2022 Erie Canal

[colbysmith]

We were going to do this cruise two years ago, but then COVID happened and we put it off. I'll catch up a little later today, but get this thread started. Our drive out from home was uneventful until about 160 miles away from our launch point at Pirate's Cove Marina in Clay, NY. I had been running 65-70mph most the way. The tires on the trailer are the original Load Star LR D tires, with only 2 seasons on them. I believe about 17,000 miles. The left front trailer tire started vibrating, and as I watched it in my rearview mirror, it stopped and then within seconds blew. I had checked it about 120 miles earlier when we started out in the morning, and all looked good. (Pressure, etc.) I had already planned to replace these tires with Carlisles next season, but maybe I'll be changing them out when we get home. I was able to order a new Carlisle LR E from Amazon for $110, and have it shipped to Pirate's Cove. The marina owner will take care of getting it mounted for me, so I'll have a spare again for the drive home. We have a total of 25 days available on the water, and hope to get all the way to Buffalo before turning to head back. But plan to stay at hull speeds the entire time. Colby

[colbysmith]

Copy and pasted from my FaceBook blog on this trip. However, edited for here. (Fewer photos uploaded here.)

Yesterday we launched the boat at Pirate's Cove Marina and got everything set up for our Erie Canal cruise. Last month I found my bike rack I use on my pickup would fit on C-Traveler's roof as well, so we have both our bikes up there for this cruise. (Several have told us they may come in handy for riding the trails around the canal or into towns.) Today we started the cruise, but didn't really travel far. Maybe 10 miles! lol. But we plan to take our time and enjoy the sights and towns along the way. So today we turned into Onondaga Lake, stopping at one marina to visit the Salt Museum in Liverpool. Had our lunch, and decided to continue poking down to the south end of the lake and Syracuse's Inner Harbor. One past report from Active Captain in 2018 said this harbor was silted in and not worth the time. However, another report last year in the Waterway Guide gave a different impression saying that the entire area had been dredged in 2019. Syracuse is trying to develop the Inner Harbor, an old barge area and part of the Erie Canal. There wasn't much going on, with only one other boat on the nice free floating docks, but it was a short (about a mile) walk through town and to the Erie Canal Museum. We enjoyed the museum and history of the Erie Canal. Rather than staying on the dock overnight, we motored back up to the north end of Onondaga Lake and anchored out near a park, so we can get right back on the Canal tomorrow. Oh, we learned today that this lake was very polluted from one company that just dumped a lot of contaminants into the water earlier. (Just the way things were done many years ago.) We were told they dredged this entire lake several years ago to remove the contaminated silt. And there are now three water monitoring platforms on the lake. One at each end and one in the middle. I took a photo of the one in the middle.


Just launched at Pirate's Cove Marina in Clay, NY


Bikes on, ready to head out in the morning.


We turned to port.


We seem to find Blue Herons almost everywhere we go.


Salt Museum near Onondaga Lake Park


Rosanne posing along the Onondaga Creek Walk.


Downtown Syracuse


One of many interpretive signs inside the Erie Canal Museum.


One of three water monitoring platforms that we could see on Onondaga Lake.

[colbysmith]

Copy and pasted from my FaceBook blog on this trip. However, edited for here. (Fewer photos uploaded here.)

Another good day on the Erie Canal. And we only progressed another 5 miles. lol. Leaving Onondaga Lake, we passed some rowers. Nothing else too exciting, but enjoyed the scenery. Did our first lock on the Erie, Lock 24. Quite small compared to the locks I've done on other major rivers. There is a nice wall here to tie up on. Actually we're down on the floating docks next to the wall. Left the wall space with out the floating docks for the bigger boats! I took a video of us going through the Lock. It's 11 minutes long, as that's all the time it took us to enter the lock, wait for the lift, and then exit. A rather quick lockage! Got our bikes down, and rode around town a bit. Stopped for lunch, and then a while later couldn't pass up an ice cream shop. lol. We'll stay here tonight, plan to go to the local Methodist Church a few blocks away in the morning, then see if we get farther than 5 miles tomorrow. lol.


