09/09 - 09/16 - Erie Canal Cruise

Hi Folks,

Good news. As of the 6th of July, the Champlain Canal is open. Part of the eastern Erie Canal has started to open. At this rate, everything SHOULD be open for our cruise in September. We just have to hope and pray.

Fred
 
We got our C-Dory in late March. Our primary cruising grounds are L. Ontario, from Golden Hill SP (we have a cottage nearby). We would love to go with y'all in September, but we may not be able to get away from work.
 
Hi Wayne,

As you can see from above, our plans are currently uncertain, depending on the status of the Erie Canal. It'd be great if you can join us. Yeah, Work can be a real drag on your cruising.

Rick from Maine
 
Hi to all,

Pat and I will be on the Western end of the Erie Canal from the 21st of July to the 1st of Aug.

We plan to start at Seneca Lake State Park and go west to the end of the canal and then return. I plan to run into Rochester and see how they are comeing with their water front. Progress seems very slow. All good things take time.

Anyone wishing to travel with us or pass us or just meet to bat the bull is welcome. Our cell is 717-244-6907 give us a yell.
We stay on channel 13 on the VHF.

Hope to see you.

Fred and Pat Messerly on C-Trek
 
Hello All:

Just in case you have not come across this publication- "Cruising the NY Canal System" - by Skipper Bob - includes - Depth and height restrictions - lock locations and characteristics - where to stop - what to expect -places to stay at no charge with water and electric- etc. Includes info on the Oswego, Cayuga-Seneca, Champlain as well as the Erie.
I ordered it from Amazon.com - $10.00.

Ken
 
HANG IN THERE FOLKS, WE STILL HAVE A MONTH TO GO BEFORE WE HAVE TO FINALIZE OUR PLANS.

FRED
 
Well Folks,

According to the Erie Canal Notice to Mariners, the Erie Canal IS OPEN. Are we going to do it? From Seneca State Park to Troy, then to Whitehall? How many are up to it?

Lets get this discussion going.

Fred
 
Hi Terry & Fred,

Yup, Hunky Dory will be in Seneca Falls on the 9th. Carol and I wouldn't want to miss all the fun.

Rick from Maine
 
First, Terry and Rick, good to here from you.

To anybody interested in the eastern end of the Erie Canal. WANDERER site shows some great pictures taken last summer. I tried to pull up Bill and El's Eastern Erie Canal page from August 2005, and it would not come up.

How many do we have at this time?

Fred
 
So, Fred, what's the cruise plan working out to? I notice mention of Whitehall, which I presume means that we're going to do the eastern part of the Erie, and then head north for a bit. Is the northern leg now included in the plan, or is this an "add on" in terms of time, participants, etc.???

Looking forward to seeing you.

david
 
Hi Everyone,

You are going to have fun! Pat and I just returned from our annual summer trip on the Erie. We ate our way from Lake Seneca to Lockport and back. The western end was open no problems.

The only bad news is that Seneca Falls no longer has an ice cream shop. Both places are closed. The restaurants are still doing fine.

Our 50th high school party is early Sept. so we will be looking for your reports. When you get to Whitehall be sure to eat at the Finch and Chubb restaurant. El and Bill and Pat and Fred give it the thumbs up for sure.

Every stop on the western end of the canal remember the C-Dorys from last fall. and we spent two days with Tom and his mother that we met in Fairport last year. They are having fun cruising the canal. Nice folks and he knows every inch of the canal.

Have Fun

Pat and Fred Messerly and new boat cat MR. GREY
 
Hi Folks,

I believe that Rick is going to be the boss on this trip.

The way I see it is that we would do the eastern end of the Erie Canal, taking about a week. Move our trailers to the Troy area, then those that are interested take a second week up and down the Champaign Canal or beyond.

This year, because I have not had a chance to use my boat, I am going to try the two weeks. Also being nearer Boston, my chance to get friends to join me are greater.

I am hoping that we stop and smell the rose on this trip.

Waiting to hear from you all.

Fred
 
Fred, you raise an interesting point.

One aspect of our Erie cruises is the need to do the car shuffle at the end. As long as the boat and car are within 4-5 hr drive of each other, it can be done in 1 day. So, I looked up driving times for various possible pull out points from Seneca Falls:

Seneca Falls to Albany 3.5 Hrs
Seneca Falls to Whitehall 4.5 Hrs
Seneca Falls to Burlington VT 6.25 Hrs
Albany to Burlington 3.5 Hrs

So, once we get to Troy/Albany area, it might be good to do a Mid Stage car shuffle, for any one is heading further East. At Whitehall, there are places to leave the trucks and boats, so that could be a shuffle point. I don’t know about the Albany Troy area.

Rick from Maine
 
Rick,

I shall start researching the Troy/Albany for a good place to park our boats and and cars and trailers.

There use to be a train that went through Whitehall to Troy/Albany. I will check that out also. The Champaign Canal should not take more than two days if you push it. I will also check that out.

Fred
 
there is trailer parking in waterford and troy, and is no charge, at waterford right next to the boat launch and directly across the hudson at the lansingbugh boat launch, a large grocery store,price chopper, is nearby and has a dock for provisioning
 
Hi Folks,

There is also plenty of parking near lock 6 at the top of the flight. It is a state parking facility that will take all of us if we have a lot of us.

I talked with the Navigation Office of the Canal Corporation and got the following information. As of today, there is still Lock 10 that can not be passed. They are working on it 24 hours a day and "hope" to get it open by Labor Day, but I should stay in touch. The Notice to Mariners seems to indicate that the Erie Canal is open all the way. Moral of story. "Do not trust anything you read, hear and half of what you see."

If anybody else wants to talk with them, their number is 1-800-422-1825. A very nice women answers, but she is not at Lock 10.

At this time, plan A is still on.

By the way, we should start to collect cell phone numbers of all boats that will be on this cruise. I think it is best that we do it off the site. How, is anybody's guest. I have some of them already. I think Dun has all the numbers from last year.

Fred
 
I have been tracking this discussion.

My wife and I are HOPING to join this august group in September (pun intended!). But--because of work--we can not do the full itinerary. We probably could particpate on the weekend, cruising with y'all from Seneca Park, and we MAY be able to add Monday (and make it a longer weekend).

How far would that get us? (Less, obviously, if we have to "back-track.")
This would be our first C-Brat cruise. How do you do the "shuffle"?
 
Hi Wayne,

Here’s what I’d do if I only had 2 – 3 days to play with the Erie Canal C-Dory’s. On Saturday the 9th, we just have time to launch, drive our boats to our overnight spot, either Seneca Falls or other like Geneva, and go to Dinner. I am hoping that we can do our Get together Dinner Saturday Night in Seneca Falls.

Then Sunday, depending on the group consensus and Weather (always a factor), we’d either 1. Cruise the Finger Lakes (i.e. go to Wineries by boat) This also allows people to spend Sunday in Seneca Falls touring the National Site and Museums. or 2. Start on our Eastern voyage.

If we head east on Sunday, you could come and spend the night with us, where ever we land, then you could boat back to your trailer the next day. Actually, since we travel slowly, you could probably go back to your trailer on Sunday night if you only have 2 days and don’t mind boating after sunset. (I’ve done it on the Canal a few times and it’s fun and easy.)

The boat/car shuffle is when we rent a car at the end of our trip to drive back to our tow rigs, (we need some one extra to drive the rental back), drive our tow rigs to the boats, then haul and head home (always a sad part).

Rick from Maine
 
Hi Folks,

David left the group after Medina and went back by water to Lake Geneva. I think it took him about two days. Maybe he will come on and answer that question.

Fred
 
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