| Over the past 7 years, Jane and I have done quite a few trips on the New York Canal System. While this waterway does not get the press and tourism that the Canadian Canals (Trent-Severen and Rideau) do, it is none the less a great boating destination and even a better bargain. Some information if you have never been on the New York Canals: The system is actually comprised of several different canals. On the far east end is the Champlain canal, which goes north from the Hudson to Lake Champlain. The Erie or Barge Canal starts at the Hudson river and heads west. Continuing west on the Erie, we hit the Oswego River, which will take you north to Lake Ontario. A bit west of the Oswego is the Cayuga-Seneca Canal which will take you south to Cayuga and Seneca Lakes. Finally, on the western most point of the Erie Canal is the Niagara River, which will take you to Lake Erie. The entire system contains over 450 miles of waterway. Speed on the canal is a big issue for some folks. The speed limit is 10 mph, although we know of few boats that actually travel at that speed. You can count on running anywhere from 6-8mph unless you like to burn alot of fuel and throw massive wakes. Add to the slow speeds locking, which will take around 15-20 minutes per lock. So you need to relax and take your time on the canal, plan on no more than 50 or 60 miles a day. 2005 Update: They have raised the speed limit on river stretches to 45mph. These are mostly found on the eastern half of the canal. Boaters must still watch thier wake around moored boats and must reduce speed when they are less than 100' from shore. 2006 Update: The speed limit has been reduced in some areas, and most likely will be reset to 25mph max in 2007. 2007 Update: Maximum speed is now 30mph. There are new signs this year indicating the speed limit for each stretch of the canal. If you are heading east, the first section that is 30mph is after Lock 26 in Clyde. Locks are not difficult, and it is rare that you ever have to share a lock with another boat, except on busy weekends. The lockmasters are for the most part friendly and will give you information on the local area if you ask. On the western end of the canal you will be faced with many lift bridges. These are fun, simply call the bridge master on channel 13 when you have the bridge in sight and they will usually have it up when you are ready to pass. It is neat watching the cars stack up waiting while you enjoy the prvilege of passing under the bridge. Be aware that some operators man several bridges, so you will occasionally have to wait while they return from their other bridge. We find this is a good time to make a snack or a simple lunch. Fees: This is the good part - you have your choice of a one day, 2 day, 10 day or season pass. All are very reasonable, for our new 35' trawler we pay just $75 for an entire season. This includes unlimited locking and bridges, as well as free mooring at most of the locks. 2006 Update: No Fees this year! Let's see what they do next year.. 2007 Update - Free again! No fees.. 2008 Update - Get your wallets out - fees are back. Here are some of the ports we have stayed at and our opinions. Please be aware that things change from year to year, so call or write ahead to confirm details. Ports East to West on the Erie Canal that we have visited: Waterford - Great facility boosting free dockage, power, restrooms and even free coffee in the morning. Get here early, as it fills up quickly with boaters beginning or ending their canal voyage. Not alot in town, the grocery store is a real hike, you have to walk over a bridge that spans the Hudson. 2 nights free dockage, $10 per night after 2 nights. 2005 Update: This port is getting too popular - we had a very difficult time getting a spot on the dock with power. It seems that many large boats are using this port as a stop off to leave their boat. Many boats tied up for over a week with no one on board. There is also a canal boat rental outfit that takes up much of the space. Lock 8 - Brand new low wall on west side of lock with a small park. Amsterdam - Brand new facility, they have clean restrooms, showers, laundry and a restaraunt on site. There are 2 observation towers you can climb (or take an elevator!) and get a great view of the canal. Dockage is $1 per foot including power. 2005 update: We stayed on the west side of lock 11 in Amsterdam at Guy Park. Free to tie up here and there are 3 15amp power stands. No restrooms or water. Easy walk to Russo's, a great little restaurant. Monster helpings of home coooked italian food. Little Falls - Totally refubished in 2003, this is a great stop to spend a day or 2. Very scenic area nestled between the hills. Village is a short walk away and has many stores and restaurants. Staff is ultra-friendly here and will do anything to please. They charge to stay here, we paid $23 for our boat in 2004. Under 30', the fee drops to $10+3 for electric. Neat clean facilites and the scenic area make it well worth the money. Lock 20 - There is a beautiful little park on the west side of Lock 20. Small floating dock with room for 2 or 3 boats. Free 15 and 50amp power, restroom facilities in park. We stayed here in 2005. Sylvan Beach - Tie up for free on either north or south wall. North wall is preferable to get into town. No power or facilities. Easy walk into town with tons of restaurants and a small amusement park. Nice stop, we stayed here for the first time in 2005. Brewerton - Great town to fill your tank in, it appears the marinas here are all battling for the transient business and low gas and diesel prices are the norm. We filled up here in 2004 for $1.44 per gallon diesel, which is about 60 cents lower than the average on the canal. Try Winter Harbor for the best prices and great service. They also offer overnight dockage for .90 ft including the use of a courtesy car. For free tie-ups, Brewerton has 2 spots, both are just east of the railroad bridge. On the south side there is a wall that faces some condominiums, we stayed here. No facilities, but a great pizza parlor a short walk away. On the north side are more extensive floating docks with several restuarants close by. No facilites here either. Baldwinsville -Another great stop for the night, since if you are heading west it is about 25 miles until the next town. Baldwinsville has a great park with plenty of free dockage. No power, but there are new restrooms in the park's band shell. Showers are available for 25 cents. (yes, a quarter!) Not much within walking distance, but we did see several restaurants and a few convenience stores. 