Ok, not making it to the Methodist Church today. Heavy rain off and on for the next few days, and while we're at a light rain now, there looks to be several more heavier cells to pass over. We'll stream our local church service. Pleasant stay on the dock here last night, still with quite a bit of room for more boats. The lock tender was quite informative that we chatted with at the lock yesterday. I'll try to keep this thread updated daily when time permits. Colby


Some rowers with their chase boat entering Onondaga Lake as we were exiting. North end.


C-Traveler on the south wall just west of lock 24. Next to the cemetery and some very nice large shading trees.

[thataway]

Colby, looking forward to your narration and photos of the Erie Canal. We were going to do the Erie a couple of years ago, but then COVID got in the way,...and now not to be.

Two questions on the tires: What was the date code on the tire that blew? Any suggestion of a road hazard, or gone over a curb etc? It is the date code that matters. Often trailer manufacturers put tires on which have been sitting around (unfortunately). I have seen RV's and trailers which had 3 year old tires right out of the trailer builder's place of business.

(No more than 5 years for trailers which do long trips, and 6 years for short haulers.). Why not put GoodYear Marathons on, especially considering the mileage you do?

[Wandering Sagebrush]

Bob, in the Airstream community, the Marathons have a horrible reputation. I suspect a lot of that is due to negligence on the part of the owner. Most people I know are now running Goodyear Endurance, and the dissatisfaction noise has subsided significantly. IIRC, they are rated for higher speeds, too. We put them on the travel trailer, boat trailer and Kar Kaddy. Knock wood, no issues

[ssobol]

I use the Carlisle tires. They work fine. One thing to check is the trailer alignment. Not a whole lot you can do about it, but there are some adjustments. Poor alignment will eat the tires.

We did the western part of the Erie in 2020. For the most part the speed limit is 10 mph except on the lakes and more remote areas.

There are a couple of places on the Finger Lakes that are nice, but it will take you off the canal a bit.

[gulfcoast john]

Hi Colby and Roseanne,

Glad you could allott plenty of time for this cruise…walking the towns, museums and historical sites unrushed is what cruising the Erie is all about.

Consider contributing to the Marinas and Anchorages on Waterwayguideexplorer.com. There is only one review (as you saw) for Syracuse Inner Harbor. You could pretty much copy and paste your Facebook posts. It really helps when there are several reviews that are consistent. The existing review is very consistent with yours, which helps makes later cruisers more confident that the poster is accurate.

I bet Bob meant Goodyear Endurance (not Marathon) ST trailer tires (yes they are more expensive). Each of mine support close to 100% of it’s max rating, so when one blows, the other gets subjected to 200% of it’s max rating for however long it takes me to get off the road and onto the shoulder. Are you worried about internal structural damage to the other tire on that side? The only time I didn’t replace both tires was last year, where I relegated the overloaded tire (which looked fine) to ‘spare’ status. Within a few months and no load it developed a sidewall bulge and leaked air. YMMV, and maybe your tires are not carrying so close to their max rating as mine are. Just wondering about your feelings on that.

I’m not sure if ya’ll are planning on a one-way cruise or backtracking. The one-way option gives you easier planning and more options for contingencies, as well as exploring Lake Seneca and Cayuga. Backtrackers skip every other town wall (they are about 13-15 miles apart, since that is what a mule team pulling barges in the 1850’s could do). Check Rome2Rio.com for public transportation options from Buffalo back to Clay…

https://www.rome2rio.com/map/Buffalo/Clay

For under $25 each on the return, I bet the bus would be much cheaper than boat gas + meals + souvenirs + expenses of backtracking at displacement speeds. AMTRAK (4 times daily, only 2.5 hours) would be more fun. Eileen and I FINALLY figured out that the reason that Bob and Marie buy T-Shirts at every marina stop is so they don’t have to do laundry as often.

