09/10/05 - Erie Canal

[El and Bill]

Any nor'easters interested in an Erie Canal Cruise in July? Maybe come up the Hudson River, take the Canal westerly, perhaps cross the lakes into Ontario, chug those canals easterly, down the St. Lawrence, through the canal into Champlain and back to the start on the Hudson.

Lots of variations on this theme, and fun to brainstorm ideas. Folks could join for all or part of the cruise, depending on time available and interest.

Any interest.

[Valkyrie]

El and Bill:

If it was any year but this one, we would take you up on the idea. We're going to South Africa on safari this July.

Next year we're planning on doing the Canal from the Lake Erie end and trailering back from the NYC area.

Nick and Marcia
"Valkyrie"

[Salty Dog]

Ah, the Erie Canal. Spent my honeymoon on the canal 7 years ago aboard a chartered canal cruiser. What a week. Absolutely beautiful area. I highly recommend a cruise in the fall on the canal. Colors are beautiful. Does get a bit chilly at night, but very pleasant during the day. Would love to come along, but we've already planned a trip to the Canal for October 2006 (anniversary trip). We too would be coming from the Lake Erie side living in Ohio and all. Although I did tell the wife this past summer we need to take the boat to the Hudson and head west on the canal. Would be fun going through all the locks from the Hudson up to the canal height.

[Rick from Maine]

Hi El & Bill,

I'd love to go play on the canals with you. But I'm going to have trouble convincing Carol to do it in July. She wants to do the canal since she missed doing it with Chris and I. But we're doing Alaska the last half of June, and then Cape Cod, so she's going to be on Home Withdrawal. I'll keep monitoring your progress. If it gets to late July, maybe I'll convince her, or maybe I'll come play anyway.

Rick & Carol from Maine

[El and Bill]

OK -- so how about the Erie canal in August or September? Probably nicer weather then, and maybe Carol can be convinced then.

[Rick from Maine]

Oh yeah, that works good. Carol said she'd definitely like to come play in either August or September. So, if you guys end up in that area then, we should be able to get together. If you're doing the whole length of the Erie Canal, and take your time to visit the many interesting shore side historical sites, it takes a lot longer than 5 days. And if you dip into the Finger lakes and Seneca Falls, there's a few more days, just visiting historical sites and Vineyards (you wouldn't want to miss the vineyards that have docks!). Or if you head North at the midpoint there's more great cruising. So, there should be a time window when we can catch up to you guys, since any of those locations are only a 1 day drive from here. We'll be looking forward to your progress on your cruise this summer, and try to share some cruising. I suspect some other Northeast C-Dory's will want to come play, too, since, we enjoyed the Champlain Canal area last fall.

Rick & Carol from Maine

[El and Bill]

Great, Rick -- We'd love to be doing some cruising with you folks again. Our only time through the canal, we turned north to Oswego and across Lake Ontario. Would you guys like to go to the Finger Lakes, Seneca, Vinyards? That would be new to us and we'd love it. How about going all the way to Buffalo, then north into Huron, into the Trent/Severn Canal, and back across Ontario to Oswego and to the canal and back to the starting point? How much time might you folks have??

[El and Bill]

Hey, Rick -- an idea. How about you organizing a Northeast C-Dory Gathering cruise (like the one on the Champlain Canal last year) on the Erie Canal this year. You know many of the folks, and could get a sense of whether there is interest in the Erie, and how much time folks would like to share on the canal cruise, and what time of year would be best, etc. What do you think?

[Casey]

This is really beginning to sound interesting/tempting. We're going - we just don't know exactly where (back East) just yet!

I've been reading and routing some of the "canal areas" and all seem tempting. We've never been to this area, and it certainly sounds interesting. I want to see some (more) of Canada, and their canals; now I see mention of a vineyard with a dock. Oh, be still my Heart!

Northeast Gathering ... hmmmm (even if spontaneous!)

This is going to work....

Casey
the non-planner (long story)
C-Dory Naknek

[Rick from Maine]

Hi El & Bill and Casey,

Sure, I'll contact the usual Northeast C-Dory Gathering Suspects to see if there is a preferred time window. Hopefully, Bill, we can probably accomodate you, if it's August or September. I prefer the western half of the canal, from Syracuse to Buffalo. Every night there is a different interesting town with a free town wall overnight tie up. Seneca Falls is wonderfull; great town tie up with the National Park honoring the initial Woman's Rights activists. I'll probably be only cruising for 4 - 5 days, with 1 day tow on each end. That makes a leisurely cruise from Syracuse to Buffalo and easy to arrange travel to/from the truck. Or if we do the Eastern end, From Albany to Seneca Falls area fits well in 4 - 5 days ( though fewer canal side towns to explore). I hope we can work something out.

Rick & Carol from Maine

[CTYankee]

Hi all,

Rick just e-mailed me about this thread, as I don't check this site as often as I should. We'd definitely be interested in a trip, but probably September is best for us. Eastern or Western end...makes no difference to me...it's all beautiful. My son went to school on Seneca Lake, so I'm familiar with that area. LOTS of wineries! A week is probably max for us, as we both have care-taking responsibilities. The Trent Severn Canal or the Rideau Canal both sound wonderful too. Bill and El, I guess it depends on your schedule.Let me know.

I'm also going to try to make the Chesapeake gathering in June!

Dun (CTYankee)

[El and Bill]

Our schedule is wide open -- we don't have one! So, you folks pick the best time for you nor'easters and (if the creeks don't rise) we'll be there. We will probably have time (and inclination) to do the whole canal, so whether the Gathering is east end or west end doesn't matter -- we'll just join it either way and keep going. We can co-ordinate with others who have more time.
Keep gathering those suspects, Rick. Sounds great and looking forward to another cruise with you folks.

[Rick from Maine]

Hi El & Bill,

The NE C-Dory gatherers (alias Usual Suspects) all expressed interest in an Erie Canal gathering. CT Yankee & Inn on the Water prefer September. Widget would like Sept but, since Valerie teaches, it's best before Labor Day for them. The McWethy's will probably be on the west coast by then, but if not, they're interested. Hunky Dory is flexible in Aug, Sept or Oct. So, I think it is a go with having a gathering whenever you guys are in the area. Let's plan on doing it. As you guys firm up your cruising schedule this summer, we can firm up a date and meeting place. That area offers many options. I'm sure other east coast C-Dory's will sign up once we establish a date and sign up sheet.

Rick & Carol from Maine

[El and Bill]

You folks name the dates best for your group, and if the creeks don't rise, we'll be there. You ARE the cruising schedule!!

[Pat Anderson]

Low bridge, everybody down! Low bridge, we're coming to a town! You can always tell your neighbor, you can always tell your pal, if you've ever navigated on the Erie Canal! ♪♫♪♪♫♫

Hell, if we weren't going to the Eastern Shore ( which we ARE, come hell or high water), we would probably do this one too! Alas, no matter HOW long I work this year, I could NOT take another week off in 2005 - but 2006, that is an ENTIRELY different story!