The Champlain Canal – Day One.   

August 3, 2020

Today we passed through 5 locks, raising us a total of 82 feet.  We left shortly after 7 AM, and we tied up at 2:30.  A long day.  Not particularly difficult, but made somewhat longer by lock procedures:

• The first lock is called Federal Lock, and it is located at Troy NY, right where the Hudson ceases to be navigable.  We had to wait about 20 minutes while they discharged a southbound boat that was already in the lock chamber.

• Right after the Federal Lock, you turn left for the Erie Canal or straight for the Champlain Canal.

• Next is C-1 (for Champlain 1).  New this year (and unbeknownst to us, C-1 now accepts northbound boats only every two hours (on the odd hour).  We arrived at 10 and waited until 11. C-1 is also now “double-flushing (they raise the water level, drop it and raise it again) in an attempt to prevent the spread of the Round Goby, an invasive species.  So once we got into C-1, it took 30 minutes, instead of 15.

• C-2 is also double-flushing.

• From there on, it got a lot easier, as each lockkeeper called ahead to tell the next lock that we were coming.  So we usually had a green light to enter as soon as we arrived, and C-3 and C-4 took just 15 minutes apiece.

The procedure itself is pretty simple:

• We set fenders and a mid-cleat line on the starboard side.

• I drive the boat into the lock.

• Lynn stands on the starboard side-deck, holding the line.

• The lock chamber has long “pipes” that run vertically.  These are located every 50 feet or so.

• I line the boat up so that Lynn can slip the line behind (around) the “pipe”.

• As the water rises, she holds the boat in position by slipping the rope up the pipe.

• Despite some initial apprehension, Lynn reports that “It was fun!”

We covered just 45 miles today, and I am so glad I didn’t plan on more.  I believe I planned appropriately for the impact of the locks.  And because I did, we never felt worried about how long it was taking.  Anyway, now we are fueled, and pumped out, and tied up in Schuylersville, NY, which Lynn tells me has a lot of good restaurants.  Who knew?

Tomorrow, I am planning to cover just 35 miles, because we have 5 locks and more reduced speed zones in the canal.   That will put us in Whitehall, NY, just at the southern tip of Lake Champlain.

TTFN

R&L&G