Western Erie Canal electronic charts

[Davidsalter]

Originally Posted by CaptTom

Right. I have mine running all the time at the helm, too. Just that in the canal, you don't care if it shows you in the water, or up on Main St. You just care about what's ahead, what's around the next bend, and how far to your destination for the night.



Do you know the revision date on the one you ordered? I have an older version, and I'm not sure if they've updated it since then. If not, I won't buy a new one for this year. But if it's been updated, I would. I'm hoping to get back there this summer.

I draw 6 FOOT 6 inches. Any areas that you recall in the Western canal that may concern me?

[tgrimmett]

Originally Posted by Davidsalter

I draw 6 FOOT 6 inches. Any areas that you recall in the Western canal that may concern me?

We draw closer to 7ft and only had one spot that we ran aground, in Herkimer, under the E Main St bridge, but only because we were forced over to one side due to construction under the bridge. We had plenty of close calls though and I can highly recommend that you review the Canal Authority's site that has color-coded depth surveys. Some of them are out of date due to recent dredging, but we printed each one out, marked the mileage point, and kept them in a binder at the helm. Start here. Navigating the Canals - New York State Canals

Then check out the depths shown here, Navigation Information - New York State Canals, for south, middle and north depths. The color coded depth surveys are found by clicking on any of the depth numbers that have an underscore on them.

There were several spots that I couldn't see how we would get through, and I ended up calling their 'navigation and dredging' department, and the gentleman was very helpful, assuring me that recent dredging should help. But you might call to get the latest status. See their phone numbers here. Canal Phone Numbers - New York State Canals

The key thing is to go slow when it shallows, keep a wide berth around spots where smaller streams enter the canal, and keep an eye out for 'dead heads' - floating or fixed wood logs, sometimes right in the center of the channel. Keep a constant eye out and you'll be fine.

[Davidsalter]

Thanks for a well educated reply. What year and month did you make the passage? I believe water levels are marginally higher in the late Spring? Is the bottom typically a thick layer of silt?
How quickly can one transit from Waterford to Tonawanda in a sailboat that motors at 7.3 knots cruising speed? Has anyone seen the big cruise barge sized ships that take passengers in the eastern portion transit the Western portion between Oswego and Tonawanda? Any particular locks that are particularly rough current when opening closing?
Great Forum. Thanks to all participants.

[Dave Lochner]

Originally Posted by Davidsalter

Thanks for a well educated reply. What year and month did you make the passage? I believe water levels are marginally higher in the late Spring? Is the bottom typically a thick layer of silt?
How quickly can one transit from Waterford to Tonawanda in a sailboat that motors at 7.3 knots cruising speed? Has anyone seen the big cruise barge sized ships that take passengers in the eastern portion transit the Western portion between Oswego and Tonawanda? Any particular locks that are particularly rough current when opening closing?
Great Forum. Thanks to all participants.

The cruise boats on the canal turn north at Three Rivers and head to Oswego. They really aren't that large as the lock size restricts them to less than a 50' beam and 15' height. There is plenty of room on the canal for both to pass easily. Also they are not that frequent. Unfortunately, commercial traffic on the canal is virtually non-existent. The last time we did the western canal the only boat traffic we had to deal with were occasional fishing boats, large groups of kayakers paddling down the middle of the canal, and the rental canal boats with inexperienced operators. None of them an existential threat.

Usually people figure about 4 days to Three Rivers near Syracuse and another 3-4 Days to Tonawonda. The goal is to get to the last lock of the day and be the last boat to lock through. This way you can start moving at the first light of day and not have to wait for the lock to open.

Except for crossing Oneida Lake, weather is not a big factor as the canal is well protected, it might get cold and wet, but big seas and such are not an issue. Oneida Lake is an exception. If there is strong west wind, it will get bouncy as it will during a thunderstorm. (I once lived on Oneida Lake). Early mornings are typically the best time to cross the lake.

There is no current at the lock entrances or exits, except when the lock is draining, but you won't be in that area. The water typically drains at the down stream end of the lock into the canal. Within 100 feet of the gate, the turbulence has abated and there just a slight diminishing current.

The locks are all hydraulic, there are no pumps involved. A valve(s) opens on the upstream side to fill the lock, it closes. And then another set of valves open to drain the lock. When locking upstream, the water will tend to push the boat towards the lock wall. The initial surge of water can be strong, but it tapers off as the water rises. Locking downstream the water tends to pull you off the lock wall and the lock water is very calm. Going downstream is easier than up. Once you get to the Utica/Rome area, it is all downstream.

The lock masters are very competent and can control the water flow to manage the turbulence. Most of them are pretty helpful and accommodating. I had a problem at one lock and needed to buy a new battery, the lock master lent me his car so I could drive to the store.

Anticipation of entering the canal and locking is always more anxiety producing than the actual experience. Once you get past the Waterford locks you'll be experts. Sit back relax, and enjoy the trip. Parts can be boring, however the scenery is often interesting, there are lots of small towns that welcome you, and abundant wildlife.

Enjoy!

[phiggins]

You could use GE2KAP and Sasplanet and made GE charts for the whole canal in a half hour.

[phiggins]

OK it took 54 minutes. If anyone wants them follow the link below and look for the Erie Canal Folder. For the west side I just did GE, on the east its GE with Navionics charts overlayed. Here is an example:

https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ahv3fXEZ5SzkjRTcnfNuiHWgtQKa

[CaptTom]

Originally Posted by phiggins

OK it took 54 minutes. If anyone wants them follow the link below and look for the Erie Canal Folder. For the west side I just did GE, on the east its GE with Navionics charts overlayed. Here is an example:

https://1drv.ms/f/s!Ahv3fXEZ5SzkjRTcnfNuiHWgtQKa

Wow! Very Nice, thanks!

[tgrimmett]

Originally Posted by Davidsalter

Thanks for a well educated reply. What year and month did you make the passage? I believe water levels are marginally higher in the late Spring? Is the bottom typically a thick layer of silt?
How quickly can one transit from Waterford to Tonawanda in a sailboat that motors at 7.3 knots cruising speed? Has anyone seen the big cruise barge sized ships that take passengers in the eastern portion transit the Western portion between Oswego and Tonawanda? Any particular locks that are particularly rough current when opening closing?
Great Forum. Thanks to all participants.

Hi David. Dave's reply is pretty complete. But just to answer your questions, we did the trip in June 2017. You are right that the water levels generally are higher in the spring and I'm sure that helped a little bit. The down side is you'll get more debris washing down so keep an eye out for that. Generally our experience is that the bottom is soft, but we did hit something that felt rock hard coming into the north wall at Pittsford (so stick to the south wall!). We did have some rough current in a few locks that had a large dam next to them, and also when they were draining the lock before we entered, if we were a little too close. At the Pittsford wall, you would get occasional current flow for 15 minutes at a time as the lock above was draining, a little alarming when you are tied to the wall, but nothing dangerous. We did the trip in about 10 days. Sounds like you are under a deadline to move the boat through, but if you have the time, I would encourage you to take the time to enjoy the sights and the small towns along the way, especially on the western portion. Good luck!