Length of the Erie Canal -- 338 miles
Navigation season -- early May to mid-November
Permits/tolls -- Check out the New York State Canal System page for current information.
Bridge clearances -- Waterford to Three Rivers -- 20 feet
-- Three Rivers to Tonawanda -- 15.5 feet
For additional information about the 16 lift bridges and 34 locks on the canal see my statistics page
Channel depths -- Waterford to Three Rivers -- 14 feet
-- Three Rivers to Tonawanda -- 12 feet
However, I noted several spots where the depth was only 9 feet
Speed limit
The speed limit is 10 mph unless otherwise posted. I never saw a posted speed limit of greater than 10 mph (although boats cruising at greater speeds were not uncommon). However, there are quite a few "No Wake Zones" on the canal. In general, stretches in front of marinas and through town centers will be No Wake Zones. There are also a lot of No Wake Zones just east of Tonawanda.
Speed made good can vary considerably depending upon the number of No Wake Zones, locks, and lift bridges you transit and how long you have to wait for the locks and lift bridges to open. Don't be surprised if your average speed is 3-5 mph less than your cruising speed.
Places to step and unstep sailboat masts
If you have corrections or comments about the following or can recommend others, please email me. East end of Erie Canal Hop-O-Nose Marina, Catskill (518-943-4640) Riverside Marina, Catskill North end of Oswego Canal Oswego Marina, Oswego West end of Erie Canal Wardell Boat Yard, N. Tonawanda (716-692-9428) Smith Boys Inc., N. Tonawanda (716-695-3472) Rich Marine Sales, Inc., Buffalo (just north of Black Rock Lock) (716-873-4060) RCR Yachts, Buffalo (on Buffalo River about 3/4 mile south of Erie Basin) (716-856-6314)
Charts, guides, maps, and websites
If you would like to recommend a guide that is not listed, please email me.
It is possible to navigate the entire length of the Erie Canal with just the free Boater Resource booklet and Recreational Map and Guide mentioned above. I did. But it was not a matter of choice; it was because of a faulty assumption I made.
Two years previously (in 1999), I had cruised the Trent-Severn Waterway. I entered the waterway at the west end at Port Severn. The visitor center at the lock there had the Canadian Hydrographic strip charts and a wide selection of cruising guides for sale. I prefer not to buy a cruising guide sight unseen. I like to leaf through the alternatives to find the one containing the information and presented in the format that best fits my needs and mindset. I was able to do this at the Port Severn lock and purchased both a cruising guide and charts before leaving. Cruising guides and charts were also available at many other places along the waterway. I assumed (wrongly, it turned out) that this would be true of the Erie Canal as well.
I left Michigan with both NOAA charts and Richardsons' Chartbooks that covered my planned route as far as Tonawanda. At every stop I made along the way I looked for cruising guides and the NOAA strip charts for the Erie Canal but could not find any. I entered the Erie Canal at Tonawanda early in the day so decided to continue on to Lockport and stop at Tonawanda on my return trip. During the previous two days I had met and questioned several boaters familiar with the Erie Canal and felt I knew enough to make it the 18 miles to Lockport. (There are no navigation charts for the section of the canal between Tonawanda and Lyons anyway.) It was slower going than I had anticipated but the navigation was easy -- just a matter of spotting and holding a course between the red and green buoys and daymarks. I did make one wrong turn. At the juncture of Tonawanda Creek and the Erie Canal I began heading up Tonawanda Creek but realized my mistake almost immediately when my depth alarm sounded. Once back on the canal, the rest of the trip to Lockport was uneventful.
I radioed the lockmaster at Lock 35 upon my approach. He directed me to the tie-up at the west end of the lock. After securing my boat, I went to the office to purchase my permit and (I thought) to buy a chart and cruising guide. I was given a lot of free literature (including the Boater Resource booklet and Recreational Map and Guide) but was told they no longer sold any cruising guides or charts. I was assured they really weren't necessary and, after chatting with the lockmaster for quite a while, felt I had enough information to continue. Nevertheless, as I walked the town in the remaining daylight, I kept my eye out for someplace that had cruising guides and charts for sale. No luck.
I kept up my futile search for a cruising guide and chart as I continued eastbound. But the Boater Resource booklet and Recreational Map and Guide, supplemented with information I obtained by querying canal personnel, boaters, and other people I met proved adequate. It was in this fashion that I transited the entire length of the Erie Canal to Waterford without a cruising guide or chart. The only time I really wished I had a chart was when I crossed Oneida Lake, but I lucked out with a clear, calm day. The channel markers are spaced so far apart I occasionally had to use my binoculars to spot the next one, but the only difficulty I experienced was locating the entrance to the canal at the east end of the lake.
