Officials, locals, and boaters gathered in Waterford to kick off New York state’s summer canal boating season.
On a calm, clear morning, the first day of the summer boating season is drawing vessels from around the world to travel up the Erie Canal, marking the beginning of the 200th anniversary of the man-made waterway.
“We did the Trent-Severn. And then we did Georgian Bay. And then we did the North Channel, Lake Michigan down to Chicago. And then the Illinois. What was after the Illinois, mum?” asked Dawson.
Dave Dawson and Annie Dion are 200 miles away from completing a 10-month odyssey that began in Kingston, Canada.
“Ohio, a bit of Mississippi, Ohio, Cumberland. A bit of the Cumberland.”
They’re ready to drop anchor and give their sea legs a break.
“It’ll be good to be back home,” said Dawson. “I’m a retired farmer and we left the farm to the two boys, so we’re wondering what it’ll be like when we get back. But I’m sure it’s going to be fine. Yeah, the routine’s going to change. It certainly hasn’t been a vacation, it’s a chore, you know, everyday there’s something new. And it’ll sort of be nice to settle down,” said Dawson.
They’re in no rush to get their hand-painted Taiwanese trawler named Mendocino up the lock. Dion recounts the trip while they let the larger yachts and speedboats go ahead up river even though they’ve been waiting at the dock for the past several days.
“Carabelle to Tarpon. 28 hours of pure hell. And no, didn’t like it at all, and even nearly cried but it was not worth it,” said Dion. “So, I didn’t cry. But I didn’t like it. And I do like the Carolinas, the Hudson. Everything was good, everything had its charm. But Carabelle-Tarpon? No.”
More than 57 locks and 16 lift bridges are operated by the New York State Canal Corporation. Last year, there were more than 78,000 lockings.
Anywhere from one to six boats are raised or lowered at one time in a gated section of the river. Once in the lock, the water level will go up or down to match the elevation of the next section of the river.
Here in Waterford, the elevation difference is just over 33 feet.
“I like the tugs because they’re easy to maneuver on. You can get all the way around and do what you need to do and it’s comfortable inside, right?” asked Bea Gonzalez.
Standing in a crowd of several dozen onlookers at the top of the lock, Canal Corporation Trustee Bea Gonzalez is chatting about her boating hobby as the gate begins to open.
“Canal boating and ocean boating, very different. But for me, it’s about the calming effect of water. You know, on the ocean you’re speeding along. On the canal, you’re meandering along,” said Gonzalez. “And you really get to appreciate the nature that’s around you. You get to enjoy the communities that you’re docking at. And it’s a really welcoming community, the boating community. And here we go!”
The lock is filled with two to three million gallons of water, raising the handful of boats so they can continue up the canal.
“Everybody’s happy when they travel on the canal,” said Stratton.
Canal Corporation Director Brian Stratton is standing on the northern side of the lock, cheering the season’s first travelers on.
“This is one of my favorite times of the year to be able to see these beautiful boats locking through. And to know just how important this canal is, the economic impact is more than $400 million annually. And you can really see where that comes from, not just from these boats but from all of the traffic every year. These boats will travel, many are headed back to Michigan, some to Canada, some to Ohio. And really, you can get anywhere in the world on the Erie Canal,” said Stratton.
The third and current version of the Canal system was constructed between 1905 and 1918, and is used as a recreational waterway as well as a commercial shipping corridor.
The canal season runs through October 16th.