2005 Update - What a difference a few years makes. Baldwinsville now has a nice business district, lots of new stores, shops and restaurants. A great stop! Ithaca - Ithaca is not really on the canal, it is about 44 miles south at the end of Cayuga Lake. However, if you have the time, by all means make the trip! Cayuga is a beautiful lake 40+ miles long and about a mile wide, set in a valley that is home to many wineries. The lake itself is a short 2 or 3 mile jaunt down the Cayuga Senca canal and through one lock. At the southern end of the lake you will find Ithaca. We stayed at the Allen Tremain State Marina, which boasts huge grass meadows and miles of jogging and bike trails. Dockage was only $19 per night when we stayed, a true bargain. The town is a short bike ride away, and features both mega-supermarkets and quaint boutiques. There are also several waterfront restaruants with dockage for dinner. This city fast became one of our favorites. 2007 Update: We stayed here for 3 nights this year - great marina. We rented a car in town and did a wine tour and saw some of the local waterfalls. Dockage for 3 nights was a mere $72. Seneca Falls - Seneca Falls is on the Cayuga Seneca Canal, about 8 miles south of the Erie Canal junction. Very scenic city, you are greeted by the beautiful Trinity Church as you approach the town. Free tie-ups with 30 amp power and water. Restrooms available in the vistors center during business hours, no showers. Be warned that this is a very popular destination for the local boaters, get here early in the week if you are planning to visit. The docks filled up by Wednesday when we were here in 2004. 2007 Update: There is now power on the south side wall, but it isn't turned on yet (as of August). Also, the pumpout here is weak and chomps quarters. 2008 Update - Still no power on south side. Lock 25 - We stayed here in 2006. Real rural setting, but well kept. Long wall with not much to tie to. No power or facitlies. Good stop if you are heading west, as this is about 30 miles from Lock 24. Not much in between the 2 locks unless you want to detour to Seneca Falls. Lyons - This small village has nice tie ups with 20 and 30 amp power. Showers and restroom facilities are available in the fire hall on he north side of the canal. There is a McDonalds a short walk away, always a nice change on a trip like this, especially for breakfast. Once again, there is no charge to stay here. Newark - A true gem on the Erie. Newark has all new facilities including laundry, 30 amp power, restrooms and showers, a reception room and all of this is free. There are many restaurants and stores within walking distance and the staff here is super friendly. A coin-op pumpout is also available. This town soon became one of our favorite stops during our 2004 NYC trip. 2005 Update - The word is out! Get here early, the wall was totally filled this year when we stayed on both our outgoing and return trip to Lake Champlain. 2007 Update - Free wi-fi! Also, new floating docks on the south side - no power over there yet. Palmyra - Free tie ups with 30amp power and water. Not much nearby. We pulled in here in 2005 but decided not to stay. You will get rocked pretty bad as boats coming down the canal can't see this little marina until they are right on top of it. We had 2 boats blow by in the 30 minutes we were docked. Also, the power has a GFI circuit, which won't work if you have a heart inverter. Fairport - Fairport has one of the nicer facilities on the canal. Both sides here are brick paved and landscaped with 30 amp power and water. The restroom facilities here are top notch,the showers are private rooms. The town itself is quite busy, with many offices and small boutiques lining the main street. However, there is no grocery or video store within walking distance. As a side note, the trains here can be annoying, they seem to run through the town on a pretty regular basis. Fairport charges a small fee to stay overnight. ($6-$10 based on length) 2006 Update: We stayed here for 3 nights in 2006. If you can, avoid the west end of the north wall - there is an ice cream shop there that attracts people like moths to a light bulb. These people then all end up on the wall staring at you and your boat. We like our solitude, you won't find it here! We found a Wegmans grocery store about 2 miles away, be aware that there are some big hills to tackle if you decide to bike there. 