Along the way, I encountered westbound boaters who had the NOAA charts. When I asked where they had purchased them I was told "Waterford." When I finally got to Waterford I asked where I could purchase a chart and was told "Troy." Since my time was running out, I opted not to continue to Troy to get a chart. I figured since I had made the entire eastbound trip without a chart or cruising guide, I could get by without on the return trip as well. But I still wanted at least a NOAA strip chart, if only as a souvenir of my cruise, and kept looking. I finally found one at Skinner's Harbor at Sylvan Beach.
This is just a long way of advising boaters who want a chart or cruising guide to get them before they depart. And a way of asking those who know where charts and cruising guides are sold along the canal to email me the name and location of the store so I can post that information on this website.
Wind and current
The current in the canal proper is so weak it is hardly noticable. It creates a hazard at dams (located next to some locks and where creeks intersect the canal) but those areas are marked with warning buoys and, in some cases, also with signs. Boaters may also encounter strong currents if they are right below a lock when it is emptying. The greater the lift of the lock, the stronger the current generated, but it dissipates quickly and within a fairly short distance.
Wind is a much bigger factor. Oneida Lake is shallow and can kick up quickly. Crossing in such conditions will be uncomfortable at best and dangerous at worst. The canal proper, however, is so sheltered, curvy, and narrow that even a strong wind barely affects the water surface. But it will affect docking and, especially, locking. A strong wind can make a boat difficult to control when entering a chamber and hard to hold in position once inside. The bigger and higher a boat's superstructure, the greater the potential control problems.
On more than one occasion I have seen rental houseboats lose it in windy conditions and swing or drift sideways out of control, endangering other boats in the chamber. While on my Erie Canal cruise, a 40 foot powerboat with a sedan bridge entered a lock behind me on a day it was blowing hard from astern. It soon became apparent the skipper lacked the skill to handle his boat in such a wind. He was unable to hold it in position long enough for his wife on the bow to grab a drop line. Distracted and flustered, he came within three feet of my stern at one point during his wild maneuverings before realizing what was happening. I was cringing, he was yelling at his wife, she was yelling back at him, and the lockmaster and a couple of bystanders, who were scrambling to help, were shouting instructions to both of them. After finally managing to get the boat secured, the wife vented by throwing her boathook at the helm with all her might.
How to lock through
As you approach a lock (or lift bridge or guard gate), hail the lockmaster on VHF Channel 13 and inform him or her of the name or type of your boat and your direction of travel. For example: "Lock 13. Lock 13. Lock 13. This is the (name or type of your boat) approaching westbound." (Alternatively, sound three blasts on your horn or call the lock on your cell phone.) The lockmaster will normally respond immediately with information about the status of the lock and instructions.
There is a traffic light at each end of the lock. If the lockmaster does not respond to your hail, note whether the gates are open and the light is green. If they are, you can enter the chamber. If the gates are closed and/or the light is red, stand off far enough away so that your boat will not interfere with boats exiting the lock or be unduly affected by the turbulence generated when the lock is emptying. Wait a few minutes if the lockmaster has not yet responded to your hail before trying again.
Before entering the chamber, check to make sure nothing is extending beyond the gunwales that could hit the walls, that your fenders are positioned properly, both horizontally and vertically, and all lines and gear are at the ready. Ideally, you should be prepared to lock through on either side of the chamber. The lockmaster may direct you to a specific position along a particular wall or, upon entering, you may decide one wall is better than the other. However, unless you are uplocking at Lock 17 (where boats must use the south wall) or a large group of boats is waiting (rare, in my experience), the wall and location along it will be left to your choice. Keep in mind that, when uplocking, the turbulence will be greatest near the front of the lock. But if other boats are entering behind you, courtesy dictates that you proceed far enough forward in the chamber to give them ample room.
Enter the chamber slowly and bring your boat to a stop parallel to the wall, close enough that you can grab the drop lines with your hand or boathook. When entering a full chamber, your deck may be so far above the top of the chamber wall that you will need a boathook to reach down and grab the drop lines.
