal was narrow where it was mostly parallel to the much smaller Mohawk River, although it would join the river again (and leave it again) further along on my cruise. It was mostly wooded on both sides.

I passed Child Play at Ilion but Lady in Red had already left.

I passed what’s called the Utica Historic Marina, which looked to me to be a dock wall adjacent to a restaurant’s outside dining area. Large signs declared that the overnight rate was $4/foot — an outrageously high fee for that area, and who wants to be docked right next to people eating lunch or dinner? No wonder there wasn’t a single boat there.

Along the way I got a text from Capt John — he’s the captain I cruised with on the ICW back in spring 2022. He mentioned that he grew up in Utica. He must have been tracking me on Nebo. He sent me a photo of his new dinghy davit, which looks remarkably like mine. I’m wondering if he’ll use his dinghy now; he didn’t use it once on the five weeks I cruised with him.

When the gates for lock 18 opened, a large white tour boat came out. As I was going in, the captain of that boat radioed me. It turned out to be the dad of the guy with the sailboat in front of me at the Troy dock. Apparently he captains these tour boats when he’s not trying to help his son with an engine problem. He reported that his son was still there, still trying to get the boat fixed. Three weeks had gone by since I’d met them.

I waited in the lock but the gates didn’t close. Instead, the tour boat went around a bend out of sight, turned around, and came back in behind me. The tour included going through a lock. They went through and came back. (Oddly, I’d see the same kind of tour in Peterborough, ON for Locks 20 and 21.)

The big tour boat was based at Herkimer Terminal in Herkimer, NY. There’s also a restaurant and some shops there, but I didn’t stop.

I also passed a work barge that Sunday. It was unoccupied and quiet, just anchored there until Monday.

I arrived at Lock 20 at around 2:30 PM. I went through the lock and tied up on the south wall. It was a Sunday, so the adjacent park was busy with weekenders, mostly folks fishing off the wall. I took my pups for a walk and then spent some time just relaxing. It had been a very warm sunny day and both the sun and heat seem to suck the life out of me.

Eventually, two other boats tied up behind me. I was too tired to get out and socialize. Instead, I made myself some eggplant pizza for dinner and retired early to watch some TV. Lily was better but still wouldn’t jump up on anything.

I was asleep by 9:30 PM.

Monday Cruise: To the Beach with a Reunion

I’d been in touch with the folks in Lady in Red, who had arrived in Sylvan Beach the previous day. They told me that there was space at the free dock wall. Nebo showed about 9 boats there. I figured some would probably leave so I should be able to get a spot. Even though I’d originally planned to stop just after the lock before Sylvan Beach, I changed my plans and decided to meet up with Lady in Red again.

I left at around 8 AM. I cruised at about 7-8 knots. I was really enjoying the weather and the quiet, easy cruise.

One of the points of interest along the way was the remains of Junction Lock. Beyond this lock is the remains of the original Erie Canal where it came to this part of the canal from Syracuse. If you’re ever in Syracuse, be sure to look up the Erie Canal Museum there. The Canal used to go right through the city.

I checked out the free dock at Rome, NY, which some people had complained about. It looked okay to me. The Erie Canal and Mohawk River split at that point — or should I say come together at that point for the trip down to the Hudson? In any case, I would not be on it again. Instead, I’d be on a crazy straight and narrow section of the canal that I’m pretty sure was part of the original route. I went through lock 21, which was the first downbound lock going westbound. Then lock 22, where I’d originally planned to stay. It was a good thing I’d changed my mind because there was a noisy dredging operation going on just beyond the lock.

Eventually, the canal joined up with Fish Creek, which emptied into Oneida Lake. Sylvan Beach was the community on the mouth of that creek. The free wall was on the north side of the Canal.

Alan and Renatta were right: there was plenty of space for me. I parked in front of them, behind another boat. It turned out to be a good spot as the sun dipped to the northwest. A big tree there gave me a bit of much-needed shade. There was a nice little park there for me to let the girls run around a little. Then I put them into the boat and went out in search of a burger for lunch. It was noon and I was very hungry.

It was also brutally hot. I didn’t realize it when I was moving in the boat, but in the sun with the air very still it was hot and humid. I didn’t want to walk far and, frankly, there wasn’t much to see in town anyway. I wound up having a great burger at the Pancake House. I sat inside in air conditioned comfort. Afterwards, I visited the bakery and picked up a few things for desserts and breakfasts.

Back at the boat, I relaxed in the shade of that big tree, trying to keep cool. Eventually, I went in for a nap — again, the sun and heat suck the life out of me. I had a snack for dinner, then took a cool shower to cool down. I came out onto the aft deck in my big bath sheet and relaxed with my iPad. I was a lot cooler.

Meanwhile, the dock wall had completely filled with boats. Every available space was occupied. A very large boat had even squeezed in behind Lady in Red; it had to back in to put its bow in the shallow water; it’s stern was kicking up too much mud when it maneuvered.

Alan and Renatta invited me to join them for ice cream, so I got dressed and headed out, this time with my pups on a leash. It was around sunset and had cooled down considerably. I was not looking forward to the high 90s temperatures forecasted for the next few days.

We had a semi-serious docktails gathering near the tree, but pretty much everyone retreated into their boats, fired up their generators, and ran their air conditioners. I went in and made sure all my hatches and the back door and window were open. I went to sleep with the sound of humming generators.

Overnight, it rained hard enough to get me out of bed to close up the hatches and the side windows.

Tuesday’s Cruise: Across Oneida Lake to Brewerton

I treated myself to breakfast at Pancake House: crab cake bennie. It was good but a lot of food.

Lady in Red left early. They had a leak in their transmission and the marina at Brewerton, Winter Harbor, was going to try to fix it for them. They needed them there early for reasons none of us could really understand.

I left at around 9:30 AM, a good half hour after another group pulled away from the wall. But rather than cruise at canal speed across the lake, I decided to open up the throttle a little, running the boat at 3000 RPM. That got me 12 to 13 knots. One by one I passed the boats that had left before me. I didn’t slow down until I reached the other side of the lake at about 11 AM. After that it was all a No Wake zone in the Oneida River.

I was also staying at Winter Harbor marina. I called when I had it in sight as I had been told to do. I was told where to park with my bow facing west. That was a starboard tie, which I prefer. I came into the dock slowly, bringing the boat to a stop beside the dockhand. She tied off one of my midship lines and I got out to tie the other.

Lady in Red was parked nearby. Somehow, they’d gotten a spot in the shade again. Alan and Renatta came over. The reported that no one had looked at their boat yet.

Then the dockhand told me that I had to turn the boat around so that the bow was facing east. I didn’t understand why. My boat is the same length no matter which way it points. But the woman the dockhand was speaking to on the phone was adamant. So I started it back up, let the folks on the dock untie it, and pulled away from the dock. I made a 180° and came back in and secured my lines all over again.

I didn’t go in to the office right away and got a call reminding me to come in. That’s when I got a taste of the marina’s rules. It’s not that they’re unreasonable — it’s just that there are so many of them. While one woman handled my contract and payment, another insisted on taking me on a tour in the hot sun to show me where the bathrooms and laundry facilities were. When she was finished with me, I went back to my boat to relax and try to cool down.

I’d spend two nights at Brewerton, although I honestly don’t remember why. One would have been enough.

But that’s another story.