Since COVID, rental cars have been expensive, one-way rentals only from one major airport to another, and Enterprise WILL NOT pick you up. Last year no rental cars were available without a six week in advance reservation.

Rome2Rio.com has become a favorite cruising app for us.

Safe travels, and Thanks for taking the time to write and post pictures!

John

[colbysmith]

[colbysmith]

Well we made up for lost time today. Had planned to go to the local Methodist Church this morning, however the forecasted rain moved in. Off and on thunderstorms are in the forecast for the next few days. So we got off the dock around 9:30am local. Rosanne streamed the local Catholic Mass, and then I streamed Stoughton UMC’s service at 10am home time. We cruised 50 miles today, going through two locks and stopping in Lyons New York. Some rain showers along the way, but part of the day was sunny with breaks in the clouds and showers. Saw some old aqueducts of the original Erie Canal, and enjoyed mostly scenery. We should start going through a lot more small communities as we head west. We are seeing a few trees with some fall leaves already. After supper this evening, we did walk around town just a bit. We’ll spend some more time looking around here tomorrow. This evening we saw a number of murals, and noticed a lot more store fronts than restaurants. Most buildings are quite old. The community really tries to cater to the “loopers” passing through. The dock wall we are on is right below the fire station. And during the day, they allow boaters, and bikers (bicyclers I assume) to use their bathroom and shower. This is just one of many towns along the Erie Canal that really caters to boaters with free tie ups along canal walls or docks, and access to water and electricity. One last thing I almost forgot. Mannequins must be a thing here along the Erie Canal. We’ve seen maybe 4 or 5 homes that have some kind of mannequins along the canal front. Colby


From a distance, these sun bathing beauties looked real. lol


Remains of the Montezuma (Richmond) Aqueduct, where the canal of 1862 crossed the Seneca River. The aqueduct was 900 feet long. When the present Erie Canal was constructed in the Seneca River, the center section of this aqueduct was removed.


Looking back at the aqueduct as we went past it.


One of the canal charter boats


Canal interpretive sign next to the dock wall in Lyons.


Some interesting information on this interpretive sign next to the dock wall in Lyons.


C-Traveler on the wall in Lyons.

[colbysmith]

John, I just reread your question and realize I didn’t comprehend all of it earlier. I believe my LR D’s are rated approx. 2500 lbs. From prior weights with the load I had, I was probably around 8400 lbs. So I have some extra capacity on the tires. I know the good tire was very briefly overloaded, but I’m not overly concerned with any structural damage to it from past experience and conditions of the overload. But, still one Of the reasons I’ll switch to LR E’s! Colby

[daninPA]

Thanks for the post! We'd like to do part of the canal someday.

You may have mentioned this but I missed it: are you using a kicker motor for the canal? Our 115 would be lugging the entire time at 10 knots or less!

[thataway]

[gulfcoast john]

Hey Colby,

I have a great idea for your 2023 C-Dory Calendar entry! Get a picture of C-Traveler on the canal crossing OVER Rd 35 (Culvert Road, c1823) at mile 301.7. Because of the angles involved, you need someone on the OTHER side of the canal to get this shot of the boat as well as the road below going under it.

There is a bike path (Erie Canal Heritage Trail) on the north side, including over the tunnel. At the Knowlesville lift bridge (mile 299.47) south wall (looks better on sat view) one of you could walk or take a bike over the bridge and head west while the other pilots the boat to the Culvert Road crossing (the Trail is right beside the canal the whole way). That area is lined with smooth cement. A photographer on the Trail side could photo the boat on the south side and likely the road as well…hold the camera high, I think it would work; we didn’t think of it last summer. Meet up at the Medina wall to reboard.

Google Map sat images show all this try Knowlesville, NY.

Safe Travels!

John

[colbysmith]

Thanks John, I love that idea. I’ll share with Rosanne so I don’t forget!

[colbysmith]

Again, copy and pasted from my FB blog...