Some of the locks only have weighted drop lines. These are synthetic lines attached to the chamber wall only at the top. The line runs over the lip of the wall and hangs free in the chamber, held vertical by a weight on its bitter end. Weighted lines give the least control. Since the line is hanging free, it can swing forward and back and away from the wall. The deeper the chamber, the greater the pendulum effect and the more difficult it is to hold a boat's position against the wall. I heard that, at the bottom of a deep lock, some boaters take the drop line to the side of the boat farthest from the wall to improve the angle of pull.
When locking through a lock with weighted lines, you simply grab on to the line and hold on, letting it slip through your hands as the boat rises or lowers, pulling as needed to keep your boat in position. With large boats, on windy days, or when uplocking, it may be necessary to take a turn around a cleat (a figure eight works well) or winch to maintain control. Always make sure the line can run freely and never tie it off or let it get slack. If there is slack in the lines and your boat jerks, you may lose your grip on the line, your hardware will be subject to high shock loads, and/or your boat may slam into the chamber wall.
Some of the locks only have fixed drop lines. These are plastic covered cables attached to the chamber wall at both the top and bottom. Although there is some slack in the drop lines, they reduce the pendulum effect considerably and permit much greater control.
With fixed drop lines, you feed one end of a line from your boat behind the drop line and back to you, forming a "V" or "U" around the drop line. Normally, one end of your line is cleated off and a linehandler on board holds the bitter end. As the boat rises or lowers, your line slides up or down the drop line. The linehandler keeps the "V" or "U" taut while making sure it is riding free and pulls or eases off as needed to keep the boat in position. With large boats, on windy days, or when uplocking, it may be necessary to give the bitter end of your line a turn around a cleat or winch to maintain control. Always make sure your line can run freely and never tie both ends off. There have been cases of boats left hanging on a chamber wall or flooded by a filling lock when a line cleated at both ends got hung up on the drop line. Pay particular attention to your lines at the top of the chamber. It is not uncommon for them to get pinched at the point the drop line runs over the lip of the chamber wall.
Some of the chambers have drop pipes in addition to weighted lines. These drop pipes are rigid rods recessed into the chamber wall. They are like fixed drop lines, only better, because there is no slack. The only time I encountered a problem was when I was uplocking and discovered a very active bee nest attached to the overhang at the top of the recess. Unfortunately, the drop pipes are spaced so far apart that most pleasure craft will only be able to take advantage of one. Since most boats of cruising size need to utilize both a bow and stern drop line, the other will end up being a weighted line.
Every lock has steel ladders recessed into the chamber wall. Many boaters use them as a substitute for a drop line. They offer the advantages of a drop pipe except that the brackets attaching the ladder to the wall prevent a line fed behind the ladder from sliding up or down its entire length. So boaters instead hang on to the rungs of the ladder with their hands or a boat hook, "walking" up or down the ladder as the chamber fills or empties.
Check out the chamber walls as you enter. Pay attention to the type and spacing of the drop lines and the roughness of the walls. The turbulence tends to be greatest at the front of a lock so, if you have the option, look for a good spot midway along the length of the chamber and maneuver to it. Grab on to the drop lines and wait for the ride.
Some locks (such as those on the Trent-Severn and the federal lock at Troy) require boaters to shut off their engines once they are secure. That did not appear to be the case on the Erie Canal (I never asked), but I usually turned mine off if for no other reason than to enjoy a brief respite from the noise. The exception was in windy conditions when I thought I might need power to hold my position. And I did need to do so several times. Usually it was just a matter of a brief shift into forward or reverse to counter the effects of the wind. But on one very windy day I was downlocking in a deep chamber with only weighted drop lines. As I neared the bottom of the chamber the wind and the pendulum effect of the long drop line combined to start my boat swinging. Despite my best efforts, the swinging worsened until I had to let go of the drop line and maneuver to reposition my boat.
Good fendering minimizes the need to fend off as the boat rises or lowers in the chamber. However, when it is necessary, boaters are advised to use a boathook, paddle, or oar and not one's hands or feet. Nevertheless, many boaters (myself included) fend off with their hands. If you do so, be careful never to place any body parts between the hull and the chamber wall where they are at risk of getting crushed.
Downlocking is gentle. Two linehandlers can easily handle a fairly sizable boat. But uplocking can be a very different story. It is more turbulent. Sailboats with deep keels will feel it more than powerboats. Some boats may need more linehandlers who may have to give a line a turn around a cleat or winch to maintain control.