2007 Update: Getting harder to get a slip here. It seems they are renting out quite a few spots to season dockers, which isn't fair to the transients. They also raised dockage fees $1. Spencerport - Try to get a spot on the west side of the bridge, you will find all new wood docks with 30 amp power and water. There is a gazebo and a trail with many old pictures and history of the area and canal. Grocery store and restarants within walking distance. Spnecerport also has a free pumpout station. No charge to stay overnight here. 2008 Update - There is a beautiful new welcome center with restrooms and showers on the south side in the old railroad station. You need to sign in with the bridgemaster to get the code. Brockport - Brockport is about 7 or 8 miles west of Spencerport. A new reception center just opened in 2005, and we understand that they will begin charging a fee to stay overnight starting in 2005. Brockport has a movie theater and many stores and restaurants within walking distance. There is a free pumpout just west of the Main Street bridge. 2005 Update - New restrooms and welcome center completed. Brockport is now charging a fee to dock overnight - $6-$10, same as Fairport. Holley - We stayed here on our last trip of 2003. All new wood docks and boater facilities. The bridgemaster will give you the combo to the electronic locks for the restrooms and showers. 30 amp power and water available. There is a trail that winds through a pretty park that takes you into the village. Holley has a grocery store, a pizzaria and a few other shops. Very nice stop, most people pass this right by. Once again, no charge for all of this. 2005 Update - this port is seeing more traffic! We stayed here twice in 2005, both times the dock was nearly full. Be sure to check out the falls in the park. 2006 Update: Holley seems to be slowly going out of business. Not much left on Main Street, the Liquor store has closed and when we visited it appeared that the IGA grocery store may be next. 2007 Update - Holley has a new pumpout at the end of the dock, works good, but is kind of hard to get at. I would suggest either Medina or Spencerport as better alternatives. The IGA grocery store has closed as I predicted. Albion - Albion has tons of free docking on both sides of the wall between the bridges with power and water. There are restrooms on the south side. Strangely, we have never seen a boat stay here. Not too much in town, but probably worth a stay sometime. Medina -Medina has a nice little marina with floating docks for small boats and wall tie ups for larger craft. Restrooms and showers available, and the best free pumpout station on the canal. They have every fitting you could possibly need all cabled to the pumpout hose. No charge to stay here, call the bridgemaster for the combo to the restrooms. Try Avanti Pizza if you stop here, best pizza place in the area. 2005 Update - Some a-hole smashed the pumpout fitting at the end of the 2005 season. We are hoping the town will repair it for 2006. We stayed in Medina 3 times in 2005, this really is a great port. There is a really neat waterfall on the north side of the canal opposite the port. Be sure to take a walk over one of the 2 nearby bridges to take a peek. 2007 Update - The pumpout is fixed - nothing else new here. Middleport - Due to it's proximity to Buffalo, this is one of the busiest ports on the canal. It is nothing to find 20 or 30 boats moored on the walls here. 30 amp power, and if you are lucky, a water hook up. Restrooms are in the DPW garage. There is a nice restaurant, The Basket Factory, within walking distance. Chicken wings at Mr. Ed's, a local bar are spectacular. There is a Wilson Farms within walking distance for limited groceries and video rental. 2005 Update - Brand new boater restrooms and showers on the back of the police station. There is also a manual pumpout just west of the bridge on the south side. Ask the bridgemaster for assistance. Gasport - A few miles west of Middleport. 30 amp power, a pizza joint within walking distance. Not too much more here, but this is a great spot if Middleport is crowded. Fuel is available just east of the town, the first fuel stop in over 50 miles if you are heading west. 2007 Update - Missy's new home! We are now docking at the Gasport Marina. Tonawanda - At the western end of the Canal, Tonawanda has a great park with free concerts during the summer on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday evenings. This is a very popular spot with the local boaters, and it is next to impossible to get a spot during the annual canal fest and when the big bands are in town. Sunday eves through Tuesday are the best days to find a slip. Tonawanda charges $15 per night to stay over. 30 amp power, restrooms and showers available. Many stores and restaurants within walking distance. There is also a pumpout here for $2. 2005 Update - The town increased dockage fees this year to $25 for most boats. The pumpout is coin-op, but is turned off when the dockmaster is not on duty. Ports South to North on the Champlain Canal that we have visited: Mechanicville - A great free port. They have space here for about 10 boats on the wall. Plenty of free 30 amp power and water. There is a free pumpout here as well on the north end of the wall, but we found that boats will tie here and block access even though there are signs that indicate no docking except for pumpout. There is a laundromat a short walk from the boat and a new Price Chopper supermarket less than one mile away. Fort Edward - Free tie ups with 30 amp power and water. Follow the marked channel on the west side of lock C7 to get there. Channel can be shallow in spots and in front of the wall. Not much in town. Wall is very high and it can be difficult to get off your boat. Whitehall - Another free tie-up, 3 power poles with 30 amp power and a nice museum close by. Concerts in the park adjacent to the wall. Tops supermarket within walking distance and a nice marine store about 1/2 mile north. Not much in town, but there were some signs of revitilization when we visited in 2005. |
| Cruising the New York Canals |
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| Links to some of our Canal Trip Logs with Photos: |