Today we didn’t go too far, but saw and learned a lot. First, because of more rain this morning, we decided to leave Lyons and may stop there again on the way back to do some more sightseeing. We only cruised about six miles, but through three locks. The first lock, number 27, was within eyesight of the dock we spent the night at. While mentioning docks and walls, what’s really neat about the Erie Canal is all the free docking space! While there are some marinas along the canal, there is plenty of “free” wall space. There is no charge for staying tied up to these walls or docks. The walls are cement walls that line the canal on both sides of locks, and in many of the towns. The walls tend to be a little high for our boat. To get off the boat, we’d have to step on top the gunnel (for you non sailor types, that’s the side of the boat) and then climb up another 3 or 4 feet. Great for the bigger boats that sit a lot higher on the water! Docks on the other hand are mostly floating wood docks that are only a foot or two off the water, so we can easily step off our boat onto them. Then many of these places also have water and electricity available, sometimes at a nominal fee ($5-$10/night depending upon rather you need 30 amp or 50 amp service. We only need 30.) And some places it’s completely free. And then bathrooms and showers may be available also. At Lyons, I think I mentioned earlier, we could access the bathrooms and showers at the local fire station, just above us at the dock. Today, here in Newark, there is a Chamber building we check in at just above the wall and dock that has bathrooms, a shower, and laundry facility. All free. I should also state that up till five years ago, there was a permit fee required to boat on the Erie Canal. I don’t remember what it was, but still very reasonable. They dropped the fee five years ago to celebrate the existence of the Canal, and have continued to extend the moratorium on the fee. The next lock, only another mile, was lock 28A. The lock tender there, Jim, gave us an excellent tour and history lesson on that lock, and the dry dock right next to it. Several of the New York Canal tugs and barges were in dry dock for repair or maintenance. To bring the boats in there, they open up the dry dock gate to let water in. Once the boats are in, they drain the water, and the boats settle in on numerous cradles or platforms. A lot of the dry dock work is done in the winter months, when the canals are shut down and some drained. We also got to see the lock workings up close. The mechanical equipment that opened and closed the valves that let water in or out, and the equipment that opens and closes the gates. Also the electrical panels that provide electricity to run all the motors. The next lock, 28B was about four miles. After locking through there, another canal worker, Matt, gave us a tour of the old power house at the lock and then across the street, old lock 59. Matt really had an interest and some extensive knowledge of the history of the locks, particularly the older 59. To see the detail of cutting of the rocks that went into the making of the locks, would put some modern woodworkers to shame. And to think that New York said they’d build these canals in 10 years, but only took a little over seven. It was only a few hundred yards more to the wall and dock here in Newark, so Rosanne walked the path to take some photos of me and C-Traveler coming up the canal. Many more murals here in Newark. And more rain…. One more day of a rainy forecast, and then it should dry out again for a while. Colby


Mural as we were leaving Lyons


New York Canal dry dock facility at Lyons


I think the lock tender at 28A likes to keep his valve and gate control levers clean!


Good idea to give a little room when approaching from the lower end of a lock. Looks like the water valves release the water into the canal right below the lock.


Lock problem flow chart!

A few more dry dock facility photos





Mural on the back side of one of the maintenance or office buildings at the dry dock facility. Just below is a description of the mural.





Right across the street from lock 28B, is the old set of locks 59.




This photo shows the stepped pathway that the lock tenders used while pushing the large poles that swung the wood gates open and closed.


Our tour guide, lock tender Matt, sharing the history of this old lock with Rosanne




C-Traveler tied up on the wall just above Lock 28B, while Rosanne and I were getting the tour at lock 28B's old power house, and the old lock 59.


Me piloting C-Traveler from the cockpit helm. Easier to dock or position in the locks, and it was a very short distance from lock 28B to Newark. Otherwise, I have been using the main and driving from the main cabin helm.


Not too busy on the Newark wall. C-Traveler and a canal boat are the last two, and on the floating dock.