Don't be in too much of a hurry to exit after the lock has finished filling or emptying. There is often a slight surge when the gates are opened. If there is a large group of boats in the lock, the lockmaster may direct the order of exit. Hold on to the drop lines until your turn comes and you are ready. Make sure your engine is running then push off from the chamber wall and continue on your way.
Photos and commentary by the crew of the S/V Two-Step negotiating a lock
If you checked the link above, you may have noticed the crew of the Two Step looped their bow and stern lines around a single fixed drop line amidships. I have never seen this done. That does not mean it is "wrong." I'll have to try it when I get a chance. (Or if you try it, let me know how it works.) The technique would appear to prevent fore and aft movement. However, it also seems it would allow the boat to pivot, making it more difficult to keep it parallel to the wall. And such a technique would not work with weighted drop lines.
With two people on board, the normal practice is for one to grab a drop line near the bow and the other to grab a drop line near the stern. This also prevents fore and aft movement and, in my opinion, makes it easier to keep the boat parallel to the chamber wall.
Singlehanding through locks. In most cases I found that grabbing a single drop line amidships was easiest and gave me adequate control. The key was to brace my feet against some outboard part of the boat (such as the toerail or stanchion base). This allowed me, if necessary, to convert my pull on the drop line to pushing with my feet. If my bow or stern began to swing away from the chamber wall, I would push with the appropriate foot to bring it back toward the wall.
In windy or turbulent conditions, I prefer to use a bow and stern drop line. When singlehanding, this is not possible in locks with only weighted drop lines. But in locks with fixed drop lines, here's what I do: Before entering the lock I place one boat hook within easy reach of the bow and another at the stern. At the transom, I cleat off one end of a line that is several feet longer than the length of my boat, coil it, and set it at the ready on the cockpit seat. At the bow, I cleat off the end of a line which is two-thirds the length of my boat, coil it, and secure it to the bow pulpit.
Upon entering a lock, I position my boat so that one drop line is adjacent to the bow and another is adjacent to the stern. I grab the coiled stern line, loop it behind the drop line, and play out the line as I walk to the bow. By the time I reach the bow it is not uncommon for the bow to have drifted away from the wall. I use the boat hook I placed there to grab the drop line. I then loop the coiled bow line behind the drop line and play it out as I walk back to a point amidships. I stand there, bow line in one hand and stern line in the other, pulling or easing off as necessary to keep my boat parallel to the wall. (In locks with a combination of drop pipes and weighted lines, the drop pipes are spaced too far apart to do this. Instead, I looped my stern line around a drop pipe then walked forward and grabbed a weighted drop line near the bow.) At the top (or bottom) of the lock, I reverse the process, push off the wall, and motor out.
A variation of this technique is to use a short stern line and a longer-than-boat-length bow line. The stern line is cleated off on one end and has a carabiner (or similar clip) on the other. Loop the stern line around the drop line and clip it to an attachment point on the boat. Then walk forward, loop the bow line around the drop line and walk the bitter end back to the stern where you can keep an eye on the stern line to make sure it doesn't hang up.
Miscellaneous
Keep an eye out for floating debris and deadheads. Tree limbs were by far the most common type of floating debris, but I also saw quite a few orange and white construction barrels, several fuel oil tanks, and even a picnic table. Deadheads hanging vertically in the water with exposed ends barely breaking the surface were commonplace as well.
Glare. Because the canal runs in roughly an east-west direction, the sun and glare can be blinding in the early morning and late evening on clear days. Avoid travelling at such times if possible. I spent one evening on my westbound transit heading into the setting sun. I was unable to see anything directly ahead. By holding my hat in front of my face I was able to see forward at an angle, but even then, the glare was so blinding I could not see the readouts on my instruments with an LCD display.
Reversal of aids to navigation. The Oswego Canal joins the Erie Canal at Three Rivers: the Oswego River goes north, the Oneida River goes east, and the Seneca River goes south. Boaters taking the Oswego River-Seneca River route, i.e., heading south on the Oswego River and then continuing south on the Seneca River or heading north on the Seneca River and continuing north on the Oswego River, should note the buoyage reversal. On the Oswego River, red markers and buoys are on the east side of the channel and white markers and green buoys are on the west side of the channel. On the Seneca River, red markers and buoys are on the west side of the channel and white markers and green buoys are on the east side of the channel. Other boaters, i.e., those taking the Oswego River-Oneida River route and those taking the Seneca River-Oneida River route, will NOT experience a reversal of aids to navigation.